Paget's disease if Nipple- Review
Clinical:Approximately 1% –3% of women with adenocarcinoma of the breast have Paget disease. Clinically-Paget disease has common dermatitis-like appearance, as originally described in 1874, when Sir James Paget recorded that such lesions may resemble “ordinary chronic eczema” or present as nipple erosion or ulceration. Paget disease often has a deceptively banal clinical morphology but should lead the list of differential diagnoses when evaluating unilateral lesions of the nipple–areola complex in adults.Paget disease presenting with nipple erosion. Most women with the histopathologic finding of Paget disease ...
Source: Oncopathology - June 28, 2013 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: a common misdiagnosis. breast Breast Biopsy Procedure Breast Carcinoma vs. Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma Source Type: blogs
Treating hepatitis C by blocking a cellular microRNA
Miravirsen is a drug that binds to and blocks the function of a cellular microRNA called miR-122 that is required for the replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Treatment of chimpanzees chronically infected with HCV with this drug leads to suppression of viral replication. The results of a phase 2b human clinical trial in HCV infected humans indicate that Miravirsen reduces levels of viral RNA without evidence for viral resistance. I asked virologist Stan Lemon (who appeared recently on TWiV 235) his opinion of these findings.
Are you surprised that the antiviral effect of Miravirsen is long lasting?
The Janssen study pub...
Source: virology blog - June 6, 2013 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information cirrhosis HCV hepatitis C virus hepatocellular carcinoma liver microrna mIR-122 miravirsen viral Source Type: blogs
Rebellious FDA Reviewer Insists ARB Heart Drugs Have Cancer Risk
Yet another instance of an FDA medical reviewer clashing with agency supervisors is playing out over a group of drugs called angiotension receptor blockers, which are taken by millions of people to prevent heart attacks and strokes, but were linked to a higher risk of cancer in a 2010 study in The Lancet (here is the study).
Although the agency later determined there was no increased risk and cleared the drugs for continued use the following year, FDA reviewer Tom Marciniak disagreed with the agency analysis and maintains stronger warnings are needed, according to The Wall Street Journal.
To reach its conclusion, the agenc...
Source: Pharmalot - May 31, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: esilverman Source Type: blogs
How Senescent Cells Can Promote Cancer Formation
We present evidence that MMPs act by activating the protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR-1), whose expression is specifically increased in post-senescence emergent keratinocytes.
Developing the means to periodically clear out and destroy senescent cells is a necessary part of any future package of rejuvenation therapies, such as those of the SENS research program. Good progress is being made in targeted cell killing technologies by the cancer research community, and there are a number of possible mechanisms that might be used to distinguish senescent cells from healthy cells, so this type of therapy looks very feasible from...
Source: Fight Aging! - May 22, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs
Alzheimer’s and Skin Cancer
People who have non-melanoma skin cancer may be less likely to develop Alzheimer's Disease.
+Alzheimer's Reading Room
People who have non-melanoma skin cancer may be less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to research carried out by scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.
The findings were published in the May 15, 2013 online issue of Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
"Several previous studies had found correlations between cancer and the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease," said lead author Robert White, an Einstein medical student enrolled...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - May 17, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs
Does Angelina Jolie paint a false picture of mastectomy?
A woman’s mother dies at age 56. A blood test is done. The woman finds out she has a genetic pre-disposition to cancer. She takes what action she thinks she needs to take. A familiar story repeated over and over again every day. I’ve met many women who have made this choice. While not “normal”, it is a familiar situation. These women’s difficult choices go unheralded. But not Angelina. She has a voice and she’s not afraid to use it.
I am of two minds about Ms. Jolie’s announcement. Unlike double mastectomies for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which isn’t necessarily a cancer and can be treated with a lump...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - May 15, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Tags: Conditions Cancer Surgery Source Type: blogs
Dr. Len Says: When It Comes To Skin Cancer, Do As I Say, Not As I Do
So May is skin cancer awareness month. No time like the present to come out with the news: I have been diagnosed with skin cancer.
There really isn't much special about that, since it is a distinction I share with over 2 million Americans who have a skin cancer removed every year. Fortunately, for most, it is a cancer that is not of particular concern since most can be removed. But even those "simple" surgeries--as I have learned from my own experience--can be a bit problematic.
Occasionally it helps to find some humor in difficult situations, and this is one of those times. And since I am generally pretty open about what ...
Source: Dr. Len's Cancer Blog - May 14, 2013 Category: Cancer Authors: Dr. Len Tags: Cancer Care Early detection Environment Other cancers Prevention Screening Treatment Source Type: blogs
A Specific Crowdfunding Example
I mentioned Microryza in that last post. Here's Prof. Micheal Pirrung, at UC Riverside, with an appeal there to fund the resynthesis of a compound for NCI testing against renal cell carcinoma. It will provide an experienced post-doc's labor for a month to prepare an interesting natural-product-derived proteasome inhibitor that the NCI would like to take to their next stage of evaluation. Have a look - you might be looking at the future of academic research funding, or at least a real part of it. (Source: In the Pipeline)
Source: In the Pipeline - May 14, 2013 Category: Chemists Tags: Cancer Source Type: blogs
Levoxyl Shortage for Thyroid Patients
I recently tried to refill my prescription for Levoxyl and learned I cannot due to a recall by the manufacturer Pfizer. I called Pfizer this morning and spoke to a robotic, though pleasant, customer service representative in India. She provided little useful information. Between my own research on the FDA and American Thyroid Association websites I learned the following:
* Pfizer has suspended production of Levoxyl, which is manufactured at a plant in Tennessee. Chemical contamination is the reason for suspended production. Emission of a strong odor was reported by pharmacists when opening 100 and 1000 ta...
Source: Everything Changes - May 9, 2013 Category: Cancer Authors: Kairol Rosenthal Tags: Uncategorized thyroid cancer levoxyl papillary carcinoma synthroid Source Type: blogs
World Class
This is what can happen when a private practice surgeon refers a complicated colon cancer patient to a medical oncologist affiliated with a certain multinational, gigantic world-famous non-profit health care system.
Let's say the surgeon is asked to see a patient with a large bowel obstruction. Perhaps the colonoscopy demonstrated a high grade constricting lesion in the distal sigmoid/upper rectum and the CT scan revealed a massive, locally infiltrating mass invading into the bladder and a possible liver lesion. Perhaps the patient has lost 30 lbs recently and has noted foul smelling material in her urine. &nb...
Source: Buckeye Surgeon - May 3, 2013 Category: Surgeons Authors: Jeffrey Parks MD Source Type: blogs
World Class
This is what can happen when a private practice surgeon refers a complicated colon cancer patient to a medical oncologist affiliated with a certain multinational, gigantic world-famous non-profit health care system.Let's say the surgeon is asked to see a patient with a large bowel obstruction. Perhaps the colonoscopy demonstrated a high grade constricting lesion in the distal sigmoid/upper rectum and the CT scan revealed a massive, locally infiltrating mass invading into the bladder and a possible liver lesion. Perhaps the patient has lost 30 lbs recently and has noted foul smelling material in her urine. Th...
Source: Buckeye Surgeon - May 2, 2013 Category: Surgery Authors: Jeffrey Parks MD FACS Source Type: blogs
Aveo Gets Bad News on Tivozanib
The kinase inhibitor tivozanib (for renal cell carcinoma) was shot down this morning at an FDA committee hearing. There are going to be a lot of arguments about this decision, because feelings have been running high on both sides of the issue.
And this has been an issue for over a year now. As that FierceBiotech story puts it:
Tivozanib hit its primary endpoint, demonstrating a slim but statistically significant improvement in progression-free-survival of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma when compared to Nexavar (sorafenib). But the sorafenib arm experienced a slightly better overall survival rate, and Aveo ha...
Source: In the Pipeline - May 2, 2013 Category: Chemists Tags: Cancer Source Type: blogs
Is Glyphosate Poisoning Everyone?
I've had a few people send along this article, on the possible toxicological effects of the herbicide glyphosate, wondering what I make of it as a medicinal chemist. It's getting a lot of play in some venues, particularly the news-from-Mother-Nature outlets. After spending some time reading this paper over, and looking through the literature, I've come to a conclusion: it is, unfortunately, a load of crap.
The authors believe that glyphosate is responsible for pretty much every chronic illness in humans, and a list of such is recited several times during the course of the long, rambling manuscript. Their thesis is that th...
Source: In the Pipeline - April 30, 2013 Category: Chemists Tags: The Scientific Literature Source Type: blogs
Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy
Nipple-sparing mastectomy in conjunction with immediate breast reconstruction is becoming more and more popular so I thought a blog post about it was in order...What is a nipple-sparing mastectomy?A nipple-sparing mastectomy preserves the nipple, areola and all the surrounding breast skin which is then used for the breast reconstruction. Unlike the traditional "modified radical mastectomy", nipple-sparing mastectomy only removes the breast tissue ("parenchyma") under the skin.What are the benefits?Studies show that nipple-sparing mastectomy provides the same level of surgical treatment as a modified radical mastectom...
Source: Breast Cancer Reconstruction Blog - April 24, 2013 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: BRCA breast reconstruction cowden's syndrome mastectomy modified radical mastectomy nipple areola nipple sparing mastectomy nipple-sparing prophylactic mastectomy strong family history Source Type: blogs
