Combining surgery, radiation, and hormonal therapy dramatically extends survival in men with advanced prostate cancer
In April, scientists reported encouraging results from a pilot study of men with metastatic prostate cancer, or cancer that has spread beyond the prostate gland. Long considered incurable, these advanced cancers are usually treated by giving men systemic drugs that target new tumors forming in the body. The scientists who led this new study took a more aggressive approach. In addition to giving systemic therapy, they surgically removed the prostate gland and affected lymph nodes, and also treated visible cancer in the bones with radiation. By throwing everything but the kitchen sink at these cancers, they achieved a stunni...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 14, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Charlie Schmidt Tags: Cancer Health Prostate Health Source Type: blogs
Fight Aging! Newsletter, June 12th 2017
In this study, we focused on two pathways of cardiomyocytes or heart cells: the Hippo pathway, which is involved in stopping renewal of adult cardiomyocytes, and the dystrophin glycoprotein complex (DGC) pathway, essential for cardiomyocyte normal functions."
Previous work had hinted that components of the DGC pathway may somehow interact with members of the Hippo pathway. The researchers genetically engineered mice to lack genes involved in one or both pathways, and then determined the ability of the heart to repair an injury. These studies showed for the first time that dystroglycan 1, a component of the DGC pathw...
Source: Fight Aging! - June 11, 2017 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs
Persuing ASCO 2017 - AKA Time for Lorazepam
Photo from ASCO Mediakit. © ASCO/Danny Morton 2017TheAnnual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology was last week. It ’s been my observation over the years that much of the best palliative-oncology and supportive-oncology research is presented at ASCO each year, before it’s actually published (if it ever gets published). So I always dig through the palliative/EOL/supportive/psychooncology abstracts each year to see what ' s happening. Below is a gently annotated list of the abstracts that caught my eye the most, for your perusal and edification. Undoubtedly, these are my idiosyncratic choices, ...
Source: Pallimed: A Hospice and Palliative Medicine Blog - June 8, 2017 Category: Palliative Care Tags: ASCO cancer oncology pallonc research research issues rosielle WaPo Source Type: blogs
Reviewing What is Known of PTEN and its Longevity Effects
The PTEN gene shows up in a number of places in aging research, and today's paper is a review of what is known of its relevance to the field. To pick a few items, PTEN appears to be involved in some of the processes and pathways that control nutrient sensing, and is thus of interest to researchers attempting to recreate the beneficial effects of calorie restriction via pharmaceuticals. It is also involved in regeneration and cancer as a governor that prevents excessive cell growth. In this context, PTEN suppression has been shown to enhance nerve regrowth in mice, but of course there are other, adverse consequences to turn...
Source: Fight Aging! - June 6, 2017 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs
An Update on the Work of Oisin Biotechnologies: Building Therapies for Aging, Cancer, and Other Conditions by Targeting Harmful Cells for Destruction
Oisin Biotechnologies is a creation of our core community of longevity advocates, researchers, philanthropists, and others. The present CEO, Gary Hudson, was one of the first donors to support the newly formed Methuselah Foundation fifteen years ago. The company's seed funding was provided by the Methuselah Foundation and SENS Research Foundation a few years ago. A number of people in the audience here, myself included, invested in the company early last year in order to support this initiative. The initial goal of development at Oisin Biotechnologies is the targeted destruction of senescent cells, a path to produce one of...
Source: Fight Aging! - June 5, 2017 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Healthy Life Extension Community Source Type: blogs
AHRQ Decision Aids for Patients
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides Decision Aids for patients with certain conditions to help them think about what is important to them when talking with their clinician about treatment options. Decision Aids on Lung Cancer Screening, Urinary Incontinence, Osteoporosis, and Prostate Cancer are available, along with patient handouts and other resources.
(Source: BHIC)
Source: BHIC - May 24, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Patricia Devine Tags: General Source Type: blogs
Evidence-Based Policy Making? - Dumb Things Politicians Say About Health Care Policy
There have been multiple legislative attempts at major health care reform in the US. Typically, such attempts feature considerable public debate, including speechs, congressional committee hearings, sometimes progressing to debates by the House and Senate. (For example, see thisFrontline chronology of the proceedings up to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, aka " Obamacare, " in 2009.) Usually the discussion includes some real experts on health care policy, and some real health care professionals, and at least appears to reference some data about medicine, health care, and health economics. Whether p...
Source: Health Care Renewal - May 23, 2017 Category: Health Management Tags: health care reform postmodernism Source Type: blogs
Adding hormonal therapy to radiation lengthens survival in men with recurring prostate cancer
High-grade cancer that’s still confined to the prostate is generally treated surgically. But a third of the men who have their cancerous prostates removed will experience a rise in blood levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). This is called PSA recurrence. And since detectable PSA could signal the cancer’s return, doctors will often treat it by irradiating the prostate bed, or the area where the gland used to be.
In February, researchers reported that radiation is a more effective treatment for PSA recurrence when given in combination with androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT). ADT interferes with the body’s ability...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 19, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Charlie Schmidt Tags: Cancer Prostate Health Source Type: blogs
To PSA test or not to PSA test: That is the discussion
Though it seems Americans don’t agree on much, screening for cancer is an exception. Who wouldn’t support preventing or identifying cancer at an early, more treatable stage, when the alternative is pain, toxic therapies, and a shortened life? That may be why people get confused when news headlines don’t reinforce a “just do it” message. A recent example of the disconnect between public perception and medical evidence is screening for prostate cancer using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a non-governmental expert panel that produces guidelines fo...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 11, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Steven J. Atlas, MD, MPH Tags: Cancer Health Managing your health care Men's Health Prostate Health Screening Source Type: blogs
To Your Health: an NLM podcast
The National Library of Medicine presents a weekly audio update that highlights consumer health news and accompanying information from MedlinePlus. Information includes such topics as revised prostate cancer screening guidelines, low back pain and the geography of cancer deaths. This consumer health oriented podcast also helps consumers use MedlinePlus to follow up on weekly topics. Each podcast is less than 7 minutes in length and are accompanied with a transcript. Listen to the podcasts. (Source: BHIC)
Source: BHIC - May 9, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Annette Parde-Maass Tags: General National Library of Medicine News Source Type: blogs
To Your Health: an NLM podcast
The National Library of Medicine presents a weekly audio update that highlights consumer health news and accompanying information from MedlinePlus. Information includes such topics as revised prostate cancer screening guidelines, low back pain and the geography of cancer deaths. This consumer health oriented podcast also helps consumers use MedlinePlus to follow up on weekly topics. Each podcast is less than 7 minutes in length and are accompanied with a transcript. Listen to the podcasts (Source: BHIC)
Source: BHIC - May 9, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Carolyn Martin Tags: General National Library of Medicine News Source Type: blogs
Negotiated Rates: What No One Talks About in Health Care Legislation
Last week, the House of Representatives passed legislation for the American Health Care Act, the first step in repealing the Affordable Care Act, or as some would call it, Trumpcare versus Obamacare. The American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Association (and many other medical societies) oppose the new legislation. An enormous concern is that the new legislation won't require insurance companies to cover preexisting conditions, or require coverage for mental health treatment or prenatal/maternity care. Over the coming years, the new legislation is predicted to leave 24 million more Ame...
Source: Shrink Rap - May 7, 2017 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Dinah Source Type: blogs
What patients want isn ’t always what they need
One of the nurses knocked on my door on a quiet Monday morning.
“Hey, can you see this patient? I guess it’s not urgent but he’s here now, and I think what the doctor told him just threw him for a loop.”
Of course I had time. In my role as clinical nurse specialist in a busy uro-oncology unit, I see men who need help making a treatment decision for management of their prostate cancer. As we walked towards the clinic room where the patient was waiting, the nurse filled me in on what had transpired. The patient, a man in his early 60s, had been diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer. He had come to see the urologis...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - April 23, 2017 Category: Journals (General) Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/anne-katz" rel="tag" > Anne Katz, RN, PhD < /a > Tags: Physician Cancer Source Type: blogs
A New Attempt Emerges To Bridge GOP Divisions On AHCA (Updated)
April 21 Update: New Aid For State Formulary Review At REGTAP
On April 17, 2017, CMS announced that it would be turning the job of drug formulary review for qualified health plans over to state regulators in the thirteen HealthCare.gov states that have plan management responsibility. On April 19, CMS offered at its REGTAP.info website (registration required) a seminar on the qualified health plan (QHP) application review tools for prescription drugs that the states may use for these reviews.
The EHB Category and Class Drug Count Tool, which is new for the 2018 QHP review period, reviews drug lists to ensure that QHPs com...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - April 20, 2017 Category: Health Management Authors: Timothy Jost Tags: Costs and Spending Featured Following the ACA Insurance and Coverage Source Type: blogs
Four Crucial Questions To Ask Your Doctor
I am seeing an increasing number of patients who did not know they had a choice about taking a medicine or having a procedure.
Why did you have that heart cath? A: My doctor said I should.
Why are you on that medicine? A: My doctor prescribed it.
It’s time we re-review the basic four questions you should ask your doctor.
I wrote about this in April of 2015 for WebMD. Here is 2017 update:
1. What are the odds this test/medicine will benefit me?
Medical decisions are like gambles. Benefit is not guaranteed. In my field, catheter ablation of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) has a success rate approaching 99%, but th...
Source: Dr John M - April 17, 2017 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr John Source Type: blogs
