Source: BBC Health; Annals of Oncology UK researchers in Edinburgh (Scotland for you geographically challenged) have determined that up to 40% of breast cancer tumors actually change form as they metastasize (spread). The analysis of 211 tumors which spread from the breast to lymph nodes in the armpits, a common occurrence, demonstrated surprising results. 20 [...]
Source: BBC Health A Newcastle Research Team (The University, not the beer) is testing the use of a common chemotheraphy drug TSA (Trichostatin A) to halt labor contractions. Sounds like a bad idea, I know, but keep an open mind. One of the effects of TSA, besides killing cancer cells, is that it increases the [...]
Source: BBC Health News A study appearing in the British Medical Journal, The Obstetrician and Gynaecologist (Why the extra "e"? Because they're British, that's why.) has linked higher rates of miscarriage, c-section and heavy bleeding during delivery with Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE). UAE is a common treatment for women who experience heavy bleeding and difficult [...]
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Chiarelli, A., 2009; 101: 1236-43; Barton M., 2009; 101: 1223-25; www.breastcancer.org Okay, some advice and some terms. First, women should be performing self breast exams (minds out of the gutter, or enlist a friend, whichever). The studies referenced compare physical exams by a doctor with current mammography. So [...]
Source: Dow Jones News wire; The Wall Street Journal It must be STD Wednesday! (No, not really). Gardasil is a vaccine from Pharma Company Merck which has been found to prevent HPV (Human Papilloma Viral) infections which can cause cervical cancer. The drug became somewhat controversial for early administration to Teens and Tweens. Without stepping [...]
Source: British Medical Journal How's that for a teaser? Well a team of Danish researchers has followed Danes for 10 years to arrive at the conclusion that those with small thighs (below 55 cm or 21.65 inches for we non-metric types) had twice the risk for cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes. Before you get [...]
Source: BBC Health/Scotland It's not just for currently pregnant women anymore. The Scottish Spina Bifida Association has noticed an alarming trend in the rate of infants born with Spina Bifida. Myelomeningocele (Spina Bifida) is a birth defect in which the backbone and spinal canal do not close before birth. Associated symptoms include hydrocephalus (water on [...]
Source: BBC Health; Cancer Research Journal; Cancer Research UK A recent US study of more than 1,000 women at Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center suggests that Tamoxifen, a common drug used to treat breast cancer, increases the risk of developing aggressive secondary tumors by 4x. Dr. Alison Ross of Cancer Research UK, advises that [...]
Source: British Medical Journal; Cancer Research UK Companion studies support the notion that Ovarian Cancer is problematic for clinicians and patients alike. The British Medical Journal Study (Bristol) reviewed charts of over 200 women diagnosed with cancer finding that symptoms associated with Ovarian Cancer were reported by patients to their doctors 3-6 months before actually [...]
Source: BBC Health and Sleep journal Lack of sleep is worse for women according to a University College London and University of Warwick Study. Sleeping less than 8 hours is associated with increased inflammatory markers for heart disease and an increased risk of dying from heart disease at less than 5 hours per night. The [...]