Study suggests racial inequality leads to higher cancer mortality in blacks
11/22/2013
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say metastatic colorectal cancer patients of African-American descent are less likely to be seen by cancer specialists or receive cancer treatments. This difference in treatment explains a large part of the 15 percent higher mortality experienced by African-American patients than non-Hispanic white patients.
Single gene deletion prompts mutations throughout genome
11/22/2013
Jenga, a game with wooden blocks stacked upon one another, requires that players remove single parts from the whole structure, sometimes resulting in an imbalance. Similarly, researchers have found that the deletion of a single gene in yeast cells can put pressure on the genome to offset the imbalance, resulting in another gene's mutation.
No benefit found to selecting dose of blood thinner based on patients' genetic makeup
11/22/2013
A new study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has determined that a gene-based method for selecting patients' doses of the popular heart medication warfarin is no better than standardized dosing methods.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 800,000 Americans die each year from heart disease and stroke. Stroke is the leading cause of serious long-term disability and death in the US. In addition to lifestyle changes, medications such as anti-blood clotting drugs are helpful in the prevention of stroke.
Genetic tests do not appear to improve control of blood thinner
11/21/2013
Contrary to what has been suggested, it appears genetic tests do not help to predict optimal doses of the blood thinner warfarin for patients.This was the finding of a late-breaking clinical trial whose results were presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013 in Dallas, TX, recently.
Studies identify cell-signaling pathway alterations responsible for melanoma drug resistance
11/21/2013
Genomic profiling of treatment-resistant, BRAF-mutated melanomas revealed multiple gene alterations, mostly involving a cell-signaling pathway called the MAPK pathway, and more potent forms of existing drugs and drugs targeting the protein ERK may provide durable control of the disease, according to two studies published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer...
Insight into melanoma drug resistance pathways identifies potential new treatment option
11/21/2013
Although most of the melanomas that harbor BRAF mutations respond dramatically to treatment with BRAF inhibitors, nearly all develop resistance to the drugs in less than a year, and previous studies showed that melanomas alter a cell signaling pathway called the MAPK pathway to become resistant.
Blood vessel tangles in brain best left alone, study suggests
11/21/2013
Patients with a condition that causes blood vessels in the brain to form an abnormal tangle could be helped by the findings of new research. An international patient trial suggests that the safest way of managing arteriovenous malformations (AVM) of the brain is to treat the patient's symptoms only, and not the AVM.
Tasquinimod may improve survival in men with metastatic prostate cancer
11/21/2013
An investigational prostate cancer treatment slows the disease's progression and may increase survival, especially among men whose cancer has spread to the bones, according an analysis led by the Duke Cancer Institute.
Short-term quality-of-life affected by breast biopsy
11/21/2013
Breast biopsies can adversely affect short-term quality-of-life, and the effects are more pronounced in younger patients, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.More than 500,000 women in the United States have a breast biopsy each year.