Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles
Cellulite Cream

Pancreatic Cancer Research Receives $18 Million Boost
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) will receive $18 million to research pancreatic cancer, Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) has announced.
generic viagra online
Blogs Comment On Media Coverage Of Abortion Issues In Health Reform Debate, Other Topics
The following summarizes selected women"s health-related blog entries. ~ "Mainstream Media Reinforces Unexamined Arguments Against Public Funding for Abortion," Amanda Marcotte, RH Reality Check: It "seems that mainstream media s ... believe that abortion is an effective cudgel to beat health care reform to death," Marcotte writes. According to Marcotte, the "unvarnished truth" is that there is "no way that any kind of public health care plan will have elective abortion coverage. Nor is there any real chance of abortion becoming mandated coverage." However, "you wouldn"t know it to read the media coverage of this issue," she writes, continuing that "we"ve got the toxic mixture of pants-on-fire lying anti-choicers and cowardly media outlets that give the opponents of health care reform an opportunity to lie about the potential for taxpayer-funded abortions." Those who defend health care reform are "so busy trying to shut down the misinformation about abortion coverage that we"re not having the more interesting discussion about whether or not abortion should be covered," Marcotte says. She adds, "And by not having that discussion, we"re allowing the belief that some people"s moral objections to abortion should dictate federal policy lay unchallenged," she continues. She writes that she "suspect[s] that anti-choicers latched onto taxpayer-funded abortions because they can count on a lot of the public to imagine the government funding female licentiousness." Marcotte concludes that the "good news is that this contempt for female sexuality has receded enough that the media debate hasn"t -- yet -- turned to whether or not health care reform should cover contraception" (Marcotte, RH Reality Check, 7/28).~ "Privileging Opposition to Abortion," Jamison Foser, Media Matters for America: Some reporters "have skewed their reports in favor of those who oppose" coverage of abortion in federally subsidized insurance plans, according to Foser. For example, Foser writes that on a recent episode of MSNBC"s "Hardball," host Chris Matthews asked Sens. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) "leading questions that encouraged them to state their opposition to insurance coverage of abortion" but never asked them "one simple question: Why shouldn"t abortion be covered, given that the procedure is legal?" Foser adds, "Nor has he asked if there are any other legal procedures that shouldn"t be covered." The "premise that taxpayers who oppose abortion shouldn"t have to pay for them with their tax money carries obvious implications the media ignores," Foser writes. He adds that the "idea that taxpayers shouldn"t pay for insurance that covers medical services they don"t support is fundamentally incompatible with the very concept of insurance." He continues, "If every interest group wields veto power over the medical care insurance can cover, insurance simply can"t work." However, this is not the "only logical inconsistency on the part of abortion foes that the media fail to examine" in their coverage of abortion issues in the health reform debate, he writes. "Many of those who are most adamant that the government not allow abortion to be paid for by health insurance plans are the same conservatives who argue against health care reform by warning of the prospect of a government bureaucrat getting between you and your doctor," according to Foser. He continues that the "same people who want a government ban on insurance coverage for a legal medical procedure turn around and demagogue about government bureaucrats making medical decisions," which is "a pretty obvious inconsistency, the kind any reporter should be able to spot easily." However, the "tension between those two positions has gone unexplored in news reports about the abortion controversy," Foser concludes (Foser, Media Matters for America, 7/24).~ "Obama Abortion Backtrack Shows He"s All Rhetoric, No Fight," Bonnie Erbe, U.S. News & World Report"s "Thomas Jefferson Street": "[O]ne thing we know will not be incl
News of the day
Screening Of First-Degree Relatives Of Patients With Bicuspid Aortic Valve Recommended
Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV), a condition in which patients" aortic valves have just two leaflets instead of the normal three, is the most common cardiac anomaly, affecting up to two percent of the general population. The defect can result in calcification deposits on the heart valve, leakage of the valve and may results in a feeling of tightness in the chest as well as shortness of breath. The condition is easily diagnosed; often physicians can hear a "click" or a murmur when they listen to a BAV patient"s heart with a stethoscope.
Mental Health

Roche To Present Major Advances With Targeted Cancer Medicines At ASCO

More than 500 scientific abstracts to be presented across 20 types of cancers. Results could significantly improve the way cancer is treated for patients with inoperable stomach cancer; advanced melanoma; lung and breast cancers. Roche today provided an overview of results from studies that further the company"s approach to developing targeted medicines for people with cancer, a diagnosis that will affect more than one in three people during their lifetime. Results from studies involving the company"s approved and investigational treatments will be presented during the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) taking place May 29 through June 2 in Orlando, USA. - Advances in HER2-targeted therapy: Positive Phase III results for Herceptin in advanced HER2-positive stomach cancer and encouraging Phase II data in metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer with the novel Treatment trastuzumab-DM1 (T-DM1) that uses the Herceptin antibody to deliver a specialised cancer cell-killing agent to tumour cells. - New approaches to treating lung cancer: Positive Phase III studies of Avastin and Tarceva as first-line maintenance treatments in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including important information about biomarkers in lung cancer. - Avastin in early-stage colon cancer: Full results on the first Phase III study (C-08). - Personalising cancer treatment: encouraging early data for Roche"s targeted BRAF inhibitor in malignant melanoma. - Combined Roche and Genentech oncology pipeline: includes 27 investigational agents in clinical studies. William M. Burns, CEO of Roche"s Pharmaceuticals Division: "We are presenting strong data for our targeted medicines for difficult-to-treat cancers including inoperable stomach cancer, lung cancer and melanoma. Data on Herceptin will show that it is a very effective treatment in patients with HER2-positive gastric cancer where current therapies are associated with poor survival and toxicity." Burns added: "We will also show very encouraging early data on a new, highly selective drug for malignant melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer for which there are few treatments and no established standard of care." Targeted therapy with Herceptin prolongs lives of patients with HER2-positive advanced stomach cancer Results from the pivotal ToGA study will demonstrate unprecedented benefits associated with the targeted therapy Herceptin (trastuzumab) in helping patients with inoperable stomach cancer live longer, similar to the proven survival benefit of Herceptin observed in HER2-positive breast cancer. Results from the ToGA study which investigated the use of Herceptin in combination with chemotherapy (Xeloda [capecitabine] /intravenous 5-FU and cisplatin) will show how biomarker guided therapy could change the treatment of this devastating disease. Every year one million people worldwide are diagnosed with stomach cancer and 800,000 people die. ASCO abstract LBA4509 New combination approach to attack HER2-positive breast cancer Final efficacy results will be presented from a Phase II study (TDM4258g) of T-DM1 in women whose breast cancer had progressed following previous treatment with two or more HER2-targeted therapies. These patients who have nearly no treatment options left, still could benefit from T-DM1. T-DM1 is a novel antibody-drug combination that links Herceptin and the cell-killing agent DM1. A Phase III study (EMILIA) evaluating T-DM1 for second-line advanced HER2-positive breast cancer was initiated this year. Chemo-free targeted maintenance treatment for lung cancer Two pivotal Phase III studies will show that effective maintenance treatment can help lung cancer patients continue to fight their disease without the need for continued chemotherapy, potentially creating a new treatment strategy in lung cancer. The first of the studies (SATURN) demonstrates the benefits of the targeted agent Tarceva (erlotinib) in helping patients with NSCLC live longer without their disease progressing when given after chemotherapy. The second study (ATLAS) will highlight efficacy data in patients treated with "Avastin (bevacizumab) followed by combined maintenance treatment with Avastin and Tarceva. SATURN ASCO abstract 8001: http://www.abstract.asco.org First trial results of Avastin in the adjuvant setting Full results from the first trial of Avastin in early-stage colon cancer (known as NSABP C-08) will be presented. Although the study did not meet its primary endpoint of improving disease free survival, initial review of the data suggests Avastin may be active in patients with early-stage colon cancer. The ongoing adjuvant program in colon, breast and lung cancer involves over 26,000 patients. This includes the AVANT trial in early-stage colon cancer, results of which are expected in 2010. These results also do not impact Avastin"s approved use in advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer. Continuing proof in metastatic colorectal cancer A number of significant data presentations will be made at ASCO which confirm Avastin-based therapy as the standard of care in metastatic colorectal cancer with proven efficacy in all patient sub-groups. These will also highlight the extensive ongoing research program which will help unlock Avastin"s full potential across all stages of the disease. CO-8 and ATLAS are two of 10 oral presentations on Avastin at the meeting. Results will be presented for mid-stage studies in other types of cancer as well. Avastin is being studied in more than 450 clinical studies worldwide and more than 30 different tumour types. Potential new personalised treatment for malignant melanoma Roche and its partner, Plexxikon Inc., will present promising results from a Phase I trial of PLX4032/R7204. This is a highly selective medicine that targets the mutated cancer-causing BRAF protein that occurs in 60% of melanoma (skin) cancers and up to eight percent of all solid tumours. Based on the significant responses seen in the phase I study, the medicine could enter registration trials for malignant melanoma later this year. Melanoma is an aggressive cancer for which few treatment options are currently available. If successful in treating melanoma PLX4032 is expected to be launched with a companion diagnostic, also being co-developed by Roche and Plexxikon which would be another step forward in personalising this cancer treatment. ASCO abstract 9000: http://www.abstract.asco.org The 2009 ASCO Annual Meeting takes place from 29 May to 2 June, Orlando, Florida, USA. Full details of key Roche data presentations will be given on Friday 29 May at an invitation-only media event for non-USA journalists. If you or your media colleagues are interested in attending this event please contact Roche Group Media Relations. Roche


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009