| Gene Tests May Boost Lung Cancer Care
SATURDAY, June 2 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. researchers say they've developed new tests that can determine the precise genetic pathways that lead to lung cancer. Being able to examine these genomic "signatures" may provide patients with alternatives to chemotherapy. For example, patients may be able to be treated with drugs that target the specific faulty pathway that caused their cancer, the researchers said. "Traditional chemotherapy is not always effective. Even when we are able to match the right chemotherapy with the right patient, 70 percent of patients with lung cancer may not respond to therapy. We need to take a different approach to those patients, and that is where these targeted therapies come in," lead investigator Dr. Anil Potti, an assistant professor of medicine at the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences and amp; Policy, said in a prepared statement.
Flaxseed may stall prostate cancer growth
Chicago, June 3 (Xinhua) -- A new study presented here Sunday at the annual meeting of the America Society of Clinical Oncology suggests that flaxseed may slow the growth of prostate tumors. Flaxseed is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are believed to influence cell signaling and the production of cell membranes and to reduce cell proliferation. Flaxseed also has high quantities of lignan, which binds to hormones like testosterone and estrogen, and may block their cancer-promoting effects. In previous studies, lignan slowed the growth of prostate cancer cells that were grown in laboratories, and flaxseed reduced tumor size in mice with prostate cancer. Various forms of flaxseed are widely used as dietary supplements for a range of purposes, but this is the first study to rigorously test its effects against prostate cancer.
Ped Med: Pediatric drug costs soaring
By LIDIA WASOWICZ SAN FRANCISCO, June 28 (UPI) -- Pediatric market analysts have noted a seismic shift in the spiraling use of high-priced specialty drugs, which now gobble up nearly $1 of every $10 spent on children's medicines. In fact, the small fry are more likely than their elders to be taking the big-ticket medications, Medco Health Solutions reported. The pharmacy benefits manager compared prescription information for the first six months of 2004 with that for the same period in 2002. Among other findings, the study noted a 133 percent hike over the two years in the tally of children under 20 treated with specialized drugs for rheumatoid arthritis -- even though the number of cases of the painful joint inflammation that affects some 30,000 to 50,000 youngsters remained relatively constant.
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