| 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.
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.
Antwerp radiotherapy centre chooses TomoTherapy cancer treatment ...
Madison, Wis., USA. The new University Radiotherapy Centre of Antwerp has chosen the TomoTherapy HiArt treatment system for providing radiation therapy, and the Centre will serve as a European training facility for TomoTherapy Incorporated (NASDAQ: TTPY). Hospitals participating in the Centre include University Hospital Antwerp and the Antwerp City Hospital Network. Two HiArt treatment systems have been installed on-site at University Hospital Antwerp. Through the University Radiotherapy Center, both member hospitals will use HiArt treatment systems to treat cancer patients with advanced image-guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IG/IMRT). And, through collaboration with TomoTherapy, the machines will also be available for training physicians, hospital staff and TomoTherapy employees while still providing uninterrupted patient care.
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