Stockholm, Sweden: Many prostate cancer patients develop bone metastases, and controlling the pain these cause can be difficult. Now the first large randomised Phase III trial of a bisphosphonate drug in these patients has shown that a single dose of the drug is as good for pain relief as single dose radiotherapy, the standard treatment […]
2011
New bone-targeting drug delays onset of metastases in hormone-resistant prostate cancer patients; quality of life can be significantly improved
Stockholm, Sweden: Inhibiting a protein involved in bone metabolism can delay the onset of the bone metastases which are common in men with a particular form of prostate cancer, a researcher told the 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress [1]. Professor Stéphane Oudard, Head of the Oncology Department at the Georges Pompidou Hospital, Paris, France, said […]
Treatment of rectal cancer varies enormously between different countries according to a study that hopes to standardise clinical practice across Europe
Stockholm, Sweden: First results from an international comparison of the care of patients with rectal cancer have shown there are substantial differences in the use of chemotherapy and radiotherapy between European countries. The European Registration of Cancer Care (EURECCA) study, initiated by ECCO – the European CanCer Organisation – compared the treatment of 6,597 patients […]
First Phase III trial of an alpha-pharmaceutical shows improved survival in patients with bone metastases and advanced prostate cancer
Stockholm, Sweden: Until recently, options for patients with bone metastases from advanced prostate cancer have been very limited. But now the first Phase III study of an alpha-pharmaceutical in these patients has shown that it can prolong survival significantly, according to research reported at the 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress [1]. Dr. Chris Parker, Consultant […]
Infusing chemotherapy directly into the liver delivers extra months of disease-free life for melanoma patients
Stockholm, Sweden: Melanoma of the eye (ocular or uveal melanoma) frequently spreads to the liver and, once this has happened, there is no effective treatment and patients die within an average of two to four months. Only about one in ten patients live for a year. Now, final results from a phase III study have […]
Undernutrition in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood increases risk of heart disease in later life
A study of women who were children, teenagers or young adults during the Dutch famine in 1944-45 has shown that undernutrition, particularly in the adolescent years, is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease in later life. The research, published online today in the European Heart Journal [1], provides the first direct evidence […]
Professional exposure of physicians to radiation prompt cellular changes that may protect the body from harm
Cardiologists who perform heart operations using x-ray guided catheters are exposed to ionising radiation at levels two to three times higher per year than those experienced by radiologists. Now, new research has found the first evidence that these constant, high levels of exposure cause changes at cell level that might represent the body’s way of […]
Diabetes and a history of heart disease increase the risk of heart problems for elderly breast cancer patients on trastuzumab
The first study to investigate the effect of the breast cancer drug trastuzumab (Herceptin) on heart and vascular function in elderly patients has found that it increases the risk of heart problems, particularly in women with a history of heart disease, diabetes or both. Authors of the study, published in the cancer journal, Annals of […]
Socioeconomic class and smoking linked to premature menopause
Stockholm, Sweden: Women from the lowest social class are almost three times as likely to have premature ovarian failure (POF) as those from the highest social class, a researcher told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology on Wednesday. POF is not only associated with infertility but also with significantly […]
Giving up smoking as soon as pregnancy is confirmed averts the adverse birth outcomes associated with tobacco
Stockholm, Sweden: Scientists have shown for the first time in a large population study that mothers’ stopping smoking around the time of getting pregnant can prevent the harmful effects of tobacco on their babies’ growth. Results from a study of over 50 000 pregnancies revealed that women who gave up smoking when their pregnancy was confirmed […]