Head and Neck Cancer Therapeutic and Drug Pipeline Review H2
EIN News (press release) Head and Neck Cancer is a cancer that arises in the head or neck region (in the nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, mouth, salivary glands, throat, or larynx). The common symptoms of cancer of the head and neck include persistent pain in the throat, pain or ... and more » |
Head and Neck Cancer Therapeutic and Drug Pipeline Review H2
EIN News (press release) Head and Neck Cancer is a cancer that arises in the head or neck region (in the nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, mouth, salivary glands, throat, or larynx). The common symptoms of cancer of the head and neck include persistent pain in the throat, pain or ... and more » |
A marginal interaction between sex and the type of alkylating agent was observed for event-free survival in the Euro-EWING99-R1 randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide in Ewing sarcoma. To further evaluate this interaction, we performed an individual patient data meta-analysis of RCTs assessing cyclophosphamide versus ifosfamide in any type of cancer.
A literature search produced two more eligible RCTs (EICESS92 and IRS-IV). The endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS, main endpoint) and overall survival (OS). The hazard ratios (HRs) of the treatment-by-sex interaction and their 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were assessed using stratified multivariable Cox models. Heterogeneity of the interaction across age categories and trials was explored. We also assessed this interaction for severe acute toxicity using logistic models.
The meta-analysis comprised 1,528 pediatric and young adult sarcoma patients from three RCTs: Euro-EWING99-R1 (n = 856), EICESS92 (n = 155), and IRS-IV (n = 517). There were 224 PFS events in Euro-EWING99-R1 and 200 in the validation set (EICESS92 + IRS-IV), and 171 and 154 deaths in each dataset, respectively. The estimated treatment-by-sex interaction for PFS in Euro-EWING99-R1 (HR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.00–3.00) was not replicated in the validation set (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.55–1.72), without heterogeneity across trials (P = 0.62). In the pooled analysis, the treatment-by-sex interaction was not significant (HR = 1.31, 95% CI = 0.89–1.95, P = 0.17), without heterogeneity across age categories (P = 0.88) and trials (P = 0.36). Similar results were observed for OS. No significant treatment-by-sex interaction was observed for leucopenia/neutropenia (P = 0.45), infection (P = 0.64), or renal toxicity (P = 0.20).
Our meta-analysis did not confirm the hypothesis of a treatment-by-sex interaction on efficacy or toxicity outcomes.
The rationale for studying the combination of bevacizumab, irinotecan, and temozolomide (BIT) in neuroblastoma (NB) is based on the following: (i) vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression is associated with an aggressive phenotype, (ii) anti-VEGF antibody bevacizumab enhances irinotecan-mediated suppression of NB xenografts, (iii) bevacizumab safety has been established in pediatric phase I studies, and (iv) irinotecan + temozolomide (IT) is a standard salvage chemotherapy.
We conducted a phase II study of BIT in patients with measurable/evaluable refractory or relapsed high-risk NB (http://ift.tt/PmpYKN, NCT01114555). Each cycle consisted of bevacizumab (15 mg/kg intravenously [IV]) on days 1 and 15 plus irinotecan (50 mg/m2/day IV) and temozolomide (150 mg/m2/day orally) on days 4–8. Patients could have previously received, but not relapsed on, IT. An early stopping rule mandated continuing therapy only if more than five patients of 27 evaluable patients achieved partial response (PR) or complete response (CR) after four cycles.
Thirty-three heavily pretreated patients (nine primary refractory; 24 relapsed) received one to eight cycles of BIT. Toxicities were expected and transient. Grade 4 toxicities were neutropenia (30%) and thrombocytopenia (24%). Grade 3 toxicities included hepatic transaminitis (15%), proteinuria (9%), and diarrhea (3%). Overall responses were as follows: three CR (all in prior IT-treated patients), 18 no response, and 12 progressive disease. Only one of 23 patients assessable for the early stopping rule regarding efficacy achieved PR/CR, so patient accrual was discontinued. Median progression-free survival and overall survival was 7.7 ± 1.7 and 31.5 ± 5.6 months, respectively; all patients continued anti-NB therapy post-BIT.
BIT was well tolerated, but the addition of bevacizumab did not improve response rates in resistant NB compared to historical data for IT.
Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is an important source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation especially in minority populations with limited chances of finding a histocompatible volunteer donor in the registry. UCB has the advantages of early availability, successful outcomes despite some histocompatibility mismatch, and low incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease. Public cord blood banks that disseminate UCB products for transplant depend on voluntary donation at participating hospitals and obstetrical providers for collection.
Using survey questionnaires, we evaluated attitudes toward UCB donation, the frequency of donation, and provider opinions on UCB collection in the greater St. Louis metropolitan area that caters to minority ethnicities in significant numbers.
Our data suggest that nervousness and lack of information regarding the donation and utility of the product were ubiquitous reasons for not donating. Additionally, irrespective of age or level of education, women relied on healthcare providers for information regarding UCB donation. Providers reported primarily time constraints to discussing UCB donation at prenatal visits (54%). Of the interviewees, 62% donated UCB. Fallout due to refusal or preferring private banking was miniscule.
These results suggest that dedicated personnel focused on disseminating information, obtaining consent, and collecting the UCB product at major hospitals can enrich cord blood banks especially with minority cords. Sustained and focused efforts could improve upon a relatively high wastage rate and ensure a robust supply of UCB products at local public banks.
Severe protein C (PC) deficiency is a rare heritable thrombophilia leading to thromboembolic events during the neonatal period. It remains unclear how individuals with complete PC gene (PROC) defects develop or escape neonatal stroke or purpura fulminans (PF).
We studied the onset of disease and the genotype of 22 PC-deficient patients with double mutations in PROC based on our cohort (n = 12) and the previous reports (n = 10) in Japan.
Twenty-two patients in 20 unrelated families had 4 homozygous and 18 compound heterozygous mutations. Sixteen newborns presented with PF (n = 11, 69%), intracranial thromboembolism and hemorrhage (n = 13, 81%), or both (n = 8, 50%), with most showing a plasma PC activity of <10%. Six others first developed overt thromboembolism when they were over 15 years of age, showing a median PC activity of 31% (range: 19–52%). Fifteen of the 22 patients (68%) had the five major mutations (G423VfsX82, V339M, R211W, M406I, and F181V) or two others (E68K and K193del) that have been reported in Japan. Three of the six late-onset cases, but none of the 16 neonatal cases, had the K193del mutation, which has been reported to be the most common variant of Chinese thrombophilia. A novel mutation of A309V was determined in a family of two patients with late onset.
The genotype of double-PROC mutants might show less diversity than heterozygous mutants in terms of the timing of the onset of thrombophilia (newborn onset or late onset).
We report a 1-year-old female child presenting with hypereosinophilia who was found to have concurrent myeloid sarcoma and a central nervous system (CNS) atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT). She was later found to have a germline mutation in SMARCB1. Concurrent hematologic malignancy and CNS AT/RT have not previously been described in the context of a SMARCB1 loss-of-function germline mutation.
Relationships between clinical/demographic factors and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in childhood immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) remain poorly understood. Recent studies reveal conflicting information about factors that contribute to HRQoL.
This was a prospective, single-institution, cohort study of newly diagnosed children with ITP. Serial evaluations of HRQoL were performed using the Kid's ITP Tools (KIT), scored from 0 (worst) to 100 (best), at enrollment and 1 week, 6 months, and 12 months following diagnosis. All visits included bleeding severity grading. Relationships between HRQoL and platelet count, treatment, bleeding severity, and course of disease were examined.
A total of 99 children with newly diagnosed ITP were evaluable for analysis. KIT scores were low at diagnosis for parents (median 26, range 15–43) and children (median 65, range 55–81) and were not influenced by age or platelet count. At diagnosis, children who received treatment had lower platelet counts (P = 0.005), more severe hemorrhage (P < 0.0125), and lower HRQoL by parent, child, and proxy reporting (P < 0.05). Oral bleeding negatively impacted proxy-reported disease burden at diagnosis (P = 0.01). Persistence of disease and lower platelet counts at 6 and 12 month visits were the only factors noted to consistently impact quality of life beyond diagnosis for both parents and children.
HRQoL is low at diagnosis but significantly improves over time. Patients with ongoing disease and lower platelet counts continue to have significant disease burden.
Recently, studies in adults with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) showed high cure rates in low-risk patients treated with all-trans retinoid acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO), while toxicities were significantly reduced compared to the standard treatment with ATRA and chemotherapy. Here we report about first experience with 11 pediatric patients with low-risk APL treated with ATRA and ATO. All patients stayed in molecular remission. All suffered from hyperleukocytosis. Two patients experienced reversible severe side effects. One suffered from osteonecroses at both femurs, seizures, as well as posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, the other patient had an abducens paresis.
Head and Neck Cancer Therapeutic and Drug Pipeline Review H2
EIN News (press release) Head and Neck Cancer is a cancer that arises in the head or neck region (in the nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, mouth, salivary glands, throat, or larynx). The common symptoms of cancer of the head and neck include persistent pain in the throat, pain or ... |
Metabolic syndrome: A constellation of conditions that place people at high risk for coronary artery disease. These conditions include type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and a poor lipid profile with elevated LDL ("bad") cholesterol, low HDL ("good") cholesterol, elevated triglycerides. All of these conditions are associated with high blood insulin levels. The fundamental defect in the metabolic syndrome is insulin resistance in both adipose tissue and muscle. Drugs that decrease insulin resistance also usually lower blood pressure and improve the lipid profile.
Also called the insulin resistance syndrome, syndrome X, dysmetabolic syndrome X, and Reaven syndrome. The term Reaven syndrome refers to the Stanford University physician Gerald Reaven who first described the syndrome at the 1988 Banting Lecture of the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association.
Self-control is important for everyday life and involves behavioral regulation. Self-control requires effort, and when completing two successive self-control tasks, there is typically a temporary drop in performance in the second task. High self-reported motivation and being made self-aware somewhat counteract this effect—with the result that performance in the second task is enhanced. The current study explored the relationship between self-awareness and motivation on sequential self-control task performance. Before employing self-control in an antisaccade task, participants initially applied self-control in an incongruent Stroop task or completed a control task. After the Stroop task, participants unscrambled sentences that primed self-awareness (each started with the word “I”) or unscrambled neutral sentences. Motivation was measured after the antisaccade task. Findings revealed that, after exerting self-control in the incongruent Stroop task, motivation predicted erroneous responses in the antisaccade task for those that unscrambled neutral sentences, and high motivation led to fewer errors. Those primed with self-awareness were somewhat more motivated overall, but motivation did not significantly predict antisaccade performance. Supporting the resource allocation account, if one was motivated—intrinsically or via the manipulation of self-awareness—resources were allocated to both tasks leading to the successful completion of two sequential self-control tasks.
We systematically compared different measures of attentional bias (i.e., reaction times, the N2pc component in the EEG, and explicit stimulus ratings) on their ability to reveal attentional engagement to threatening versus neutral facial stimuli in a Dot Probe Task and tested their relation to trait measures of general and social anxiety. We found that the N2pc component reflects a bias toward angry faces with excellent internal consistency. Similar results were obtained for explicit ratings. Reaction time (RT) differences, however, were not indicative of attentional biases and showed zero odd-even reliability. We further found that both higher (i.e., more negative) N2pc amplitudes and earlier peak latencies were associated with more severe symptoms of social anxiety even when controlling for general trait anxiety. The explicit rating biases were also specifically associated with social anxiety. Conversely, the RT bias was not related to social anxiety levels but to general trait anxiety. This highlights the importance of valid and reliable outcome measures for interventions such as attentional bias modification protocols. Mutual exclusivity of different bias operationalizations is discussed.
Irish Independent |
New system helps doctors differentiate between HPV-related and ...
Omaha World-Herald HPV-associated throat cancer is a new and unique disease that behaves differently from the older type of throat cancer related to tobacco and alcohol use that ... Heather Keating who beat cervical cancer: 'Any child I have will get the HPV vaccine'Irish Independent all 16 news articles » |
AltamuraLife |
Altamura: L'Oncologico di Bari tra i primi in Italia a usare la Termoablazione
AltamuraLife Achille consapevole che l'IRRCS ha le carte in regola per diventare centro di riferimento anche per la termoablazione applicata ai tumori testa-collo non operabili, e prima di una chiosa finale: «Tutto questo non sarebbe potuto accadere senza il ... and more » |
Irish Independent |
Heather Keating who beat cervical cancer: 'Any child I have will get the HPV vaccine'
Irish Independent HPV causes a number of cancers in men and women. For women, ongoing HPV infections can lead to cervical cancer. The HPV has also been linked to other forms of cancers in men and women, including cancers of the anus, throat, mouth, tongue, tonsil, ... and more » |
Motivated by the multivariate nature of microbiome data with hierarchical taxonomic clusters, counts that are often skewed and zero inflated, and repeated measures, we propose a Bayesian latent variable methodology to jointly model multiple operational taxonomic units within a single taxonomic cluster. This novel method can incorporate both negative binomial and zero-inflated negative binomial responses, and can account for serial and familial correlations. We develop a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm that is built on a data augmentation scheme using Pólya-Gamma random variables. Hierarchical centering and parameter expansion techniques are also used to improve the convergence of the Markov chain. We evaluate the performance of our proposed method through extensive simulations. We also apply our method to a human microbiome study.
Heather Keating who beat cervical cancer: 'Any child I have will get the HPV vaccine'
Irish Independent HPV causes a number of cancers in men and women. For women, ongoing HPV infections can lead to cervical cancer. The HPV has also been linked to other forms of cancers in men and women, including cancers of the anus, throat, mouth, tongue, tonsil, ... |
La Repubblica |
"Cannabis terapeutica: funziona per dolore e nausea. Ma non è una ...
La Repubblica Una revisione scientifica che ha analizzato oltre diecimila studi mette sotto la lente d'ingrandimento l'uso della marijuana chiarendo quali sono gli ambiti nei ... Cannabis, una nuova analisi su rischi e benefici - GalileoGalileo all 10 news articles » |
Rockhampton Morning Bulletin |
Niki Bezzant: A turmeric latte won't prevent cancer
Rockhampton Morning Bulletin That doesn't mean these things are not good, healthy foods. Blueberries and quinoa are well worth including in our super diet. And, if you like the spicy taste of a tongue-staining turmeric latte, there's no reason not to enjoy it. If you have it with ... and more » |
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-coated objects such as exosomes and microvesicles, released by many cell-types. Their presence in body fluids and the variable surface composition and content render them attractive potential biomarkers. The ability to determine their cellular origin could greatly move the field forward. We used multiplex proximity extension assays (PEA) to identify with high specificity and sensitivity the protein profiles of exosomes of different origins, including seven cell lines and two different body fluids. By comparing cells and exosomes, we successfully identified the cells originating the exosomes. Furthermore, by principal component analysis of protein patterns human milk EVs and prostasomes released from prostate acinar cells clustered with cell lines from breast and prostate tissues, respectively. Milk exosomes uniquely expressed CXCL5, MIA and KLK6, while prostasomes carried NKX31, GSTP1 and SRC, highlighting that EVs originating from different origins express distinct proteins. In conclusion, PEA provides a powerful protein screening tool in exosome research, for purposes of identifying the cell source of exosomes, or new biomarkers in diseases such as cancer and inflammation.
Fluorescent compounds have been widely used for biomolecule labeling in cytochemistry and histochemistry analysis. Here, it is described the optical properties of dimethyl 2-[(acridin-9-yl)methylidene]-malonate (LPSF/IP-81), an acridine derivative. This compound was conjugated to Concanavalin A (Con A) lectin and applied as sugar probe in lectin histochemistry. Evaluation of luminescent properties showed that LPSF/IP-81 is photoluminescent with excitation at 360 nm and emission at 428 nm. Con A hemagglutinating activity and LPSF/IP81 photoluminescence were unaltered after conjugation. Circular dichroism of Con A-LPSF/IP81 conjugate showed the maintenance of the Con A structure. Lectin histochemistry with Con A-LPSF/IP81 conjugate demonstrated different pattern recognition studying normal, fibroadenoma, and invasive ductal carcinoma of human breast. These findings indicate that LPSF/IP-81 can be proposed as an alternative probe for histochemical analysis.
The Oracle Dispatch |
CV Sciences Inc (OTCMKTS:CVSI) Gets Back Into Gear
The Oracle Dispatch “Mr. Gwynn attributed his long struggle with salivary gland cancer directly to his many years of chewing tobacco. Curt Schilling, former Boston Red Sox pitcher revealed his diagnosis of oral cancer which he stated was 'without a doubt, unquestionably ... |
| Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham |
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title: "Women's March" - originally published 1/20/2017
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Research suggests common blood cancer could be prevented before it develops
Science Daily They discovered that changes in the bone marrow needed for the cancer to grow have already taken hold in the preceding condition, raising the possibility that early medical intervention could prevent this incurable type of cancer from taking root. and more » |
