A newly developed antibody targeting a signalling pathway that is frequently active in solid tumours has shown encouraging signs of efficacy in its first trial in humans, researchers reported at the 24th EORTC-NCI-AACR [1] Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Dublin, Ireland. [2] A patient with advanced malignant melanoma has shown signs of […]
2012
Scientists test 5000 combinations of 100 existing cancer drugs to find more effective treatments
Scientists in the United States have tested all possible pairings of the 100 cancer drugs approved for use in patients in order to discover whether there are any combinations not tried previously that are effective in certain cancers. Dr Susan Holbeck (PhD), a biologist in the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis at the National […]
Mothers’ age at menopause may predict daughters’ ovarian reserve
A mother’s age at menopause may predict her daughter’s fertility in terms of the numbers of eggs remaining in her ovaries, according to the new research published online in Europe’s leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction [1]. By assessing ovarian reserve with two accepted methods – levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count […]
Acupuncture relieves symptoms of a dry mouth caused by radiotherapy for head and neck cancers
Patients who have received radiotherapy for head and neck cancer often suffer from the unpleasant and distressing side-effect of a dry mouth, caused by damage to their salivary glands from the radiation. Now, a new study has shown that acupuncture can relieve the symptoms of dry mouth (known as xerostomia). The findings from the largest […]
Women whose first pregnancy was ectopic have fewer children and a high risk of another ectopic pregnancy
Women whose first pregnancy is ectopic are likely to have fewer children in the following 20-30 years than women whose first pregnancy ends in a delivery, miscarriage or abortion, according to results from a study of nearly 3,000 women in Denmark. In addition, these women have a five-fold increased risk of a subsequent ectopic pregnancy. […]
Results from world’s first registry of pregnancy and heart disease reveals important differences between countries and heart conditions
Results from the world’s first registry of pregnancy and heart disease have shown that most women with heart disease can go through pregnancy and delivery safely, so long as they are adequately evaluated, counselled and receive high quality care. However, this is not always the case: women and babies in developing countries are more likely […]
“Fitness and fatness”: not all obese people have the same prognosis. Second study sheds light on the ‘obesity paradox’
People can be obese but metabolically healthy and fit, with no greater risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer than normal weight people, according to the largest study ever to have investigated this, which is published online in the European Heart Journal [1]. The findings show there is a subset of obese […]
Study finds increased risk of prematurity and low birth weight in babies born after three or more abortions
One of the largest studies to look at the effect of induced abortions on a subsequent first birth has found that women who have had three or more abortions have a higher risk of some adverse birth outcomes, such as delivering a baby prematurely and with a low birth weight. The research, which is published […]
Spouses of people suffering a heart attack need care for increased risk of depression and suicide
Spouses of people who suffer a sudden heart attack (an acute myocardial infarction) have an increased risk of depression, anxiety, or suicide after the event, even if their partner survives, according to new research published online in the European Heart Journal [1]. They suffer more than spouses of people who die from, or survive, other […]
Access to clinical trials drives dramatic increases in survival from childhood cancer
More children are surviving cancer in Britain than ever before according to new research published in the cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1]. The improvement in survival has been driven by the increasing numbers taking part in clinical trials since 1977 when the UK Children’s Cancer Study Group (UKCCSG) [2] was established. The UKCCSG’s principal […]