Watch an interview with Dr. Francis Collins on the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) produced by the New England Journal of Medicine.
Dr. Collins is the Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). Read the rest of this entry »
An immediate switch from 5-FU treatment to Xeloda® (capecitabine) for stage III colon cancer caused so much toxicity that a trial designed to test patient preferences for treatment had to be stopped.
Patients in the Patient Preference in Adjuvant Therapy (PACT) trial who switched after 6 weeks from weekly 5-FU with leucovorin to oral capecitabine experienced excessive side effects. The trial was designed to determine which approach to treatment patients liked best. Read the rest of this entry »
Last August during the presidential primary, the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) held the first ever LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. On July 24, 2008, the LAF will hold a follow up event in Columbus, Ohio, to continue this important dialogue.
The FDA announced yesterday, July 21, 2008, that they have traced the Salmonella SaintPaul strain that has caused a widespread outbreak of gastrointestinal illness in nearly 1,300 identified people in 43 states. A sample of jalapeno pepper found in a produce distribution center in McAllen, Texas, is a genetic match for the Salmonella SaintPaul responsible for the outbreak. Read the rest of this entry »
Cancer treatment can make it hard to eat. Both chemotherapy and radiation treatment can cause mouth sores, dry mouth, or poor appetite. Some patients develop thrush, a fungus infection in their mouths and throats, that makes swallowing very painful.
Traditionally canned or powdered nutritional supplement drinks like Ensure® or Boost® have been used to provide support to patients who are having trouble eating during treatment.
As an alternative, soft whip ice cream machines were installed on oncology wards in a hospital in the United Kingdom. The machines served a premium ice cream which had comparable protein to the nutritional drinks. Read the rest of this entry »
