Health Care Reform Legislation Announced in the Senate

Senator Ted Kennedy

Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP), recently released The Affordable Health Choices Act. The bill aims to reduce health care costs, protect individuals’ choices of doctors, hospitals and insurance plans and guarantee, quality and affordable health care for all Americans. Continue reading…

Posted by Joe Arite on June 11th, 2009
Posted in: Policy & Advocacy News | 2 Comments »
Tags: Health Care Reform, Senator Kennedy

FDA Alert: Clarcon Skin Products Have High Levels of Bacteria

The Food and Drug Administration warns consumers not to use skin sanitizers and skin protectants manufactured by the Clarcon Laboratory of Roy, Utah.  A recent inspection found high-levels of disease-causing bacteria in the products.

Some of the bacteria can cause infections in the skin and underlying tissues which may need surgical treatment. This is especially concerning since the products are promoted as anti-microbials that treat open wounds and damaged skin and protect the skin against disease.

Consumers who have the products should not use them and throw them away in household trash. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on June 9th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: Clarcon, FDA

Frankly Speaking about Colorectal Cancer in Miami

A free educational workshop — Frankly Speaking about Colorectal Cancer — will be held at the Wellness Community of Greater Miami on Thursday, June 11th from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Dr. Antonio Ucar, medical oncologist at Baptist Hospital, will be the featured speaker.  Dr. Ucar is Board Certified in Medical Oncology, Hematology, Pain Medicine, Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Care.

Everyone who attends the workshop will receive a free copy of Frankly Speaking about Colorectal Cancer. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on June 9th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: support groups, The Wellness Community

Colon and Rectal Cancers Increasing in Young People

Although the numbers of new colon and rectal cancers have been steadily declining in people over 50, the rate of newly diagnosed cancer is increasing in young adults from 20 to 49  in the United States.

The increase is primarily driven by rectal cancer in non-Hispanic whites where there was an average annual increase of 3.5 percent in men and 2.9 percent in women from 1992 through 2005.  Overall, incidence of colorectal cancer in young adults rose during that time 1.5 percent in men and 1.6 percent in women each year, almost all of the new cancers diagnosed in the left colon (distal colon) or rectum. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on June 9th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: colorectal cancer incidence, colorectal cancer prevention

MSI in Stage II Colon Cancer: Chemotherapy or Not?

Some of the most interesting data presented at ASCO was the data on MSI and 18qLOH in a European clinical trial.

Last year at ASCO, Dr. Daniel Sargent presented new data that patients with stage II disease with microsatellite instability do not only not benefit from 5-FU, but they may be harmed, and it was recommended to test for MSI in all stage II colon cancer patients and in the presence of MSI-high not to give 5-FU. For stage III colon cancer that was not the case.

This year, the PETACC-3 clinical trial was analyzed for MSI and did not show the same the same findings. It seems that chemotherapy does not harm these patients, and they may benefit. Continue reading…

Posted by Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD on June 8th, 2009
Posted in: From the Desk of Dr. Lenz | 2 Comments »
Tags: 18qLOH, ASCO 2009, MSI, personalized medicine