Medical Discount Blog

WASHINGTON (AFP) - While chemotherapy can remove breast cancer tumors, it fails to root out the stem cells that can revive the cancer, researchers said in a study published Tuesday.

Comparing the challenge to eradicating stubborn weeds from a garden, the researchers at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston, Texas, said chemotherapy often fails because it foliage behind many of the stem cells that help re-ignite tumors.

"It's not enough to kill the dandelion blossom and stalk that be visible above ground," said Michael Lewis, assistant professor of molecular and cellular biology at the BCM Breast Cancer Center.

(Read the full post about ‘Chemo fails to root out breast cancer stem cells: study (AFP)’…)

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists from around the world are joining forces to hunt for clew genetic mutations involved in cancer.

The International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), launched on Tuesday, will look at up to 50 different types of cancer and researchers hope it will eventually lead to better diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

The new group builds on the success of Britain's Cancer Genome Project at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, what one.

(Read the full post about ‘Global consortium to hunt for cancer genes (Reuters)’…)

TUESDAY, April 29 (HealthDay news) — Treating elderly cancer patients for five years costs Medicare $21.1 billion, and these costs are expected to increase dramatically as the population ages, a new study says.

The costs for treating patients varies by type of cancer, with expenditures highest for lung, colorectal and prostate tumors, said the researchers, who based their estimates on patients diagnosed with cancer in 2004.

"Because the U.S.

(Read the full post about ‘Medicare Costs Soar for Cancer Care (HealthDay)’…)

PARIS (AFP) - Take a bow-wow, Fido. Scientists have found that Man's best friend is also good for his children too, in favor of young kids who live with a dog may get an immune-system boost against anti-allergic/asthma and other allergies. (Read the full post about ‘Puppy love: Pet dog nips child allergies (AFP)’…)

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Experts Advise New Warnings for LASIK

Patients Tell FDA Panel About Serious Side Effects From Corrective Eye Surgery

By Todd Zwillich
WebMD Medical News

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

Latest Eyesight News

• Experts Advise New Warnings for LASIK
• Annual Trachoma Treatments May Be Unnecessary
• Most Sports-Related Eye Injuries Are Preventable
• Hormone Replacement May Cut Risk for Eye Disease
• anti-diabetic Eye Problem Linked to Heart Failure

April 25, 2008 — The FDA should do more to warn patients about the risks of popular laser phantasm corrective surgery, an expert panel has concluded.

The recommendations came after more than a dozen LASIK patients or their family members testified Friday about severe reactions to the surgery.

(Read the full post about ‘Experts Advise New Warnings for LASIK’…)

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A human protein could offer new hope in the fight against HIV/AIDS by offering scientists a way to attack the venom and avoid problems with drug resistance, according to a US study released Monday. (Read the full post about ‘Human protein could help AIDS fight: study (AFP)’…)

WASHINGTON (AFP) - the number of women suffering from diabetes who fall pregnant has more than doubled in the past six years, raising fears their children could also become anti-diabetic, a new study said Monday. (Read the full post about ‘Numbers of diabetic women having babies has doubled: study (AFP)’…)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Treatment with the anti-seizure medication phenytoin appears to lead to the loss of bone mineral density at the hip in young women, whereas treatment with other antiepileptic agents, so as carbamazepine and lamotrigine, does not, U.S. researchers report.

According to their study, which appears in the current issue of the journal Neurology, women who used phenytoin lost 2.6 percent of the bone mineral density in hip over the course of one year.

(Read the full post about ‘Phenytoin may cause bone loss in young women (Reuters)’…)

LONDON (Reuters) - Having a dog in the house reduces the risk that young children will develop allergies, German researchers said on Tuesday. (Read the full post about ‘Hair of the dog keeps children’s allergies at bay (Reuters)’…)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers have pinpointed a protein in a key human immune system cells needed for the AIDS virus to infect them, and found that turning it off can greatly slow down the deadly virus.

Inactivating a protein called ITK in immune system cells called T cells reduces HIV's ability to enter these cells and replicate itself, the researchers said on Monday.

A drug based put on this approach could be useful as a complement to existing drugs used to treat HIV infection, said Andrew Henderson of Boston University, one of the researchers.

It might also perhaps alleviate battle problems with drug resistance, added Dr.

(Read the full post about ‘Study shows promising new approach to thwart HIV (Reuters)’…)