Erlotinib effective and with fewer side-effects after first-line treatment |  |
- Erlotinib effective and with fewer side-effects after first-line treatment
- One-third HIV cases in age group 15-24: UNICEF report
- Rs.85,000 to woman who conceived after surgery
- Oncogene AEG-1 strongly predicts response to erlotinib treatment in EGFR-mutant lung cancer
- Bone drug zoledronic acid may help prevent spread of early lung cancer
- Quick, easy test identifies aggressive type of lung cancer in never-smokers
- ONR moves a modular space communications asset into unmanned aircraft for Marines
- 12 pregnant women die in Jodhpur hospital
- ONR-funded technology improves humanitarian aid initiative at Exercise Cobra Gold
- DOE grant joins climate modeling with local, regional empirical data
| Erlotinib effective and with fewer side-effects after first-line treatment Posted: 26 Feb 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) The targeted cancer drug erlotinib has comparable efficacy to chemotherapy, and is better tolerated, in hard-to-treat cases where a patient's cancer has progressed quickly after treatment with first-line therapy, the results of a new phase III trial show. Dr Tudor Ciuleanu from the Institute of Oncology Ion Chiricuta, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, reported this finding from the international TITAN study at the European Multidisciplinary Conference in Thoracic Oncology (EMCTO), 24-26 February 2011, Lugano, Switzerland. The TITAN study is the first trial to evaluate whether erlotinib has comparable efficacy to chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer patients in general, Dr Ciuleanu said. The study included only patients whose disease had progressed under first-line chemotherapy. In the clinic, around 30-40% of patients with lung cancer will see no benefit from first-line therapy and their disease will rapidly progress. These patients have an extremely poor prognosis and few treatment options. An effective alternative to chemotherapy is therefore very important, since chemo-related side-effects can result in further physical deterioration in patients who are already very sick, Dr Ciuleanu said. Historically, data have shown that erlotinib was more tolerable than chemotherapy, but many physicians had assumed that erlotinib would not be as effective in this difficult-to-treat patient population compared to chemotherapy. The open-label study included 424 patients whose lung cancer had progressed rapidly after treatment with first-line chemotherapy. Of these, 203 were treated with erlotinib, and 221 received chemotherapy with either docetaxel or pemetrexed. No difference in overall survival was seen between the two groups, the researchers reported. Nor was there any significant difference in progression-free survival time. TITAN is important because it confirms that erlotinib has comparable efficacy to chemotherapy with better... http://www.rxpgnews.com    |
| One-third HIV cases in age group 15-24: UNICEF report Posted: 25 Feb 2011 09:37 PM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Feb 25 - Of the over 33 million HIV-AIDS cases reported worldwide every year, around one-third are adolescents of the age group 15-24 years, revealed a report by United Nations Children's Fund -. The State of the World's Children - report 2011 was released by UNICEF in the capital Friday. According to UNICEF's annual flagship report on the adolescents - in the world, the risk of HIV infection is considerably higher among adolescent females and young women than their male counterparts of the same age group. 'There is lack of comprehensive and correct knowledge related to HIV. In developing countries, the problem is even more serious,' said Karin Hulshof, representative of UNICEF India. According to the UNAIDS, there are about 7,400 new infections diagnosed every day, with about 40 percent of those being in the 15-24 age group. Only 30 percent males and 19 percent females have correct knowledge about the disease, the report said. The report recommendations called for greater involvement and investment by the government as India shared nearly 20 percent of the adolescent population in the world. 'India is home to more than 243 million adolescents of the total 1.2 billion adolescents across the globe. We have to consider that this strata is the future of the country, especially when we call India a young nation,' said Naveen Jindal, MP and convenor of parliamentary forum on children. The ministry of women and child development - also announced the success of its pilot programme SABLA -- Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls -- aimed at addressing the problems of adolescent girls between 11 and 18 years. The central government had doled out nearly Rs.1,000 crore for the central scheme that is being implemented through Integrated Child Development Scheme - projects and anganwadi centres. 'We plan to reach out over one crore girls in 200 identified districts after a baseline survey was conducted.... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Rs.85,000 to woman who conceived after surgery Posted: 25 Feb 2011 12:27 PM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Jodhpur, Feb 25 - A Lok Adalat - here has ordered the Rajasthan government to pay maintenance of Rs.85,000 to a woman who conceived a child even after undergoing sterlisation surgery at a government organised camp. Rukma Devi, 35, a resident of Bhopalgarh town in Rajasthan's Jodhpur district, said she had mental depression and claimed maintenance to support the girl child in the complaint she filed in the court. According to the complainant's lawyer Amit Gaur, Rukma had gone through tubectomy operation at a government organised camp in Bhopalgarh Nov 17, 2006. 'She already had three children and had undergone the operation after she was assured by the doctors that after the operation she will not have more children,' Gaur said. But she gave birth to a girl child June 16, 2008. She alleged in the complaint that negligence on part of the doctors at the mass camp led to the childbirth even after contraception surgery. She argued that she was shocked and had to bear mental depression due to the birth of the baby. Rukma had filed for a maintenance claim of Rs.250,000 for the girl's education and marriage expenses in the future. The state Department of Medical, Health and Family Welfare has been ordered to pay the compensation. http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Oncogene AEG-1 strongly predicts response to erlotinib treatment in EGFR-mutant lung cancer Posted: 25 Feb 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Spanish researchers have identified a gene whose expression level strongly predicts how well certain lung cancer patients will respond to treatment with the drug erlotinib. Dr Rafael Rosell and colleagues reported their findings at the European Multidisciplinary Conference in Thoracic Oncology (EMCTO), 24-26 February 2011 in Lugano, Switzerland. The researchers studied 55 patients with non-small cell lung cancer, whose tumors had mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene. All were being treated with the drug erlotinib, which acts on the EGFR molecule. Currently we have no predictors for the duration of response to EGFR drugs in non-small cell lung cancer patients with EGFR mutation, Dr Rosell explained. The median progression-free survival time for these patients ranges from 10 to 14 months, but there is a subgroup of patients with very short response while others have long lasting benefit. Researchers in the Spanish Lung Cancer Group (SLCG), in cooperation with Pangaea Biotech, USP Dexeus University Institute, Barcelona -- which acts as one of the reference laboratories for the SLCG -- set out to find genes that predicted which patients would have a lasting benefit, and which would not. To do this, they used a technology called NanoString. NanoString is an integrated digital technology with high levels of precision and sensitivity that detects expression levels of hundreds of genes in a single reaction, making it suitable for clinical use, Dr Rosell explained. Dr Rosell and colleagues used the technology to examine expression levels of 48 different genes in 43 patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer who were being treated with erlotinib. They found that AEG (astrocye elevated gene 1, also known as metadherin) was the strongest predictor of progression-free survival in these patients. Progression-free survival was 27 months for those with low AEG-1 expression, compared to 12 months for those... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Bone drug zoledronic acid may help prevent spread of early lung cancer Posted: 25 Feb 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A drug that is currently used to help treat bone metastases in patients with lung cancer could also be useful at an earlier stage of treatment, to prevent the cancer from spreading in the first place, Italian researchers have found. Dr Michela Quirino and colleagues from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome have reported important new evidence that zoledronic acid may be able to prevent lung cancer metastases from recruiting the new blood vessels they need to survive. This process of recruiting new blood vessels is called angiogenesis. Our investigation represents the first clear clinical evidence of the anti-angiogenic effect of zoledronic acid in patients with metastatic lung cancer, Dr Quirino said. It also represents the first biological basis in lung cancer for the clinical investigation of zoledronic acid not only for metastatic lung cancer, but also in early disease. Dr Quirino presented findings from a study of 41 patients with advanced lung cancer. Each patient was administered 4 mg of zoledronic acid, and their blood levels of several molecular markers of angiogenesis were measured before and 48 hours after the injection. Those markers included the molecules VEGF, PDGF, b-FGF and HGF. We found a statistically significant reduction of VEGF levels at day 2 after 4 mg ZA intravenous infusion compared with basal values, Dr Quirino said. Blood levels of bFGF were also significantly reduced. Some studies reported that VEGF secretion is induced by bFGF and this could support our results, she added. The researchers did not record any significant effect of injecting the drug on the levels of the other two mediators of angiogenesis, PDGF and HGF. Treatment with zoledronic acid is already an important treatment to manage bone metastases from lung cancer, Dr Quirino noted. Some clinical studies have already demonstrated that zoledronic acid in bone metastases from lung cancer improves clinical outcomes and... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Quick, easy test identifies aggressive type of lung cancer in never-smokers Posted: 25 Feb 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) An inexpensive and rapid testing method can effectively identify a sub-group of never-smoking lung cancer patients whose tumors express a molecule associated with increased risk of disease progression or recurrence, US researchers have found. Dr Ping Yang from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA, and colleagues, reported the findings at the European Multidisciplinary Conference in Thoracic Oncology (EMCTO), 24-26 February 2011, Lugano, Switzerland. Approximately 8% - 12% of patients with lung adenocarcinoma who have never smoked cigarettes carry tumors that express a protein product called anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), Dr Yang said. This subset of patients are at more than double the risk of experiencing disease progression or recurrence within 5 years of initial diagnosis compared to never-smokers whose lung adenocarcinoma tumors are ALK-negative. The ability to test for ALK status in these patients may help doctors select the most appropriate therapies for maximum clinical benefit, Dr Yang explained. Her group's study aimed to see whether immunohistochemistry screening, followed by a confirmatory test using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), is a practical way to do this. Immunohistochemistry tests use antibodies to identify specific proteins in tissue sections; FISH uses fluorescent probes to bind to specific DNA sequences in the chromosomes of individual cells. In a study of 303 samples, the research team found that immunohistochemistry results correlated well with the results of FISH. Tissue samples with the highest immunohistochemistry scores (IHC 3+) were all FISH positive, while those with no immunohistochemistry staining (IHC 0) were FISH negative. Based on these findings, only samples that were scored with the intermediate IHC scores of 1+ and 2+ would need confirmatory testing with FISH, Dr Yang explained. In this particular cohort, IHC score 2+ and 1+ cases represented approximately 27% of those... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| ONR moves a modular space communications asset into unmanned aircraft for Marines Posted: 25 Feb 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) ARLINGTON, Va.-Successfully taking a small radio receiver intended for space applications and creating a full-featured radio frequency system, initially designed for a Marine Corps unmanned aircraft, would not have been possible without the integrated effort of three naval entities. The Software Reprogrammable Payload (SRP), a collaborative effort between the Office of Naval Research, the Naval Research Laboratory and Marine Corps aviation, is currently targeted for the Shadow unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Based on the successful development of SRP, Marine Corps aviation has included the capability in Program Objective Memorandum (POM) 12 and 13. The program of record officially starts in fiscal 2012 with transition funds expected in fiscal 2011. SRP is a government-owned design for a flexible, reconfigurable-while-in-operation software radio developed to meet current and future needs for the Marine Corps' UAS. It will be a complement to the military's next-generation radio, the Joint Tactical Radio System, said John Moniz, ONR program officer for command, control, computers and communication, expeditionary warfare/combating terrorism. Two key elements of SRP are its nonproprietary design and a software developer's tool kit that enables the widest community to develop applications. The software developer's tool kit makes the cost of entry affordable, Moniz said. SRP will fill a technology gap enabling Marines on the ground to connect, via Shadow, with other warfighters regardless of the radio, network or waveform being used, said Lt. Col. Dean Ebert, Marine Corps Aviation Requirements Branch. The ability to reconfigure SRP's function--while it is in flight or on a mission--ensures that Marines will be able to share knowledge, access capabilities, and effectively command while they maneuver and engage our adversaries, Ebert said. The collaborative work between ONR, NRL and the Marines played a significant role in making... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| 12 pregnant women die in Jodhpur hospital Posted: 24 Feb 2011 07:36 PM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Jodhpur, Feb 24 - At least 12 pregnant women died of excessive bleeding at a government run hospital here after they were allegedly administered contaminated IV fluids, officials said Thursday. A probe has been launched into the incident. Though the authorities are tight lipped over the incident, sources in the Ummaid Hospital told IANS that the authorities have begun an enquiry into whether the contamination was hospital-acquired or it had come from the manufacturer. Family members of the women shouted slogans against the hospital authorities and blocked a road to the hospital Thursday after they expressed dissatisfaction over the hospital authorities' explanation over the deaths. 'We have lost our daughter... they are unable to give us any explanation... it is a shame,' said R.K. Purohit, a relative of a women who died Wednesday. Upset over the deaths in his home constituency, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has summoned hospital superintendent Narendra Changani to Jaipur to give a report. 'I have asked hospital authorities to give me details. I have also asked them to give me a report from where these glucose drips were bought and how the contamination was generated,' said Gehlot. 'Microbiological examination of the Indore-based company's IV fluids has suggested presence of some bacteria. We have banned further use of the particular batch of IV fluids,' hospital superintendent Changani told media persons. 'A medical team consisting of a microbiologist and a gynaecologist from the Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur has been sent to Jodhpur for further investigation,' said a senior officer in the state's medical and health department. http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| ONR-funded technology improves humanitarian aid initiative at Exercise Cobra Gold Posted: 24 Feb 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) ARLINGTON, Va. - Sailors and Marines may soon have the power of mobile data storage and mapping, following the testing of an information-collection system at Exercise Cobra Gold 2011 being held Feb. 6-18 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Funded by the Office of Naval Research, the Army Geospatial Center is developing the International Stability Assessment and Analysis Capability (ISAAC), a handheld, mobile data-collection system. Researchers from ONR's Human, Social, Cultural and Behavioral (HSCB) group are putting ISAAC to the test during combined arms live-fire exercises at Cobra Gold. Cobra Gold is an annual joint training exercise held in Thailand and sponsored by the U.S. Pacific Command and the Royal Supreme Thai Command. One of the world's largest multinational exercises, it draws participants from 24 nations, including the armed forces of Thailand, Republic of Singapore, Japan, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Korea and the United States. Nearly 13,000 military personnel, approximately 7,300 of them American troops, will participate in Cobra Gold 2011. The event improves participating nations' ability to conduct relevant and dynamic training while strengthening relationships between the militaries and local communities. The HSCB team is assessing how the Army Geospatial Center's ISAAC performs during humanitarian and disaster relief missions. The goal is to obtain warfighter feedback, which will be compiled into lessons learned for future improvements. The team will be gathering user requirements (and) learning how the mobile devices help warfighters improve data collection . so we can tailor the technology to meet their needs, said Dhiren Khona, ONR's HSCB deputy program officer. ISAAC is a Web-based framework that records and stores information using an application downloaded onto a smart phone, said HSCB Program Analyst Clark Phillips. Based on the data and its analysis, the system then creates models of critical response... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| DOE grant joins climate modeling with local, regional empirical data Posted: 24 Feb 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Local and regional researchers collect large amounts of high quality data on climate change and its effects, but the researchers that create the economic and climate models do not always have access to this information. Now, thanks to a $2 million grant from the Department of Energy, the on-the-ground information will get to the modelers through the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment. The DOE-funded project, led by Karen Fisher-Vanden, associate professor of environmental and resource economics, seeks to bring empirical analysts and modelers together to improve the empirical underpinnings of models used in climate change policy analysis. Fisher-Vanden will create an integrated assessment modeling research program for interdisciplinary collaboration. Our goal is to devise a way to bring these two communities together, recognizing that the reason why we lack model-relevant empirical work is because this type of work has not been rewarded historically in the journal publication world, especially in the area of climate change impacts and adaptation, said Fisher-Vanden. The purpose of this research is to identify and exploit synergies between empirical and modeling analyses in five key areas by bringing applied empirical researchers in the natural and social sciences together with modelers through joint research and workshops that foster communication and cross-fertilization of ideas between the two groups. The five major scientific challenges the program will address are science and technology, impacts and adaptation, regional scale integrated assessment modeling, key intersecting energy-relevant systems and uncertainty. It is important to understand and communicate the uncertainties in the model predictions for climate change and its impacts, according to Chris Forest, associate professor of meteorology. These uncertainties must be grounded in observational data and be incorporated into the models, he said. This... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
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