ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Human genome was shaped by an evolutionary arms race with itself
• Early Sign of Pancreatic Cancer identified by researchers
• Adding cediranib to chemotherapy improves progression-free survival for metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer, phase II trial shows
• Pertuzumab adds 16 months survival benefit to trastuzumab and chemotherapy treatment for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer
• Crizotinib treatment effective against ROS1-positive lung cancer, study suggests
• French studies measure benefits of colorectal cancer screening
• Customizing chemotherapy in lung cancer: New phase II data reported
• Chemotherapy: Rolapitant reduces nausea and vomiting in phase III trial
• Second-line afatinib significantly improves progression-free survival in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer, phase III trial shows
• Anamorelin shown to improve appetite and body mass in patients with cancer anorexia-cachexia
• Cancer during pregnancy: chemotherapy and radiotherapy are safe for babies, studies suggest
• Children with autism more sedentary than their peers, study shows
• Glaucoma drug, weight loss combo tested to restore vision
• Not all Hispanics are the same when it comes to drinking
• Viral infection in transplant recipients increases risk of developing damaging antibodies
• Widespread vitamin D deficiency in thyroidectomy patients, study shows
• Genetic 'instruction set' for antibodies knocks down hepatitis C in mice
• Only half of U.S. adults over 45 are screened for diabetes
• The dangers of teens using weed

Human genome was shaped by an evolutionary arms race with itself Posted: 28 Sep 2014 12:47 PM PDT An evolutionary arms race between rival elements within the genomes of primates drove the evolution of complex regulatory networks that orchestrate the activity of genes in every cell of our bodies, researach shows. The arms race is between mobile DNA sequences known as 'retrotransposons' (a.k.a. 'jumping genes') and the genes that have evolved to control them.

Early Sign of Pancreatic Cancer identified by researchers Posted: 28 Sep 2014 12:47 PM PDT A sign of the early development of pancreatic cancer –- an upsurge in certain amino acids that occurs before the disease is diagnosed and symptoms appear -- has been identified by a team of researchers. Although the increase isn't large enough to be the basis of a new test for early detection of the disease, the findings will help researchers better understand how pancreatic cancer affects the rest of the body.

Adding cediranib to chemotherapy improves progression-free survival for metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer, phase II trial shows Posted: 28 Sep 2014 09:56 AM PDT For patients with cervical cancer that has recurred after treatment or has spread elsewhere in the body, adding the experimental drug cediranib to standard chemotherapy improves tumor shrinkage and adds a modest improvement in progression-free survival, researchers report.

Pertuzumab adds 16 months survival benefit to trastuzumab and chemotherapy treatment for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer Posted: 28 Sep 2014 09:56 AM PDT Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to other parts of their body live around 16 months longer if treated with a combination of pertuzumab, trastuzumab and chemotherapy compared to those treated with trastuzumab and chemotherapy alone, updated results from the CLEOPATRA study reveal.

Crizotinib treatment effective against ROS1-positive lung cancer, study suggests Posted: 27 Sep 2014 11:59 AM PDT Treatment with the targeted therapy drug crizotinib effectively halted the growth of lung tumors driven by rearrangements of the ROS1 gene in a small clinical trial.

French studies measure benefits of colorectal cancer screening Posted: 27 Sep 2014 11:59 AM PDT The introduction of biennial colorectal cancer screening in a region of France increased the rate of diagnosis of high risk pre-cancerous adenomas (sometimes called polyps) by 89%, researchers have reported.

Customizing chemotherapy in lung cancer: New phase II data reported Posted: 27 Sep 2014 11:59 AM PDT Measuring the expression levels of an enzyme involved in DNA synthesis can help predict the response of lung cancers to certain treatments, a Korean study has shown. In a randomized phase II study, researchers showed that patients whose lung cancers expressed low levels of an enzyme called thymidylate synthase experienced a greater benefit from treatment with the combination of pemetrexed and cisplatin than those whose tumors expressed high levels.

Chemotherapy: Rolapitant reduces nausea and vomiting in phase III trial Posted: 27 Sep 2014 11:58 AM PDT Rolapitant reduces nausea and vomiting in patients receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy, according to the results of a phase III trial.

Second-line afatinib significantly improves progression-free survival in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer, phase III trial shows Posted: 27 Sep 2014 11:58 AM PDT The tyrosine kinase inhibitor afatinib significantly improved progression-free survival compared to methotrexate in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck after failure of platinum-based chemotherapy, the results of a phase III trial show.

Anamorelin shown to improve appetite and body mass in patients with cancer anorexia-cachexia Posted: 27 Sep 2014 11:58 AM PDT A new drug, anamorelin, improves appetite and body mass in patients with advanced lung cancer who are suffering cancer anorexia and cachexia, according to phase III data.

Cancer during pregnancy: chemotherapy and radiotherapy are safe for babies, studies suggest Posted: 27 Sep 2014 11:58 AM PDT Children who are exposed to chemotherapy or radiotherapy while in the womb suffer no negative impacts on mental or cardiac development, international studies have shown. "When chemotherapy is administered after the first trimester of pregnancy, we cannot discern any problems in the children," says lead author of a study on the topic.

Children with autism more sedentary than their peers, study shows Posted: 26 Sep 2014 11:10 AM PDT Children with autism are more sedentary than their typically-developing peers, a study shows, averaging 50 minutes less a day of moderate physical activity and 70 minutes more each day sitting.

Glaucoma drug, weight loss combo tested to restore vision Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:20 AM PDT A blinding disorder, idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), affects overweight young women. It is a condition, of unknown origin, causing raised intracranial pressure primarily in obese women. Those with IIH suffer debilitating headaches, and, because of pressure on the optic nerves, 86 percent develop some degree of vision loss. New research is aiming to bring relief to these patients.

Not all Hispanics are the same when it comes to drinking Posted: 25 Sep 2014 03:27 PM PDT Hispanics are often grouped into a single category when it comes to alcohol use. Yet a new study indicates that the risk of alcohol abuse and dependence can vary significantly among different subgroups within the population.

Viral infection in transplant recipients increases risk of developing damaging antibodies Posted: 25 Sep 2014 03:27 PM PDT Among kidney transplant recipients, persistent infection with BK virus does not have a negative immediate-term impact on patient or kidney survival, but infected patients are more likely to develop antibodies against their kidney transplants. Such donor-specific antibodies are known to be detrimental to the survival of transplanted organs.

Widespread vitamin D deficiency in thyroidectomy patients, study shows Posted: 25 Sep 2014 03:26 PM PDT Widespread vitamin D deficiency has been found among patients who undergo a thyroidectomy, potentially putting them at greater risk for developing dangerously low blood calcium levels after surgery. Those more likely to be vitamin D deficient are individuals older than age 50, African Americans, Hispanics and patients undergoing surgery for hyperthyroidism.

Genetic 'instruction set' for antibodies knocks down hepatitis C in mice Posted: 25 Sep 2014 12:08 PM PDT A triple-punch of antibodies both prevented hepatitis C infection and wiped out the disease after it had established itself in laboratory mice, a study has found. Instead of delivering the antibodies directly, the researchers administered a genetic 'instruction set' that, once in a cell, developed into antibodies that target the portions of the virus that do not mutate.

Only half of U.S. adults over 45 are screened for diabetes Posted: 25 Sep 2014 12:06 PM PDT Only half of adults in the U.S. were screened for diabetes within the last three years, less than what is recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), a new cross-sectional study has found.

The dangers of teens using weed Posted: 25 Sep 2014 12:06 PM PDT Whether states should legalize marijuana for recreational and medical use is a hot topic across the country. As the debates continue a potentially dangerous environment is being created where more preteens, teens and young adults are beginning to use the substance with the feeling that it is safe.

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