Combination Therapy For Type 2 Diabetes With Rosiglitazone (RECORD Study) Shows No Increase Of Cardiovascular Disease Or Death

The results of the RECORD study are reported in an article published Online First and in a future edition of The Lancet. The findings are presented at the same time at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) meeting in New Orleans, USA. They indicate that the use of rosiglitazone (Avandia) together with regular diabetes treatments (metformin or a sulfonylurea) to reduce blood glucose in type 2 diabetics does not raise the risk of cardiovascular disease or death. On the other hand, the research establishes that using rosiglitazone multiplies by more than two the risk of heart failure, and increases the risk of fracture, mostly in women.

Combination Therapy For Type 2 Diabetes With Rosiglitazone (RECORD Study) Shows No Increase Of Cardiovascular Disease Or Death

The results of the RECORD study are reported in an article published Online First and in a future edition of The Lancet. The findings are presented at the same time at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) meeting in New Orleans, USA. They indicate that the use of rosiglitazone (Avandia) together with regular diabetes treatments (metformin or a sulfonylurea) to reduce blood glucose in type 2 diabetics does not raise the risk of cardiovascular disease or death. On the other hand, the research establishes that using rosiglitazone multiplies by more than two the risk of heart failure, and increases the risk of fracture, mostly in women.

In Trastuzumab-Resistant Metastatic Breast Cancer, Small Molecule Inhibitor Shows Promise

Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers report that a combination of trastuzumab and neratinib (HKI-272) a novel small molecule inhibitor of the HER2 receptor (ErbB2) appears active in women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who have progressed on previous trastuzumab based therapies. More than one-quarter of the women in a phase I/II trial had their tumors shrink on the combination therapy.

“I think this is very promising. Neratinib induces clinically meaningful responses,” says Ramona Swaby, M.D., a medical oncologist and attending physician at Fox Chase. Swaby will present the study results on Monday, June 1, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

In Biliary Cancer Study Targeted Agent Shows Promise

An experimental agent has shown promising results in people with advanced biliary cancer, according to a multi-institutional clinical trial led by cancer researchers at the Ohio State University.

The agent, known as AZD6244 (ARRY-142886), blocks certain enzymes that cancer cells need to proliferate and survive.

About 100,000 patients are diagnosed with biliary cancer worldwide every year, representing 15-20 percent of all liver cancer cases. Most patients present at later stages of the disease, which has a universally poor outcome.

XMT-1107, Shows Superior Pharmacokinetics And Anti-Tumor Activity

  Mersana, a platform-based cancer therapeutics company, announced positive results of preclinical studies for its second development candidate, XMT-1107, in two posters at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) in Denver.

The studies showed that XMT-1107, a novel anti-angiogenic fumagillin analog conjugated to Mersana’s proprietary Fleximer(R), demonstrated superior anti-tumor activity in tumor xenograft models in comparison to other anti-angiogenic agents and extended exposure to the conjugated drug, supporting the potential clinical utility of XMT-1107 as an anti-cancer agent. Full text of the abstracts can be viewed online at the AACR website at http://www.AACR.org.

Nab-Paclitaxel Added To Gemcitabine And Epirubicin Shows Potential As Neoadjuvant Treatment For Early Breast Cancer

SAN ANTONIO – NabTM-paclitaxel (Abraxane), used in tandem with gemcitabine and epirubicin, is showing good anti-tumor activity and tolerability as neoadjuvant treatment for women with locally advanced breast cancer, according to phase II results released at the 2008 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS).

Nab-paclitaxel is a novel albumin-bound paclitaxel, an established chemotherapy agent, combined with albumin, a very small naturally-occurring protein.

Secure Fixation After EVAR In Patients With Wide Aortic Necks: A Safe And Effective Alternative To Open Surgery In Many Patients, Trial Shows

Recanalization of infrapopliteal arteries is important in patients with chronic limb ischemia to decrease limb-loss.

Dr. Konstantinos Katsanos, of the Department of Radiology, Patras University Hospital School of Medicine, Patras, Greece, reviewed published data that highlighted the promising long-term limb salvage rates of below-the-knee angioplasty. But, he noted re-occlusion following infrapopliteal angioplasty and stenting is identified in more than 50% of cases by 1 year thereby resulting in a high frequency of repeat procedures. Drug-eluting stents (DES) have emerged as a potential solution to prevent restenosis from occurring.

Scottish Study Shows One-Third Of Men With HIV Unaware Of Status; NHS Launches HIV Awareness Campaign

More than one-third of HIV-positive men in Scotland’s capital of Edinburgh are unaware of their status, according to a recent study conducted by the Dutch group Wolters Kluwer Health, the Edinburgh Evening News reports. According to the News, HIV tests were conducted among 599 men at universities and gay bars throughout Edinburgh, and 33 men tested positive for HIV. Of these men, 12 were unaware that they were living with the virus. The study said, “A high proportion of the HIV-positive men were undiagnosed and not receiving benefits of clinical care.” The study also said clinics should “proactively” offer testing to decrease the number of undiagnosed cases.

Survey Shows General Public More Worried About Cancer Today Than 10 Years Ago

New research has revealed we are more concerned about cancer now than we were 10 years ago – even though we know the outlook for anyone diagnosed with cancer today is more positive than ever1.

While respondents to the ‘Changing Face of Cancer Survey’ believe that the chances of living longer with cancer have improved in the past decade, the results reflect that the public is on average 15 per cent more worried about 10 different types of cancer now than 10 years ago1, announced Leukaemia CARE, a national charity that supports people affected by blood cancers. It emerged that blood cancer non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is the cancer that worries people the least, which is ironic given that it is the nation’s sixth most common cancer2 and has a faster growing incidence rate than bowel, stomach or cervical cancer3. In fact, 63 per cent of those surveyed did not know that NHL is a type of cancer and more than half (53 per cent) could not even hazard a guess as to what NHL is1.

Size And Fitness Levels Of NHL Players Have Improved, University Of Alberta Study Shows

Imagine taking a picture of your favourite sports team every year for a generation. Looking back over a quarter of century, the changes you’d see are significant.

Researchers in the University of Alberta Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation looked at an NHL team over a 26-year cycle and discovered players have become bigger and fitter.

The research team studied 703 players from a Canadian-based NHL team from 1979 to 2005. The physiological profile derived from their research shows that over the 26 seasons, defencemen became taller and heavier as body mass increased; forwards got younger and had higher peak aerobic power outputs for cardio-respiratory endurance, while goalies were shorter and more flexible and had lower peak aerobic power outputs. All players combined (defence, forwards and goaltenders) increased body mass, height and anaerobic power over the 26 years.