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Mar 12

26

CIENCIASMEDICASNEWS: Hot topics for Colorectal Cancer …

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Hot topics for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month | University of Michigan Health System

March 19, 2012

ANN ARBOR, Mich.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. ? Colorectal cancer is the second biggest cancer killer, trailing only lung cancer in the number of deaths each year. The American Cancer Society estimates 51,690 people will die from colorectal cancer this year.

But unlike lung cancer, experts know how to detect who?s at high risk and how to successfully screen for and prevent this disease.

In time for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center experts outline genetic counseling, screening and treatment strategies for colorectal cancer.

Genetics pinpoint higher risk
About 10 percent of colon cancers can be traced back to genetics. If colon cancer runs in your family, it might be a faulty gene at work. Genetic counseling and testing can help identify people at higher genetic risk of colorectal cancer.

Two common conditions ? which can be detected through genetic testing ? are linked to colon cancer risk: familial adenomatous polyposis and Lynch syndrome.

?People concerned about a family history of cancer, or those who have been diagnosed with colon cancer before age 50, should talk to their doctor about the possible benefits of genetic counseling,? says Elena Stoffel, M.D., director of the Cancer Genetics Clinic at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Genetic counseling typically involves an overview of cancer genetics, a history and physical examination to look for signs and symptoms of familial cancer, and individualized counseling about strategies to lower the risk of cancer.

In Michigan, Gov. Rick Snyder has declared March 22 Lynch Syndrome Hereditary Cancer Awareness Day. About 25,000 people in Michigan are estimated to have Lynch syndrome, a hereditary condition associated with a high risk for developing colorectal and other types of cancer. Most of those at risk remain undiagnosed. For families with multiple cases of colorectal cancer, genetic evaluation can help determine if specialized screening would be beneficial.

Screening = Prevention
Colon cancer can be largely prevented through proper screening. Yes, that?s right: prevented.

Colonoscopy, the gold standard in colon cancer screening, can not only detect cancer but also be used to remove precancerous polyps.

?It?s important to be screened routinely for colon cancer, and there are a variety of tests available to help do that. If we reached full compliance with colon cancer screening, we could prevent more than 90 percent of colon cancers,? says D. Kim Turgeon, M.D., associate professor of gastroenterology at the U-M Medical School.

Screening for colon cancer should begin at age 50 for people of average risk. Those with certain risk factors (including genetic predisposition) may need to begin screening earlier.

Treatments improving
Unfortunately, only about half of people who should get screened for colorectal cancer do. And so 143,460 people will be diagnosed with the disease this year, according to the American Cancer Society.

Researchers are working to find better ways to treat colorectal cancer. At U-M, radiation oncologists have developed new techniques to treat tumors that spread to the liver. Better surgical techniques allow advanced disease to be surgically removed.

New drugs are also in the pipeline to treat colorectal cancer, most targeting molecular pathways involved in fueling the disease. In addition, researchers are working on tools to help determine who needs chemotherapy and who doesn?t.

?We are using molecular tests to better characterize tumors and tell which patients are most likely to relapse. These tests are especially important for patients with stage II disease where the benefits of chemotherapy may be marginal. If we can tell which patients have a very low risk of recurrence, we can potentially spare them from chemotherapy and it side effects,? says Marwan Fakih, M.D., co-director of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Program at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center.

?Molecular characterization is also helpful in determining the best chemotherapy regimen for patients with more advanced disease,? Fakih adds.

For more information about colorectal cancer, including the Cancer Genetics Clinic, colonoscopy screening, the Colorectal Cancer Clinic and clinical trials opportunities, contact the U-M Cancer AnswerLine at 800-865-1125 or visit www.mcancer.org.

Source: http://elbiruniblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2012/03/hot-topics-for-colorectal-cancer.html

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Jan 12

8

Many Teen Girls Mistakenly Think HPV Vaccines Cut Risk for All STDs (HealthDay)

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WEDNESDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) — Nearly one in four girls who gets the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine mistakenly thinks that her risk of getting other sexually transmitted diseases is lowered, a new study indicates.

HPV is the most commonly transmitted sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States, with nearly 30 percent of sexually active girls aged 14 to 19 infected. Some virus types can raise the risk for genital warts and cervical cancer.

“I think it’s important to counsel [girls] about what the vaccine protects against,” said lead researcher Dr. Tanya Kowalczyk Mullins, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

The findings were reported in the January issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

Two HPV vaccines are now licensed in the United States. One, Gardasil, protects against two HPV strains linked with genital warts and two HPV types linked with cervical cancer. Another vaccine, Cervarix, induces immunity to the two HPV types linked with cervical cancer.

The HPV vaccine is recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for boys and girls aged 11 to 12, with catch-up immunizations recommended to the age of 26 for women and 21 for men.

In the study, Mullins polled 339 girls, average age nearly 17, after their first of three HPV doses, and their mothers. Nearly 60 percent of the girls were sexually experienced.

Mullins wanted to know the girls’ perceived risk of getting HPV after the vaccination, their perceived risk of getting other STIs and their perceived need for continued safer sex behaviors.

“Most girls correctly thought the vaccine does not protect them against STIs other than HPV,” Mullins said.

However, 24 percent of the girls mistakenly thought they were at lower risk for other STIs such as syphilis and gonorrhea after the HPV vaccine, she found.

Girls who thought this were less likely to have information about the vaccine and about HPV infection.

Doctors who discuss the HPV vaccine with girls and their parents ”may need to emphasize the limitations of the vaccine and to specifically address that the vaccine does not prevent other STIs,” the researchers wrote.

Mullins said it is not known how girls perceive risk after the entire three-dose series.

The study was supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Some study co-authors reported receiving grants from Merck, which makes Gardasil. One reported doing consulting work for Sanofi Pasteur, which has marketed Gardasil in Europe.

The study results bear “no big surprises,” said Dr. H. Hunter Handsfield, a member of the board of directors for the American Social Health Association and a professor of medicine at the University of Washington Center for AIDS and STD in Seattle. He is an advisor to Merck for its HPV vaccine.

“If anything, it’s a fairly pleasing result that it’s only 24 percent [who think the HPV vaccine protects against other STIs],” he said.

Before the vaccines were available, Handsfield said, “social and religious conservatives” expressed worries that teens would practice safe sex less often after getting the vaccine. The latest findings suggest this isn’t happening by and large, he noted.

Doctors do need to be clear with their young patients when giving them the HPV vaccine, Handsfield said. They need to tell them that the vaccine does not protect against all STIs, and that when the patients become sexually active they need to practice safer sex behaviors, such as using condoms.

More information

For more on HPV, go to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sexualhealth/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120105/hl_hsn/manyteengirlsmistakenlythinkhpvvaccinescutriskforallstds

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Dec 11

14

Study participants at risk for Alzheimer’s want to know their potential fate

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[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 12-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Laura Bailey
baileylm@umich.edu
734-764-1552
University of Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich.If you had a family history of developing Alzheimer’s disease, would you take a genetic test that would give you more information about your chances?

“Definitely,” said Gloria VanAlstine, 60, and Joyce Smith, 79. The two women took a controversial genetic test of a gene called Apolipoprotein E. APOE is a susceptibility gene where certain variants have been found to significantly increase a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Both women have a family history of Alzheimer’s, which increases risk.

The genetic test was conducted as part of the Risk Evaluation and Education for Alzheimer’s disease Study (REVEAL), a series of clinical trials taking place at U-M School of Public Health, with other sites including Harvard University, Howard University, and the University of Pennsylvania.

APOE testing is controversial in the medical community because the variant is neither necessary nor sufficient to cause Alzheimer’s disease. This limitation, along a with a general lack of treatment options for Alzheimer’s, has raised concerns that the genetic information could burden rather than benefit patients. There have been numerous consensus statements and articles against using APOE genotyping for predicting Alzheimer’s risk.

However, most of the study participants who took the test, including VanAlstine and Smith, wanted to learn about their APOE test results and were not overtly distressed by them, said Scott Roberts, associate professor in U-M SPH, and co-principal investigator of REVEAL, along with Robert Green at Harvard University School of Medicine.

The National Society of Genetic Counselors and American College of Medical Genetics recently developed practice guidelines for genetic counseling and testing for Alzheimer’s disease. Roberts is one of the authors.

The guidelines provide clinicians with a framework for assessing their patients’ genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease, identifying which individuals may benefit from genetic testing, and providing the key elements of genetic counseling. Alzheimer’s disease is traditionally subdivided into early onset and late onset types. Early onset occurs before age 60-65 years and accounts for 1 to 5 percent of all cases, while late onset occurs after 60-65 years and is the predominant form.

###

For more on Roberts: http://hbhegenetics.sph.umich.edu/people/scott-roberts

The University of Michigan School of Public Health has been working to promote health and prevent disease since 1941, and is consistently ranked among the top five public health schools in the nation.

EDITORS: Watch and link to a video of study participants discussing why they took genetic tests to learn their Alzheimer’s disease risk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-jv7z2Rwuw

Images are available at: http://ns.umich.edu/new/multimedia/20116-study-participants-at-risk-for-alzheimers-talk-about-their-genetic-test-results

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 12-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Laura Bailey
baileylm@umich.edu
734-764-1552
University of Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich.If you had a family history of developing Alzheimer’s disease, would you take a genetic test that would give you more information about your chances?

“Definitely,” said Gloria VanAlstine, 60, and Joyce Smith, 79. The two women took a controversial genetic test of a gene called Apolipoprotein E. APOE is a susceptibility gene where certain variants have been found to significantly increase a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Both women have a family history of Alzheimer’s, which increases risk.

The genetic test was conducted as part of the Risk Evaluation and Education for Alzheimer’s disease Study (REVEAL), a series of clinical trials taking place at U-M School of Public Health, with other sites including Harvard University, Howard University, and the University of Pennsylvania.

APOE testing is controversial in the medical community because the variant is neither necessary nor sufficient to cause Alzheimer’s disease. This limitation, along a with a general lack of treatment options for Alzheimer’s, has raised concerns that the genetic information could burden rather than benefit patients. There have been numerous consensus statements and articles against using APOE genotyping for predicting Alzheimer’s risk.

However, most of the study participants who took the test, including VanAlstine and Smith, wanted to learn about their APOE test results and were not overtly distressed by them, said Scott Roberts, associate professor in U-M SPH, and co-principal investigator of REVEAL, along with Robert Green at Harvard University School of Medicine.

The National Society of Genetic Counselors and American College of Medical Genetics recently developed practice guidelines for genetic counseling and testing for Alzheimer’s disease. Roberts is one of the authors.

The guidelines provide clinicians with a framework for assessing their patients’ genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease, identifying which individuals may benefit from genetic testing, and providing the key elements of genetic counseling. Alzheimer’s disease is traditionally subdivided into early onset and late onset types. Early onset occurs before age 60-65 years and accounts for 1 to 5 percent of all cases, while late onset occurs after 60-65 years and is the predominant form.

###

For more on Roberts: http://hbhegenetics.sph.umich.edu/people/scott-roberts

The University of Michigan School of Public Health has been working to promote health and prevent disease since 1941, and is consistently ranked among the top five public health schools in the nation.

EDITORS: Watch and link to a video of study participants discussing why they took genetic tests to learn their Alzheimer’s disease risk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-jv7z2Rwuw

Images are available at: http://ns.umich.edu/new/multimedia/20116-study-participants-at-risk-for-alzheimers-talk-about-their-genetic-test-results

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/uom-spa121211.php

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Oct 11

28

New approach to study depression: Finding may lead to new marker for risk

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ScienceDaily (Oct. 28, 2011) ? Scientists at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute and Yale University have identified a new target area in the human genome that appears to harbor genes with a major role in the onset of depression.

Using the power of Texas Biomed’s AT&T Genomics Computing Center (GCC), the researchers found the region by devising a new method for analyzing thousands of potential risk factors for this complex disease, a process that led them to a new biomarker that may be helpful in identifying people at risk for major depression.

“We were searching for things in psychiatric disease that are the equivalent of what cholesterol is to heart disease,” said John Blangero, Ph.D., director of the GCC and a principal investigator in the study. “We wanted to find things that can be measured in everybody and that can tell you something about risk for major depression.”

The study was directed by Blangero and David Glahn, Ph.D., of Yale University. It was published online in October in the journal Biological Psychiatry and supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Major depressive disorder is one of the most common and most costly mental illnesses. Studies have estimated that up to 17 percent of Americans will suffer depression at some point in their lives. The disorder has proven to be a tough challenge for geneticists. Despite strong evidence that people can inherit a susceptibility to major depression, years of study have failed to locate any of the key genes that underlie the illness.

The scientists used blood samples from 1,122 people enrolled in the Genetics of Brain Structure and Function Study, a large family study that involves people from 40 extended Mexican American families in the San Antonio area.

Blangero and his colleagues looked at more than 11,000 endophenotypes, or heritable factors, and searched for the ones that were linked with the risk of major depression. They found that disease risk correlated most strongly with expression levels of a gene called RNF123, which helps regulate neuron growth.

Once they found this risk factor, further analysis directed scientists to an area on chromosome 4 containing genes that appear to regulate RNF123.

Because the RNF123 expression levels can be measured relatively easily in the blood, this finding could lead to a way of identifying people at risk for major depressive disorder, Blangero said.

“We might be able to know in advance that a person will be less able to respond to the normal challenges that come about in life,” he said. “Then doctors may be able to intervene earlier after a traumatic life event to remove some of the debilitation of depression.”

The study also shows the potential for using this method of analyzing a multitude of heritable traits as a way to zero in on disease-causing gene variants.

The research capitalized on the newest ‘deep sequencing’ technology that enables Texas Biomed scientists to search through more genetic variables. The GCC has 8,000 linked computer processors that are capable of analyzing millions of genetic variables drawn from thousands of research subjects.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Texas Biomedical Research Institute.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

  1. David C. Glahn, Joanne E. Curran, Anderson M. Winkler, Melanie A. Carless, Jack W. Kent, Jac C. Charlesworth, Matthew P. Johnson, Harald H.H. G?ring, Shelley A. Cole, Thomas D. Dyer, Eric K. Moses, Rene L. Olvera, Peter Kochunov, Ravi Duggirala, Peter T. Fox, Laura Almasy, John Blangero. High Dimensional Endophenotype Ranking in the Search for Major Depression Risk Genes. Biological Psychiatry, 2011; DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.08.022

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/R5u4XZ9clxg/111028115348.htm

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