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Hormone therapy raises cancer risk | |
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HEALTH TIPS WEEKLY - Thursday, January 17, 2008
"News That Keeps You Healthy"
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New genetic breast cancer test is approved
WASHINGTON, -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has
approved a test that helps assess the risk of tumor recur-
rence in high-risk breast cancer patients. The FDA said the
TOP2A FISH pharmDx is the first approved device to test for
the TOP2A (topoisomerase 2 alpha) gene in cancer patients.
Since it's known that changes in the TOP2A gene in breast
cancer cells mean there's an increased likelihood the tumor
will recur or that long-term survival will be decreased, the
new test uses fluorescently labeled DNA probes to detect or
confirm gene or chromosome abnormalities "When used with
other clinical information and laboratory tests, this test
can provide healthcare professionals with additional insight
on the likely clinical course for breast cancer patients,"
said Dr. Daniel Schultz, director of the FDA's Center for
Devices and Radiological Health. The FDA said the new test
is suitable for breast cancer patients who are premenopausal
or for whom tumor characteristics, such as tumor size or
lymph node involvement, suggest a higher likelihood of tumor
recurrence or decreased survival. The test is manufactured
by Dako Denmark A/S of Glostrup, Denmark.
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Study: Celecoxib can cause arrhythmias
BUFFALO, N.Y., -- U.S. medical researchers have determined
the anti-inflammatory drug celecoxib (Celebrex) can adver-
sely affect heart rhythm in fruit fly and rat models. COX-2
inhibitors such as celecoxib have come under scrutiny due
to adverse cardiovascular side-effects stemming from COX-2
reduction. But the new study found the drug-induced arrhyth-
mia is independent of the COX-2 enzyme. Satpal Singh and
colleagues at the State University of New York at Buffalo
tested various celecoxib doses on the heart rate of the
fruit fly Drosophila. They found celecoxib reduced heart
rate and increased beating irregularities. The finding was a
surprise, the researchers said, since Drosophila do not have
COX-2 enzymes. Rather, the scientists said, celecoxib might
directly inhibit the potassium channels that help generate
the electric current that drives heartbeat. Singh and col-
leagues note that since the arrhythmia effects bypass COX-2,
it is unclear if other COX-2 inhibitors would yield similar
results. They also stress it is too early to speculate on
human effects.
Drug combo prevents HIV spread in mice
DALLAS,-- U.S. researchers said it appears that existing
AIDS drugs can prevent vaginal transmission of HIV in lab-
oratory mice. A research team at the University of Texas
Southwestern Medical Center used a "humanized mouse" model
to test the anti-retroviral drugs, the medical center said
Tuesday in a release. The study, published online in PLoS
Medicine, used human/mouse chimeras that have fully devel-
oped human immune systems and produce the infection-fighting
cells that are specifically targeted by HIV in humans. while
almost 90 percent of the humanized mice inoculated vaginally
with HIV became infected with the virus, none of the human-
ized mice given the anti-retroviral drugs emtricitabine
(FTC) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) displayed any
evidence of infection. Women are more susceptible than men
to HIV infection and vaginal exposures result in a majority
of the estimated 6,800 transmission events a day, the report
said. Lead author Dr. J. Victor Garcia-Martinez cautioned
that the experiments were conducted on humanized mice and
not humans. "It will take additional work to translate these
observations to humans," he said.
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Humane Society criticizes FDA decision
WASHINGTON, -- The Humane Society of the United States crit-
icized the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for allowing
the sale of meat and milk from cloned animals. The FDA ann-
ounced Tuesday it has found meat and milk from clones of
cattle, swine and goats -- and the offspring of clones from
any species traditionally consumed as food -- are as safe to
eat as food from conventionally bred animals. "Despite the
fact that cloned animals suffer high mortality rates and
those who survive are often plagued with birth defects and
diseases, the FDA did not give adequate consideration to the
welfare of these animals or their surrogate mothers in its
deliberations," society President Wayne Pacelle said. "Fur-
thermore, no regulations exist in the United States that
protect farm animals during cloning research." The organiz-
ation's director of public health and animal agriculture,
Dr. Michael Greger, added: "The Humane Society of the United
States supports scientific advancement, but cloning lacks
any legitimate social value and decreases animal welfare.
The FDA's reckless action is completely unwarranted and un-
acceptable."
Hormone therapy raises cancer risk
SEATTLE, -- Menopausal women who take hormone combinations
for their symptoms are more likely to get an uncommon type
of breast cancer much earlier than experts believed. The new
findings, released Monday by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Re-
search Center, link lobular breast cancer to combination
hormonal therapy used to combat hot flashes, night sweats
and other symptoms of menopause, The Seattle Times reported
Tuesday. Lobular breast cancer is uncommon but particularly
elusive because the cancer doesn't form lumps in the breast.
Most researchers have assumed it takes five years of com-
bined-hormone therapy before the overall risk of developing
breast cancer is elevated significantly. But the new study
found women who took estrogen and progestin every day for
as few as three years were about three times more likely
to develop lobular breast cancer than those who had never
taken hormones. Dr. Nancy Tipton, a gynecologist with Virg-
inia Mason Medical Center, said the study shouldn't change
anything for patients who take the lowest possible doses
for the shortest possible time. "Nothing is risk-free. A lot
of women really need combination hormones for a while bec-
ause they're miserable," said Tipton, who estimated that a
quarter of her menopausal patients need estrogen-progestin
to control their symptoms.
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New sickle cell pain findings presented
RICHMOND, Va., -- U.S. medical scientists have discovered
daily pain associated with sickle cell disease is signific-
antly more prevalent and severe than previously indicated.
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers gave diaries
to 232 sickle cell disease patients to record daily pain and
indicate whether they used hospital emergency or unscheduled
ambulatory care for their pain. "The major finding of our
study," said Dr. Wally Smith, a VCU professor who directed
the research, "was that pain in sickle cell disease is a
daily phenomenon and that patients are at home mostly strug-
gling with their pain, rather than coming into the hospital
or emergency department." The researchers found more than
half of the patients reported having pain on a majority of
days. Nearly one-third suffered daily pain. "I believe that
this study could change the way people view the pain of the
disease," said Smith. "And the study results have implicat-
ions for medical care, and research. We need more drugs to
prevent the underlying processes that cause pain in this
disease. And we need better treatments to reduce the chronic
pain and suffering that these patients go through."
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