April, 2009


In his address to the nation, President Barack Obama announced a massive initiative against cancer.
"Our recovery plan will launch a new effort to conquer a disease that has touched nearly every American, including me, by seeking a cure for cancer in our time" Obama said in his speech

. Specifically, the president was referring to the $10 billion dollars, in his stimulus package, which will be steered to the National Institute of Health. This will match the surge in spending on cancer research by the National Cancer Institute that occurred between 1999 and 2003. During those years we found out what caused cancer and learned about the makeup of the human genome.

At Sylvester, the doctors and scientists are working in cooperation with the National Cancer Institute. The large number of discoveries, along with hundreds of clinical trails at Sylvester, has put us at the forefront for the possibility of "finding the cure". If the new FDA will streamline these clinical trails and speed up the approval of new drugs we will be able to save many more lives.

Those in the medical community, as well as all of us, were very excited to see the ban on stem cell research lifted.

Let us hope that with this new front in the war on cancer, by the government, along with our brilliant scientists and doctors, we will "find the cure" in our lifetime.

A late stage clinical trial of the cancer drug, Sutent, has been stopped early because it showed significant benefit for patients with a rare form of pancreatic cancer. Patients in the trial can continue with the life saving drug, or switch from a placebo to taking Sutent. Steve Jobs, chief executive officer of Apple Computer, has this rare type of pancreatic cancer.

Researchers have pinpointed a cellular pathway that determines whether cancerous tumors respond to dietary restriction during their development.

Researchers have succeeded in blocking the production of one of the necessary iron storage proteins in lymphoma cells. This leads to a rise in iron and a boost to the production of free radicals which damage cancer cells and induce their death.

A pair of studies suggests that most kidney tumors can be eradicated using a noninvasive freezing technique that eliminates the need for surgery.

The risk of breast cancer reoccurrence is greater in women younger than 35 than it is in older women, especially if they opt for less radical treatment for the disease.

Sarah Messiah, MD, research assistant professor of pediatrics at UM, has found that children who are obese between ages 3 to 6, already have risk factors, such as high cholesterol and artery inflammation, that could later lead to heart disease and diabetes.

William O'Neill, MD, executive dean for clinical affairs, is the principal investigator for the PROTECT 1 trial which evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of the Impella 2.5 circulatory assist device. The study found the Impella system is safe, easy to use and very effective in high risk coronary procedures.

Rita Doval, RN, nurse liaison for the UM Child Protection Team, has seen a rise in the number of child abuse cases because of the economic stress on many families.

European heart patients are taking more medication than ever before to lower their blood pressure and cholesterol, but bad habits such as overeating and smoking undermine the drugs.

In people with diabetes, there is a strong association between abnormal heart rhythm, or atrial fibrillation, and increased risk of other heart related problems and death.

Biomarkers that can be detected before women develop rheumatoid arthritis have been identified by researchers.

People prescribed widely used cholesterol lowering drugs called statins, may be more likely to feel fatigued than those who don't.

Genes may be the reason why one-quarter of smokers develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), while the rest aren't afflicted with the serious breathing problem.

More aging baby boomers are being hospitalized for heart attacks now than people their age a generation ago. The increase in cases could place a big burden on cardiac care wards nationwide.

While the economy is in a crisis, medical schools are booming, with increased enrollment.

The cancer drug, Rituxan, may offer the first new treatment approved for lupus in 50 years.

A new study has uncovered evidence that getting stuck in traffic prompts a higher risk for suffering a heart attack.

A phase 2 study shows that a drug derived from the magnolia tree appears to be safe and tolerable in preventing blood clots.

Naomi Prever - VP - Education - naomirltr@bellsouth.net - 561-997-6020