Tag Archives: cancer
A way to a man’s (or women’s) kidney is through the stomach
Kidney cancer can be difficult to diagnose. A biopsy may be needed. Kidney biopsy is usually taken by passing a needle from the outside of the patient into the kidney. The needle is passed from the patient’s
Breast cancer in elderly – does guideline adherent treatment really matter?
It is well known that breast cancer is currently the most common female cancer. Advances in diagnostics and treatment continuosly improve the long term outcome. To establish a new agent or therapy a randomised study with inclusion
The protective role of estrogens in prostate cancer and its relationship with the SCF/c-KIT system
Prostate Cancer (PCa) is the most common oncological disorder in men worldwide, mainly affecting individuals over the age of 50. Therefore, the population aging and the improved expectancy of life have been contributing to the increased incidence
The surgeon general should say that indoor tanning causes skin cancer
It is a widely accepted fact that smoking causes lung cancer. This dates back to 1964, when the Surgeon General’s report clearly acknowledged this link. Fifty years later, the Acting Surgeon General, Dr. Lushniak, was asked to
Using university-sponsored debit cards for indoor tanning services: an update
Numerous studies have established a link between indoor tanning bed use and increased risk for skin cancer. In fact, those who begin using tanning beds before the age of 35 increase their risk for melanoma, the deadliest
Spinal tumors in children: a rare disease
Tumors of the Central Nervous System (CNS) are one of the first causes of morbidity and mortality in children in developed countries. Among them, spinal tumors are estimated to account for less than 10% of the cases,
Putting mammalian target of rapamycin on track
Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is the target protein of rapamycin, a bacterial metabolite in Streptomyces hygroscopicus primarily found in the soil sample from Easter Island in South America thirty years ago. Since mTOR was discovered in
From palliative to curative treatment – a case of stage IV mucinous colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the world and in Sweden, next to breast cancer and prostate cancer. In Sweden, more than 6,000 people are diagnosed with CRC and around 2800 people die
The thymus: a small organ with a mighty big function
The thymus lies in the chest behind the breastbone and above the heart. Relatively large in infancy, it increases in size until puberty and thereafter shrinks to only a few grams in old age. It consists of
How can cancer cells use hydrogen peroxide to strive?
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a well-known antiseptic used in our homes since the 1920s. But did you know that our cells produce this molecule and that at low concentrations H2O2 instructs our cells to do different things,
“Chemobrain” prior to cancer treatment? The cause is probably cancer-related post-traumatic stress
Cancer patients often complain about deficits of attention, memory, and other basic cognitive functions, which considerably impact on their lives. Long time, these problems were simply attributed to side effects of chemotherapy and have therefore been termed
New function for the well-known lipids
Angiogenesis is the new blood vessels formation in adult tissues which share some similarities to growth of blood vessels during development called vasculogenesis. It is estimated that growth of any tissue to the sizes above 2-3 mm3
A novel reovirus mutant: toward the next generation of viruses for cancer treatment?
In the last decade or so, it has been realized that viruses are not only foes to fight, but possible therapeutics against diseases such as cancer. Most of these so-called oncolytic viruses are engineered to acquire desirable
Using tumor DNA to refine lung cancer staging and treatment
The treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is guided by disease stage as assessed by clinical and pathologic criteria. Clinical tumor stage is determined by imaging including computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron
How to spot a sick cell?
Mass spectrometry (MS) is a technique used to measure the mass of molecules. Chemists extensively use this method to confirm that they have made the right molecule by comparing the mass of the actual product with the
More reasons to appreciate the Golden Spice “saffron”
Cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and death worldwide. What is even worse is that the number of new cancer cases is projected to massive increase which would probably make it the first cause of death
High prevalence of undertreated cardiovascular disease in patients diagnosed with cancer
Heart disease and cancer are the most common causes of death in the United States. They often have the same risk factors (for example, smoking, advancing age, obesity). Heart disease can worsen outcomes after cancer therapy and
A growing epidemic: HPV-related oropharyngeal carcinoma
The incidence of Human Papillomavirus(HPV)related oropharyngeal cancer has increased by epidemic proportions (225%) over the past 30 years. If it continues to increase at the current rate, the incidence of HPVrelated oropharyngeal cancer will be even greater
Dissecting how cells communicate to prevent cancer relapse
Protein kinases are a class of enzymes that are responsible for the transfer of phosphates onto other proteins. These phosphate groups, although small, can change the behaviour of the protein itself, or the behaviour of those it
Learning from evolution to target cancer with combinatorial strategies
Chemotherapy is the most prominently used therapy for many cancers yet it effects multiple and, in many cases, unknown targets. Of the most modern advancements in cancer treatment is the targeting of single key gene products, for
