SPOTLIGHT !

Using speed of video game processors to improve cancer patient care

"The speed of video game processors are being used to promote research that is aimed at improving patient care, a new study says. In recent years, video game processors, known as graphic processing units, or GPUs, have become massively powerful as game makers support increasingly elaborate video graphics with rapid-fire processing. Now medical researchers are looking to these GPUs for inspiration. One practical application is reducing the time required to calculate the radiation dose delivered to a tumor during proton radiotherapy, for example. The faster video processors can reduce the time of the most complex calculation method from 70 hours to just 10 seconds."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29



2- Hyperfractionated radiation therapy improves local-regional control for patients with head, neck cancer

"Patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with hyperfractionated radiation therapy experienced improved local-regional control and, with patients censored at five years, improved overall survival with no increase in late toxicity, according to a study."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

3- New combination therapy developed for multiple myeloma

"Each year, more than 25,000 Americans are diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer that often develops resistance to therapies. However, researchers are reporting promising results from laboratory experiments testing a new combination therapy that could potentially overcome the resistance hurdle."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

4- Killing Kindlin-3 to cure breast cancer : 'Blood' protein implicated

"A protein believed to be limited to the hematopoietic system, called Kindlin-3, has been identified as a major player in both the formation and spread of breast cancer to other organs. This discovery could open the door to an entirely new class of breast cancer drugs that targets this protein's newly found activity."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

5- New molecule links asthma, cancer; could aid in developing new treatments

"A newly discovered molecule provides a new drug target for controlling both asthma-induced muscle thickening and cancerous tumor growth. This molecule, called "microRNA-10a," normally helps genes produce proteins or make copies of themselves, also play an important role in the growth or overgrowth of human airway smooth muscle cells and some forms of cancer."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

6- Looks really can kill you : Protect yourself against skin cancer

"It only takes a few bad sunburns or trips to the tanning bed to put someone at risk for melanoma. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States and when left untreated, melanoma is the most dangerous and aggressive form. It accounts for more than 9,000 of the 12,000-plus skin cancer deaths each year. In observance of May’s Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month, focus is turned to helping teens keep their skin safe this spring."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

7- UV nail salon lamps linked to small increased risk of skin cancer

"Using higher-wattage ultra violet lamps at nail salons to dry and cure polish was associated with more ultra violet-A radiation being emitted, but the brief exposure after a manicure would require multiple visits for potential DNA damage and the risk for cancer remains small. The authors tested 17 light units from 16 salons with a wide range of bulbs, wattage and irradiance emitted by each device."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

8- Damage control : Recovering from radiation, chemotherapy

"A protein called beta-catenin plays a critical, and previously unappreciated, role in promoting recovery of stricken hematopoietic stem cells after radiation exposure, researchers report. The findings provide a new understanding of how radiation impacts cellular and molecular processes, but perhaps more importantly, they suggest new possibilities for improving hematopoietic stem cell regeneration in the bone marrow following cancer radiation treatment."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

9- For the first time, proof of what hormone replacement therapy does to genes involved in breast cancer

"Researchers have measured activity of genes associated with breast cancer in women before and while, they took different types of HRT. They found that an HRT used in the WHI trial had a greater activating effect on these genes than a "natural" formulation applied via an estrogen gel applied to the skin in combination with oral progesterone. This shows that varying the HRT and the way it is taken can have very significant effects on the genes associated with breast cancer."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

10- Better sleep predicts longer survival time for women with advanced breast cancer

"A new study reports that sleep efficiency, a ratio of time asleep to time spent in bed, is predictive of survival time for women with advanced breast cancer. According to the authors, this is the first study to demonstrate the long-term detrimental effects of objectively quantified sleep on survival in women with advanced cancer. Although the mechanism of the relationship between sleep quality and advanced breast cancer survival is unclear, they suggested that sleep disruption may lead to diminished immune function or impaired hormonal stress responses that are more directly responsible for the decrease in survival."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

11- Novel analyses improve identification of cancer-associated genes from microarray data

"A new gene expression analysis approach for identifying cancer genes has been identified by scientists. The study results challenge the current paradigm of microarray data analysis and suggest that the new method may improve identification of cancer-associated genes. Typical microarray-based gene expression analyses compare gene expression in adjacent normal and cancerous tissues. The new approach demonstrated that ranking genes based on inter-tumor variation in gene expression outperforms traditional analytical approaches. The results were consistent across 4 major cancer types: breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

12- A transcription factor called SLUG helps determines type of breast cancer

"A new study determines that the transcription factor SLUG plays a role in regulating stem cell function. In mice without SLUG, basal cells are reprogrammed into a luminal-cell fate, luminal cells hyper-proliferate, and stem-cell function necessary for tissue regeneration and tumor initiation is inhibited."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

13- 30-year puzzle in breast cancer solved

"Mice lacking one copy of a gene called CTCF have abnormal DNA methylation and are markedly predisposed to cancer, new research demonstrates. CTCF is a very well-studied DNA binding protein that exerts a major influence on the architecture of the human genome, but had not been previously linked to cancer. Over 30 years ago, frequent loss of one copy of chromosome 16 was first reported in breast cancer but the gene or genes responsible remained to be identified. This new research answers that 30-year long puzzle."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

14- Electronic nose sniffs out prostate cancer using urine samples

"We may soon be able to make easy and early diagnoses of prostate cancer by smell. Investigators have established that a novel noninvasive technique can detect prostate cancer using an electronic nose. In a proof of principle study, the eNose successfully discriminated between prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by "sniffing" urine headspace (the space directly above the urine sample). Results using the eNose are comparable to testing prostate specific antigen (PSA)."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

15- Statin use associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer recurrence

"Men who begin taking statins after prostate cancer surgery are less likely to have a recurrence of their cancer, according to a retrospective analysis. “Our findings suggest that beginning statins after surgery may reduce the risk of prostate cancer recurrence, so it’s not too late to start statins after a diagnosis,” said the lead author."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

Cancer : comment se diffuse la tumeur ?

"Principale cause de décès dans le monde, le cancer a entraîné la mort de 8,2 millions de personnes en 2012, notamment des cancers avec métastases.

Dominique Heymann est professeur des universités et directeur de recherche à l'Inserm. Il nous explique dans cette vidéo Thinkovery le processus de migration tumorale (cas du cancer des os), ainsi que les techniques mises en place pour contrer cette expansion de la maladie."

http://www.futura-sciences.com/magazines/sant...ace-contre-la-dengue--%5D

CANCER du SEIN : Un bon sommeil optimise les chances de survie

"Un sommeil de bonne qualité est un facteur prédictif important de la durée de survie chez les femmes atteintes d'un cancer du sein avancé, conclut cette étude de l'Université de Stanford. Les conclusions, publiées dans Sleep, la revue de l’American Academy of Sleep Medicine montrent que meilleur est le sommeil, plus faible est la mortalité au cours des 6 années qui suvent le diagnostic."

http://www.santelog.com/news/cancerologie/can...relasuite.htm#lirelasuite

BREAST CANCER : A good sleep improves survival

"A good quality sleep is an important predictor of survival time in women with advanced breast cancer, the study concluded at the University of Stanford. The findings, published in Sleep, the journal of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine shows that the better the sleep, the lower mortality during 6 years suvent diagnosis."

http://www.journalsleep.org/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=29448

French Article
http://www.santelog.com/news/cancerologie/can...relasuite.htm#lirelasuite

Thanks for this news l mckeon

1- Two-lock box delivers cancer therapy : Nano-delivery system targets cancer cells

"A tunable virus that works like a safe deposit box has been developed by scientists. It takes two keys to open it and release its therapy for cancer and other diseases. The adeno-associated virus (AAV) developed by bioengineers unlocks only in the presence of two selected proteases, enzymes that cut up other proteins for disposal. Because certain proteases are elevated at tumor sites, the viruses can be designed to target and destroy the cancer cells."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

2- Hypertension related to new cancer therapies, new syndrome emerges

"New cancer therapies, particularly agents that block vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling, have improved the outlook for patients with some cancers and are now used as a first line therapy for some tumors. However, almost 100% of patients who take VEGF inhibitors (VEGFIs) develop high blood pressure, and a subset develops severe hypertension. The mechanisms underlying VEGF inhibitor-induced hypertension need to be better understood and there is a need for clear guidelines and improved management, say investigators."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

3- Nonscreened patients with breast cancer need more treatment than screened patients

"Screening 40- to 49-year-old women for breast cancer has additional benefits beyond the proven decrease in mortality rate. Patients screened with mammography are statistically less likely to undergo chemotherapy, avoiding the associated toxic morbidities. Screening mammography also helps identify a subset of patients at increased risk of breast cancer by diagnosing high-risk lesions."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

4- Ability to isolate, grow breast tissue stem cells could speed cancer research

"By carefully controlling the levels of two proteins, researchers have discovered how to keep mammary stem cells -- those that can form breast tissue -- alive and functioning in the lab. The new ability to propagate mammary stem cells is allowing them to study both breast development and the formation of breast cancers."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29

5- Using DNA to build tool that may literally shine light on cancer

"DNA has been used by researchers to develop a tool that detects and reacts to chemical changes caused by cancer cells and that may one day be used to deliver drugs to tumor cells. The researchers' nanosensor measures pH variations at the nanoscale -- how acidic or alkaline it is. Many biomolecules, such as enzymes and proteins, are strongly regulated by small pH changes. These changes affect in turn biological activities such as enzyme catalysis, protein assembly, membrane function and cell death. There is also a strong relation between cancer and pH."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/...ily%3A+Top+Health+News%29