Category Archives: Cancer

No link found between bladder cancer, use of pioglitazone or rosiglitazone, Avandia — ScienceDaily

Bladder cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the world, with 430,000 new cases diagnosed in 2012. Europe and North America have the highest incidence of bladder cancer, with an even higher incidence in people with diabetes. Bladder tumours overexpress a natural part of the cell machinery, a transcription factor in the cell nucleus known as ‘peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma’ (or PPARγ) that is found in the urothelium (the lining of the urinary tract). Both pioglitazone and rosiglitazone are part of the thiazolidinediones (TZDs) class of drugs, which act as PPARγ agonists, meaning they induce the same action as PPARγ…

Approved breast cancer drug offers hope for the treatment of blood disorders

“Our study demonstrates that targeting estrogen signaling with a clinically approved drug, at doses with an acceptable toxicity profile in humans, provides a novel potential therapeutic strategy for a set of neoplasms currently without a definitive cure,” said senior study author Sim�n M�ndez-Ferrer of the National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC) in Madrid, Spain. Myeloproliferative neoplasms cause large numbers of abnormal white blood cells to be produced and enter the bloodstream, potentially causing life-threatening symptoms. These diseases can lead to cancer and arise from blood cells called hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs), which give rise to all of the other blood cells. …

Smoking and higher mortality in men

Smoking is a risk factor for various diseases, not only lung cancer. Epidemiological data show that male smokers have a greater risk of developing cancer outside the respiratory tract than female smokers. In the present study, which is the result of an international collaboration, the researchers discovered an association between smoking and genetic damage among men that might explain this sex difference. ‘We have previously in 2014 demonstrated an association between loss of the Y chromosome in blood and greater risk for cancer…

Technology breakthrough reveals cellular transcription process

The technology is known as the “FISH investigation protocol” (Fluorescent in situ hybridization) — it optimises current flow cytometry processes, resulting in a greater visibility of the transcription of RNA, a key step in the transmission of cellular information. …

Mini chromosomes that strengthen tumors

Although scientists have known for about twenty years about double minutes, little chromosomal fragments which sometimes appear during cellular division, they have just started to understand their exact function. Due to replication errors, these mini-chromosomes lack centromere, which allows them to replicate extremely rapidly and autonomously. Scientists therefore suspect that they play a role in the development of cancers, diseases that are caused by mutations in genes that control cellular metabolism and development…

Psychological problems in men experiencing cancer

A group of 127 men aged 18 and over with a cancer diagnosis were recruited through the National Health Service and cancer charities between April 2009 and April 2011. The participants were assessed for demographic factors, social support, anxiety and depression, and distress (Distress Thermometer)…

Cancer from asbestos caused by more than one cell mutation

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the mesothelium — the protective lining that covers the internal organs, such as the lungs, the heart and the abdominal cavity. It is estimated that malignant mesothelioma affects up to 3,200 people in the USA each year, most of whom die within a year of diagnosis. The primary cause of this cancer is exposure to asbestos, which used to be used in building construction…