Category Archives: Cancer

Girl dying of cystic fibrosis receives lung transplant

Sarah Murnaghan, the 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl dying of cystic fibrosis, is receiving her long-awaited lung transplant. According to a Facebook post from Sarah’s mother, Janet, the family received word this morning of new lungs that had been made available, and Sarah is currently in surgery.  The operation will take many hours. A spokeswoman from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where Sarah has been hospitalized, said they do not have any information to release. In the Facebook post, Janet said the family is overwhelmed with emotions, and she thanked everyone for their unending support.  She also asked her followers to pray for Sarah's donor. “Please pray for Sarah's donor, her HERO, who has given her the gift of life,” Janet Murnaghan wrote. “Today their family has experienced a tremendous loss, may God grant them a peace that surpasses understanding.” United States Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) released the following statement after being informed by the family of Sarah’s good news: “I am deeply grateful to the organ donor and his or her family for the potentially life-saving gift to Sarah. Now that a suitable donor has been found, a prayer would help, too - a prayer Sarah's body accepts the new organ the way doctors believe it can. The judge gave Sarah a chance to receive a new lung.  Now the surgical team at CHOP is giving her a chance at life.”   Sarah has been in desperate need of a lung transplant for the past 18 months.  She has been hospitalized at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for the past three months, where she has been on a ventilator. Under the current guidelines for organ donation, children under the age of 12 must wait for pediatric lungs to become available.  Adult lungs cannot be offered to children under 12, until they are offered to adults and adolescents first.   The Murnaghans have been in the midst of a legal battle over the established rules for organ donation after they filed a lawsuit last week to have the guidelines changed, arguing the rule keeping Sarah off the list was “discriminatory.” A federal court judge granted a temporary order on June 5 that allowed Sarah to join an adult organ transplant list. It is not yet clear whether Sarah’s donor is an adult or a child. Judge Michael Baylson made his ruling after hearing oral arguments on the case and had scheduled a preliminary injunction hearing for June 14. Baylson's order told Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to direct the group that manages the organ transplant list to cease application of it in Sarah's case. Secretary Sebelius declined to intervene in the case early last week, despite urgent pleas from several members of Congress from Pennsylvania. Sebelius said that such decisions should be made by medical experts and noted that there were three other children at Children's Hospital alone in the same condition. Over the weekend, Sarah's condition worsened, and she was intubated on Saturday after she experienced additional trouble breathing. The Associated Press contributed to this report.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/12/girl-dying-cystic-fibrosis-to-receive-lung-transplant-today/

Walking after meals may reduce diabetes risk

Doctors have long recommended exercise to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, especially in those at high risk for the condition. But a new study found that doing a short walk right after you eat may be the simplest and most effective strategy, especially for older adults. The study,  published in Diabetes Care, found that a 15-minute walk about a half an hour after each meal was as effective at reducing blood sugar as a single 45-minute morning or late afternoon walk.  But researchers found that the quick walk after dinner was even more effective than the longer afternoon walk in lowering blood sugars (glucose) over night into the next day. “The post-meal exercise was especially efficient at lowering the 3-hour post-dinner blood sugar glucose,” said the study’s lead author Dr. Loretta DiPietro, chair of the department of exercise science at George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. The study also found that the most effective time to go for a post-meal walk was after the evening meal. Dinner is usually the largest meal of the day, causing the greatest rise in blood sugar, which lasts into the night and the next morning. These affects were significantly reduced by the after dinner walk.    This is an important finding for older people. As you age, your insulin response to help shuttle sugar out of the bloodstream becomes sluggish. Insulin levels also start to fall in the afternoon and into the evening, adding to the weaker response to sugars you consume. Many people end up sitting around after dinner and going to bed with very high blood sugar levels – which according to DiPietro – is the worst thing you can do. When you exercise, contracting muscles help to clear sugar from the blood and get it stored in the muscles or liver. In this study, older adults walked at a moderate pace, not a brisk walk and not a leisurely stroll. This study, though small, was one of the first to look at the timing of exercise. The general recommendations are to get 150 minutes of exercise a week or at least 30 minutes five days a week. But the study looked at what happened a half an hour after a meal, during the time when sugar begins to flood the blood stream. “When you look at the data, you can see the blood sugar started to go up after a meal, and the exercise abruptly halted that upward rise in blood sugar,” said DiPietro. Though the findings need to be confirmed in larger trials, they are important for those with prediabetes and older individuals. An estimated 79 million Americans have prediabetes but most have no idea they are even at risk. “It may be easy for older adults to take a short walk or combine walking after a meal with running errands or walking the dog,” said DiPietro. The findings may be important for others including pregnant women who are at risk of gestational diabetes.  And if you overindulged in a meal, going for a brisk walk may help your body get rid of that excess sugar more efficiently.Laurie Tarkan is an award-winning health journalist whose work appears in the New York Times, among other national magazines and websites. She has authored several health books, including “Perfect Hormone Balance for Fertility.” Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/12/walking-after-meals-may-reduce-diabetes-risk/

Girl dying of cystic fibrosis to receive lung transplant

Sarah Murgnahan, the 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl dying of cystic fibrosis, is getting a brand new pair of lungs. According to a Facebook post from Sarah’s mother, Janet, the family received word this morning of new lungs that had been made available, and Sarah will be taken to the operating room within the next 30 minutes.  The operation will take many hours. Sarah has been in desperate need of a lung transplant for the past 18 months.  However, under the current guidelines for organ donation, children under the age of 12 must wait for pediatric lungs to become available.  Adult lungs cannot be offered to children under 12, until they are offered to adults and adolescents first. The Murnaghans retained a lawyer last week and filed a lawsuit to have the guidelines changed, arguing the rule keeping Sarah off the list is “discriminatory.” A federal court judge granted a temporary order on June 5 that allowed Sarah to join an adult organ transplant list. It is not clear whether Sarah’s donor is an adult or a child. This story is developing.  source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/12/girl-dying-cystic-fibrosis-to-receive-lung-transplant-today/

Bug bites causing allergies? How to avoid dangerous tick bites

As we transition into summer, it is expected that the now infamous lone star tick will continue to spread throughout the United States.  When the lone star tick bites, saliva is injected into the victim that contains a specific sugar known as “alpha gal,” according to research from the University of Virginia. In as little as a few weeks, this appears to cause an antibody surge that can precipitate a full blown allergic reaction after eating red meat, such as beef, pork and/or lamb, but not poultry.   It’s important to be aware of health issues related to tick bites, and of course to plan ahead to reduce the likelihood of giving your favorite host a warm-blooded meal.  That means following some of the suggestions by the CDC: 1. Know your neighborhood.  Find out whether deer or lone star ticks are prevalent in your area. 2. Assess the risk of your activity and the chance of exposure to ticks, i.e. hiking in woods vs. back yard picnics.   3. Know the proper way to apply both DEET and natural based insect/tick repellents, how long they protect and what concentration is appropriate for adequate protection for adults and children.   4. Consider dressing in light clothing making it easier to spot very small ticks. 5. Always due a close inspection and tick check when returning from tick endemic areas. 6. Learn the recommended techniques in removing a tick. 7. Save the recovered tick for analysis by your local department of health, and they can determine the type of tick and whether it may contain the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, for example. So be prepared - and avoid getting “ticked off” this summer!Dr. Clifford Bassett is an adult and pediatric allergy specialist, and diplomat of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology. He is the medical director of& Allergy and Asthma Care of NY.& & Bassett is a clinical assistant professor of medicine and on the teaching faculty of NYU School of Medicine and NYU Langone Medical Center and assistant clinical professor of Medicine and Otolaryngology at SUNY LICH. Follow him on& Twitter. & source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/12/how-to-avoid-tick-bites-that-could-cause-red-meat-allergies/

Britain to regulate e-cigarettes as medicine from 2016

Britain is set to regulate electronic cigarettes as non-prescription medicines from 2016 in an attempt to improve quality, though the country's drugs watchdog said they would still be sold in convenience stores. Healthcare authorities around the world are grappling with how to deal with the battery-driven devices, which allow users to inhale nicotine-laced vapor and are increasingly popular as an apparently less harmful alternative to smoking. A few countries have banned them outright - such as Brazil, Norway and Singapore - while others are opting for varying degrees of regulation, in some cases including limits on advertising and curbs on their use in public places. Sales of e-cigarettes have boomed in recent years, prompted in part by restrictions on smoking. But their long-term effects are as yet unproven and some doctors argue their popularity could undermine anti-smoking efforts. They could also affect sales of regulated nicotine-replacement products, such as patches, sold by drugmakers like Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline. Under the new British system, manufacturers will have to prove the quality of their products and demonstrate that they deliver the correct amount of nicotine. But they will not need to conduct clinical trials. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Wednesday that existing e-cigarettes on the market were not good enough, with contaminants found in some products and nicotine levels often varying widely. However, manufacturers will have time to raise their game and apply for a license, allowing them to sell regulated devices as over-the-counter products in a wide range of retail outlets from 2016. A growing number of established tobacco companies are investing in the e-cigarette market worldwide, including Lorillard, British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco, Reynolds American and Altria. They are competing against a plethora of smaller private firms, all of which see a growing sales opportunity. Research indicates that around 1.3 million people currently use e-cigarettes in Britain alone, up from 700,000 a year ago. Biggest risk is smoking Jeremy Mean of the MHRA said the government had decided against banning existing poor-quality e-cigarettes, even though they did not meet desired safety and standards, since this could tip some people back into smoking. “Smoking is the riskiest thing you can do and we want to enable people to cut down and quit. We don't think a ban is proportionate to the risk, when the alternative is people continuing to smoke,” he told reporters. Britain's chief medical officer, Sally Davies, said smokers were harmed by tar and toxins in tobacco smoke, not nicotine, so it made sense to ensure e-cigarettes were properly regulated, as already happens with nicotine patches and gums. The new approach could be a boon for those companies that successfully secure a license, since licensed e-cigarettes will be able to carry smoking-cessation claims and could be prescribed by doctors to help smokers quit. Mead said there were likely to be fewer products of higher quality on the market from 2016, when pan-European regulations on e-cigarettes are also due to come into effect. Adrian Everett, chief executive of E-Lites, Britain's biggest seller of e-cigarettes, said his company was well-placed to meet the new regulatory standards but he cautioned against excessively tight rules that could reduce customer choice. “It would be a significant public health loss if electronic cigarettes were made less available to purchase or less available to use during the transition from a consumer product to a medicinal product,” he said.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/12/britain-to-regulate-e-cigarettes-as-medicine-from-2016/

Red clover: A powerful herb with strong healing properties

Every year, a beautiful crop of red clover spontaneously matures on my lawn. For a few weeks, the dark pink tops adorn the yard. I always look forward to the blooming of red clover, and I take advantage of the bumper crop in my yard by picking some and drying it for herbal tea. Originating from Europe, northern Asia and Africa, red clover is broadly distributed throughout the United Sates. As a fodder crop red clover is cultivated for animals, and the plant benefits soil by fixing nitrogen, thereby making it an ideal cover crop for enriching soil fertility for other crops. In the U.S., red clover is the state flower of pastoral Vermont. The use of red clover as an herbal remedy goes back centuries, and the plant enjoys a history of both topical and internal applications. As a topical aid, red clover is often an ingredient in liniments and balms, for relieving the pain of both eczema and psoriasis, for sores, burns, and as an aid against skin cancer. The pain-relieving properties of red clover are likely due to the presence of the anti-inflammatory compounds eugenol, myricetin and salicylic acid in the flowers. Salicylic acid also demonstrates activity against eczema. Red clover has long been used as a “blood purifier,” specifically for the potential treatment of cancer. The flower is a mainstay ingredient in traditional herbal formulas, including Essiac Tea, Jason Winters Tea, and the Hoxsey Therapy. In the best selling herbal classic Back to Eden, author Jethro Kloss declares red clover as a life-saving anti-cancer remedy. Proponents of these therapies claim a multitude of successes, while various health agencies including the FDA and the American Cancer Society declare these same formulas to be of no value. In red clover blossoms, the compounds biochanin-A, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, coumarin, formononetin, genistein and isorhamnetin all demonstrate some anti-cancer properties, according to various published studies. So the truth of red clover’s possible value for treating cancer likely lies between the positions of advocates and critics. One thing is certain: Red clover is a blood thinner. This is due to the concentration of coumarin found in the blossoms. For cases of thrombosis and other conditions in which thick blood obstructs vessels, red clover tea may be of benefit. However, for those who are taking blood-thinning medications, adding red clover to the mix can be a bad idea. Prior to surgery, drinking red clover is not recommended, as doing so may exacerbate surgical bleeding. Because of its concentration of the phytoestrogens daidzein and genistein, which mimic the activity of estrogen, red clover has been studied for its use in alleviating the discomfort of menopause. In one study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the red clover-based product Promensil showed slightly better activity than a placebo for the relief of hot flashes – but overall the results were underwhelming. In general, red clover has not proven especially effective for menopausal discomfort. The same presence of phytoestrogens – plant compounds that mimic estrogen – has led many doctors to warn against using red clover preparations if women have had reproductive health disorders including endometriosis, uterine fibroids, or breast and uterine cancers. The concern is that the phytoestrogens may increase rather than alleviate these conditions. As a gentle cleansing tea drunk on occasion for overall salutary purposes, red clover appears to offer many benefits to health. High in natural protective antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds – and pleasant in flavor – red clover is good for general health, and is a tasty beverage. Rather than buying red clover tea in a store, just harvest a little from your lawn. Dry it on some newspaper for a few days, and you have red clover herbal tea, ready to go.Chris Kilham is a medicine hunter who researches natural remedies all over the world, from the Amazon to Siberia. He teaches ethnobotany at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he is Explorer In Residence. Chris advises herbal, cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies and is a regular guest on radio and TV programs worldwide. His field research is largely sponsored by Naturex of Avignon, France. Read more at& MedicineHunter.com.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/12/healing-properties-red-clover/

Man sues doctor, says penile implant gave him 8-month erection

A truck driver who says a penile implant gave him an erection that lasted eight months described in court Tuesday how the procedure caused him to withdraw from much of life, wearing long, baggy sweat pants and a long shirt to hide his condition. Daniel Metzgar, 44, of Newark, testified in New Castle County Superior Court in Wilmington in his medical malpractice lawsuit against Wilmington urologist Dr. Thomas Desperito. He told jurors the inflatable prosthesis made him feel like less of a man. Colleen D. Shields, Desperito’s lawyer, said in her opening statement that sometimes bad medical results occur through the fault of no one. She also said that the urologist told Metzgar the prosthesis had to be removed four months after the surgery when Metzgar complained of an infection and that the erection wasn’t going down. Shields said Metzgar didn’t do anything for months after that visit, the News Journal of Wilmington reports. Metzgar had the procedure in December 2009. He said he lost his insurance afterward and didn’t have $10,000 he said Desperito wanted before he would do the surgery. The prosthesis was removed in August 2010 after tubing from the device punctured Metzgar’s scrotum. He now has a replacement prosthesis from another doctor. But Metzgar says scar tissue from the first surgery left him about 50 percent smaller and he does not get the same level of sensation. Metzgar and his wife, Donna, are seeking unspecified damages from Desperito and his medical group.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/12/man-sues-doctor-after-penile-implant-gave-him-8-month-erection/

Pound for pound, pregnancy bullying hurting moms

They claim she's “fat.” They say she's gained at least 65 pounds. The national celebrity magazines are talking about reality TV star Kim Kardashian – who is due to deliver her and Kanye West's baby girl. But, those same magazines are chiding other celebrities, like Britain's Princess Kate, for not gaining enough weight during their pregnancy. Is this kind of scrutiny really healthy? The FOX Medical Team's Beth Galvin took a closer look and here's what she learned. Here in Atlanta, a counselor who specializes in eating disorders says there's worry that pregnant women are getting the message that they can't afford to gain a lot of weight during the pregnancy. Pregnant with baby number three, Whitney Hudson says, “There are times when you step on the scale and you have to just try not to pay too much attention to it. You have to try not to pay attention to the fact that even your maternity shirts aren't fitting.” Hudson says she 's seen the magazines tracking Kardashian's pregnancy weight and following it up with asking if she's getting a little too big. “I don't know how much weight she's gained,” Hudson said. “She was not a skinny girl to start with, and it could be perfectly normal for her, but it's not our business.  It's the business between her and her doctor.” Jennifer Harcourt, a license professional counselor and site director, said, “I think everybody has an idea of what a pregnant woman should look like. How much weight they should gain, how much they shouldn't gain.  And, unfortunately that's not always realistic or attainable.” Click for more from My Fox Atlanta.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/12/pound-for-pound-pregnancy-bullying-hurting-moms/

Most childhood cancer survivors have health problems in adulthood

Nearly all childhood cancer survivors have at least one chronic health condition by the time they reach middle age, a new study suggests. In the study, 95 percent of childhood cancer survivors had a chronic health problem such as hearing loss, heart valve abnormalities, lung problems, memory problems or new cancers by age 45. (For comparison, about 38 percent of adults in the general population who are ages 35 to 64 have at least one chronic health condition). While some cancer survivors in the study had no symptoms from these problems, about 80 percent had a life-threatening, serious or disabling condition, the study found. Considering that participants in the study were relatively young (the average age was 32), the prevalence of disorders typically associated with old age was particularly striking, researchers said. Those disorders include cataracts (15 percent), nerve pain (20 percent) and cognitive impairment (35 percent). These findings suggest that in some cases, cancer treatment may accelerate aging, the researchers said. The findings underscore the need for doctors to monitor childhood cancer survivors for conditions that could cause significant health problems if not detected early, the researchers said. Physicians should check for new cancers, heart disease and additional problems that can be improved with treatment, such as vision deficits. Childhood cancer survivors should be aware of the treatment they had when they were younger so that their doctors can order appropriate screening tests, said study researcher Kirsten Ness, of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. Some survivors may be able to reduce their risk of certain health conditions. For instance, cancer survivors who are at risk for high blood pressure or blood fat levels may be able to reduce their risk of these conditions by following a healthy lifestyle (eating healthy foods, exercising and not smoking), Ness said. Childhood cancer, adult health Some cancer treatments may increase the risk of adult health problems because the treatments damage normal tissue in addition to cancer cells, Ness said. Most previous studies of childhood cancer survivors asked participants about their health problems, but did not evaluate them with a medical exam. These studies thus likely underestimated the prevalence of chronic conditions. In the new study, 1,713 childhood cancer survivors underwent a battery of medical tests such as measurements of blood pressure, blood glucose levels, resting heart rate, heart electrical activity and thyroid function. Some participants, who were considered “at risk” for certain conditions because of the type of cancer treatment they had received in childhood, were also screened with more specific tests, such as mammograms to detect breast cancer among women who underwent chest radiation. In these “at risk” survivors, lung problems were diagnosed in 65 percent of patients, hormone problems involving the hypothalamus and pituitary gland were diagnosed in 61 percent, heart abnormalities were diagnosed in 56 percent, and cognitive impairment, including memory problems, was diagnosed in 48 percent. Participants were survivors of childhood leukemia, lymphoma and tumors of the brain, bone and other organs. Future research Not all of the health problems detected by the tests were noticeable in everyday life. For instance, although tests showed that leukemia survivors who had received radiation experienced impaired memory, their ability to hold a job and carry out daily activities was not affected. Future research will be needed to examine how this problem, and other problems that don't show symptoms, progress over time, the researchers said. Additional studies should attempt to determine which factors predispose childhood cancer survivors to the conditions seen in the study, the researchers said. The study was published June 12 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/11/most-childhood-cancer-survivors-have-health-problems-in-adulthood/

Outlawing drugs like marijuana censors science, researchers say

The outlawing of drugs such as cannabis, magic mushrooms and other psychoactive substances amounts to scientific censorship and is hampering research into potentially important medicinal uses, leading scientists argued on Wednesday. Laws and international conventions dating back to the 1960s have set back research in key areas such as consciousness by decades, they argued in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience. “The decision to outlaw these drugs was based on their perceived dangers, but in many cases the harms have been overstated,” said David Nutt, a professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London. In a statement accompanying the Nature Reviews paper, he said the laws amounted “to the worst case of scientific censorship since the Catholic Church banned the works of Copernicus and Galileo”. “The laws have never been updated despite scientific advances and growing evidence that many of these drugs are relatively safe. And there appears to be no way for the international community to make such changes,” he said. “This hindering of research and therapy is motivated by politics, not science.” Nutt and Leslie King, both former British government drugs advisers, and co-author David Nichols of the University of North Carolina, called for the use of psychoactive drugs in research to be exempted from severe restrictions. “If we adopted a more rational approach to drug regulation, it would empower researchers to make advances in the study of consciousness and brain mechanisms of psychosis, and could lead to major treatment innovations in areas such as depression and PTSD,” Nutt said. Nutt was sacked as a government adviser in 2009 after publicly criticizing the government for ignoring scientific advice on cannabis and ecstasy. He has conducted a small human trial using psilocybin, the psychedelic ingredient in magic mushrooms. His study, using volunteers, suggested the drug had the potential to alleviate severe forms of depression in people who did not respond to other treatments. But in April, Nutt said his plans to conduct the first full clinical trial to explore psilocybin as a treatment had stalled because of stringent rules on the use of illegal drugs in research. The scientists said their call for reform had been endorsed by the British Neuroscience Association and the British Association for Psychopharmacology.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/12/outlawing-drugs-like-marijuana-censors-science-researchers-say/