Tag Archives: melbourne

High levels of immune cells in breast tumors may help ID patients who benefit from trastuzumab

"We have previously shown that high levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes [immune cells in a tumor] are predictive of response to trastuzumab and chemotherapy administered after surgery for early-stage, HER2-positive breast cancer using samples from patients enrolled on the randomized, adjuvant phase III clinical trial called the FinHER study," said Sherene Loi, M.D., Ph.D., medical oncologist and head of the Translational Breast Cancer Genomics Lab at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia. "Our new data further support the positive relationship between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and better outcomes with trastuzumab therapy, this time in a cohort of patients with newly diagnosed HER2-positive breast cancer who received the therapy before surgery. …

New role for Tamoxifen in saving high-risk breast cancer patients

The study involved about 2,500 women from Europe, North America and Australia who have inherited mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2, the breast cancer susceptibility genes, and who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. About one-third of these women were placed on tamoxifen. Tamoxifen has been used for decades to treat breast cancer and has recently been shown to prevent breast cancers in many women…

HPV’s link to esophageal cancer

In addition to causing cervical, anal and genital cancers, HPV has more recently been found to cause some head and neck cancers. "One of the main issues is this form of esophageal cancer is usually diagnosed quite late and so has a very high mortality," says the first author of the paper, Dr Surabhi Liyanage, a PhD candidate with the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Medicine…

Australian woman develops French accent after being injured in car accident

After a serious car accident, an Australian woman has fully recovered from her injuries, except for one very bizarre side effect: She now speaks with a French accent. Leann Rowe’s ordeal began eight years ago, when she woke up in Melbourne’s Austin Hospital after her accident with a broken back and jaw. As her jaw began to heal, Rowe regained her ability to speak, but she noticed that she was slurring her words.  Eventually the slurring transformed into a French accent – which has yet to leave. Rowe said she has never been to France and doesn’t have any French friends – though she did study French in school. Rowe suffers from an extremely rare condition known as Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS), which causes people to develop an accent different from their native way of speaking, the Herald Sun reported.  Between 1941 and 2012, there have only been 62 recorded cases of FAS worldwide.  The condition occurs when certain tissues in the brain associated with speech are damaged. While her new ability may seem exciting to some, Rowe said the condition has made her feel depressed and anxious. Click for more from the Herald Sun.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/17/australian-woman-develops-french-accent-after-being-injured-in-car-accident/

High blood pressure linked to declining brain function

High blood pressure, particularly in the arteries that supply blood to the head and neck, may be linked with declining cognitive abilities, according to a new study from Australia. Researchers found that people with high blood pressure in the central arteries including the aorta, the largest artery in the human body, and the carotid arteries in the neck performed worse on tests of visual processing, and had slower thinking and poorer recognition abilities. Typically, blood pressure measurements are taken from the brachial artery in the arm, but looking at the health of the central arteries may be a more sensitive way to assess cognitive abilities, said study researcher Matthew Pase, of the Center for Human Psychopharmacology at Swinburne University in Melbourne. The central arteries directly control bloodflow to the brain. “If we can estimate the blood pressure in central arteries, we might be able to better predict cognitive function and cognitive decline,” Pase said. [10 Odd Facts About the Brain] Pase presented the findings here on May 24 at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science. How it all works A beating heart pumps blood in spurts, but the central arteries are flexible, expanding and contracting to maintain steady bloodflow to the brain. As people age, the central arteries stiffen, and with less elasticity, the brain receives more high-pressure blood, which may damage cognition, Pase said. [7 Ways the Mind and Body Change With Age] In the study, Pase and his colleagues looked at whether associations between blood pressure and cognition were stronger for measurements taken in the arm, or the central arteries. The researchers examined 493 Australians between ages 20 and 82. The participants were mostly Caucasians, and all were nonsmokers with no history of stroke or dementia, Pase said. Study participants performed tasks to measure various types of cognition, such as visual processing, working memory, recognition abilities and processing speed. The researchers also took blood pressure measurements from the arm and central arteries. Blood pressure and cognition The researchers found that high brachial blood pressure was linked to worse performance on the visual processing test, but high central blood pressure correlated to worse performance across several tests, including visual processing, recognition and processing speed. “This suggests central blood pressure is a more sensitive predictor of cognitive aging,” Pase said. To expand upon these findings, Pase said he wants to look at whether reducing central blood pressure which can be done by quitting smoking, doing regular exercise or limiting salt intake might protect people against mental deterioration. The researchers will detail their results in an upcoming issue of the journal Psychological Science. 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/2013/05/30/high-blood-pressure-linked-to-declining-brain-function/

Man brought back to life after being clinically dead for 40 minutes

An Australian man who was clinically dead for 40 minutes has been brought back to life by a brand new resuscitation technique. Colin Fiedler, 39 from Victoria, was one of three cardiac arrest patients brought back to life after being dead for between 40 and 60 minutes at The Alfred hospital in Melbourne, using two new techniques in the emergency department. The Alfred is testing a mechanical CPR machine, which performs constant chest compressions, and a portable heart-lung machine -- normally used in theatre -- to keep oxygen and blood flowing to the patient's brain and vital organs. Fiedler had a heart attack and was clinically dead for 40 minutes before being revived last June. “I'm so grateful, more than I could ever say,” he told the Herald Sun. So far, seven cardiac arrest patients have been treated with the AutoPulse machine and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. It allows doctors to diagnose the cause of the cardiac arrest and treat it, but keep blood and oxygen flowing to the vital organs and brain, which reduces the risk of permanent disability. Fiedler is one of the three patients who were revived and returned home without disability. In the ambulance, paramedics had given him a choice of two hospitals. “For some reason, I said The Alfred, which is pretty lucky, because they are the only one that has it,” he said. The system is available only at The Alfred, but senior intensive care physician Professor Stephen Bernard said the results from the first two years of the trial were exciting, and he hopes to eventually expand the system across Melbourne. Click for more from news.com.au.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/13/man-brought-back-to-life-after-being-clinically-dead-for-40-minutes/