Melanoma May Be Stoppable With Drug That Halts Cancer Cell Proliferation

A drug already being tested in people as a treatment for cancer appears to show great promise in halting melanoma skin cancer. The drug - called pevonedistat - works in a way differently than intended and could also be effective against other cancers.

So says a new study from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville that was published in the journal EBioMedicine.

Lead researcher Tarek Abbas, assistant professor of radiation oncology, says:

"In fact, the drug is very effective on all melanomas, including those for which an effective therapeutic is lacking."

Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer that develops when melanocytes - the cells that give skin its color - mutate and become cancerous.

Read more: Melanoma May Be Stoppable With Drug That Halts Cancer Cell Proliferation

Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer that develops when cells that give skin its color mutate and
become cancerous. The researchers say they have found a drug that may stop the cancer progressing.

Source: MedicalNewsToday

Two-Gene Panel Differentiates between Pediatric Bacterial and Viral Infections

A two-gene panel was shown to differentiate between viral and bacterial infections in children with fevers with 95-100% accuracy.

Since clinical features do not reliably distinguish bacterial from viral infection, many children worldwide receive unnecessary antibiotic treatment, while bacterial infection is missed in others. To solve this problem, investigators at Imperial College London (United Kingdom) sought to identify a blood RNA expression signature that could distinguish bacterial from viral infection in febrile children.

Read more: Point-Of-Care Hemoglobin Testing: Methods And Relevance To Combat Anemia

An example of an approximately 40,000 probe spotted RNA microarray with enlarged inset to show
detail (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).

Source: labmedica

Early Signs That Cancer Is Growing In Your Body

There’s an important rule about cancer, one of the leading causes of death in the world, and it’s the sooner it’s detected, the higher chances of successful treatment.

Because of that fact, don’t rely on routine tests alone to protect you from cancer. It’s just as important to listen to your body and notice anything that’s different, odd, or unexplainable.

Here are some early signs that are commonly overlooked:

1.Wheezing or shortness of breath

One of the first signs many lung cancer patients remember noticing is the inability to catch their breath.

2.Chronic cough or chest pain

Several types of cancer, including leukemia and lung tumors, can cause symptoms that mimic a bad cough or bronchitis. Some lung cancer patients report chest pain that extends up into the shoulder or down the arm.

Read more: Early Signs That Cancer Is Growing In Your Body

Source: healthiestalternative

Things Your Dermatologist Wants You to Know About Skin Cancer

Prevent the most common type of cancer by simply knowing its causes and signs

Each year more new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. The occurrence continues to rise. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.

This may be due to common misconceptions that sunscreen lotions provide adequate protection and that tanning booths are harmless. Brazil and Australia have banned indoor tanning altogether, and many more don't allow it for people under 18. 

But melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer, is also the least common, Dr. Elizabeth Hale, senior vice president of the Foundation and board-certified dermatologist, says. All types are easily treatable if caught in advance. “Men have the highest mortality rate because they don’t get their skin checked often enough,” she adds.

Also, while 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, studies have shown that benign lesions have been the cause of a large increase in reported incidence of the disease.

Read more: Things Your Dermatologist Wants You to Know About Skin Cancer

Source: BiomedicalVideoSlides