When Cancer Therapy Drugs Get Under Your Skin
Skin problems are the most common adverse effects from new anti-cancer drugs. Ralf Gutzmer, from the Hannover Medical School (MHH), and co-authors now summarize the current state of knowledge in the recent edition of Deutsches Aerzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2012; 109(8): 133-40). Adverse effects of the skin include rashes, nail problems, and the hand-foot syndrome. The substance class of multikinase inhibitors causes such cutaneous adverse effects in up to 34% of patients. The proportion of patients with adverse effects is even higher for the selective kinase inhibitors, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors and inhibitors of mutated BRAF, with up to 90% affected, and for immunotherapeutics such as the CTLA-4 antibody, with up to 68% affected.
Tips For African-American Patients To Reduce Their Risk Of Developing A Hair Or Scalp Disease
Styling practices can lead to serious hair and scalp diseases for some African Americans, says Henry Ford Hospital dermatologist Diane Jackson-Richards, M.D. "Hair is an extremely important aspect of an African-American woman's appearance, " says Dr. Jackson-Richards, director of Henry Ford's Multicultural Dermatology Clinic. "Yet, many women who have a hair or scalp disease do not feel their physician takes them seriously. Physicians should become more familiar with the culturally accepted treatments for these diseases.
Shrimp Shell Nanotech For Wound Healing And Anti-Aging Face Cream
Nanoparticles containing chitosan have been shown to have effective antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus saprophyticus and Escherichia coli. The materials could be used as a protective wound-healing material to avoid opportunistic infection as well as working to facilitate wound healing. Chitosan is a natural, non-toxic and biodegradable, polysaccharide readily obtained from chitin, the main component of the shells of shrimp, lobster and the beak of the octopus and squid. Its antimicrobial activity is well known and has been exploited in dentistry to prevent caries and as preservative applications in food packaging.