Bladder Cancer Marker Identified By Computer Algorithm
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have used an innovative mathematical technique to find markers that effectively predict how deadly a cancer will be. The discovery, which in this case concerned bladder cancer, could lead to faster, less expensive and more accurate analysis of cancer risk and better treatment of the disease. The findings were published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This is the first study in which a special Stanford-designed computer algorithm was used to identify a clinically prognostic marker from public databases, though the search tool was introduced in a paper published two years ago that established its effectiveness in identifying markers in mice.
Genetic Code Cracked For A Devastating Blood Parasite
Scientists have cracked the genetic code and predicted some high priority drug targets for the blood parasite Schistosoma haematobium, which is linked to bladder cancer and HIV/ AIDS and causes the insidious urogenital disease schistosomiasis haematobia in more than 112 million people in Africa. Schistomiasis is recognised by the World Health Organization as one of the most socioeconomically devastating diseases, besides malaria, and is in urgent need of extensive research and improved control.
Tykerb And Herceptin - Their Role In Breast Cancer Treatment Clarified
Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer have been treated with Tykerb (lapatinib) both in combination with herceptin (trastuzumab), and as an alternative single-agent therapy for pre-surgery (neo-adjuvant) chemotherapy. Two new studies on these drugs, one published in The Lancet Oncology and one in The Lancet, have demonstrated that lapatinib appears to be less beneficial than trastuzumab as a single-agent therapy, whilst The Lancet publication reveals that a combination of both drugs seems to be nearly twice as effective as single-agent therapy, even though lapatinib causes more side effects.