Body

WASHINGTON (Sept. 24, 2019) -- Older breast cancer patients who exercised before being diagnosed may be at a lower risk for cardiovascular disease compared to those who did not, according to a study published today in the inaugural issue of JACC: CardioOncology.

As advances in screening and treatment have led to greater survival rates among breast cancer patients, they are now at a greater risk for age-related diseases. Cardiovascular disease is now the leading cause of death in patients with primary breast cancer over 65 years of age.

LA JOLLA--(September 24, 2019) Colorectal cancer is a common lethal disease, and treatment decisions are increasingly influenced by which genes are mutated within each patient. Some patients with a certain gene mutation benefit from a chemotherapy drug called cetuximab, although the mechanism of how this drug worked was unknown.

PHILADELPHIA - Within six months of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) move to restrict the label of two immunotherapies, usage of those therapies among oncologists dropped by about 50 percent, according to a new study from researchers in the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania. The findings come as the world of cancer medicine grapples with the rapid pace of approval for new therapies, particularly as it relates to the FDA's accelerated approval (AA) program.

The non-viral, bio-inspired gene delivery method developed by researchers at RMIT University has proven effective in laboratory tests and is safer than standard viral approaches.

Widely considered the next frontier of cancer research, gene therapy involves introducing new genes into a patient's cells to replace missing or malfunctioning ones that cause disease.

As cells are not designed to naturally take up genes or any foreign DNA material, the biggest challenge for gene therapy is getting the therapeutic genes into the cells.

"The strategy was to design the drug to be able to hook into the hole of the FTase and GGTase I, otherwise the surface of the proteins are too large and slippery," Dr. Junko Ohkanda of Shinshu University explains her strategy behind her paper chosen by Chemistry - A European Journal as a "Hot Paper".

The survey, which assessed knowledge of the prostate in 3,010 men over 50 years in the UK, Germany and France, found that just one in 4 men (26%) over the age of 50 are correctly able to identify the prostate's main function.

Affecting as many as 30% of cancer survivors, chronic insomnia can be effectively treated with intensive cognitive-behavioral techniques, but such methods are time-consuming, costly, and limited by the availability of trained specialists. In a study published online today by the journal Cancer, investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report that a single-session sleep education program for survivors can cure insomnia in many participants, and that those who don't benefit from this approach are often helped by a more extensive, but still modest, three-session program.

Survey results of a national sample of elderly people with type 2 diabetes suggest that many long-time patients downplay medical and social factors that underpin professional recommendations for fewer medications and less aggressive treatment of high blood sugar.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (September 24, 2019)--Expressing your true feelings is not only good for your mental health, but it could also be important for your physical health. A new study associates self-silencing (inhibiting one's self-expression) with greater carotid plaque buildup which could lead to a stroke and other cardiovascular problems. Study results will be presented during The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Chicago, September 25 to 28, 2019.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (September 24, 2019)--Previous studies suggested an association between hot flashes and cardiovascular (CVD) disease. But little research linked hot flashes to "hard" clinical CVD events like heart attacks and strokes. A new study measuring clinical CVD outcomes presents the strongest evidence of frequent or persistent hot flashes associated with higher CVD event risk. Study results will be presented during The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Chicago, September 25-28, 2019.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (September 24, 2019)--Losing weight during and after menopause is not easy, but it's not impossible, either. A new study out of Florida suggests that lifestyle coaching may be effective in reducing body mass index (BMI), body fat, and waist circumference, although the results are more easily obtained by premenopausal women. Study results will be presented during The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Chicago, September 25 to 28, 2019.

Charlottesville, VA (September 24, 2019). Researchers from the University of California San Francisco and Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco investigated the safety and efficacy of deep brain stimulation in the treatment of refractory severe tinnitus in a small group of patients. They found the procedure to be safe and the results to be encouraging. Detailed findings are found in the article, "Phase I trial of caudate deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant tinnitus," by Steven W.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (September 24, 2019)--The VITamin D and OmegA-3 Trial (VITAL) is the largest and most recent to test whether vitamin D or fish oil can effectively prevent cancer or cardiovascular disease. Results to date have been mixed but show promise for some outcomes, now confirmed by updated pooled (meta) analyses. The latest results from VITAL will be presented during The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Chicago, September 25-28, 2019.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (September 24, 2019)--The benefits of hormone therapy (HT) on atherosclerosis relates to achieved estradiol levels among those women who initiate HT early in postmenopause. Despite the use of hormones, however, women's estradiol levels are often inconsistent. A new study identifies the various determinants of estradiol levels among healthy women using HT. Study results will be presented during The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Chicago, September 25 to 28, 2019.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (September 24, 2019)--Expert reports estimate that one in three breast cancer cases could be prevented by lifestyle modifications. Those modifications include such basics as weight management, physical activity, nutrition, and alcohol consumption, among others. The latest research on risk management and most current lifestyle recommendations will be presented during The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Chicago, September 25-28, 2019.