Pancreatic and liver cancer patients would be the first people treated with the late John Kanzius' external radio wave generator if it's approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Human trials for Kanzius' experimental cancer treatment device could get under way as early as 2011, said Steven Curley, M.D., lead investigator for the Kanzius project at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. "Why those two cancers? We have antibodies that we know will attach to those cancer cells and not other, healthy cells," Curley said. "They are also two of the worst types of cancers. ... Ninety-six percent to 97 percent of people with these cancers die from the disease." Curley spoke for about an hour Friday morning at a special Eggs 'n'...

According to recent research from the United States, "We present the treatment rationale and study design of the PointBreak study, a phase III study of pemetrexed/carboplatin/bevacizumab induction followed by pemetrexed/bevacizumab maintenance (arm A) compared with paclitaxel/carboplatin/bevacizumab induction followed by bevacizumab maintenance (arm B) in patients with advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Treatment consists of up to 4 cycles of induction therapy followed by maintenance therapy until disease progression or treatment discontinuation in approximately 900 patients (450 per treatment arm)." "The efficacy objectives of this study are to compare overall survival (OS), response rates, disease control rates, p...

When it comes to the health of their children, parents have one simple desire: to protect them from as many diseases as possible. So when a vaccine with irrefutable benefits is introduced into the market, most of us welcome it with open arms. Our enthusiasm can sometimes be dampened, however, by the flurry of negative stories that often follow, leading to feelings of fear, doubt and apprehension. Such is the case with Gardasil, the vaccine against the most common sexually transmitted virus -- the human papilloma virus (HPV). The vaccine prevents against the majority of cervical cancers and several other HPV related diseases. As it is preventive in nature, it is recommended for routine immunization of girls between the ages of 11-12...

Distribution of breast cancer varies widely throughout the United States. The factors that influence this geographic variability have not been completely defined. In addition, though a number of studies look at regional and state-to-state variability, few studies have examined this issue with regard to the nation as a whole. State-specific breast cancer data were available from the American College of Surgeons National Cancer Data Base in a series of Benchmark Reports. These data were reviewed and stratified with regard to: age at the time of presentation, race, and stage at the time of presentation. The data were further collected into regional cohorts that corresponded to the United States Census Bureau regions. Statistical analyses we...

CHICAGO -- Susan Leonard's rare and aggressive inflammatory breast cancer and treatment left her with swelling all over her body, nerve damage and loss of her hair, fingernails and toenails. Her severe pain necessitated medication that made her sleep 12 hours a day. Leonard couldn't function at work and couldn't fit into her clothes. "I wanted to be lazy and hide. You don't want people to see your sadness and your crying," she said. "The physical pain turns your emotional life into turmoil." Patients like Leonard drive home to physicians that there's more to treating cancer than surgically removing a tumor or pumping chemotherapy drugs into veins. Quality of life cannot be ignored, if for no other reason than it directly affects...

TORONTO -- A new study suggests long-term use of tamoxifen is linked to an increased risk of a second type of breast cancer. U.S. researchers looked at more than 700 women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and compared them to nearly 400 diagnosed with both a first and second breast cancer. Tamoxifen is an estrogen-blocking drug researchers say has been shown to reduce the risk of dying of breast cancer. Researchers found women who received tamoxifen for five or more years lowered their risk of developing the more common type of breast cancer that responds to estrogen-blocking therapy. But the study found the risk of another rare subtype of the disease increased by more than 400 percent. Lead author Dr. Christopher Li...

"Prostate cancer" are two words that men dread to hear - so much so that many fail to be screened for the disease. While the American Cancer Society does not currently recommend routine screening for men, it does urge men to discuss screening and possible treatment options, if warranted, with their health-care providers. A local prostate cancer support organization is even going a step further, saying that ignoring prostate cancer screening doesn't lead to safety but to becoming a statistic, and not a good one. The American Cancer Society says prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in American men: In 2009, more than 192,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and over 27,000 will die from the disease....

BERKELEY, Calif. & SUTTON COLDFIELD, England -- A new report, "Cellphones and Brain Tumors: 15 Reasons for Concern, Science, Spin and the Truth Behind Interphone," was released today by a collaborative of international EMF activists. Groups affiliated with the report include Powerwatch and the Radiation Research Trust in the U.K., and in the U.S., EMR Policy Institute, ElectromagenticHealth.org and The Peoples Initiative Foundation. Download the report. The expose discusses research on cellphones and brain tumors and concludes: -- There is a risk of brain tumors from cellphone use; -- Telecom funded studies underestimate the risk of brain tumors, and; -- Children have larger risks than adults for brain tumors. Thi...

I love my homegrown tomatoes, but most of them are romas and they end up in a cooking pot and a season's worth makes enough jarred pasta sauce to last until next summer. For some reason, I never make salsa, even though we love spicy food, especially Southwestern recipes. This ruminating got me looking for recipes, but I ended up saving these three, none of which have tomatoes in them! No loss, though because they sound delicious. Thanks to Marge Perry of Newsday for them, who says that they benefit by standing at room temperature for at least 10 minutes, which allows the flavors to blend and bloom. Try this recipe with grilled pork chops. CURRIED PEACH SALSA 2 teaspoons canola oil 2 teaspoons...

SEATTLE -- Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTI) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted and has filed for review the Company's New Drug Application (NDA) for pixantrone as treatment for relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). A Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date will be established by the FDA regarding the review of the pixantrone NDA by September 4th 2009. "The FDA's acceptance to file our pixantrone NDA represents a significant milestone for CTI and for patients with relapsed and refractory aggressive NHL. We look forward to working with the FDA and their final decision on our request for priority review," noted James Bianco, M.D., Chief Executive Officer...