Blood test could predict colon
cancer
Washington, June 24 (ANI): A
new blood test is showing very promising results for detecting colon cancer
before it develops. The results of the test that was developed in the
Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Lab at Baylor Research Institute, are exciting
and promising because this simple blood-based test examines the levels of a
single microRNA – a small RNA molecule that can be readily identified in a wide
variety of bodily fluids, including blood.
In this seminal study, the investigators studied several
hundred patients with colorectal polyps and cancers and reported that measuring
levels of miR-21 in the blood can accurately identify up to 92 percent of
patients with colorectal cancer.
Even more importantly, not only is this test good for
non-invasively identifying patients who already have colorectal cancer, but it
can accurately identify up to 82 percent of patients with advanced colonic
polyps, which present the highest risk for developing into colorectal cancers
several years later in life.
‘The development of this biomarker is highly encouraging
because high mortality rates associated with colorectal cancer is a consequence
of late detection of this disease, underscoring the need for improved early
detection, prevention, risk assessment and intervention,’ said Ajay Goel, PhD,
director of Epigenetics and Cancer Prevention at Baylor Research Institute.
Early detection of advanced colorectal polyps and cancers is considered the
most relevant target for screening strategies and the best approach to
improving survival of these patients.
‘This blood-based test could be transformative in how we
screen patients for colorectal cancer; it would save lives and could result in
major savings of health care dollars,’ said Michael Ramsay, MD, president of
Baylor Research Institute.
While more testing needs to be done, the findings were
enough to warrant an editorial in the highly regarded Journal by Heinz-Josef
Lenz, MD, associate director for clinical research at the University of
Southern California’s Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. ‘MiR-21 may not be
?just another brick in the wall„ but rather may be the keystone leading to a
molecularly justified, miRNA-based biomarker era in colorectal cancer,’ Dr.
Lenz said.
The study has been published in the Journal of the National
Cancer Institute.
25.06.2013
WHO says dip
in stocks of TB drugs in India
New Delhi, June 21 (IANS) The World Health Organisation
(WHO) on Friday said there was a dip in the buffers stock of anti-tuberculosis
(TB) drugs in India, but this would in no way affect treatment of
patients. ‘There is a dip in the buffer stock of anti-TB drugs. We
understand that the government of India has initiated steps to ensure
replenishment,’ Nata Menabde, WHO representative to India, said in a statement
here. However, the statement added that ‘no drugs are out of stock for
adult anti-TB patients for both drug sensitive and drug resistant TB’.
WHO provides technical and
policy-related support to the government’s anti-TB programme. She said:
‘The stock of paediatric anti-TB drugs, which is critically low is being
augmented through emergency procurement.’ For patients who have already
started the treatment, India’s programme provides one full course of TB drugs
for each patient, in patient-wise boxes. ‘This ensures that there is no
interruption of treatment due to drug shortage,’ she said.
India has one of the largest TB
control programme in the world with nearly 1.5 million TB patients placed under
treatment every year. The treatment protocol ensures that the whole course
of anti-TB drugs is given free to the patients with intense monitoring and
other patient support system. Since inception, the Revised National TB
Control Programme (RNTCP) has evaluated over 55 million people for TB and
initiated treatment for over 15.8 million TB patients
25.06.2013
Life does not get better by chance, it
gets better by change
Jim Rohan
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