Leukemia Drug Is Highly Effective MS Treatment

Alemtuzumab Lessens Relapses, Improves Disability

Two new trials offer proof that a leukemia drug long used to treat multiple sclerosis works better than a common treatment.

When compared with the widely used drug interferon beta, the leukemia drug alemtuzumab reduced relapse rates by half, researchers say.

Alemtuzumab Reverses Disability in Some

Alemtuzumab has been used to treat MS for close to two decades, but it has never been approved for this use. It is given by IV infusion.

The drug not only reduced relapses, but improved disability associated with MS, such as loss of coordination or difficulty walking, in some patients.

One Test May 'Find Many Cancers'

Targeting just one chemical inside cancerous cells could one day lead to a single test for a broad range of cancers, researchers say.

The same system could then be used to deliver precision radiotherapy.

Scientists told the National Cancer Research Institute conference they had been able to find breast cancer in mice weeks before a lump had been detected.

The same target chemical was also present in cancers of the lung, skin, kidney and bladder, they said.

Friends and Family 'Boost Breast Cancer Survival'

Having lots of friends and a supportive family when suffering from breast cancer significantly boosts the chances of survival.

Breast cancer patients with a wide circle of friends and relatives are 38 per cent less likely to die within a decade of being diagnosed than those with few friends and less close-knit families, found American researchers.

Candyce Kroenke, a research scientist at American health firm Kaiser Permanente, said: "We found that women with small social networks had a significantly higher risk of mortality than those with large networks."

Statins Linked to Reduced Cancer Death

Statins -- widely prescribed drugs used to help prevent death from heart disease -- may play a role in reducing risk for cancer death, too, a new study shows.

'Chemo Brain' Real, Not Just Patient's Imagination

For cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy who have found their complaints of general mental fogginess and haziness dismissed by their doctors as not being a real medical condition, vindication has arrived.

Using brain imaging, researchers have found physiological evidence of "chemo brain," the problems with memory, concentration, and planning that often plague cancer patients during treatment with chemotherapy drugs.

A combination of positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) showed chemotherapy can induce changes in the brain that may affect concentration and memory, says researcher Rachel A. Lagos, DO, a resident in diagnostic radiology at the West Virginia University School of Medicine and West Virginia University Hospitals in Morgantown.

'Promising Results' for Bowel Cancer Breath-test

Scientists say they have developed a breath-test that can accurately tell if a person has bowel cancer.

The test, which looks for exhaled chemicals linked to tumour activity, was able to identify a majority of patients with the disease.

The British Journal of Surgery reported an overall accuracy of 76%.

However, another scientist said it was unlikely a fully functioning and reliable breath-test would be available soon for the general public.

Scientists are working on breath-tests for a host of other diseases, including several types of cancer, TB and diabetes.

New Jab Cuts Hours Spent in Hospital...

New Jab Cuts Hours Spent in Hospital for Blood Cancer Patients

Thousands of patients with blood cancer will no longer be forced to sit in hospital for hours while receiving a key drug treatment, new research shows.

Of almost 7,000 patients diagnosed with follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) every year, more than 5,000 will receive a drug called MabThera.

Until now, patients had to stay in hospital for two hours while this drug was administered slowly through a drip.

Existing Breast Cancer Drugs May Help...

Existing Breast Cancer Drugs May Help More Women