Partners of cancer survivors at risk for depression

A new study shows that partners of cancer survivors are susceptible to the same stresses as cancer survivors themselves over the long term, and in some cases, suffer more quality of life-related effects than survivors. The results of the study, which examined partners of cancer survivors who had undergone blood and marrow transplant (BMT) as part of their treatment, are being published online April 10 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). more  

Drug used to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child damages DNA

HIV transmission from mother to child can occur in utero, during labor or from breastfeeding. If left untreated, approximately 25 percent of newborns exposed to the virus from their infected mothers will become infected themselves and potentially develop AIDS. Fortunately, antiretroviral drug combinations, which typically include AZT (zidovudine), a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), have reduced the rate of transmission from mother to child to less than 2 percent in infants who are not breast fed. more

Researchers identify gene involved in dog size

An international team led by researchers from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has identified a genetic variant that is a major contributor to small size in dogs. The findings appear in the April 6, 2007 issue of the journal Science. more  

Computer-aided detection reduces the accuracy of mammograms

Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) that uses software designed to improve how radiologists interpret mammograms may instead make readings less accurate, according to new research. Use of CAD did not clearly improve the detection of breast cancer. The research was conducted by investigators at the University of California Davis Health System, Sacramento, Calif., and colleagues in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium, which is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health. more

Computer-aided interpretation of mammograms: Questions and answers  

In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration first approved a device that helps radiologists display and interpret mammograms. Like a scanner, the device converts a film mammogram into a digital file that can be analyzed by computer software and displayed as a copy on a TV or computer screen. Called computer-aided detection (CAD), the software analyzes the digital representation of the mammogram image and marks suspicious areas on the screen image for the radiologist to review in association with their own reading of the original film. Preliminary studies suggested that the device helped in detection of cancer. more

Low-dose steroid combined with lenalidomide prolongs survival compared with high-dose steroid for multiple myeloma treatment  

Preliminary results from a large, randomized clinical trial for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, a cancer typically found in bone marrow, has shown that the use of a low dose of the steroid dexamethasone (Decadron ®), in combination with lenalidomide (Revlimid ®) is associated with improved survival when compared to a treatment regimen with lenalidomide and a higher, standard dose of dexamethasone. The clinical trial was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and conducted by a network of researchers led by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG). more

What you need to know about™ multiple myeloma

This National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet (NIH Publication No. 05-1575) has important information about multiple myeloma, cancer that starts in certain white blood cells (plasma cells). You will read about possible causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care. You also will find ideas about how to cope with the disease. more

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