Health Research: Mindfulness training helps with inflammatory bowel diseases ♦ An easy test for sickle cell disease ♦ Drug protects fertility and may prolong life

Mindfulness training helps patients with inflammatory bowel diseases Training in meditation and other mindfulness-based techniques brings lasting improvements in mental health and quality of life for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).

An easy test for sickle cell disease A team of biomedical engineers has developed a simple, inexpensive, and quick technique for the diagnosis and monitoring of sickle cell disease that can be used in regions where advanced medical technology and training are scarce

Study points to more individualized treatment options for youth with onset type 2 diabetes New research examined predictors of the outcomes in youth with onset type 2 diabetes based on early characteristics at diagnosis, and suggests the need for specific criteria for adolescents that are different from those in adults

Drug protects fertility and may prolong life in chemo-treated mice A physician and her research team have shown that a heart medication can prevent ovarian damage and improve survival in adolescent mice after chemotherapy. The treatment also increased the number of their healthy offspring.

Children's Health: Blood pressure levels declined in past decade ♦ Risk of COPD may already occur in adolescence ♦ Many overweight teenagers do not recognize they are too heavy

Many overweight teenagers do not recognize they are too heavy More than a third of overweight or obese teenagers don't see themselves as being too heavy and think their weight is about right.

Less intensive chemo avoids irreversible side effects in children's cancer Children with a rare type of cancer called Wilms’ tumor who are at low risk of relapsing can now be given less intensive treatment, avoiding a type of chemotherapy that can cause irreversible heart problems in later life.

Risk of COPD may already occur in adolescence Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of most common causes of death in the world today -- active smoking accounting for approximately 85 percent of all cases. Yet ground-breaking research indicates that accelerated decline of lung function is not a prerequisite for COPD.

For children with allergies, reading food labels crucial It is estimated that one in every 13 children in the U.S. has a food allergy. Food allergy reactions can range from a rash to respiratory distress and even death. The uncertainty of how a child will react when exposed to food allergens is a great concern for parents.

Blood pressure levels, prevalence among U.S. children, adolescents declined in past decade Recent trends in blood pressure levels and prevalence of elevated blood pressure in the United States have been published in a new article

Cancer Research: Organic nanoparticles, more lethal to tumors ♦ Study discovers how pancreatic cancer spreads to the liver ♦ Non-invasive colon cancer screening for African-Americans

Smoking induces early signs of cancer in cheek swabs DNA damage caused by smoking can be detected in cheek swabs. The study provides evidence that smoking induces a general cancer program that is also present in cancers which aren't usually associated with it -- including breast and gynecological cancers.

Study discovers how pancreatic cancer spreads to the liver Investigators has illuminated the precise molecular steps that enable pancreatic cancer to spread to the liver -- the event that makes the most common form of the disease lethal. By understanding this process, their discovery can lead to targeted treatments that delay metastasis, and offer clinicians a new biomarker to test for the earliest signs of pancreatic cancer.

Non-invasive colon cancer screening may be promising for African-Americans, Stool DNA (sDNA) testing, a new non-invasive technology for colon cancer screening, is a promising alternative to colonoscopy for African Americans.  sDNA sensitivity and specificity of advanced lesions and all adenomas (polyps) in African Americans was similar to or exceeded that of other racial group.

Chemo before surgery benefits patients with advanced ovarian cancer Women with advanced ovarian cancer have fewer side effects and tend to have a better quality of life if given chemotherapy before surgery. Delaying surgery also reduced the amount of time spent in the hospital after surgery.

Organic nanoparticles, more lethal to tumors Carbon-based nanoparticles could be used to sensitize cancerous tumours to proton radiotherapy and induce more focused destruction of cancer cells, a new study shows. Radiotherapy used in cancer treatment is a promising treatment method, albeit rather indiscriminate. Indeed, it affects neighboring healthy tissues and tumors alike. Researchers have thus been exploring the possibilities of using various radio-sensitizers; these nanoscale entities focus the destructive effects of radiotherapy more specifically on tumor cells.

Cancer Research; Chemo before breast cancer operation Improves results ♦ New breast cancer test ♦ Improving prostate cancer care ♦ Plus More

Chemo before breast cancer operation increases likelihood of breast-preserving procedure  Patients with larger malignant tumors of the breast who undergo chemotherapy before a breast cancer operation are more likely to opt for a breast-preserving procedure and forgo a mastectomy.Continue Reading

New breast cancer test links immune 'hotspots' to better survival  Scientists have developed a new test that can predict the survival chances of women with breast cancer by analyzing images of 'hot spots' where there has been a fierce immune reaction to a tumor. Researchers used statistical software to track the extent to which the immune system was attacking breast cancer cells.Continue Reading

Mitochondrial 'shield' that helps cancer cells survive identified Scientists have moved closer to understanding why cancer cells can be so resilient, even when faced with the onslaught of nearly toxic drug cocktails. A new research report shows that intermediate filaments formed by a protein called 'vimentin' or VIF, effectively 'insulate' the mitochondria in cancer cells from any attempt to destroy the cell .Continue Reading

New type of biomarker shows promise in improving prostate cancer care Two biomarkers have been discovered by researchers that may improve oncologists’ ability to predict which patients’ prostate cancer will recur after surgery, long before the development of visible cancer elsewhere in the body.Continue Reading

Healthy-looking prostate cells mask cancer-causing mutations Prostate cells that look normal under the microscope may be hiding genetic mutations that could develop into cancer, prompting new ways to improve treatment for the disease, according to research. "We're finding new ways to detect precancerous cells, and this will give us the tools to prevent them becoming a threat in the future. Continue Reading