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Clinical Study Seeks Relatives of Type 1 Diabetics

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Researchers have begun a clinical study of oral insulin to prevent or delay type 1 diabetes in at-risk people, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today.

Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet, an NIH-funded network of researchers dedicated to the understanding, prevention, and early treatment of type 1 diabetes, is conducting the study in more than 100 medical centers across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia.

First- and second-degree relatives of people with type 1 diabetes who may be at risk are being screened through TrialNet’s natural history study, which is examining the immune and metabolic events that precede diabetes symptoms. Screening involves a simple blood test for the autoantibodies that signify diabetes risk.
Individuals enrolled in the natural history study are closely monitored for diabetes development and may be eligible to participate in the oral insulin trial or future studies that try to arrest the autoimmune process.

My Cancer: An Online Journal

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For those who dare to think about it, it’s one of those phrases that you dread hearing. For some it comes as a complete surprise, and for others, they may have seen it coming. But it is always difficult to take, and it helps a lot to read about others’ experiences when they hear those words….

You have cancer…

Journalist Leroy Sievers heard it back in early 2006, and he’s been documenting his thoughts and reflections ever since. From his first post:

“Then a while ago, I noticed I was slurring my words. One side of my face began to droop. I finally ended up in the emergency room for a brain scan. When I was being wheeled back into the ER, I caught the eye of the doctor, and I knew. I’d seen that look once before.”

“Four years ago, I came to after a routine colonoscopy to see my doctor’s face, and I knew then, too. Cancer. So, I had surgery and had been clean for four years. I was the poster child for early detection and treatment. Until now.”

“Sure enough, there was a mass in my brain. A brain tumor, and the next day, another body blow: lung cancer. I pushed my doctor for the worst-case scenario, so he gave it to me. Six months.”

Read more on the NPR website blog called My Cancer.

Should Doctors Blog About Medical Cases?

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There are two sides to the issue of physicians blogging online about their work. One one hand, is the opinion that patients own their own medical stories. Publishing those stories should call for permission, say some observers.

Alen over at GruntDoc has a more realistic view…

“IMHO there is nothing unethical in blogging about patient interactions provided they’re suitably anonymized, and not illegal (which is different) providing you follow the HIPAA guidelines. Although I won’t hold myself out to be a paragon of blogging perfection, when I blog about patients they’re so anonymized that frankly I’m more at risk of a non-patient of mine thinking I’m writing about them than my actual patient (or patients) that spurred the post.”

Gene Link Found for Type 1 Diabetes

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A research team, from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and McGill University in Montreal has identified a single gene that may be a trigger for Type 1 diabetes.

The gene variant, called KIAA0350, greatly raises a child’s chances of developing the disease.
The study is published in the journal Nature.

New Hope for Parkinson’s Disease Therapy

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Parkinson’s disease destroys a specific type of nerve cells, resulting in movement and balance problems for those afflicted with the disease.
Researchers from Finland have found a molecule called CDNF that can prevent the degeneration of dopamine-producing nerve cells, and help damaged nerve cells recover.
The scientists from the University of Helsinki conducted experiments on rats that were bred to show symptoms of Parkinson’s. In tests, CDNF protected 96% of the animals’ nerve cells.

Source: BBC News (7/14/07)

Side Effect Reports Triple for GalaxoSmithKline’s Diabetes Drug Avandia

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Earlier news about GalaxoSmithKline’s widely used diabetes drug, Avandia reported heart problem side effects for the drug.

Following the initial findings reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, the number of reports tripled in the following month, as physicians likely began making the connection between their patients heart problems and Avandia, according to the Associated Press, which obtained the information through a Freedom of Information Act request to the FDA.

Source: AP 

“Induced Menopause” Can Protect Women’s Fertility After Chemotherapy

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A therapy that temporarily shuts down the ovaries could protect the fertility of women with cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy, say researchers.

Australian scientists used a drug to turn off a hormonal "switch" in the brain that triggers ovulation.
Once the woman’s chemotherapy has ended, the drug is stopped and the ovaries switch back on with their store of eggs in tact.

Source: BBC News (7/4/07) 

GVAX Prostate Cancer Vaccine in Phase 3 Clinical Trials

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Doctors at a San Francisco Bay Area hospital are now in phase three clinical trials of GVAX, a prostate cancer vaccine developed by Cell Genesys, Inc. (CEGE)

While vaccines are commonly thought of as a preventive measure, they may also be used to treat an existing disease. Dr. Ari Baron, an oncologist from California Pacific Medical Center is leading the clinical trial on the GVAX prostate vaccine.

According to ABC news, Dr. Baron explains how the vaccine is placed just under the skin to trigger an immune response: "White blood cells in your skin see these foreign cells. They’re stimulated then to respond to them, if you will, and train your immune system to make perhaps antibodies or t-cells against the prostate cancer." GVAX is specifically designed for metastatic prostate cancer.

Dr. Baron says that early data have been promising, and the current Phase 3 trials will provide additional data to determine how effective the vaccine is in treating prostate cancer. California Pacific Medical Center is recruiting patients for its clinical trials.

Source: AB News/KGO TV (7/7/07)

Heart Bypass Survival Ratings Report – “Best” Hospitals Get Worst Ratings

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California health authorities will release the results of a study showing the rate of death of bypass surgery patients in California hospitals, including the names of some of the surgeons with the poorest patient survival records.

Doctors and hospitals have argued that the study does not adequately consider the difficulty of each individual case, and may lead to surgeons turning away patients who have lesschance of survival.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle "the state-mandated survey gave the worst ratings to some hospitals that have been regarded as among the best in the business" including UCSF Medical Center and Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
Supporters of the study say that outcome reports are important when consumes make healthcare decisions.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle (7/13/2007)