~ Archive for June, 2006 ~
National Cancer Institute To Fund Yoga Study
The NCI is funding a $2.4 million study on yoga for cancer patients. This isn’t pseudo-science, necessarily. Nobody is saying that yoga prevents cancer or treats it in any way. The idea is that yoga can help in coping with cancer, especially when patients are in chemotherapy treatment. Previous studies have shown benefits of yoga for cancer patients receiving traditional western medical treatment. There is some speculation that the yoga helps stimulate the immune system.
Imaging in mesothelioma diagnosis and treatment
Conventional medical techniques are used to look inside the bodies of mesothelioma patients. These include CT scans and, increasingly PET scans. Not long ago, PET was considered very exotic; now it is used more and more.
As this review article points out: “However, even with adequate sampling and the use of immunocytochemistry, histological diagnosis is known to be difficult….Percutaneous biopsy is a promising technique for sampling the pleura.”
Pemetrexed may hold hope for lung cancer and breast cancer
Eli Lilly is announcing good results from tests of pemetrexed on breast cancer and lung cancer. Not a miracle cure, to be sure, but some positive news. Anyone who follows mesothelioma knows that pemetrexed was approved by the FDA for mesothelioma first, and much of the clinical experience with the drug is with mesothelioma patients.
