...About Anaphylaxis Anaphylaxis can be defined as a life threatening and sometimes fatal allergic reaction. It is an allergic reaction that involves several organ systems simultaneously. When you are experiencing this severe reaction, symptoms will manifest in the lungs, skin, throat, nose, or gastrointestinal tract. This type of allergic episode is sometimes called anaphylactic shock, although you may experience this severe allergic event without going into shock, and this would entail a precipitous drop in blood pressure. Anaphylaxis usually occurs after an individual has been initially exposed to an allergen. After that first exposure, the person becomes highly sensitized to that particular allergen. When they are exposed once again, a dangerous allergic reaction will occur and this usually happens within minutes. There are numerous allergens that may cause a person to experience anaphylaxis. These can include: insect bites, drugs such as vaccinations, foods like peanuts or shellfish, or chemicals like latex. Note that peanuts and tree nuts alone are responsible for about 80 percent of all fatal reactions. In some cases, physical exertion has shown to be a contributing factor in this condition. Symptoms There are many different symptoms that one can exhibit during an experiencing anaphylactic episode. Some of these would include: difficulty breathing, dizziness, coughing, hives, stomach pain, cramping, anxiety, confusion, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, wheezing, a blocked...
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...Staloral Immunotherapy – Patient Information Staloral oral immunotherapy is an effective treatment for allergies. It is different to previous oral immunotherapies, which are diluted injectable solution, taken orally. In the 7 studies as of March 2007, it is equally an effective treatment as injection immunotherapy and a lot safer. Over 140 million doses of Staloral immunotherapy have been given without one serious reaction. Severe reactions have occurred with allpyral injection solution in about 1 in 7000 injections and death has occurred in about 1 in 2 million injections. Staloral immunotherapy can be self-administered at home and saves the time and cost of going to the doctor (for injection immunotherapy). It costs more than injection solutions because it is several hundred times the strength. Most health-care extra funds will rebate some of the cost of oral immunotherapy. The idea of immunotherapy is to make your body tolerate what you are allergic to. We do this by increasing the dose of the ingested allergen between 240-800 times during the course of the program. It is still important to do allergen reduction measures, as you do not want to remind your body of your allergens by continuing to breathe in high amounts. Most patients find it reduces the need to take other medications. The dose is given by pressing the solution under the tongue. The chart will show you how to increase the strength. Use PRESSES not drops. The solution should be kept under the tongue for 2 minutes...
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...the war on cancer has evolved in many ways. One way cancer treatment has progressed is the technology of genetic mapping. Genetic mapping is researching one’s genes to identify gene markings for certain diseases. Genes are found in the DNA in each cell that makes up the human body. There are typically 30,000 different genes per cell, and they control every function and aspect of every living organism (“Genetics”). People have forty-six chromosomes in two sets of twenty-three, one set from your father and one from your mother (“Genetics”). Genes control how a person is made by making proteins. Each gene has a "code" for making proteins. This is because each cell needs to perform a certain task. Cancer begins when one...
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...Cancer: Cancer can be defining as disease condition in which cell divide and proliferate uncontrollably bypassing the normal rules of cell division. It is characterized by a progression of changes on cellular and genetic level that ultimately reprogram a cell to undergo uncontrolled cell division, thus forming a malignant mass. Carcinogenesis: Cancers consist of single clones or several clones of cells that are capable of partially (benign tumor) or fully (malignant cancer) independent growth in the host. The essence of carcinogenesis is the activation (deregulation) of genes that regulate cell growth via bypassing the host’s regulatory circuits. Multiple genes must be deregulated for the development of fully malignant tumors What causes cancer? Physical, chemical and biological agents may cause cancer. Cancer arises from the mutation of a normal gene. Mutated genes that cause cancer are called oncogenes. Carcinogens: Radiations: Ultraviolet light, X-rays, radioactive elements induce DNA damage and chromosome brakes. Chemicals: smoke and tar, countless chemicals that damage DNA (mutagens Oncogenic viruses: insert DNA or cDNA copies of viral (v) oncogens into the genome of host target cells. Hereditary: certain oncogenes are inheritable. Classification of cancer Benign tumor: do not spread from their site of origin, but can crowd out surrounding cells e.g. brain tumour, warts. Malignant tumours: can spread from the original site and cause...
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...NEW TREATMENTS FOR CANCER A new revolution for cancer therapy has been created which is called “molecularly targeted therapy”. Since most drugs kill healthy cells along with cancer cells and cause serious side effects, this therapy will only kill the cancer cells of a specific cancer type. They are designed at the molecular level of the cell and are also able to identify specific molecules that are unique to specific cancers. One of the most eligible drug is called glivec, (also known as STI571) actively effecting a form of leukemia called chronic myeloid leukemia that causes excess overproduction of white blood cells. Moreover, in a case study it is reported that a gastroiestional stromal tumor was treated with STI571 and resulted in a significant reduction of the tumor. As this therapy promises the health of the patient, it also has some negative impacts and some limitations. Since this drug is specific to a small amount of molecules, it is not relevant to a large amount of tumors, meaning it is very limited in its application. Furthermore, the patients may experience diarrhea and liver problems such as hepatitis and elevated liver enzymes. All in all, molecularly targeted therapies hold the promise of harming fewer cells, reducing side effects and assuring a healthier life. Another new advancement in cancer treatments is called “immunotherapy”. This therapy is developed to enhance the immune system to fight cancer, reducing all severe side effects. The t- cells protect...
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...| | | Cancer Stem Cell Vaccine in Development Shows Antitumor Effect ScienceDaily (Apr. 2, 2012) — Scientists may have discovered a new paradigm for immunotherapy against cancer by priming antibodies and T cells with cancer stem cells, according to a study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. "This is a major breakthrough in immunotherapy research because we were able to use purified cancer stem cells to generate a vaccine, which strengthened the potency of antibodies and T cells that selectively targeted cancer stem cells," said Qiao Li, Ph.D., a research assistant professor in the department of surgery at the University of Michigan. Cancer stem cells are tumor cells that remain present, and ultimately resistant, after chemotherapy or radiation treatment. Scientists disagree on whether these cells have unique properties, but those who support the uniqueness idea have argued that these cells regenerate the tumors that lead to relapse. Despite the similar name, cancer stem cells are distinct from embryonic stem cells, and the two avenues of research are separate. For the current study, Li and colleagues extracted cancer stem cells from two immunocompetent mouse models and used them to prepare the vaccine. "We found that these enriched cancer stem cells were immunogenic and far more effective as an antigen source compared with the unselected tumor cells normally used in previous immunotherapy trials," said Li. "The mechanistic...
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...Benefits of Immunotherapy from advances in immunology and recombinant DNA technology. Immunotherapy is a form of medical treatment intended to stimulate or restore the ability of the immune system to fight infection and disease. This can be by inducing, enhancing, or suppressing an immune response. Immunotherapies designed to elicit or amplify an immune response are classified as activation immunotherapies, while those that reduce or suppress immune response are suppression immunotherapies. Active immunotherapy has been effective against agents that normally cause acute self-limiting infectious disease. However, a more effective immunotherapy for chronic infectious diseases or cancer requires the use of appropriate target antigens; the optimization of the interaction between the antigenic peptide, the antigen-presenting cells (APC) and the T cell; and the simultaneous blockage of the negative regulatory mechanisms that impede immunotherapeutic effect. Furthermore, passive immunotherapy using monoclonal antibodies and receptor FC-fusion proteins has come of age and has shown great clinical success. Several monoclonal antibodies, including unmodified antibodies and antibodies armed with toxins or radionuclides, have been approved to prevent allograft rejection or to treat autoimmune diseases and cancer. Several others are in clinical trials. Preventive vaccines have been successful against infectious agents such as viruses, which cause self-limiting diseases that are normally...
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............................................................... 4 INDEX OF FIGURES Figure 1: Irregular Overgrowth of Cells of the Lymph System...................................................... 1 IA#2 BIG DATA AND DATA ANALYTICS 2. Castleman Disease A lot of people are unaware of or just never heard of Castleman Disease. Castleman disease (CD) is a very rare illness of the lymph nodes and related tissues. In the medical community, it is also known as "Castleman's disease, giant lymph node hyperplasia", or "agio follicular lymph node hyperplasia" (AFH). The condition was first discovered, described, and eventually named after Dr. Benjamin Castleman in the 1950s (Castleman, 2016). CD is not cancer although it is sometimes thought of as such. In contrast to cancer, it is considered a "lymphoproliferative disorder" which means there is an irregular overgrowth of cells of the lymph system that is comparable in many ways to lymphomas...
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...helps us to sense our surroundings through the many nerves located on its surface. Like all other organs the skin is susceptible to things that may harm it such as skin cancer, cannibalism, psoriasis, seborrhea, and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis . Skin cancer occurs when malignant tumors prosper on the skin and it is a very serious health issue. Diagram depicting the skin and its many layers What are the three types of skin cancer? The three types of skin cancers are melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Diagram of the three types of skin cancers • Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. It forms when the cells that create skin pigment, melanocytes, are exposed to prolonged ultraviolet radiation and have unrepaired damage in their DNA. Whenever skin is exposed to UV radiation (sunlight/indoor tanning), DNA in the skin cells get damaged. This is normal, because the DNA can be repaired. But when in UV too long, the damage is either too much to repair or the repair isn't fast enough. Melanocytes with damaged DNA rapidly divide and become malignant tumors. They are mostly black/brown, but they can also be the color of your skin. If a melanoma tumor isn't found and treated, it can spread to other parts of the body, which is what makes it the most dangerous type of skin cancer. More people die from melanoma than they do the other two types. Melanoma has blackish brownish...
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...are being researched Because the overall incidence of skin cancer rates continue to increase, scientist continue to look for potential future developments for the risk management of cancer related to tanning and sunbathing. Researchers are currently looking for ways to decrease skin cancer rates and discover new prevention methods. Such areas include drugs, genetics, melanoma treatments, and potential vaccines.13, 14 Current research suggest that exposure to ultraviolet radiation as a young age are more likely to develop malignant melanoma.16 Based on the analysis of much data, individuals exposed to ultraviolet radiation at a young age are more likely to develop skin cancer.16 The...
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...concentration in cancer epidemiology at Georgetown due to my work experience in public health and clinical research. Since I graduated Wellesley College, I gained statistical analysis experience and research operations which will help me design effective epidemiology studies in the future. Before my job at UCLA in 2014, I learned from my experiences that research is an iterative process through conducting interviews, developing a quality of life instrument, managing research studies, and publishing an article. However, my experience working with cancer immunotherapy trials at UCLA from 2014-2016 sparked my interest in cancer epidemiology. My work at UCLA helped me to craft a new vision for my career that included oncology and ultimately cancer epidemiology. My favorite parts the job was listening to the clinical trial sponsor and the PI discuss the background and clinical significance of the protocol and the design of the clinical trial. Also, I enjoyed hearing guest speakers from other universities discuss their research findings. At a talk I attended, a professor discussed a large epidemiological study that collected genetic information for women of African descent with breast cancer. This is when I learned that African-American...
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...because different phases are testing different aspects of the drugs. Phase I was meant to first screen the drug safety for human subjects. In phase II, the research was meant to see who would benefit from taking the drug, the benefits realized, and best administrative routes of the drug. 2. MedPharm could not reduce their test group to only 50 volunteers during phase II and phase III because they need a larger group to be able to distinguish factors such what kinds of people would benefit from the drug or test the different age groups. By having a large sample group, this will allow for higher degree of statistical confidence is the drug’s ability to work in a wide range of cancer patients. 3. The NoPain medication should be classified as a palliative treatment because it is aimed at alleviating pain in cancer patients. 4. Based on reading this article, I would tell Mae that the pill that she takes to control her blood pressure and diabetes is expensive because it has gone through a long and expensive process to make sure that the drug she is taking is safe and effective. I would tell her about the years dedicated to research as well as the millions/billions of dollars spent on paying volunteers, chemist, doctors and researchers to ensure the safety of the pill she is taking today. 5. To sterilize my cotton swabs I would use an autoclave, a popular method to sterilize with steamed pressure or alcohol, which can be seen at medical facilities with pre moisten swabs with alcohol...
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...Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 1 Zevalin/Bexxar for the Treatment of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Treatment of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 2 Abstract Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a cancer that attacks the cells of our immune system. It is a cancer that begins in our lymphatic system involving the B and/or T cells. Depending on the type of non-Hodgkin ‘s lymphoma, that is present in the body, will determine the method of treatment used. Monoclonal antibodies, Zevalin and Bexxar, are used to treat Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma by attaching radioactive molecules to them during radioimmunothearapy treatment. Keywords: non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, monoclonal antibodies, Zevalin, Bexxar Treatment of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 3 Zevalin/Bexxar for the Treatment of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a cancer involving the lymph tissues, which are found in our lymph nodes, spleen, and other organs of our body’s immune system. White blood cells (B cell or B lymphocyte) help prevent infections in the human body and are where most lymphomas will begin. “Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is actually a complex group of about 50 different cancers and the 13 most common types account for 88 percent of all cases in the United States (MSKCC, 2014). The cause of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, for most individuals is unknown, but seems to be present in persons with weakened immune systems. Adults...
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...When I say the words “Cancer Treatment” what usually comes to mind is Chemotherapy or Radiation. But what about before technology and electronic medical devices were invented? In this essay I am going to tell you about what doctors and surgeons had to do when a patient had cancer in the 1800s. If a loved one has cancer, the doctor will often explain the procedure they are going to do to treat the patient. But for those that thankfully were never in that position, I will also be explaining some of the procedures that are done nowadays. Lastly I will be comparing and contrasting these procedures to see how similar or different they are. Have you ever wondered how surgeons treated cancer patients in the 1800s when electricity was not yet thriving?...
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...Despite of enormous research efforts cancer still presents one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Although conventional chemotherapy helps to fight cancer but it shows some major drawbacks like, drug toxicity to normal cells, non selective drug distribution and limited toxicity to cancer cells, which results in toxic side effects to normal tissues and post treatment cancer recurrence. An appropriate carrier for tumor specific drug delivery can limit the cytotoxicity of anticancer drugs against healthy cells. Bacteria can be engineered to overcome these limitations and to increase the efficiency of current chemotheraputics. Famous coley’s vaccine was developed on the basis of the fact that many bacterial strains show anticancer effect...
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