Health News

Targeted Therapy Hits the Mark
People with chronic myeloid leukemia ( CML ) have been treated with interferon therapy for years, but this treatment can sometimes fail. And when it does, a targeted therapy hits the mark, offering these patients long-term benefits.
Blocking the Blockers
Drugs known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors are currently state-of-the-art treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia ( CML ). These medicines don't cure the disease, in part because leukemia has a powerful defense system. Recent research suggests there's a way around these defensive linemen.
Down Syndrome Ups Leukemia Risks
Another heartbreaking fact about Down syndrome is that children with this condition are  increased risk of developing leukemia. And researchers are now beginning to understand why.
FDA Saves "Dangerous Drug Shortage"
Methotrexate is the one drug children with leukemia must have in order to beat the potentially deadly disease. But it was on the brink of becoming unavailable, until the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) stepped in to - literally - save lives.
Transfusions After Birth Don't Help Much
Women who lose a lot of blood while giving birth may end up with acute postpartum anemia. A blood transfusion can help them feel a little less tired but may not be necessary.
Heart Disease After Childhood Leukemia - Why?
Treating childhood cancers usually requires medications, some of which can be toxic to the heart. So will these drugs cause heart problems later on in life?  Recent research asked just that question.
Outwitting Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
About 20 percent of all leukemias in the Western world are chronic myeloid leukemia ( CML ). Today's treatments target an abnormal chromosome that causes the disease, but new theories about how to outwit this resilient disease are sprouting.
Sickle Cell Prevention Key to Stroke Reduction
In the late 1990s there was a striking disparity among the number of black children who died of stroke as compared to white children. Black children were 74 percent more likely to die of a stroke, because of the higher prevalence of sickle cell anemia in that population.
Anemia After Stroke Equals Bad News
Following a stroke, suffering from anemia could prove to be a fatal combination. Stroke survivors who suffer from anemia are nearly three times more likely to die the first year after a stroke.
Tasigna Recommended for Second-Line CML
Tasigna ( nilotinib ) is one of the three major medications currently being used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia ( CML ). Now it has become a preferred drug in one country.