Health News
Decoding an ALL Mighty Cancer
One type of blood cancer is fairly common in children. It’s called acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL for short. Most children are cured of this cancer. In adults, though, ALL is far more ferocious.
A Call to Change the Standard
Blood cancers, including leukemia and lymphoma, are sometimes treated with bone marrow transplants. The therapy uses stem cells to replace blood cells damaged by the cancer.
New Chronic Leukemia Drug Approved
A new medication for chronic myelogenous leukemia ( CML ) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Leukemia Drug Granted Accelerated Review
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. accelerated review of its drug ponatinib to treat patients who have chronic myeloid leukemia ( CML ) that doesn’t respond to current medications.
Cancer Goes To the Movies
If you’re familiar with Debra Winger, you may know she’s died from cancer at least a couple times – in her movies Terms of Endearment and Shadowlands . While cancer can make for heart-wrenching drama, such bleak portrayals of the disease are far from the truth.
Helping Cancer Cells Die
One of the genes that helps to keep cancer from ever forming is the p53 gene. It works by blocking cancer cells from killing themselves. When p53 is messed up in some way, cancer cells go to town and wreak havoc.
New Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Drug
Chronic myeloid leukemia often responds to first-line treatment. Gleevec ( imatinib ) is the standard first-line medication. The disease usually quiets for a time, then comes back. A new drug has been approved to treat this blood and bone marrow cancer.
Monitoring the Monitoring of CML Patients
When monitored and managed properly, the outlook is quite good for people living with chronic myeloid leukemia ( CML ). There are three targeted therapies that are effective in controlling this disease. One of the keys to success is close monitoring.
New Genetic Signature for Leukemia
So what’s a genetic signature you ask? Basically it’s a set of genes in a cell that are involved in how disease starts, grows and spreads. This is hugely complicated and exciting science.
Rare Leukemia Rx Approved
Marqibo ( vincristine sulfate liposome injection) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adults with a rare type of leukemia called Philadelphia chromosome negative ( Ph -) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).