When Breast Cancer Fights Back

NewsUSA) – We’ve all heard about the fight against breast cancer — but did you know that breast cancer fights back?

Breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women, is found in 1.3 million women throughout the world each year. Early detection and improved treatments have decreased death rates, but the American Cancer Society predicts that 40,910 Americans will die of breast cancer in 2009.

What makes breast cancer difficult to treat? Typically, doctors treat breast cancer through surgery to remove the tumor, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. But some cancers prove difficult to remove, others come back. And some tumors stop responding to chemotherapy drugs. When this happens, the cancer is said to have developed drug resistance.

Some cancer cells become drug resistant when they develop the ability to pump out drugs from their bodies. Other chemotherapy drugs target specific proteins within the cancer cell. In response, the cancer cells produce more of that protein. Chemotherapy drugs can destroy healthy tissue, so doctors are limited in the dosages that they can administer. The cancer cells produce more proteins than the chemotherapy drugs can target, allowing the cancer cells to overwhelm the body despite chemotherapy treatments.

But breaking-edge companies are developing new drugs that can treat resistant cancers and give patients new hope. For example, Cellceutix Corporation, a cancer and anti-inflammatory drug developer, has developed a unique technology called Kevetrin that targets growth signals in tumor cells as opposed to being toxic to all cells, which is the traditional chemotherapy treatment.

In the experiments, mice were implanted with human tumor cells known to be drug resistant. Kevetrin reduced tumor volume by 68 percent and delayed tumor growth by more than 62 percent, compared to controls.

“Kevetrin continues to demonstrate consistent success in fighting drug resistant cancers, the leading cause of chemotherapy failure,” says Mr. George Evans, CEO of Cellceutix. “We are optimistic that Kevetrin will continue to progress on the developmental pathway as a treatment for these very difficult cancers, providing hope to its patients.”

For more information about the Kevetrin experiment results, visit www.cellceutix.com.

Complete Woman’s World

NewsUSA) – The complete only in a WOMAN’S WORLD comic series.

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Fomentando la toma de conciencia sobre los trastornos de la sangre en la mujer

NewsUSA) – Algunos trastornos de la sangre pueden representar un riesgo y una especial preocupación para la mujer debido a los riesgos particulares que plantean el embarazo, los anticonceptivos orales, el sangrado menstrual y la terapia hormonal sustitutiva para la menopausia.

“Los estrógenos y la progesterona son hormonas que pueden aumentar en la mujer el riesgo de crear coágulos en la sangre” dice la Dra. Nancy Berliner, presidenta de la American Society of Hematology (ASH). “Estas hormonas se usan para el control de la natalidad y en el tratamiento de la menopausia, estando también aumentados sus niveles durante el embarazo.”

La ASH, por tanto, insta a las mujeres a ser concientes de los siguientes trastornos de la sangre, en particular:

- Anemia es la situación en la que el cuerpo no tiene suficiente glóbulos rojos en la sangre para transportar oxígeno a los órganos y tejidos. La producción de glóbulos rojos requiere hierro, y las mujeres embarazadas a menudo no tienen suficiente hierro para producir los mayores requerimientos de glóbulos rojos que necesitan. Las menstruaciones abundantes también pueden causar anemia por deficiencia de hierro. Los síntomas de anemia incluyen fatiga, mareos y falta de aliento.

- Trombofilia es una condición peligrosa en la que se forman coágulos de sangre en las venas y las arterias, bloqueando el flujo de la sangre. Esto puede ocasionar inflamación, dolor o enrojecimiento. Dado que el embarazo y los medicamentos hormonales incrementan actividad procoagulante, las mujeres están especialmente en riesgo de tener este trastorno.

- La enfermedad de Von Willebrand es el trastorno hemorrágico más común en la mujer. Los síntomas incluyen sangrado de las encías, fácil aparición de moretones o sangrados menstruales abundantes y prolongados.

Una toma de conciencia sobre los factores de riesgo y los síntomas de estos trastornos es fundamental, de modo que pueda instaurarse un tratamiento antes que el problema empeore. Si usted sospecha que tiene una alteración en la sangre, hable con su doctor inmediatamente. Es de especial importancia para las mujeres que están embarazadas o planeando quedar embarazadas hablen con su obstetra sobre estos trastornos.

Para más información, visite www.bloodthevitalconnection.org (sitio Web en el idioma Inglés).

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Woman’s World-May 11, 2009

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Let’s Talk About Sex After Menopause: What Women Should Know

NewsUSA) – When asked about sex in a survey, 47 out of 51 postmenopausal women responded that having an active sex life is important to them. Unfortunately, some women find that sex can become painful after menopause.

Painful sex, also called dyspareunia, can result from vaginal changes, which can occur when a woman ‘s estrogen level decreases during menopause and her vaginal walls become thinner and less lubricated. Fifty-two percent of women from the same online sexual health survey said they avoided intercourse because of vaginal discomfort, and 68 percent said they attempted to hide their symptoms from their partner.

“I was upset about the pain I experienced during sex after I went through menopause,” said Charlotte. “Fortunately, I have a great relationship with my doctor and was able to discuss appropriate treatment options to help ease my symptoms.”

While Charlotte was quick to work with her physician, many women are reluctant to discuss the vaginal symptoms of menopause with their doctors. In fact, even though 63 percent of postmenopausal women in the same survey reported vaginal discomfort, only 40 percent discussed this discomfort or dryness with their health care professional. However, it’s important for women to know that their health care professional can address these symptoms by treating the underlying causes.

Recently, the FDA approved a low-dose regimen of PREMARIN® (conjugated estrogens) Vaginal Cream to treat moderate to severe postmenopausal dyspareunia. The first vaginal estrogen therapy approved by the FDA for this use, PREMARIN Vaginal Cream doesn’t mask symptoms. When used as prescribed, it can restore tissues in the vaginal wall and relieve dryness and painful intercourse.

“In my practice, I often see postmenopausal women who have vaginal dryness but don’t realize that it’s treatable,” says Dr. Gloria Bachmann,* director of the Women’s Health Institute and chief of OB/GYN at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, N.J. “I encourage my patients to discuss their symptoms with me, so that together we can determine how to best address them because treatment options are available.”

PREMARIN Vaginal Cream can be prescribed in a variety of dosing regimens, including twice-weekly with a low volume of cream (0.5 g), which gives health care professionals flexibility in treating moderate to severe postmenopausal dyspareunia. Women should discuss their personal and family history, risks and benefits of treatment, and their current medications with their doctors.

For more information, including the full Patient Information and a $15 coupon, visit www.premarinvaginalcream.com.

Important Safety Information About PREMARIN Vaginal Cream:

What is the most important information you should know about PREMARIN Vaginal Cream (an estrogen mixture)? Estrogens may increase the chance of getting cancer of the uterus. Report any unusual vaginal bleeding right away while you are using PREMARIN Vaginal Cream. Vaginal bleeding after menopause may be a warning sign of cancer of the uterus (womb). Your health care professional should check any unusual vaginal bleeding to find out the cause.

Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, or dementia. Using estrogens, with or without progestins, may increase your chance of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Using estrogens, with or without progestins, may increase your chance of getting dementia, based on a study of women age 65 years or older. You and your health care professional should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with PREMARIN Vaginal Cream.

PREMARIN® Vaginal Cream is used after menopause to treat menopausal changes in and around the vagina and to treat painful intercourse caused by menopausal changes of the vagina.

PREMARIN Vaginal Cream should not be used if you have unusual vaginal bleeding, have or had cancer of the breast or uterus, had a stroke or heart attack, have or had blood clots or liver problems, are allergic to any of the ingredients in PREMARIN Vaginal Cream, or think you may be pregnant.

The most commonly reported side effects of PREMARIN Vaginal Cream include headache, infection, abdominal pain, back pain, accidental injury, and vaginitis.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

*Disclosure: Dr. Bachmann is a consultant for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, the maker of PREMARIN Vaginal Cream.