Archive for 'Oncology' Category

Sipuleucel-T (Provenge), The First FDA-Approved Cancer "Vaccine" – What Every Medical Student Should Know

Here are the bare bones facts on Provenge. A basic understanding will help you to stand out when the discussion inevitably comes up. Drug Name: Sipuleucel-T Trade Name: Provenge Trial Name: APC 8015 Manufacturer: Dendreon Corporation Class: autologous, dendritic cell-based immunotherapy Indication: hormone-refractory, metastatic prostate cancer MOA: Induces patient’s own cells to attack prostate cancer. [...]

Stress and Breast Biopsies

Purpose: To determine whether uncertainty of the diagnosis after large-core breast biopsy (LCBB) adversely affects biochemical stress levels. Results: Women learned their diagnosis on days 1–6 (mean, day 2.4) after LCBB Conclusion: Uncertainty about the final diagnosis after LCBB is associated with substantial biochemical distress, which may have adverse effects on immune defense and wound [...]

Cervical Cancer Biomarker

A simple test for a protein called P16INK4A provided a biomarker showing cell changes that indicated a woman likely has pre-cancerous lesions “The marker shows there was some sort of disruption by the HPV virus,” Ronco said. “Only a small minority of women who have an HPV infection actually develop cancer. The challenge is to [...]

How to Give Bad News (Randy Pausch)

The horrible exchange was surreal for me. Yes, I felt stunned and bereft for myself and especially for Jai, who couldn’t stop crying. But a strong part of me remained in Randy Scientist Mode, collecting facts and quizzing the doctor about options. At the same time, there was another part of me that was utterly [...]

Pituitary Tumors

A thorough primer for pituitary tumors offered by the Mayo Clinic & geared for patients