genglob magazine

Lung cancer has become more common in China in recent years. The rise in tobacco consumption is the most important factor in this increase. As is the case in many developing countries, indoor air pollution from poorly ventilated stoves is an additional risk factor, particularly for women. Read the rest of this entry »

A series of studies have demonstrated that Chrysanthemum indicum possesses antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, immunomodulatory, and neuroprotective effects. Recently, much attention has been devoted to the anticancer activity of Chrysanthemum indicum, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its anticancer mechanism of action is still not clear and needs further investigation. Read the rest of this entry »

Stanford University researchers used nanotechnology and magnetics to create a biosensor that they said should be able to detect cancer in its early stages, making a cure more likely. The sensor, which sits on a microchip, is 1,000 times more sensitive than cancer detectors used clinically today, according to scientists at Stanford, in Palo Alto, Calif. The researchers announced this week that the sensors have been effective in finding early-stage tumors in mice, giving them hope that it can be equally successful in detecting elusive cancers in humans. Read the rest of this entry »

The over-the-counter medicines and supplies to have at the ready for minor emergencies.

People go to medicine cabinets to find relief. Medicines, on the other hand, go to medicine cabinets to die a slow and undignified death. There’s the penicillin from 1997, the eyedrops with the label worn off, the reddish goop that may have once been cough syrup. And amid all these sputtering bottles and vials, you can’t find one measly Band-Aid. Read the rest of this entry »

A rare case of a mother and her infant developing the exact same cancer has allowed an international team of researchers to solve a puzzle that has perplexed scientists and clinicians for a century.

Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research  (ICR) and colleagues in Japan, with funding from Leukaemia Research, investigated a situation in which leukaemic cells appeared to have defied accepted theories of biology and spread through the womb from a Japanese woman to her daughter. Read the rest of this entry »

A chemical found in green tea appears to slow the progression of prostate cancer, a study has suggested. Green tea has been linked to a positive effect on a wide range of conditions, including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. The research, in the US journal Cancer Prevention Research, found a significant fall in certain markers which indicate cancer development. Read the rest of this entry »

Over the last few years generic medicines have become popular and helping people out of insurance cover to get advanced drugs cost effectively. But there has always been a confusion with what is actually generic medicine and some myths about their quality. The availability of generic medicines gives consumers greater choice in the  brand and price of their medicines. However, misconceptions remain about the interchangeability of different brands and the proliferation of brands has potential for confusion. This articles aims to dispel some of the myths and provide more details on what actually is generic medicines (also called generics). Read the rest of this entry »

Huachansu, a Chinese medicine that comes from the dried venom secreted by the skin glands of toads, has tolerable toxicity levels, even at doses eight times those normally administered, and may slow disease progression in some cancer patients, say researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Read the rest of this entry »

Biocon Limited, in alliance with the US-based Abraxis Bio Science, today announced the launch of Abraxane, an oncotheraputic drug for treatment of breast cancer, in India. The drug could be administered if combination therapy for metastatic disease failed or there was relapse within six months of adjuvant chemotherapy. The drug has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India in October 2007. Read the rest of this entry »

Targeted Molecular Diagnostics (TMD), a Quintiles Central Laboratory, recently announced the availability of two new laboratory tests used to develop more effective cancer treatments.

These new tests are now being used in the clinical development of targeted therapies more likely to succeed in treating patients with cancer related to gene mutations. The lab tests, known as mutation assays identifies the genomic changes that occurs in each patient’s cancer and help researchers find the optimum individual treatment plan. This type of personalised medicine supports therapies that are safer, more effective and efficient, and minimise unnecessary or potentially harmful treatments. Read the rest of this entry »