- Rising E-Cigarette Use Tied to More Smoking in Teens http://bit.ly/1lFT5Zd
- First LSD Study in 40 Years Shows Promising Medical Uses http://huff.to/1fLU8o6
- Surgery May Be Best for Young Men With Prostate Cancer http://abcn.ws/1kAJXVm
- Hearing Loss Tied to Depression in Study http://bit.ly/1eawhZM
- For Older Drivers, Study Finds, 1 Drink May Be 1 Too Many http://bit.ly/P9wwyZ
Mayo Clinic Expands Its Reach in 2013
Posted on March 7th, 2014 by Susana Shephard
A Milestone for the Future of Health Care in Arizona
The Far East met the Southwest as Mayo Clinic in Arizona employees, benefactors, community leaders, and Hitachi leadership joined together in a traditional Japanese ceremony to welcome the arrival of the first wave of proton beam equipment.
Mayo Clinic Expands Its Reach in 2013
John Noseworthy, M.D., CEO and president at Mayo Clinic, reports that Mayo Clinic reached a record 63 million people in 2013.
Integrated Care: Improving Patient Outcomes and Lowering Costs
Robert Nesse, M.D., vice-president at Mayo Clinic, explains how Mayo Clinic is a leader in the effort to change the health care system and improve the value of the care we deliver to patients.
Cancer Prevention Chat, Thursday Feb. 27th, 1 to 2 p.m. EST
Posted on February 25th, 2014 by Dennis Douda
The number of new cancer cases can be reduced, and many cancer deaths can be prevented, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Join @Newshour (PBS NewsHour)
with @mayoclinic and @AACR (American Association for Cancer Research)
to talk about cancer prevention.
Feb. 27, from 1 to 2 p.m. EST
Topics will include:
Risks for developing cancer
Roles of environment, lifestyle & play in cancer prevention
How genes impact our risk of developing cancer
Screening guidelines
The latest research in cancer prevention
Drs. Axel Grothey, M.D.; Paul Limburg, M.D.; Sandhya Pruthi, M.D.; and Stephanie Hines, M.D.; along with psychologist Matthew Clark, PhD.; and Sheryl Ness, R.N., editor of the Mayo Clinic’s Living with Cancer blog, will take questions on cancer risks and prevention.
If you’ve never participated in a Twitter chat, be sure to watch this how-to video before jumping in. We recommend you use a website such as Tweetdeck.com or Twubs.com to more easily follow the flow of the conversation. Read the rest of this entry »
Mayo Clinic Identifies a Key Cellular Pathway in Prostate Cancer
Posted on February 10th, 2014 by Bob Nellis
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers have shed light on a new mechanism by which prostate cancer develops in men. Central to development of nearly all prostate cancer cases are malfunctions in the androgen receptor — the cellular component that binds to male hormones. The research team has shown that SPOP, a protein that is most frequently mutated in human prostate cancers, is a key regulator of androgen receptor activity that prevents uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate and thus helps prevent cancer. The findings appear in the journal Cell Reports.
“By uncovering this new and important pathway of androgen receptor destruction, we may one day be able to develop more effective treatments for a substantial proportion of prostate cancer patients who have developed resistance to standard antiandrogen therapy,” says Haojie Huang, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic biochemist and senior author of the paper.
SPOP mutations have been detected in approximately 15 percent of prostate cancer cases. In addition, it has been shown that in about 35 percent of prostate cancers, the SPOP protein is expressed at abnormally low levels. Despite its prevalence in prostate cancer, it was not known whether or how SPOP defects contributed to tumor development. What the research team discovered is that SPOP is an enzyme that selectively destroys androgen receptor protein. Failure to do so due to alterations in SPOP results in overabundance of androgen receptor, a master regulator of prostate cancer cell growth.
The Mayo Clinic research team made four major discoveries:
- The antiandrogen receptor is a bona fide degradation substrate of SPOP.
- Androgen receptor splicing variants are resistant to SPOP-mediated degradation.
- Prostate cancer-associated SPOP mutants cannot bind to and promote androgen receptor degradation.
- Androgens antagonize, but antiandrogens promote SPOP-mediated degradation of androgen receptor.
Expert Comments on Surgeon General Report About Smoking
Posted on January 17th, 2014 by Kelley Luckstein
Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States and leads to a host of cancers and illnesses. A new report by the Surgeon General released today, The Health Consequences of Smoking, highlights a half a century of progress in tobacco control and prevention since the first report in 1964. The report also includes new findings on the health effects of smoking and a call to action on how to end the continuing tobacco use epidemic.
Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Hurt are available in the downloads.
“We lose over 480,000 Americans every single year to tobacco-related diseases,” says Richard Hurt, M.D., director of Mayo Clinic’s Nicotine Dependence Center. “Cigarette smoke affects every organ system in the body. We’ve known for a long time that cigarette smokers have a larger number of polyps of the colon, which are the precursor to colon cancer. So it’s not a big surprise that now the committee is concluding that cigarette smoking is associated with colon cancer.”
Liver Tumor Suppressor: Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute
Posted on December 24th, 2013 by Admin
When cancer spreads or metastasizes, it often finds a home in the liver. In this Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute, Dr. Ningling Kang outlines a study which could close the door to those tumors developing.
To listen, click the link below.
Rectal Cancer: Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute
Posted on December 16th, 2013 by Admin
In this Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute, Dr. Richard Devine describes rectal cancer.
To listen, click the link below.
Metabolizing Tamoxifen: Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute
Posted on December 13th, 2013 by Admin
In this Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute, Dr. Matthew Goetz comments on a study that could impact breast cancer treatment in some women.
To listen, click the link below.
Endoxifen Shows Promise as Breast Cancer Treatment
Posted on December 11th, 2013 by Dana Sparks
A Phase I trial of endoxifen, an active metabolite of the cancer drug tamoxifen, indicates that the experimental drug is safe, with early evidence for anti-tumor activity. Mayo Clinic oncologist and lead author of the study Matthew Goetz, M.D., says, “We achieved up to sixtyfold higher levels of endoxifen compared to endoxifen levels achieved with the standard dose of tamoxifen. We have seen evidence for tumor regression in patients who had failed standard hormonal therapies including aromatase inhibitors, fulvestrant and tamoxifen. This is an exciting first step in the development of this drug.”
The findings indicate that Z-endoxifen, codeveloped by Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), may provide a new and better treatment for some women with estrogen positive breast cancer, and in particular for those who women who do not respond to tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors. Results are being presented during the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
Click here for news release.
Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Goetz are available in the downloads.
Breast Cancer Desicions: Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute
Posted on December 11th, 2013 by Admin
In this Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute, Dr. Sarah McLaughlin discusses some of the important decisions that come following a diagnosis of breast cancer.
To listen, click the link below.
Pain Drugs Used in Prostate Gland Removal Linked to Cancer Outcome
Posted on December 10th, 2013 by Dana Sparks
The methods used to anesthetize prostate cancer patients and control pain when their prostate glands are surgically removed for adenocarcinoma may affect their long-term cancer outcomes. A study led by Mayo Clinic found opioids, painkillers commonly given during and after surgery, may suppress the immune system’s ability to fight cancer cells. Anesthesiologist and senior author Juraj Sprung, M.D., Ph.D., says, “We found a significant association between this opioid-sparing technique, reduced progression of the prostate tumor and overall mortality.”
The research suggests that supplementing general anesthesia with a spinal or epidural painkiller before a radical prostatectomy reduces a patient’s need for opioids after surgery, and this finding was associated with a lower risk of cancer recurrence. The findings are published online in the British Journal of Anaesthesia.
Click here for news release.
Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Sprung are available in the downloads.