Health News

Different Leukemia, Different Treatment
Many genetic changes are involved in any given cancer, but some changes are very important to consider for chemotherapy. Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is an example of a cancer where treatment can vary widely depending on the genetics involved.
Antidepressant Teams up Against Leukemia
Vitamin A derivatives, drugs known as retinoids , have been used successfully to treat certain types of leukemia. Not all forms of the disease respond to them, though. Scientists have discovered that adding another medication may overcome this resistance.
Gene to Blame for Drug Resistance
Targeted drugs work by attacking and shutting down the molecular activities that keep cancers thriving and growing. These drugs have saved the lives of thousands of people with cancer. But they don't work in some people.
New "Theranostic" Drugs Diagnose and Treat
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common type of childhood cancer, diagnosed in some 5,000 children every year in the United States.
Genetic Analysis Finds New Leukemia Therapy
The computational power available to researchers has grown exponentially over the years, allowing broad analysis of genetics involved in cancer to get new ideas for exploring new methods of therapy.
Are Hispanics at Greater Risk of Leukemia?
Several groups looking at data from broad genetic studies have noticed differences in cancer risk for different populations according to ethnic make up.
Insights into Early Childhood Leukemia
A project to sequence genetic mutations in a particularly aggressive form of childhood leukemia developed a list of common mutations - the first step in developing adequate pharmaceutical targeted therapy.
Targeted Therapy Hits the Mark
People with chronic myeloid leukemia ( CML ) have been treated with interferon therapy for years, but this treatment can sometimes fail. And when it does, a targeted therapy hits the mark, offering these patients long-term benefits.
Blocking the Blockers
Drugs known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors are currently state-of-the-art treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia ( CML ). These medicines don't cure the disease, in part because leukemia has a powerful defense system. Recent research suggests there's a way around these defensive linemen.
Down Syndrome Ups Leukemia Risks
Another heartbreaking fact about Down syndrome is that children with this condition are  increased risk of developing leukemia. And researchers are now beginning to understand why.