We Shall Overcome

Agendia Gets FDA Approval For Breast Cancer Test

Centient Biotech Investor submits: A privately held Dutch biotech, Agendia BV (see Agendia BV Closes Second Round), scored a big win today when it got approval from the FDA for its breast cancer recurrence test, MammaPrint®. MammaPrint® analyzes gene expression profiles of 70 known cancer genes in a cancer sample to predict whether a woman is at risk for recurrence from breast cancer. The company also has a test to determine the tissue type of a tumor of unknown origin. That test is called CupPrint®. Women at high risk have about twice the recurrence rate as women in the low risk category. The test predicts who is in the low risk category with at least 90% accuracy. For those in the high risk category, only 23% actually got a recurrence within five years, so it is possible the test overestimates this group.

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New Drug May Help Prevent Breast Cancer Recurrences

About four years ago, Christy Laurendeau was shocked to learn she had an aggressive form of breast cancer called HER-2 Positive. "I was a person who exercised, at well, took vitamins, and I looked at my neighbors and I was like, 'Why me?'" Laurendeau said.Laurendeau had surgery and chemotherapy, but she's still at high risk of recurrence. So she enrolled in a new international study to see whether a new experimental drug called Tykerb can help lower that risk.Women with HER-2 Positive breast cancer have cancer cells that can spread quickly. The cells grow and multiply by pulling power from the body. "It's like an electrical circuit that's turned on, and Tykerb can pull the lever, the circuit breaker and switch it off," said Dr. Paul Goss with Massachusetts General Hospital.Earlier studies showed that Tykerb may be even more effective and have fewer side effects than a similar breast cancer drug called Herceptin, which is delivered intravenously at a hospital."We're seeing Tykerb -- which is a pill, which is easier to take -- has a broader attack and gets inside the cells," said Dr.

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2007 Worldwide Wine & Alcoholic Beverages Wholesales Report ...

DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c49681) has announced the addition of "2007 Worldwide Wine & Alcoholic Beverages Wholesales Report" to their offering. The Wine & Alcoholic Beverages Wholesales report features 2007 current and 2008 forecast estimates on the size of the industry (sales, establishments, employment) for the 47 largest world countries. The report also includes industry definition, 5-year historical trends on industry sales, establishments and employment and estimates on up to 10 sub-industries, including wine coolers, spirits, mixers and champagne. These reports provide the most current and cost-effective demographic data and market reports for the largest U.S. and World industries.

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Murdoch joins AIDS fight

BUSINESSMAN and media heir Lachlan Murdoch has made a flying visit to Papua New Guinea to promote business involvement in the fight against HIV-AIDS. The son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch arrived in the PNG capital Port Moresby today to attend a fundraising dinner tonight hosted by the PNG Business Coalition Against HIV-AIDS, part of a global coalition. Murdoch told reporters it was important to get businesses to think about how they could apply their existing resources in the fight against HIV/AIDS. This was particularly important in PNG where the disease posed such a threat, he said. That threat was being taken seriously by the government with the significant help of AusAID but businesses had their part to play too, Murdoch said. He gave the example of PNG's giant OK Tedi mine which ran a clinic employing four doctors and educated its workforce on how to protect themselves against HIV/AIDS.

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Students make an impact on world hunger

Following the mornings convocation at Waldorf College in which the Rev. Judy Austin addressed the issue of ending racism in America, RSVP of North Central Iowa and Waldorf Campus Ministries participated in an afternoon of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community members and students partnered with Kids Against Hunger, an international food relief campaign, honored King's legacy by making the holiday a &#8220Day On, Not a Day Off."Amanda Christenson, Tasha Cummings, Erica Jurrens and Rachel Anderson, all Waldorf students, chatted as they filled plastic bags that contained rice, soy protein powder, dried vegetables and vitamin rich chicken bouillon mix. .

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Vibralite 3 (Blue with Blue Velcro (R) Brand Fasteners Band)

The vibration on your wrist from VibraLITE3 will remind you to do any important thing without annoying others. What's really great is that you don't have to hear the alarm to know that it's signalling you. This watch is especially nice for pilots, students (taking exams), and of course the deaf and hard of hearing. Since the watch also features an Auto Reload Countdown Timer, it can be the ideal answer for those who need reminding of times to take medicine, scheduled daily activities and more. VibraLITE3 is ideal for noisy environments. Reminders from VibraLITE3 are especially helpful for: Medical Conditions/Medication Reminders, Time Management, Timing Procedures, Tests or Presentations, Self Regulation/Keeping Focused, Noisy Environments, Great as a Travel Alarm, Any time you don't want to disturb others. The uses are endless! VibraLITE3 features: Vibration Alarm - (auto-shutoff after approx. 20 sec.), Auto Repeat Countdown Timer, Electro-Luminescent Back Light, Second Clock for Second Time Zone, 12 or 24 Hour Clock Choice, Date Display, Stop Watch, Two Alarm Settings, Chime Option for Alarms, Hourly Alert Option, Water Resistant (30 meters), Stainless Steel Back, 1-Year Warranty (on watch functions only). Blue Watch w/ Blue Band and Velcro® Brand Fastener.

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Boy George's drug abuse hurt his mum

Brittish DJ and singer Boy George, a musical icon in the 80s as Culture Club vocalist, pictured during an interview with EFE press agency in Madrid on Wednesday 15 November 2006 where he discussed his new facet as fashion designer in collaboration with Mike Nicholls and Tim Perkins for their label 'B-Rude'. EPA/Kiko Huesca .

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Sherri Byrand column: Early cancer-screening can be a lifesaver

A friend just lost his father to esophageal cancer. For those who loved him, it's an extraordinarily tragic loss, and not just because his dad was a devoted family man who still had much to give the world as a theology professor. But as far as our overall society goes, death to cancer is not an exceptional event: obituary after obituary lists those whose cancers destroyed their bright future. The recent headline "cancer deaths drop" belies a complicated truth. More than 550,000 Americans die from cancer every year; the decrease involved just some 3,014. That's a blessing for those 3,014 families, but we must look further. While the incidence of cancer has been declining for the likes of lung cancer, thanks to decreases in smoking, some cancers have been on the increase. A National Institute of Health report looking across 10 years found that American women are seeing higher rates of melanoma and cancers of the breast, thyroid, bladder and kidney, while men are seeing higher rates of melanoma and cancers of the prostate, kidney and esophagus.

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New Hope For People With Advanced Breast Cancer

A surprising discovery by Queen's University researchers that happened when their work took an unexpected turn may help women with advanced breast cancer respond better to conventional drug treatments. The Queen's team's findings, to be published on-line today in the international journal Cancer Research, show that a newly discovered "peptide" molecule (a chain of amino acids smaller than a protein) increases the effectiveness by 350 per cent of drugs used to kill breast cancer cells. Drs. Zongchao Jia and Vinay Singh, of the Queen's Department of Biochemistry, initially intended to study the structure of a protein called SNCG which is implicated in drug resistance in breast cancer. When unraveling the structure proved more difficult than expected, the research team looked to a similar protein associated with Alzheimer's Disease.

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'Dry soda' a gourmet non-alcoholic option

SEATTLE, Jan. 12 A woman from Tacoma, Wash., has become a beverage entrepreneur after being dissatisfied with non-alcoholic drink options. Sharelle Klaus, 37, started making her gourmet beverage Dry Soda in her kitchen in 2005. She tried thousands of flavor combinations before settling on four varieties: rhubarb, kumquat, lemon grass and lavender. Her 11-employee company now resides in a 2,800 square-foot headquarters in Seattle with its bottling operation in Los Angeles, the Seattle Times reported Friday. .

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