by Life Credit Company | Dec 29, 2016 | Cancer Research & News
Scientists in California recently unveiled a pioneering study designed to offer assistance for cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy treatment. Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have developed a new method to better assess the levels of radiation in a patient battling cancer — which can help health-care providers more accurately target the disease. Previously, patients would submit urine or fecal samples for radiation levels to be analyzed, or could also submit to biokinetic testing. Now, LLNL scientists have developed a blood test to do the same. The approach is known as biodosimetry and involves the comparison of the radiation dosage with selected strands of RNA found in the patient’s blood. “Our data indicate that transcripts, which have been previously identified as biomarkers of external exposures in whole blood and radiotherapy patients, also are good early indicators of internal exposure,” Matt Coleman of the University of California told MedicalXpress. Such information can help the medical team better understand how the radiotherapy is working, and how such therapies can be improved to better attack cancer cells and prevent recurrence. Scientists are now working on a second phase of the trial focused on pediatric neuroblastoma. Radiotherapy is one of the most common techniques used to provide assistance for cancer patients. It has been shown to be effective in eliminating cancer cells that have not metastasized, or spread, and it also is relied on after surgery and other methods to prevent cancer cells from re-forming. Life Credit CompanyWe are a licensed consumer lender that is dedicated to providing financial assistance for patients who are facing serious illness. With a Living Benefit Loan, from Life...
by Life Credit Company | Nov 22, 2016 | Cancer Research & News
Math helps us in small ways every day — from paying the cashier at the supermarket to figuring out how much to tip a server to calculating ingredients as we make dinner. It’s relied upon for larger-scale projects that also impact many people’s daily lives, such as offering assistance for cancer patients. A recent Wall Street Journal article detailed how integral the field of mathematics is becoming to researchers dedicated to finding innovative approaches to treating and preventing cancer. For instance, scientists at DarwinHealth are concentrating on ways to best root out abnormal activity in proteins that could suggest the development of cancer cells and growth of existing cancers. Such proteins work as the “on/off” switch for cancer cells, researchers say, so locating and understanding them can aid in the development of new drugs to stop the spread of cancer — an invaluable source of assistance for cancer patients, to say the least. Math comes into play in such programs as the VIPER algorithm, a computer-based model that helps researchers manage massive amounts of data at once to shed light on which proteins are deviating from their normal behavior. When that determination is made, researchers can better target those proteins with medication and other therapies to turn the cancer cell’s switch to “off.” DarwinHealth is certainly not the only organization to take this approach; according to the WSJ article, scientists across the globe are increasingly embracing quantitative methods in their cancer research. This trend goes hand in hand with the developing technology field — computers can crunch numbers a lot quicker than scientists. Numbers are also important to us...
by Life Credit Company | Oct 27, 2016 | Cancer Research & News
Early detection can be a key tool in cancer prevention. Seeing your physician regularly, keeping an eye out for any changes to your health and taking a proactive role in knowing your cancer risks can help to catch any problems in their early stages, upping the chance of beating the disease. Apart from what patients themselves can do to monitor their health, they can also make early detection a priority with a new blood test. Researchers at Swansea University have developed a simple test, performed with a quick prick of the finger, to identify red flags that could mean cancer is developing. The test has been likened to a “smoke detector” — it doesn’t show the fire, but rather the smoke, or the noticeable sign that there is a problem. In this case, the smoke is a mutation in the red blood cells, which often happens before cancer develops. Backers of the new test say they can now predict a cancer diagnosis up to 10 years before a patient even notices symptoms. The test has been used to detect early signs of esophageal cancer, and researchers are next setting their sites on pancreatic cancer. It’s expected to be on the market in about five years. Apart from its potentially life-saving nature, the test is also predicted to be a huge money-saver — both for the health-care industry and patients themselves. The earlier cancer is detected, the less likely the chance a patient would need to undergo costly chemotherapy or radiation treatment. Thinking ahead is a common-sense approach to both physical and financial health. If a diagnosis does happen, financial...
by Life Credit Company | Oct 13, 2016 | Cancer Research & News
Technological advances are moving us forward every day — and are not only making our lives easier, but are even making us money. The financial benefits of modern technology are vast: From reduced printing costs to streamlined communication, the benefits of technology are felt both in the personal and professional realms. And now, even financial resources for cancer patients are available with the advent of technology. Technology in Motion Cancer patients and those looking to lower their risk of the disease can benefit from the time-saving nature of technology. For instance, a new approach to colon-cancer screening, called the PillCam Colon 2, provides all the benefits of a colonoscopy but without the frustrations. All patients have to do is swallow a small pill, which contains a scope that examines their gastrointestinal tract for any abnormalities. Instead of having to take a full day off work for the procedure — which could mean losing wages and paying a babysitter — all patients have to do is meet with a doctor for a few minutes to get the scope set up and then go about their normal routines. Cutting corners time- and cost-wise, however, doesn’t mean health is compromised. Makers of PillCam Colon 2 advise that anyone who is seen to have an abnormality should receive a full colonoscopy within a day. On the breast cancer front, computer software is increasingly being relied upon to do the work of analyzing and assessing cancer risk. For example, Houston Methodist researchers have programmed a computer to interpret mammograms, with a 99-percent accuracy rate. For a study involving 500 patients, the software was able...
by Life Credit Company | Sep 26, 2016 | Cancer Research & News
For decades, IBM has revolutionized the way computers have interacted with our society, and that work is now reaching into the realm of cancer treatments. The technology giant’s supercomputer, known as Watson, is now in the process of being groomed to provide assistance for cancer patients, physicians and many others working to fight the disease. Watson was first developed nearly 20 years ago as a supercomputer that combined both analytical abilities and a capacity for understanding human language. Watson is fed information, which it processes, organizes and retains, and then uses that data to analyze problems, create hypotheses and draw conclusions. From its early days of seamlessly answering volumes of “Jeopardy” trivia, Watson progressed to functioning as a call-center operator and even a hotel concierge. Now, Watson’s creators are upping the ante, setting their sights on using the supercomputer as a clearinghouse for cancer info. Through a partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center, Watson is being programmed with a wealth of information about the center’s leukemia patients — from their demographic info to specifics on individual doctor visits and their lab work and scans — as well as extensive journal articles and more about the disease. The computer then generates recommendations for physicians about possible diagnoses and plans of action. It’s a pioneering process that Watson’s backers are hoping to expand to other hospitals and specialties. The Watson team envisions the program ultimately functioning as a comprehensive oncology advisor — one that uses its vast base of knowledge about the disease to provide targeted and individualized treatment plans for cancer patients. Such an ambitious project is, of course, not...
by Life Credit Company | Aug 11, 2016 | Cancer Research & News
Even after cancer patients reach the important stage of remission, they are advised to stay vigilant to maintain their health. How they continue to monitor themselves is an important question, one that is being helped by a new web application: SIMBA. What is SIMBA? The Surveillance Imaging Modalities for Breast Cancer Assessment is a decision aid that provides support for cancer patients trying to decide the best way to prevent recurrence. The app is specifically designed for breast-cancer survivors, who are faced with the choice of getting regular mammograms or MRIs to monitor their breast health. There are pros and cons to both approaches, and SIMBA walks patients through all of them. Users are asked to put in specific information about their cancer history and their current health, and SIMBA then outlines what a mammogram would provide versus an MRI, in addition to offering other health tips. The program doesn’t necessarily recommend one approach over the other but rather lays out all the options, with specifics tailored to the user’s individual health history, to help them make informed decisions. What Women Want SIMBA was created by Group Health Research Institute and the Artefact Group, who wanted their product to reflect what breast-cancer patients wanted to see in such a program and offer support for cancer patients. To achieve that, they worked closely with women who had survived breast cancer and incorporated their opinions into the app’s development. The women advised that it should contain few graphics, especially stock photos of smiling women that are popular on other cancer resources, they said. Instead, they wanted it to focus on the...
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