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    Living with a serious disease is difficult. Cancer patients and those who care about them face many problems and challenges. Coping with these difficulties is easier when people have helpful information and support services. Cancer patients may worry about holding their job, caring for their family, or keeping up with daily activities. Worries about tests, treatments, hospital stays, and medical bills are also common. Doctors, nurses, and other members of the health care team can answer questions about treatment, working, or other activities. Meeting with a nurse, social worker, counselor, or a member of the clergy also can be helpful to patients who want to talk about their feelings or discuss their concerns about the future or about personal relationships. Friends and relatives, especially those who have had personal experience with cancer, can be very supportive. Also, it helps many patients to meet with others who are facing problems like theirs. Cancer patients often get together in support groups, where they can share what they have learned about cancer and its treatment and about coping with the disease. It is important to keep in mind, however, that each patient is different. Treatments and ways of dealing with cancer that work for one person may not be right for another, even if they both have the same kind of cancer. It is a good idea to discuss the advice of friends and family members with the doctor. Often, a social worker at the hospital or clinic can suggest groups that can help with rehabilitation, emotional support, financial aid, transportation, or home care. The American Cancer Society has many services for patients and families. Local offices of the American Cancer Society are listed in the white pages of the telephone directory. The Cancer Information Service also has information on local services.tocancer.com


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    Invasive ductal carcinoma or IDC is the most common breast cancer type.  Around 80 percent of the patients suffering from breast cancer are diagnosed with IDC. IDC is also often referred to as infiltrating ductal carcinoma. The term ‘invasive’ describes a cancer type that has ‘invaded’ the adjoining breast tissues. The term ‘ductal’ refers to the fact that the cancer has began from the patient’s milk ducts; the primary function of the milk ducts is carrying the milk to the nipples from the lobules, where the milk is produced. The term ‘carcinoma’ is used for all cancer types that start from the skin or tissues covering our internal organs (e.g. the breast tissues). As the disease progresses, IDC may invade the lymph nodes and other body parts of the patient. The data offered by American Cancer Society suggests that over 180,000 American women get diagnosed with invasive breast cancers every year and majority of them are victims of IDC. Medical experts inform that women of any age group can develop invasive ductal carcinoma, but women become more susceptible towards developing the condition after reaching the age of 55 years. According to current statistics, 2/3 of the patients got diagnosed with IDC either when they were of 55 years or older than that. Besides that, IDC might also occur in men. During the initial phase, IDC might not result in any symptom. Mostly the disease gets diagnosed, when the mammogram shows presence of abnormal areas; in such cases the doctor recommends the patient to undergo more diagnostic procedures. The signs that might indicate the occurrence of invasive ductal carcinoma include the following: Swelling in some parts or the entire breast. Pain in the breast. Dimpling and skin irritation. Nipples turning inward and pain in the nipples. Thickening, scaliness and redness of the breast skin or nipples. Formation of lumps in the armpits.www.justcancer.org


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    BACKGROUND:High-dose cytarabine (HiDAC) is safe and very effective in younger patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but it generally is not well tolerated in the elderly.METHODS:The authors explored the safety and tolerability of a modified HiDAC induction regimen consisting of 6 daily doses of cytarabine at 2 g/m2 in combination with 3 daily doses of daunorubicin at 45 mg/m2 in 59 consecutive patients aged >60 years who had de novo AML diagnosed between July 1996 and February 2005.RESULTS:The median patient age was 68 years (range, 60-86 years). The regimen was well tolerated. Infections were common and occurred in 39% of patients, but cerebellar toxicities occurred in only 7% of patients and were reversible. The day-30 induction-related mortality rate was 10%. Overall, 69% of patients achieved complete remissions (CR), and 80% received up to 3 consolidations with HiDAC. The median follow-up for surviving patients was 53 months (range, 17-114 months). The median overall survival was 15.3 months (range, 1-114 months), and the relapse-free survival was 13.8 months (range, 1-113 months). Survival for patients who achieved CR was 27 months (range, 2-114 months).CONCLUSIONS:The modified HiDAC regimen was well tolerated in patients aged >60 years with AML and was associated with low induction mortality and high rates of CR. Nevertheless, these high remissions still were associated with poor overall outcomes. Cancer 2011;. © 2011 American Cancer Society.dx.doi.org


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    BACKGROUND:The p53 antisense oligonucleotide cenersen has been shown to sensitize acute myeloid leukemia (AML) stem cells to DNA damaging agents.METHODS:To determine whether cenersen merits testing in larger efficacy studies, an exploratory study of cenersen in combination with idarubicin either alone or with 1 of 2 doses of cytarabine was performed in first-salvage AML patients. Patients who either had failed to respond to a single induction course or had responded to induction but relapsed within 12 months were enrolled. Stopping rules based on an expected 14% complete response (CR) rate were applied to each treatment arm.RESULTS:Fifty-three patients were treated, and none of the arms was terminated for lack of activity. Nearly all patients received a single course unless they responded. Ten of the 53 (19%) patients responded (8 CR and 2 CR with incomplete platelet recovery). There was a positive trend for a better response rate with increasing intensity of chemotherapy in the patients refractory to front-line treatment compared with those who had relapsed previously. One-third (17/53) of the patients received cenersen inhibitors (acetaminophen and/or high dose antioxidants) during treatment, and none of these responded to treatment. No unique toxicity was attributed to cenersen.CONCLUSION:The results of this study suggested that the combination of cenersen with chemotherapy may have clinical efficacy, and additional studies are warranted to explore its full potential. Cancer 2011;. © 2011 American Cancer Society.dx.doi.org


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    BACKGROUND:For BRCA1/BRCA2 gene testing to benefit public health, mutation carriers must initiate appropriate risk management strategies. There has been little research examining the long-term use and prospective predictors of the full range of risk management behaviors among women who have undergone BRCA1/2 testing. We evaluated long-term uptake and predictors of risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM), risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (RRBSO), chemoprevention, and cancer screening among women at a mean of 5.3 years after testing.METHODS:The study participants comprised 465 women who underwent BRCA1/2 testing. Prior to genetic counseling, we measured family/personal cancer history, sociodemographics, perceived risk, cancer-specific distress, and general distress. We contacted patients at a mean of 5.3 years after testing to measure use of RRM, RRBSO, chemoprevention, and breast and ovarian cancer screening.RESULTS:Among participants with intact breasts and/or ovaries at the time of testing, BRCA1/2 carriers were significantly more likely to obtain RRM (37%) and RRBSO (65%) compared with women who received uninformative (RRM, 6.8%; RRBSO, 13.3%) or negative (RRM, 0%; RRBSO, 1.9%) results. Among carriers, precounseling anxiety was associated with subsequent uptake of RRM. RRO was predicted by age. Carriers were also more likely have used breast cancer chemoprevention and have undergone magnetic resonance imaging screening.CONCLUSION:This prospective evaluation of the uptake and predictors of long-term management outcomes provides a clearer picture of decision making in this population. At a mean of 5.3 years after testing, more than 80% of carriers had obtained RRM, RRBSO, or both, suggesting that BRCA1/2 testing is likely to have a favorable effect on breast and ovarian cancer outcomes. Cancer 2011;. © 2011 American Cancer Society.dx.doi.org


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