Cancer Weekly articles from March 1992

Cancer Weekly archives from March 1992

Researchers find acne drug combination helps treat some skin cancer. (Accutane, or 13-cis retinoic acid, and interferon) (M.D. Anderson Cancer Center)
March 2, 1992... M.D. Anderson Cancer Center A treatment combining a drug for severe acne and interferon was found to be effective in fighting a rare skin cancer and advanced cervical cancer, a researcher says. Interferon appears to improve the...

Taxol tested for children who don't respond to other cancer therapies. (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center)
March 2, 1992... Texas Pediatric oncologists at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, are administering the experimental cancer drug taxol to children whose cancers do not respond to other treatments. A Phase I trial is...

Company, Ole Miss in agreement on taxol cancer research. (University of Mississippi Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences; method of taxol extraction from bark of Pacific yew) (Bristol-Myers Squibb)
March 2, 1992... Bristol-Myers Squibb The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb announced a $2.45 million agreement to extract an anticancer drug from trees. In the past, scientists thought taxol could...

Panel recommends IL-2 approval. (interleukin-2) (U.S. Food and Drug Administration Biological Response Modifiers Advisory Committee)
March 2, 1992... U.S. FDA A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel has recommended that interleukin-2 (IL-2) be made available for treatment of selected patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The FDA's Biological Response Modifiers...

Panel recommends less invasive removal of early melanomas. (U.S. National Institutes of Health)
March 2, 1992... U.S. NIH A U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) panel suggests that lymph node removal and expensive diagnostic studies are unnecessary in early melanoma cases. "We see an invitation for overtreatment when we use the word...

Past pregnancy associated with axillary node status in breast cancer patients. (Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York)
March 2, 1992... New York Past studies have found that early pregnancy is protective against breast cancer, but a report from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine suggests that pregnancy increases the risk of nodal involvement in women with breast cancer....

Doctors develop new procedure to test breast implants. (using fiber optic scope to determine patency) (Cleveland Clinic Foundation)
March 2, 1992... Cleveland Clinic Foundation At a recent international meeting of plastic surgeons, Richard V. Dowden, M.D., Head of the Section of Breast Surgery in the Plastic Surgery Department of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, presented a new...

Hispanics have higher breast cancer death rates. (New Mexico)
March 2, 1992... New Mexico A rising breast cancer death rate is higher among Hispanic women than for any other group, a New Mexico study has found. The research also found American Indians have lower rates of breast cancer and death related to...

High rate of cancer found in police using radar guns. (Michigan)
March 2, 1992... Michigan Seven police officers from two Kent County, Michigan, departments have been diagnosed with testicular cancer, and some of them are blaming radar guns for the rare disease. Four of the 195 males on the force in Grand Rapids...

Tsongas' presidential bid a referendum on his health. (Paul Tsongas)
March 2, 1992... United States Cancer survivors are finding they have a bond with Democratic presidential candidate Paul Tsongas, whether they agree with his politics or not. "He knows what it feels like to be frightened..." said Peggie Carey,...

Placebo nicotine patch cures 30 percent of smokers. (University of Wisconsin)
March 2, 1992... University of Wisconsin The patches worn by Gail Luchsinger didn't really contain nicotine to ease his craving, yet they halted his habit of three packs a day. University of Wisconsin (UW) researchers said Luchsinger was one of the...

Clinical trial begins. (Oxygent HT, a temporary red blood cell substitute) (Alliance Pharmaceutical)
March 2, 1992... Alliance Pharmaceutical Alliance Pharmaceutical Corporation announced that it has commenced a Phase I human clinical trial in the United States for its Oxygent HT product. Oxygent HT is a perfluorocarbon-based oxygen carrier to be...

Alar, UDMH shown not to be carcinogenic. (daminozide, 1,1-dimethylhydrazine) (World Health Organization)
March 2, 1992... WHO Tests by the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization (WHO) have shown that neither Alar nor its breakdown product UDMH is a carcinogen, it was reported to a scientific think tank on toxic chemicals in the environment....

Company signs second collaborative research agreement with Genentech. (to develop new radiolabeled antibody) (NeoRx Corp.)
March 2, 1992... NeoRx Corp. At its annual meeting of shareholders Dr. Paul G. Abrams, president and CEO of NeoRx Corp., announced the signing of a second collaborative research agreement with Genentech Inc. The new research involves combining...

Agency grants approval to commence clinical trials with prostate cancer drug. (SOMAGARD, deslorelin) (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
March 2, 1992... U.S. FDA Roberts Pharmaceutical Corp. announced that its IND submission for SOMAGARD (deslorelin) has successfully passed the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's (FDA) initial requirements and that the company will begin multicenter...

Company files for product marketing approval in Canada. (ImmuRAID-CEA, colorectal cancer imaging agent) (Immunomedics Inc.)
March 2, 1992... Immunomedics Inc. Immunomedics Inc. announced that it has filed with the Bureau of Biologics and the Bureau of Radiation and Medical Devices of the Health Bureau Protectorate for approval to market in Canada ImmuRAID-CEA, the company's...

Short-term estrogen therapy does not increase breast cancer risk. (Johns Hopkins School of Public Health)
March 2, 1992... Johns Hopkins School of Public Health More women than ever are taking estrogen to relieve menopausal symptoms and prevent heart disease and osteoporosis. However, two studies in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggest disagreement...

Alliance petition seeks more than 50 percent reduction in ozone depletion compound allowances. (Alliance for Responsible CFC Policy) (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
March 2, 1992... U.S. EPA The Alliance for Responsible CFC Policy, an industry coalition composed of CFC and HCFC producers and users, petitioned U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator William Reilly to accelerate the phaseout schedule...

Transformation of normal human fibroblasts: vector mediated disruption of suppressor gene. (Research Report)
March 2, 1992... AUTHORS: Arbansjit K. Sandhu, Gursurinder P. Kaur, Mala S. Kansara and Raghbir S. Athwal. New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey. According to the authors' abstract of a presentation to the 8th International Congress on Human...

The mutant p53 protein is required for the maintenance of the transformed phenotype. (Research Report)
March 2, 1992... AUTHORS: A.J. Levine, G. Zambetti, J. Martinez, C. Finlay and R. Quartin. Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey. According to the abstract of the authors' presentation to the joint annual meeting for the Biophysical Society and...

Automated DNA sequencing: a look into the future. (Research Report)
March 2, 1992... AUTHORS: L.M. Smith. University of Wisconsin at Madison. According to the abstract of the author's presentation to the joint annual meeting for the Biophysical Society and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,...

Cellular target of the oncoproteins encoded by the cancer associated human papillomaviruses. (Research Report)
March 2, 1992... AUTHORS: P. Howley, K. Munger, M. Scheffner and J.M. Huibregtse. National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland. According to the abstract of the authors' presentation to the joint annual meeting for the Biophysical Society and the...

Lymphocyte transformation by Epstein Barr virus: genetics and biochemistry. (Research Report)
March 2, 1992... AUTHORS: M. Birkenbach, J. Cohen, E. Kieff, R. Longnecker, A. Marchiani, J. Mannick, B. Tomkinson, S. Tsang and F. Wang. Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts. According to the abstract of the authors' presentation to the joint...

Structural basis for oncogenic mutations of ras proteins. (Research Report)
March 2, 1992... AUTHORS: S.H. Kim. University of California at Berkeley. According to the abstract of the author's presentation to the joint annual meeting for the Biophysical Society and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,...

Mitogenic pathways regulated by G protein oncogenes. (Research Report)
March 2, 1992... AUTHORS: G.L. Johnson, S.K. Gupta, C. Gallego and L.E. Heasley. National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Denver, Colorado. According to the abstract of the authors' presentation to the joint annual meeting for the...

Monoclonal antibody distribution in microscopic tumor nodules: consequences of a 'binding site barrier.' (Research Report)
March 2, 1992... AUTHORS: Willian van Osdol, Kenji Fujimori and John N. Weinstein. Laboratory of Mathematical Biology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland. According to the abstract of the authors' presentation to the joint annual meeting for...

The prognostic significance of total serum cholesterol in patients with Hodgkin's disease. (Periodical Report)
March 2, 1992... SOURCE: Cancer, February 15, 1992;69(4):1042-1046. Total serum cholesterol values at the time of diagnosis may be a significant prognostic indicator in patients with Hodgkin's disease, according to a German study. Over the past...

Treatment of children with progressive or recurrent brain tumor with carboplatin or iproplatin: a Pediatric Oncology Group randomized Phase II study. (Periodical Report)
March 2, 1992... SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Oncology, February, 1992;10(2):249-256. Carboplatin may be one of the most active agents identified to date for the therapy of low-grade astrocytic neoplasms, but further clinical data are needed before it is...

A Phase II trial of 5-fluorouracil and recombinant alpha-2a-interferon in previously untreated metastatic gastric carcinoma. (Periodical Report)
March 2, 1992... SOURCE: Cancer, February 15, 1992;69(4):878-881. Combination chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and recombinant alpha-2a-interferon (IFN-2alpha) showed modest activity in the treatment of metastatic gastric carcinoma, but did not...

Percutaneous ethanol injection in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhosis. (Periodical Report)
March 2, 1992... SOURCE: Cancer, February 15, 1992;69(4):925-929. Percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) is a safe, easily administered, low-cost treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhosis, with a survival rivalling surgery,...

Potential for targeting head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with monoclonal antibody K984. (Periodical Report)
March 2, 1992... SOURCE: Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy, February, 1992;34:252-258. The monoclonal antibody K984 may have the potential for specific tumor targeting of squamous cell carcinomas, according to a report from Amsterdam's Free University...

A Phase II study of piritrexim in patients with advanced squamous head and neck cancer. (Periodical Report)
March 2, 1992... SOURCE: Cancer, February 15, 1992;69(4):1008-1011. A multicenter study finds that the newly developed folate antagonist piritrexim has some activity in the treatment of squamous cell cancer of the head and neck (SCCHN). Piritrexim...

New strides made to develop treatment for brain cancers. (compound BOPP to be used with boron neutron capture therapy) (University of California, San Francisco)
March 9, 1992... University of California, San Francisco A University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), chemist and his Australian colleagues have synthesized a new compound that selectively infiltrates and destroys tumor cells in mice, raising hopes...

Human papilloma virus may be long-sought KS agent. (Kaposi's sarcoma trigger) (New York University Medical Center)
March 9, 1992... New York University Medical Center A virus that causes genital warts may also trigger Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), researchers say. A new study, using the highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, confirms preliminary...

Breast cancer drug suspected to cause genetic liver damage. (tamoxifen citrate, Nolvadex) (University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston)
March 9, 1992... Texas A widely-used drug to treat and prevent breast cancer may inadvertently cause damage to genetic cells in the liver, according to researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB). In studies using...

Aesthetic plastic surgeons say agency recommendations will leave women confused. (silicone breast implants) (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
March 9, 1992... U.S. FDA The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel's recommendation to allow wide use of silicone gel-filled implants for breast reconstruction and to severely restrict use for breast augmentation will leave the...

Researchers develop optical biopsy technique for early cancer detection. (Los Alamos National Laboratory)
March 9, 1992... Los Alamos National Laboratory Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, have constructed a system for non-invasive, early cancer detection and have demonstrated its ability to distinguish normal and...

Lack of yew bark management plan causes concern. (for Hauser Northwest Inc.) (U.S. Congress)
March 9, 1992... U.S. Congress An official for a company hired to collect yew bark for treating cancer suggested halting the harvests temporarily for fear of being sued over the absence of a government management plan, Representative Ron Wyden,...

U.S. health report card: smoking less, eating more. (Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance survey) (U.S. Centers for Disease Control)
March 9, 1992... U.S. CDC Smoking is down, but obesity is up and exercise remains as unpopular as ever, according to a new U.S. government survey of the nation's health risks. About 23 percent of Americans smoke, according to the Behavior Risk Factor...

Antismoking groups say tobacco should be regulated drug. (American Heart Association, American Lung Association, American Cancer Society) (Washington, D.C.)
March 9, 1992... Washington, D.C. Three prominent health organizations said that they want tobacco to be considered an addictive drug and regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). "The health of the American people can no longer be...

Agency collaborates with Genetic Therapy Inc. on gene therapy stem cell trial. (U.S. National Institutes of Health)
March 9, 1992... U.S. NIH Genetic Therapy Inc. (GTI) announced that the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) approved the first human gene therapy trial using stem cells to correct a genetic disease,...

Company submits New Drug Application for Salagen. (pilocarpine for radiation-induced xerostomia in head & neck cancer patients) (MGI Pharma)
March 9, 1992... MGI Pharma MGI Pharma reported that it submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for review and approval to market Salagen (pilocarpine), which is a treatment for radiation-induced xerostomia in...

Company receives approval and begins marketing Cardioxane in Italy. (cardioprotector used in conjunction with anthracycline chemotherapy) (EuroCetus B.V., Netherlands-based unit of Chiron Corp.)
March 9, 1992... The Netherlands EuroCetus B.V., a fully integrated oncology business unit of Chiron Corp. based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, announced that it has received approval in Italy to market Cardioxane, a cardioprotector for use against...

Toxicity of endotoxin is attenuated in human clinical study. (MPL immunostimulant) (Ribi ImmunoChem)
March 9, 1992... Ribi ImmunoChem An analysis of a Phase I/II safety/controlled challenge study indicates that MPL immunostimulant diminishes the toxic effects of gram-negative endotoxin in healthy volunteers, Ribi ImmunoChem Research Inc. said....

Agreement between Epigen Inc. and the University of Oslo signed to characterize the "HC Antigen." (human carcinoma antigen) (Norway)
March 9, 1992... Norway Epigen Inc., a biopharmaceutical company organized to develop and commercialize innovative products for use in the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of cancer patients, announced the signing of an agreement with the University...

Research collaboration announced. (developing oncology products & technologies, especially targeted monoclonal antibodies) (Burroughs Wellcome/Duke University)
March 9, 1992... Burroughs Wellcome/Duke University Burroughs Wellcome Co. and Duke University Medical Center have announced a $5 million research collaboration that could result in progress in the fight against cancer. Under the research...

Physicists to recommend changes in Michigan's mammography evaluation.
March 9, 1992... Michigan Members of the Great Lakes Chapter of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) made comments related to the Michigan Department of Public Health (MDPH) mammography phantom imaging and scoring system at a special...

Insurance requirement supported for mammograms, Pap smears. (Georgia)
March 9, 1992... Georgia A bill requiring insurance companies to include mammograms and Pap smears in their basic coverage is getting support from Georgia's insurance commissioner and other lawmakers. Representative Wesley Dunn, Democrat-McDonough,...

Function analysis of the RB gene product and related proteins. (retinoblastoma) (Research Report)
March 9, 1992... AUTHORS: M. Ewen, W.G. Laelin, T. Chittenden, S. Shirodkar, J. DeCaprio, E. Flemington, J.D. Griffin, F. Ajchenbaum, C. Sherr and D.M. Livingston. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; and St. Jude...

Cross-reactive oncotopes found in widely divergent carcinogen-induced murine tumors. (Research Report)
March 9, 1992... AUTHORS: L.A. Manson. University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia. According to the abstract of the author's presentation to the joint annual meeting for the Biophysical Society and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular...

Oncoimmunins: new tumor-derived cytokines with immunomodulatory activity. (Research Report)
March 9, 1992... AUTHORS: Beverly Z. Packard and Akira Komoriya. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, Maryland. According to the abstract of the authors' presentation to the joint annual meeting for the Biophysical Society and the American...

Antisense DNA inhibition of C-Ha-ras-induced tumorigenesis in athymic nude mice. (Research Report)
March 9, 1992... AUTHORS: Eric Wickstrom, Gary Gray, Denise Hebel and Julio M. Pow-Sang. University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida. According to the abstract of the authors' presentation to the joint annual meeting for the Biophysical Society and the...

IgE-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase C-tau-1 in rat basophilic leukemia cells. (immunoglobulin E) (Research Report)
March 9, 1992... AUTHORS: DoJoon Park, Nae Won Kim, Hong Ki Min, Hwanghee Blaise Lee, Hye Won Rho and Sue Goo Rhee. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. According to the abstract of the authors' presentation to the joint annual meeting...

19F-NMR studies of intracellular volume and membrane potential during dexamethasone induced apoptosis in human leukemic cell lines. (nuclear magnetic resonance) (Research Report)
March 9, 1992... AUTHORS: F. Adebodun and J.F.M. Post. University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. According to the abstract of the authors' presentation to the joint annual meeting for the Biophysical Society and the American Society for...

Inhibitory action of the antitumor agent, calphostin C, on membrane-bound diacylglycerol kinase. (Research Report)
March 9, 1992... AUTHORS: J. LeFevere, C. Redman and M.L. MacDonald. Southwest Biomedical Research Institute, Scottsdale, Arizona. According to the abstract of the authors' presentation to the joint annual meeting for the Biophysical Society and the...

A Phase III randomized study comparing cisplatin and fluorouracil as single agents and in combination for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. (Periodical Report)
March 9, 1992... SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Oncology, February, 1992;10(2):257-263. Combination chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) does not appear to improve survival times over single agent therapy in patients with advanced squamous...

Preoperative imaging of colorectal cancers. (Periodical Report)
March 9, 1992... SOURCE: Cancer, February 1, 1992;69(3):620-626. The radiation-labeled anti-epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) monoclonal antibody ICR2 appears to accurately detect colorectal cancer and metastasis, but not its liver deposits, according to...

Evaluation of amonafide in cervical cancer. (Periodical Report)
March 9, 1992... SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Oncology, January/February, 1992;15(1):41-44. The synthetic imide antineoplastic agent amonafide appears to have little activity in the treatment of metastatic or recurrent squamous cell cancer of...

Effect of anticancer drugs on the release of interleukin-6 in vitro. (Periodical Report)
March 9, 1992... SOURCE: Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy, February, 1992;34:228-232. Doxorubicin, vincristine and 4-00H-cyclophosphamide suppress the release of interleukin-6 from lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear...

Radiation-free preparation for allogenic bone marrow transplantation in adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. (Periodical Report)
March 9, 1992... SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Oncology, February, 1992;10(2):237-242. Treatment with a chemotherapeutic combination of busulfan and cyclophosphamide may be as effective as radiation-containing regimens in the treatment of adults with...

Hereditary and acquired p53 gene mutations in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. (Periodical Report)
March 9, 1992... SOURCE: The Journal of Clinical Investigations, February, 1992;640-647. A U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) study adds to the evidence that both hereditary and acquired p53 mutations are involved in the pathogenesis and/or...

Researchers conduct gene transfer experiments in two patients. (with advanced melanoma) (Pittsburgh Cancer Institute)
March 16, 1992... Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (PCI) researcher Michael T. Lotze, M.D., and colleagues have begun clinical studies on the safety and efficacy of gene transfer in patients with advanced melanoma, the deadliest...

Green tea may have inhibitory effect on skin tumors. (Rutgers University)
March 16, 1992... Rutgers University A murine study conducted at Rutgers University adds to the contradictory evidence that green tea consumption inhibits the formation of skin tumors. The study found that mice consuming green tea instead of plain...

Antisense trials to begin soon. (antisense oligonucleotides for leukemia treatment) (M.D. Anderson Cancer Center)
March 16, 1992... M.D. Anderson Cancer Center The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is set to begin the first clinical trials of antisense oligonucleotides in the treatment of leukemia patients, according to a report in the March 4, 1992,...

Studies bolster suspected genetic involvement in cervical cancer. (Europe)
March 16, 1992... Europe Researchers have offered new evidence that a woman's genes may influence her susceptibility to cervical cancer. The research focuses on whether genes that help control the disease-fighting immune system influence vulnerability to...

Scientists pinpoint gene they say damaged by radon. (p53 gene) (New Mexico)
March 16, 1992... New Mexico Scientists may have gained new insights into the connection between radon and lung cancer, according to a study of 19 New Mexico mine workers. Investigators reporting in the March 7, 1992, issue of the Lancet, a British...

Cancer mortality trends similar for industrialized countries. (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
March 16, 1992... There has been a significant increase in lung, breast, and prostate cancers and a significant decrease in stomach cancers throughout the industrialized world since 1969, but regional differences still exist, according to a study from the...

Guideline calls for "aggressive pain management." (Agency for Health Care Policy and Research)
March 16, 1992... In the first of a new series of federally-sponsored medical care guidelines, a panel of healthcare experts recommended that patients undergoing surgery should receive more active management of pain through medication than is given under...

Breast cancer: fine needle aspiration diagnosis; weight reduction and risk. (American Cancer Society seminar)
March 16, 1992... A simple outpatient procedure known as fine needle aspiration has proven effective in diagnosing breast cancer in 96.7 percent of all cases It is more cost effective and time efficient than the common breast biopsy procedure currently...

New breast implant technology developed. (use of vegetable triglycerides) (Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology)
March 16, 1992... Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, announced that Lipomatrix Inc., a start-up company, will begin commercial development of a new breast implant technology pioneered at the university. Lipomatrix Inc. intends to research,...

Cosmetic outcome good in breast cancer patients. (use of breast conserving therapy) (Tufts University School of Medicine)
March 16, 1992... A study conducted by the Breast Health Center of Tufts University School of Medicine finds that 85 percent of breast cancer patients given breast conserving therapy have good to excellent cosmetic outcomes at four years following treatment....

Bristol-Myers Squibb affirms commitment on taxol production. (U.S. Congress)
March 16, 1992... In comments made before a congressional hearing on the "Pacific Yew Act of 1991" (H.R. 3836), Bristol-Myers Squibb Company reported significant progress in the development of taxol, an experimental drug designated a top priority by the U.S....

Root disease found in Pacific yew trees. (Port Orford cedar root rot) (Oregon)
March 16, 1992... Pacific yew trees are being killed by a root disease that normally affects other trees, the U.S. Forest Service said. A recent survey has turned up 18 Pacific yew trees in southwestern Oregon and Northern California killed by Port Orford...

Cancer cells destroyed by light, without surgery, scientists say. (use of protoporphyrin; Constantin A. Rebeiz and Carole C. Rebeiz) (University of Illinois)
March 16, 1992... University of Illinois (UI) scientists have developed a technique that could destroy mammalian tumor cells just by shining a light on them. The technique gives hope that one day, treatments can be devised to destroy human cancer with...

Nicotine may act as an oral carcinogen. (University of Iowa)
March 16, 1992... People who use chewing tobacco may increase their risk of cancer of the mouth, dental researchers say. A recent study at the University of Iowa Dows Institute for Dental Research suggests that the high levels of nicotine in smokeless tobacco...

Smokeless tobacco extract impairs the ability of oral tissue cells to defend against bacteria. (University of Tennessee)
March 16, 1992... Dental researchers have shown that smokeless tobacco extract impairs the ability of oral tissue cells to defend against bacteria that cause gum diseases. Smokeless tobacco use has been previously linked to gum diseases as well as to oral...

Researchers find that age may affect risk of oral cancer. (University of Pittsburgh)
March 16, 1992... University of Pittsburgh dental medicine researchers have found that age, not only tobacco and alcohol use, may affect a person's risk for developing oral cancer. A study of 307 women and 659 men from Pittsburgh's Eye and Ear Hospital,...

Hepatitis B vaccination standards in effect. (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
March 16, 1992... New Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards went into effect March 6, 1992, requiring employers to offer, at their expense, hepatitis B vaccinations to all employees who may be occupationally at risk of infection with...

Health officials report surges of hepatitis A in homosexual men. (U.S. Centers for Disease Control)
March 16, 1992... U.S. health officials reported outbreaks of hepatitis A among homosexual men, who have not historically been at high risk for the viral liver disease. Researchers with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said they fear the outbreaks in...

Hepatitis antibodies "high" in Sacramento area IV drug users. (California)
March 16, 1992... A two-year University of California (UC), Davis, study of 585 intravenous (IV) drug users in the Sacramento area found more than 70 percent tested positive for antibodies to either hepatitis B or C viruses, leading researchers to call for...

The anticancer drug doxorubicin does not segregate anionic from zwitterionic phospholipids in liquid-crystalline mixed model membranes. (Research Report)
March 16, 1992... AUTHORS: F.A. de Wolf, K. Nicolay and B. de Kruijiff. University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. According to the authors' abstract of a presentation to the joint annual meeting of the Biophysical Society and the American Society...

Mechanisms of anticarcinogenesis: nitroreductases and GSH transferases in 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO) metabolism. (Research Report)
March 16, 1992... AUTHORS: J. Steven Stanley and Ann M. Benson. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas. According to the authors' abstract of a presentation to the joint annual meeting of the Biophysical Society and the...

Transcriptional regulation of mouse mammary tumor virus gene expression. (Research Report)
March 16, 1992... AUTHORS: D.O. Peterson, J. Pierce, P.G. Moffit and J.W. Lee. Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. According to the authors' abstract of a presentation to the joint annual meeting of the Biophysical Society and the American...

RFLP analysis of human endometrial carcinomas using an alpha tubulin probe shows an excess of heterozygosity in tumors. (restriction fragment length polymorphism) (Research Report)
March 16, 1992... AUTHORS: D.W. Mittanck, R.A. Nakashima, A.A. Alecozay, X. Li and W.C. Wigley. Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, and University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita, Kansas. According to the authors' abstract of a presentation to...