Published: Friday, September 23, 2011 at 10:57 p.m. last Modified: Friday, September 23, 2011 at 10:57 p.m.

LAKELAND | Prostate cancer gets the lion’s share of attention when men’s health is the topic of discussion, in large part because so many men are living with it.

Facts CANCER TRIALS IN LAKELAND

Both cancer centers in Lakeland do clinical trials for a variety of cancers, including lung cancer. Center for Cancer Care and Research’s contact number for those trials is 863-688-6826. its information can be found online at watsonclinic.com under clinical trials. Lakeland Regional Cancer Center’s number for clinical trials is 863-904-1900 or go to lrmc.com/cancer-center for information.

Far less is heard about lung cancer, but it kills more men each year in the United States than any other cancer.

The American Cancer Society estimates 156,940 people will die this year from cancers of the lung and bronchus — approximately 85,600 men and 71,340 women.

Not only does lung cancer affect a significant portion of the population in the United states, it is also a very unrelenting disease.

“With lung cancer, the survival rate is not as high,” said Robin Stewart, manager of clinical research at Lakeland Regional Cancer Center. “There’s a lot of research going on with lung cancer, but it’s not a disease with survivors pushing for a lot more things.”

Stewart and Dr. Fred Schreiber, a veteran Watson Clinic oncologist, agree on the chief cause of lung cancer and the best prevention.

“The best policy is avoid it, which means don’t smoke,” Schreiber said. “It’s a deadly cancer because it’s usually found in an advanced stage rather than early.”

Lung cancer tends to be faster growing and more prone to spread than prostate cancer, Schreiber said,

That explains in part why lung cancer isn’t detected until the later stages for many patients, said Stewart, an oncology nurse with a doctorate in human services.

Another reason is that people are in denial about their risk of getting lung cancer, said Noreen McGowan, a registered nurse who heads Watson Clinic’s clinical trials programs.

They advocate abstaining from smoking and said for people who do smoke, quitting is the best deterrent.

Those who won’t quit or feel they can’t quit should, at minimum, avoid smoking in enclosed spaces where they will get exposed to both first- and second-hand smoke, Stewart said.

Persistent coughing, shortness of breath and changes in a person’s type of coughing can be symptoms of lung cancer, they said, although those can signal other illnesses as well.

Clinical trials involving various combinations of drugs for lung-cancer treatment take place at both Lakeland cancer centers: LRCC, which has cancer doctors employed by Lakeland Regional Medical Center; and Center for Cancer Care and Research, which has cancer doctors from Watson Clinic and Clark and Daughtrey Medical Group.

Trials often involve combinations of standard chemotherapy and new experimental drugs.

The only trial current enrolling new patients at LRCC pairs an unnamed experimental drug with the now-standard combination of carboplatin, paclitaxel and bevacizumab, Stewart said. It’s for patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer is a fast-growing type of lung cancer that spreads much more quickly than non-small cell lung cancer.

Bevacizumab was approved as part of lung-cancer treatment during the past three years, Stewart said, after having been tested in earlier clinical trials.

The experimental drug in LRCC’s still-enrolling clinical trial is targeted therapy, which increasingly is being used in additional to standard chemotherapy.

“Targeted therapy is the wave of the future,” Schreiber said. “We have several (cancer trials) going on involving targeted therapy.”

Targeted drugs are designed to go straight to receptor sites on cancer cells, as opposed to traditional chemotherapy that destroys all rapidly dividing cells, Stewart said.

Eclipse, one of two lung-cancer trials enrolling new patients at the Center for Cancer Care and Research, uses targeted therapy. It’s for some squamous non-small-cell lung cancer patients who are at stage IV, when the cancer is the most extensive, McGowan said.

While hopeful about targeted therapy, Schreiber said he doesn’t want anyone thinking its development changes the realities of lung cancer.

“Therapies are slowly getting better, but avoiding lung cancer is a smarter policy than thinking you can be (successfully) treated,” he said.

The status of lung-cancer patients sought for Center for Cancer Care and Research trials bears that out. along with the stage IV patients treated in its Eclipse study, there’s another drug combination trial for “poor performance status” patients with advanced non small-cell lung cancer.

A trial that recently closed for enrollment there had sought patients with “extensive stage’ small cell lung cancer.

[Robin Williams Adams can be reached at or 863-802-7558. Read her blog at robinsrx.blogs.theledger.com. Follow on Twitter at ledgerROBIN.]

April 04, 2011 03:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time 

TACOMA, Wash.–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–Revalesio Corporation, a pioneering biotechnology company, and Rush University will present research on the use of RNS60 in Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) meeting April 9-16 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

“The data we’re presenting at AAN supports our work in establishing RNS60 as a strong therapeutic candidate across multiple inflammatory diseases”

“The data we’re presenting at AAN supports our work in establishing RNS60 as a strong therapeutic candidate across multiple inflammatory diseases,” said Dr. Richard Watson, M.D., Director of Clinical Research at Revalesio. “These findings, combined with the research recently presented at the American Society for Neurochemistry and American Academy of Asthma Allergy and Immunology, create a strong foundation for our development of novel CSN-based therapeutics to improve the outcomes of patients with inflammatory diseases. Combined with the excellent safety profile of RNS60 to date, the findings make a strong case for testing RNS60 in clinical trials,” said Dr. Watson.

Revalesio will present data at the national conference from studies in multiple preclinical models of Multiple Sclerosis that demonstrated a significant reduction in disease scores related to the use of RNS60. these results identify the strong potential of RNS60 as a low-risk therapeutic for treating Multiple Sclerosis.

Revalesio will also present data related to Alzheimer’s disease. in a well-established cell culture model of the disease, RNS60 dose-dependently inhibited the activation of a protein called Tau. Tau activation is a known cause behind the generation of neurofilament tangles often found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and is widely considered to be a contributor to the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. RNS60 also protected neurons challenged with beta-amyloid from apoptosis (cell death).

About charge-stabilized nanostructures (CSN)

Revalesio has pioneered the novel use of CSN to alter whole cell conductance through effects on voltage-gated ion channels and other voltage-sensing proteins, thereby modulating the expression of G protein-coupled receptors and the secretion of cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules. these changes to whole cell conductance reduce inflammatory signals that are linked to numerous diseases.

About Revalesio Corporation:

Revalesio is a pioneering biotechnology company dedicated to restoring hope and transforming lives. Founded in 2000 and based in Tacoma, Washington, Revalesio has partnered with leaders in biomedical research around the world. Revalesio has an extensive patent portfolio on a novel class of anti-inflammatory products and is pioneering the use of CSN in neuro-inflammatory, respiratory, cardiovascular, and other inflammatory diseases. for more information about Revalesio, visit revalesio.com.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and one of its related disorders, AttentionDeficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), affect between 3%-7% of the population in the United States.

ADD is the most common behavioral problem for children and teens and is marked by an inability to focus or concentrate for extended periods. ADHD is marked by hyperactive and/or inappropriate behavior. There are more than three times the number of cases in boys than girls. Children with ADHD are at a higher risk of developing personality disorders and substance abuse problems.

The 2000 edition of the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders(DSM-IV-TR) provides the criteria for diagnosing ADD and ADHD. Six or more of the listed symptoms of inattention must be present for at least six months and be disruptive and inappropriate for the child’s developmental level in order to render a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD.

In 1998, a report published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) spoke about the inability to find a cause or causes of ADD and ADHD. “After years of clinical research and experience with ADHD, our knowledge about the cause or causes of ADHD remains speculative. Consequently, we have no strategies for the prevention of ADHD.”

Experts can’t agree on the causes of ADD and ADHD. some postulate that it is the result of one or more conditions which include diet, allergies, low muscle tone, intolerance to some foods, anxiety, physical or mental illness, parenting deficiencies and poor discipline.

Some experts feel that ADD and ADHD can be caused by frequent childhood infections, such as ear infections. The ADD child can also have other disorders co-existing with attention deficit such as learning disabilities or mental disorders. often, ADD children do poorly in school due to their inability to concentrate and stay focused. as many as half of children with ADHD have co-existing mental disorders.

One of the coexisting disorders in patients with ADHD is Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Symptoms of ODD usually appear before age eight and may occur with people the child knows well such as family members or regular care providers. The behaviors associated with ODD include losing one’s temper, arguing with adults, refusing to comply with adults’ rules or requests, being resentful or vindictive, deliberately annoying others and blaming others for their mistakes.

A related disorder, known as Conduct Disorder (CD) is a behavioral problem characterized by aggression towards others and serious breaches of rules, laws and social norms. in many cases, this leads to stints in juvenile detention facilities. CD is less common than ODD but it is nonetheless a severe and serious disorder which is difficult to treat.

There are many symptoms present in an ADD/ADHD person. while energetic children do not always have ADD or ADHD, the symptoms described below are some of the Attention Deficit identifying markers. ADHD and ADD children also have a higher incidence of physical injuries than non-ADD/ADHD children.

Lack of concentration and frequently making mistakesInterrupting conversationsRapid speechInattentivenessPoor memoryAggressivenessRelationship problemsImpulsivityEasily distractedDepression and/or anxietyMood swingsOften does not seem to listen when spoken to directlySocial and behavioral problems

There are three types of attention deficit. The inattentive type is obviously a child who has trouble paying attention along with other factors such as being easily distracted.

The hyperactive-impulsive type is aggressive and compulsive. The hyperactive-impulsive child often squirms and fidgets frequently. The most common type of ADHD is a hybrid of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Get More Information on Focus ADDult for Adults and Teens.