The community needs to be educated about potential risks of alternative and herbal medicines, in particular black cohosh, according to an article in the latest Medical Journal of Australia. Black cohosh is a herbal remedy used by millions of women worldwide for the relief of menopausal symptoms. In Australia, more than 200 listed medicines containing black cohosh are available without prescription.

The environment within primary breast tumors can “empower” cells that break free and enter the bloodstream to successfully invade other organs, researchers report in the April 4th Cell, a publication of Cell Press.

Penn State scientists are the first to observe in living cells a key step in the creation of adenine and guanine, two of the four building blocks that comprise DNA. Also called purines, the two building blocks are essential for cell replication. The findings, which will be published in the 4 April 2008 issue of the journal Science, could lead to new cancer treatments that prevent cancer cells from replicating by interfering with their abilities to make purines.

A genetic disorder that can cause a fatal rise in body temperature in some patients undergoing general anesthesia may hold the key to a cure for heat stroke, according to research published in the April 4 edition of the journal Cell. The findings further suggest that antioxidants, like those currently being tested to protect the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients, may also protect those genetically prone to suffer heat stroke.According to the current study authors, all U.S.

Continuous oral contraceptives may be more effective than the standard 28-day birth control pills in suppressing the ovary, according to researchers. They say that the continuous pill also causes a significant improvement in pain and behavioral changes.”We have provided a biological proof of concept that both the ovary and the lining of the uterus are suppressed better and quicker with the continuous pill than with the cyclic pill.

Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) announced that results from several preclinical and clinical trials investigating cancer treatment will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2008 in San Diego between April 12-16, 2008. Data will be presented on pipeline compounds: AMG 102, AMG 386, AMG 479, AMG 655 and motesanib diphosphate (AMG 706).

Two Baylor University faculty members are working to create and test dozens of new cancer fighting compounds that disrupt solid cancer tumors and target any remaining tumor cells that may grow after the tumor is treated. In another project, two Baylor adjunct faculty members and a Baylor graduate student are developing vaccines against melanoma.

UroToday.com - Dr. Patard from Rennes, France presented on behalf of a large international group regarding partial nephrectomy (PN) and radical nephrectomy (RN) in the setting of organ confined tumor measuring more than 4 cm.Out of a multi-institutional database including 2,406 PN procedures, 289 which were performed for pT1b-pT2N0M0 renal tumors were selected for comparison with a matched radical nephrectomy group.

UroToday.com - An Italian study group presented data on the optimal schedule regimen and the role of maintenance intravesical chemotherapy or BCG immunotherapy after transurethral resection (TUR for non muscle-invasive transitional cell cancer of the bladder (NMI TCCB) for patients at intermediate risk.Between 2002 and 2003, 577 patients, undergoing TUR for NMI TCCB, were recruited.

UroToday.com - Cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) expression increases with bladder cancer tumor grade and stage. Dr.