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Vitamin
C has been shown to kill cancer
cell in test tubes. Unfortunately, the
Vitamin C taken by mouth does not
increase the level of Vitamin C in the
blood high enough to have any effect
because the body does not absorb
vitamin C beyond what it needs. The
vitamin C administered intravenously (
IV ) seems to produce levels 70 times
greater than if taken by mouth. More
research is needed to see if levels
this high will help in treatment of
cancer. The
Annals of Internal Medicine
For
patients with proliferative lupus
nephritis,
short-term
treatment with intravenous Cytoxan
followed
by maintenance
therapy with mycophenolate mofetil or
azathioprine
appears to be
more effective and safer than
long-term therapy
with
intravenous Cytoxan.
The
New England Journal of Medicine
C-reactive
Protein is
a test of inflammation that
may
help in detection of colorectal
cancer. Patients with colon cancer
were noted to have elevated C-reactive
protein test before. This may be a
useful test in early detection of
colon cancer. The
Journal of The American Medical
Association
Enbrel
is
not effective for treatment of
Wegener'e Granulomatosis as was shown
in a study in the New England Journal
of Medicine. There was no difference
in the control and treated group in
terms of remission or flare-ups. The
outcome of this study was very much
expected as Enbrel also does not
re-activate TB (another granulomatous
disease) as do Humira or Remicade.
Humira and Remicade may actually turn
out to be more effective in Wegener'e
Granulomatosis. There were more solid
tumors in the Enbrel group that is
concerning.
Fracture
in men
is rather uncommon. Recent study in
the New England Journal of Medicine
(NEJM) showed that use of Lupron,
a hormone that inhibits male
testosterone and is now used to treat
prostate cancer, can increase risk of
fracture in Men. Therefore men who are
getting Lupron should have bone
density testing and discuss treatment
for Osteoporosis with their physicians
or see a rheumatologist
for treatment.
Treatment
of selected patients with AL amyloidosis,
a fatal disease resulting from
tissue
deposition of amyloid fibrils derived
from monoclonal
immunoglobulin
light chains,
by
using high-dose melphalan and
stem-cell transplantation resulted
in hematologic remission,
improved 5-year survival from 5 months
to 4.8 years, and reversal
of
amyloid-related disease in a
substantial proportion (40%).
This study showed that there are
better treatments now available for
Amyloidosis with increase in rates of
remission and survival.
The
Annals of Internal Medicine
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