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Researchers say a new drug called crizotinib shows promise for treating specific types of lung cancer. In clinical trials,crizotinib reduced the size of lung cancer tumorsdramatically. Within 8 weeks of starting treatment ,lung cancer was stabilized in 87 percent of patient enrolled in Phase I/II clinical trials.

Lyudmila Bazhenova, MD, assistant clinical professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine and a member of the Moores UCSD Cancer Center says the first two trials are "encouraging", but the Phase III trials will determine if crizotinib will go to market. If so, approximately four percent of patients with a specific type of lung cancer would benefit from the drug.

Crizotinib works by inhibiting a specific enzyme present in approximately four percent of patients with NSCLC or non small cell lung carcinoma that results in the fusion of two genes - ALK and EML4 - that in turn produces an enzyme that promotes lung cancer tumor growth.

Lung cancer patients who were former l…

Researchers say chronic insomnia increases the chances of dying three fold compared to people who sleep well. The risk of dying remained the same regardless of the type of insomnia, a finding researchers say are important for successful insomnia treatments.

Regardless of whether study participants awakened early, had disrupted sleep and difficulty falling back asleep, trouble falling asleep or awakened frequently the chances of death were found to be 2 to 3 times higher with chronic insomnia compared to people who get enough sleep and quality sleep.

Lead author Laurel Finn, a biostatistician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison says "The most surprising result was the increased high risk for mortality among individuals with chronic insomnia versus those without insomnia. The other important finding was the non-differentiation between subtypes of insomnia with respect to mortality risk."

To find the link between chronic insomnia and increased risk of death researchers sent 2…

Ecopsychologist says Gulf Oil Spill Result of Disturbed Thinking
Dr. Michael J Cohen, an Ecopsychologist and program director of the Institute of Global Education suggests the gulf oil spill is the result of money addiction and exploitation of our natural resources brought about by disturbed thinking. Rather than cooperating with nature Dr. Cohen says we have become addicted to money and exploitation of our living planet. He suggests the gulf oil spill can be seen as a “terrorist sabotage-suicide act”, brought about by disturbed thinking that leads us to believe it is okay to destroy our natural environment. Emaxhealth.com

Hormone Patch Safer than Pill
Scientists say the way women taking hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal symptoms could be related to risk for cerebrovascular events such as stroke. Low dose hormone replacement therapy or HRT patches with estrogen that deliver hormones through the skin may carry a lower risk of stroke, found in a newer study. The researchers sa…