Using your immune system to fight cancer

There have been some recent rather dramatic advances in the treatment of cancer, mostly using targeted immunotherapy.

Checkpoint Inhibition
Cancer cells are immunologically different than our regular cells, and should provoke an immune response. Scientists have discovered that the immune system is actually activated, but the body produces checkpoint proteins that inhibit the response. By using pharmaceuticals that inhibit these proteins researchers have actually induced remissions in stage 4 cancers, such as melanoma, lung, kidney and colon cancers!

Adaptive Cell Transfer
Even under normal circumstances, the body often wages a feeble fight against cancer. Scientists have developed ways to extract these killer cells, grow them in culture, enhance them and re-infuse them with often dramatic success.

Creating Un-natural attackers
Using viruses that have been modified to look like tumor cells, scientists have managed to induce an immune response against the tumor. This has especially been effective in recurrent childhood leukemias.

These techniques are still somewhat in their infancy, and have had limited success against some of the major cancers, such as breast. As well, there is occasional some breakthrough mutation in the cancer. However, when they do work they can treat previously fatal stage 4 cancers! Steps in the right direction!

Unscrupulous Profits in Medicine

Less scrupulous Physicians and Entrepreneurs have always found ways to make money in the system without providing the care needed.

When Medicare was first approved, many doctors (especially in Miami) opened clinics where they would have patients come in for no real reason, and then bill for a visit even if they did not see a doctor. I once met a physician who was "proud" to tell me he was generating over a million dollars in revenue working only 3 days a week!

Currently many physicians move from helping patients, to opening pain clinics, weight loss, or cosmetic centers.

Now, entrepreneurs have found a way to warp a good rule in the ACA into medically useless profit centers.

As reported in the New York Times:

The Affordable Care Act requires insurers to pay for obesity screening and, for some patients, counseling. This provision, according to the Times, has "created a financial opportunity for a corner of the diet industry that has often operated on the fringe of the medical establishment: for-profit diet clinics overseen by doctors."

Physician oversight at many of these clinics, the Times contends, simply means reviewing patient charts remotely, while assistants without much training do most of the counseling. In addition, unproven — and even dis-proven — weight-loss methods are often used. For example, a Long Island weight-loss clinic advertises vitamin injections to increase metabolism. The physician at the clinic's helm "acknowledged that the treatments are not scientifically proven, but he said they do not hurt, and patients have come to expect them as an option," the Times reports.

In a separate report, the Times also reports the continues use of an amphetamine like drug, phentermine (which in my opinion should be off the market) for weight loss; in spite of its effects not being long lasting and many dangers.

The political climate, probably influenced by money, has not allowed proper oversight if these abuses. It is a sorry state.

Clinics

Phentermine

From the New York Times article: Dr. Michael Kaplan with a patient at the Long Island Weight Loss Institute in Smithtown, N.Y., which sells meal replacements and supplements. Kevin Hagen for The New York Times

Poison in our Environment

In a recent report from The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer determined that two insecticides and one herbicide cause cancer — or may cause cancer — in humans.

I was struck by their report of Lindane, also known as Kwell, which has been associated with a 60% increased risk of lymphoma. Although this is banned in many countries, it is still available here and - unfortunately - is mostly used in children for treatment of head lice. Most lice are already resistant, and this could result in multiple treatments. I hope it is banned soon!

Also carcinogenic were DDT (already banned, but not for that reason), which still persists in the environment, and probably the herbicide 2,4-D.

In another report, researchers found an increased incidence of Alzheimer's disease in women exposed to higher levels of air pollution. The subjects also showed decreased number of brain cells at an earlier age.

We really need to continue to remove the environmental poisons. Anyone who does not support the organic and green movements is fooling themselves.

Medical Marijuana a veiled way of legalizing recreational use?

A few states have legalized marijuana for recreational use; but many have allowed medical use.

In those states it seems relatively easy to get a prescription - I only say that because the last time I was on Venice Beach I was approached many times by someone offering to get me a certificate for $40!

In a recent review of the literature, most studies have shown only marginal or no efficacy of marijuana for claimed results.

Furthermore, sampling of many edible products now for sale showed that 60% of the labels overstated THC content and about a quarter understated it.

There are some individuals with pain and cancer who feel it is the only product that helps. However the editorialists suggest that states could be using medical marijuana "as a veiled step" toward allowing recreational access and that "the medical community should be left out of the process, and instead marijuana should be decriminalized."

You can't overdose on Sesame Street!

Television watching and screen time in young children has been associated with lower tests scores and decreased success. It has been recommended that a total of 1-2 hours screen time (includes phones and tablets) per day or less.

Now, a study reviewed specifically the show Sesame Street, which has been developed to enhance education. And as expected children who watched Sesame Street regularly did score better and do better in school.

So keep your kids away from TV except for Sesame Street. Apparently you can not overdose on Sesame Street!

Ineffective Drugs - Still on Market even after FDA declares useless

Looking at the approval process for drugs in this country, we often see that big drug companies manage to hide side effects (like Vioxx), or market ineffective medications (like Zetia) at huge profits; without significant oversight.

This continues to occur. Recently the FDA determined that two of the generic versions of an ADD drug, Concerta, was not equivalent to the brand drug. Rather than last 24 hours they lost effectiveness after 7. The FDA gave the drug company 6 months to prove equivalence or remove from the market.

Now, 7 months later, neither has shown this yet continue to account for 30% of prescriptions.

I think these should have been immediately removed from the market, rather than let the companies continue to profit from possibly ineffective medications.

Check out the New York Times Article

Every Virus you ever Had?

 A new blood test has been developed, at a very reasonable cost, that looks for antibodies against almost every virus that you have had.

Using this test would allow us to find out the best time to give immunizations, and may help look at viruses that could lead to chronic illnesses.

In a study of about 600 people they found the average person had 10 different viral infections, with up to 25. There were some interesting patterns in areas around the world.

Check out this New York Times Article