Diacor News and Opinion

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found that an antibody blocks a protein known as CD 47. This protein sends off signals to the body's immune system telling it to pass it by when the macrophages and other cells that eat invaders come by. CD 47 is found in cancer cells, which is why the body's immune system does not fight cancer cells itself. In mice, this treatment significantly reduced the tumors ability to spread and made the tumors shrink and in some cases disappear within weeks of starting treatment. To visit the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences website and read the full article, please click here.

In three new studies published in The Lancet, researchers have found that people in their middle age who take low doses of daily aspirin have a reduced risk of dying from cancer. They also found that benefits start to show in two to three years, rather than the ten years than previously thought. Researchers also found that it can treat cancer, showing that it reduces the risk of spreading to other parts of the body by 40% - 50%. However, there are risks associated with taking low doses of aspirin every day. There is an increased chance of internal bleeding, especially in the stomach. Also, if you stop taking daily doses of aspirin you have an increased risk of having a stroke. Researchers recommend consulting with your doctor before starting low doses of aspirin every day. To read and purchase the full studies, please click here, here, and here.

Diacor has recently added a new video to the website about the Zephyr Patient Transport System. We invite each of you to take a look at it. To view the video, please click here. We also have created our own Vimeo and Youtube channels, and will be posting more video in the coming months. Here are the links to our Vimeo and  Youtube channels. Enjoy!

Diacor has released its 2012 Events Schedule. Among the different events Diacor will be attending are the ESTRO 31 Meeting, the American Association of Medical Dosimetrists Annual Meeting, and the ASTRO (American Society for Radiation Oncology) Meeting. We look forward to attending each of these events and hope each of you will stop by and meet with us. To view our full schedule of events, please click here.

Even though colorectal cancer cases have dropped significantly in the U.S. over the last decade, the cases for people under 50 have gone on the rise. Every year since 1992, the number of people under 50 diagnosed with the disease has increased by 2%, according to the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. They cite the case of Jessica Nixon, who was diagnosed with rectal cancer at age 25. According to Scott D Goldstein, M.D., of the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, screening isn't recommended until age 50, so the younger the person, the more likely they are to ignore the symptoms, and so the cases aren't caught early. To read the full article, please click here.