ONS Connect - March 2008 - (Page 8)

JUSTiN [By Deborah McBride, RN, MSN, CPON ®, Contributing Editor] Study reveals why Obese Men Have lower pSa readings multi-institution study has reported a possible explanation for two common observations: that men with a higher body mass index (BMI) tend to have lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA) readings and that obesity is linked to more aggressive prostate disease. The researchers concluded that the critical factor is hemodilution, a phenomenon where the greater volume of blood in larger men lowers PSA readings by diluting the concentration of PSA protein entering the bloodstream when the prostate enlarges. More than 12,600 patients who had radical prostatectomies at Duke Prostate Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital, or five Veterans Administration medical centers from 1988–2006 had accurate measurements taken of their BMIs and PSA levels. Researchers calculated how much blood each patient had and how much PSA protein was present and found that men with BMIs higher than 35 (35 or higher is obese) had a statistically significant increase in the mass of circulating PSA protein. A The study presents evidence that the total biologic marker rather than the concentration needs to be considered when evaluating disease markers. Banez, L.L. , Hamilton, R.J., Partin A.W., Vollmer, R.T., Sun, L., Rodriguez, C., et al. (2007). Obesity-related plasma hemodilution and PSA concentration among men with prostate cancer. JAMA, 298(19), 2275–2280. New Mri Technique May provide Earlier Notice of Treatment response new technique being tested in mice increases the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) more than 10,000-fold and could allow patients with cancer to know within days of starting treatment how their tumors are responding. Establishing whether a treatment is working or whether an alternative should be attempted can affect patients’ survival. Presently, patients’ response to treatment is assessed by monitoring the size of their tumors over time. However, it may be weeks before a tumor stops growing or begins to shrink. The new technique makes pyruvate molecules more detectable by cooling a sample of the chemical to absolute zero. This enables the molecules to emit a stronger radio signal, which the MRI scans turn into computer pictures. To reinject the pyruvate in the mice, researchers bring the chemical back up to room temperature by dissolving it in superheated water. After the mice received the modified pyruvate, their MRI scans were sharper, giving researchers a more in-depth look at the tumors. Day, S.E., Kettunen, M.I., Gallagher, F.A., Hu, D.E., Lerche, M., Wolber, J., et al. (2007). Detecting tumor response to treatment using hyperpolarized 13C magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy. Nature Medicine, 13(11), 1382–1387. A gene May affect patients’ vulnerability to Cancer he key to safer and more effective treatments for humans may lie in a new breed of mice carrying a gene that makes them invulnerable to cancer. A team of University of Kentucky researchers found a tumor suppressor gene called Par-4 in the prostate and discovered that the gene kills cancer cells but not normal cells. The team used an existing mouse breed known to be more vulnerable to cancers to test whether Par-4 could be used to fight the tumors. They introduced the gene to mice eggs that were surgically implanted into surrogate mothers and found that the gene was active in the resulting mice. The mice with Par-4 did not develop cancer and lived slightly longer than those without the gene. The researchers believe that Par-4 is expressed in every cell type and may be able to induce the death of a broad range of cancer cells. Although the research is at an early stage, it opens a new avenue to explore for cancer treatments. T 8 ONS CONNECT March 2008

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ONS Connect - March 2008 Contents Editor's Note Just In From Then to Now A Year in the Life—Month Three Web Connect Capitol Connection Notice Nursing Now Recognize Hepatic Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome in Patients With Cancer Caregiver Care Elasticity of Cells May Help Researchers to Identify Cancer Calendar of Events ONS Congress Your Thoughts and Comments Are a Valued Decision-Making Resource Staying On Top

ONS Connect - March 2008

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