Drug helps young women protect fertility during chemotherapy

For some young women, one of the most crushing side effects of breast cancer treatment is early menopause, which ends their chances of becoming pregnant.

A new study shows that these women have a better chance of preserving their future fertility if they temporarily turn off their ovaries during chemotherapy. The ovary glands produce estrogen and typically release one egg a month during women's fertile years.

Early menopause can cause a number of medical complications, including an increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures.

The procedure involves injections of an existing hormone-suppressing drug called goserelin,

which lowers estrogen levels, preventing women from getting regular menstrual cycles, according to the study of 218 women presented Friday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago. Both groups of women in the study, who were ages 18 to 49, received the same chemo regimen.

Two years later, women who had been randomly selected to take the medication saw a number of benefits, compared with women who didn't take the drug.

* Women who took the drug were 64% less likely to have their ovaries fail, which occurs when women miss their periods for six months or more. About 22% of women who got standard chemo experienced ovarian failure, compared with 8% of those who also took goserelin.

* Women who received goserelin were twice as likely to have become pregnant, according to the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health. About 21% of women who took goserelin became pregnant and 15% delivered a baby. In comparison, 11% of those who did not take goserelin became pregnant and 7% of them had a baby. About the same number of women in each group had tried to conceive.

* Women who took goserelin were also 50% more likely to be alive four years later than women who didn't receive goserelin.

"Premenopausal women beginning chemotherapy for early breast cancer should consider this new option," said lead author Halle Moore,

an oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, in a statement.

It's possible that turning off the ovaries protects them from the effects of chemo, which fights cancer by targeting cells that are growing and dividing, says Clifford Hudis, president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, who was not involved in the new research. While authors of the new study focused on breast cancer patients, the technique would likely benefit women being treated for other kinds of cancer, he says.

The study included only women whose breast cancers are fueled by hormones.

Nearly 11,000 women under age 40 are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer each year, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Traditionally, women looking to preserve their chances of becoming pregnant after chemo have had to undergo invasive treatments, such as harvesting and storing ovarian tissue or embryos. Banking embryos isn't an option for all women, however, such as those without partners.

Although a handful of earlier studies had suggested goserelin might be beneficial, cancer specialists haven't recommended it to women. This trial may lead many doctors to recommend it more widely, says Patricia Ganz, a breast cancer specialist at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center who wasn't involved in the study.

Ref.- USA Today Health

EECP – A non-invasive method to repair the heart

What is EECP all about?

Enhanced External Counter Pulsation is a non-invasive cardiovascular treatment for patients who have heart disease (single or multi vessel blocks), congestive heart failure and/or repeat of signs and symptoms after surgical treatment and also for those prone to heart ailments due to various other factors.

Who needs EECP?

People suffering from chest pain (on exertion, at rest, continuous, occasionally) , blocks, family history, high cholesterol, abnormal and sedentary lifestyle, smokers, unhealthy diet, excessive alcohol, obesity and such hypertension, diabetes and other conditions involving poor blood circulation are ideal candidates for EECP. Recent studies have shown a drastic dip in the prevalent age group suffering from cardiac disease. From an olderage group, cardiac disease is now found to hit 40-55 year olds due to their sedentary lifestyle, stress and obesity.Also, any patient suffering from coronary artery disease is a potential candidate for EECP.

In addition EECP is especially beneficial for:
• Patients who have had persistent heart disease symptoms despite having undergone angioplasty or bypass surgery.
• Patients who cannot undergo surgery due to other medical conditions like diabetics, hypertensions or renal impairment.
• Patients who just don’t want to go under the knife.
• Patients who are heavily dependent on medications or have to cut down their activities in order to avoid angina.

What is the treatment procedure of EECP?

1. Time: One hour a day for 35 sessions or 2 hours a day with a 6 hours gap as advised by cardiologist.
2: Procedure: A typical EECP session would be like this – the patient is made to lie on a padded table and three large inflatable cuffs (like the blood pressure cuff) are strapped to his/her legs. The patient’s heart is monitored via the ECG display on the machine, which in turn regulates the inflation and deflation of the cuffs. EECP gives youtwo benefits. One is that it pumps blood to the coronary arteries and second is that the deflating action creates a vacuum in the arteries when the heart begins to beat.
3. Prerequisites: Treatment is so simple that there are no serious prerequisites. Patients need to have finished meals 2 hours prior and wear tight elastic fitting pants during treatment.

What are the advantages of EECP?

EECP is entirely non-invasive. No medications are given specifically for the treatment but the routine medicationsgiven to strengthen the heart and for diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol reduction need to be continued. The treatment is so simple that the patient feels a drastic improvement from symptoms thereby a sense of well being and an enhanced quality of life.

What are the effects of EECP?

Heart disease does not mean just blockages. It is a condition that affects your entire vascular system, from the brain to your toes. Merely opening up one or two isolated blockages is not the way to treat the condition. EECP in fact treats the entire vascular system, naturally bypassing any blockages.
Apart from this, EECP helps in creating new blood vessels and strengthens your heart, by releasing nitric oxide which relaxes your arteries. EECP also reduces inflammation in the blood vessels which leads to heart disease. Also, EECP is known to reduce stress and depression in patients suffering from heart disease due to improvementin symptoms and ability to go through normal work without pain, discomfort or anxiety.

Is EECP safe? Are there any side effects?

EECP is has a high standard of safety. The treatment is USA FDA approved and used by doctors in India and across the world to treat extremely ill cardiac patients where no medication and no procedure could provide relief. The only side effect of EECP is an increased feeling of well being, improvement in the quality of life and reduction in cardiac medication.