Metastatic melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer. In an effort to achieve targeted therapy for metastatic melanoma, researchers recently developed a new radioactive drug that emits alpha particles. With their short range of emission and high energy, alpha particles are particularly promising for targeted therapies that require high energy release in the cancer tissue while minimizing the damage to nearby healthy tissues.
Read more …Targeted alpha therapy: Breakthrough in treating refractory skin cancer
Experiencing five or more severe sunburns between the ages of 15 and 20 increases the risk of melanoma by 80% and nonmelanoma skin cancer by 68%. This study is among the few to examine the relationship between perceived cancer risk, concern about being diagnosed, confidence in health, sunburn history, and the prevalence of sun protection behaviors, all in relation to sociodemographic factors in U.S. adults. Findings reveal statistically significant associations between the number of sunburns and sociodemographic factors.
Read more …Blind to the burn: Misconceptions about skin cancer risk in the US
As many as half of nursing home residents are cognitively impaired and may be unable to communicate symptoms such as pain or anxiety to those caring for them. Therefore, information needed for the evaluation of symptoms and subsequent treatment decisions typically does not reliably exist in nursing home electronic health records. A new paper reports on the novel adaptation of a commonly used symptom assessment instrument to more comprehensively acquire this difficult-to-obtain data with the ultimate goal of enabling knowledge-based expansion of palliative care services in nursing homes to address residents' symptoms.
Read more …Assessing pain, anxiety and other symptoms of nursing home residents unable to speak for themselves