Medical Achievements

Cancer, AIDS, Stem Cell

Cancer Achievements O Newer drugs seem to be making a

bigger difference for small, specific groups of patients, as companies develop treatments that more precisely target genes behind subtypes of cancer.

O More of the drugs being developed today are pills rather than infusions.

O Shorter, more focused radiation treatments are showing promise.

O New drugs have eased the nausea and vomiting that have made many cancer patients fear chemotherapy.

Cancer rates in the 1990s

O More than 40,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer each year for the first time in the 1990s

O In 1998, lung cancer ceased to be the most common men's cancer, and prostate cancer took the lead

O Lung cancer is now the most common cancer worldwide, and the number of people diagnosed with the disease has doubled since 1975

Finding the Breast Cancer Gene

O The breast cancer gene, BRCA 1, is responsible for the majority of families with multiple cases of breast and ovarian cancer

Cervical CancerO Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes

the vast majority of cervical cancers worldwide

O Gardasil Vaccine approve by the FDA in 2006

Prostate CancerO A new drug called abiraterone was

developed, which is now being studied as a treatment for advanced hormone-resistance prostate and breast cancer

Cancer Rates during the 2000s

O Today more than 300,000 people are newly diagnosed with cancer each year. The overall cancer death rate continues to fall but cancer still causes one in four deaths every year

O Breast cancer survival rates continue to improve – these days more than three-quarters of women diagnosed will survive their disease for 10 years or more.

O Lung cancer incidence rates in men have dropped by 10% since the year 2000 alone.

Hormones and CancerO Current or recent use of certain

types of hormone replacement therapy increases a women’s risk of breast cancer

O Ovarian cancers can be prevented by the long-term use of the contraceptive pill.

Hunting Cancer GenesO Scientists have made a series of

breakthroughs pinpointing new regions of our genome linked to breast, bowel, prostate, lung, and brain tumors

O These gene variations could potentially be used as genetic markers for predicting risk and in screening

O http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/cancer-health-breakthrough-medicine-science-doctors-13768039

1990s HIV TreatmentsO The FDA approved AZT in 1987, thousands

of HIV positive people had been prescribed the drug

O In 1992 ddC was used in combination with AZT, which was the first successful use of combination drug therapy for the treatment of AIDS in America.

O In November 1994 a study showed that AZT reduced the risk of HIV transmission from infected mothers to their babies by two thirds

1990s HIV TreatmentsO In 1995 the drug 3TC had been

approved for use in combination with AZT in treating AIDS and HIV.

O The trials had shown that 3TC had less severe side effects than the others already on the market.

1990s HIV TreatmentsO Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

(HAART). O It proved to significantly delay the

onset of AIDS, and the life expectancy of HIV positive people was greatly increased.

1990s HIV TreatmentsO In 1997 it was reported that, for the

first that the number of deaths from AIDS had dropped substantially across America

O This decline was largely attributed to the drug treatment of those living with HIV

2000s HIV TreatmentsO By 2003 a new drug that was used

as ‘entry inhibitor’ - was approved by the FDA

O There was more hope for those who had developed resistance to the existing medications. (HAART of the 1990s)

2000s HIV TreatmentO In 2006 the first once-a-day single

combination pill for the treatment of HIV was approved by the FDA-Atripla tablets

O The significant progress in treatment proved to be particularly important to thousands of HIV positive Americans whose treatment had been failing due to drug resistance.

2000s HIV Treatment• As of January 2012, SAV001 has

been approved by the FDA to start testing

• Researchers are hopeful that this vaccine will prevent HIV negative people from contracting the virus

How did the government attempt to educate

Americans?O Donors and taxes were spent on

medical research, support groups and education on the virus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztenOFAGmCE

What are Stem Cells?O Stem cells are cells that have the

potential to develop into some or many different cell types in the body

O Serving as a sort of repair system, they can theoretically divide without limit to replenish other cells for as long as the person or animal is still alive.

The Promise of Stem Cell

O Studying stem cells will help us understand how they transform into the dazzling array of specialized cells that make us what we are.

O Some of the most serious medical conditions, such as cancer and birth defects, are due to problems that occur somewhere in this process.

O A better understanding of normal cell development will allow us to understand and perhaps correct the errors that cause these medical conditions

Different typesO Non-embryonic stem cells

O Umbilical cordsO Adult stem cells-No rejectionO More successful

O Embryonic stem cellsO Left over of in vitro fertilizationO Complications: Tumors

Stem Cell ControversyO When stem cells are taken from an embryo,

the embryo loses its viability: it cannot become implanted into a womb or develop into a fetus.

O Some believe that is destroying human lifeO Others see great promise in what stem cells

might do to cure illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, it is immoral not to move forward with such research.

O http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Axkn8G18t8

Stem Cell ControversyO Taxpayer dollars to conduct research

that some taxpayers find morally wrong

O Murder? Abortion debateO Potential to cure diseases

O http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63Uqp9VcCq4&feature=fvwrel

O http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujbLSt-7-9k