Bone drug can fight breast cancer - 2

The study was sponsored by Zometa's maker, Swiss-based Novartis AG, and the study leader consults for the company. With doctor fees, a Zometa infusion can run more than $1,200. In the study it was given every three weeks for four to six months.

Known side effects of Zometa and other bone-building bisphosphonate drugs like Fosamax include bone, joint or muscle pain and in rare cases, jawbone decay. They are mainly used to treat osteoporosis.

Also at the conference, several reports strengthened evidence that newer hormone-blockers called aromatase inhibitors, or AIs, do a better job of preventing cancer recurrences and may give a slight survival advantage over the long-used drug tamoxifen.

These drugs work against estrogen, which helps most breast tumors grow, and are given for about five years after surgery for early stage breast cancer to prevent its return.

Tamoxifen has been used for decades and is sold in generic form for about $70 a month. The newer drugs cost around $300 and come in three brands: AstraZeneca PLC's Arimidex (anastrozole), Pfizer Inc.'s Aromasin (exemestane) and Novartis' Femara (letrozole). They only work in women after menopause.

Doctors already know that women who take these newer drugs either as initial treatment or after a few years of tamoxifen have better chances of staying cancer-free. But which of these approaches is best is not known.

Results of a study led by Novartis consultant Dr. Henning Mouridsen of Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark mostly were a draw. There were trends toward improved survival for women starting on Femara, but the differences were so small they could have occurred by chance alone.

ref: the timesofindia

Doctor's Health Tips - 1

Although more and more people are becoming health and fitness-conscious, many are still misled by some diet and fitness myths surrounding the matter. Here are some information to enlighten you about fitness and health.

Being slim does not really mean being fit? Body weight is not a predictor of fitness level. Regardless of age, and body shape, you have to get up, get out and get going.

Eating slowly can actually help you peel off pounds? Try to develop a permanent habit of eating slowly if you want long term result.

Potassium can help lower blood pressure? To boost your potassium intake, reach for potatoes, orange juice, cantaloupe, skim milk, tomatoes and – the old stand-by-bananas.

Men with male-pattern baldness (hair that recedes and thins from crown outward) are most likely to have higher cholesterol and blood pressure levels than their thicker-haired peers. Some studies indicate that a hormonal imbalance may be behind the risk factors in both baldness and heart disease.

During the four days surrounding ovulation, women consumed about 300 fewer calories a day that usual, a drop that coincides with a surge in estrogen level?