IN BRIEF (Page 19)

Colorectal cancer

In as many as one in four colorectal cancer patients, the cancerous cells spread to other parts of the body, cancer experts said at a recent press conference in Beijing. Consequently, the survival rate for these patients after five years may be reduced to no more than 5 percent.

Molecular target drugs are providing new solutions to the advanced transverse colorectal cancer and prolonging survival times beyond traditional chemical therapies' capabilities, said Dr Guan Zhongzhen, a well-known colorectal cancer expert with the cancer hospital affiliated with Sun Yat-sen University, in Guangdong Province.

So far, Merck Serono's Erbitux is the only molecular target drug available to Chinese patients. It was approved for use in China one year ago. Colorectal cancer is currently the fifth most common type of cancer in China. Most patients are diagnosed after age 50, but the incidence rate among young people has increased in recent years. There are now between 130,000 and 160,000 new cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed annually.

Doctor Guan believed that the changing Chinese diet, which has become high in fat and calories but lower in plant fiber, is a major risk factor contributing to the increased rates of colorectal cancer.

History of urology

The Chinese Urological Association announced recently the release of Chinese Urological Surgery History - the first comprehensive medical history book among all fields of Chinese medical specialization. At about 800,000 words and featuring a collection of more than 60 valuable historic photos, the book documents Chinese urological surgery's important figures and facts as it tracks the academic development, technical advancement, training and exchanges between China and the outside world over the past century.

Good news about acne

Findings from a new study suggest another reason why diets that contain low glycemic loads could be beneficial. Not only can they improve insulin sensitivity; this type of diet also appears to clear up acne. Data from earlier studies suggest that dietary factors, such as the glycemic load, are involved in the pathogenesis of acne. Consequently, researchers hypothesize that changes in diet could affect the symptoms of this common skin disease.

Hidden body fat

Measuring blood levels of a chemical transporter for vitamin A could be useful in estimating levels of "intraabdominal fat" - a type of fat inside the abdomen that is not visible but still adversely affects health, new research shows.

In addition, measuring levels of this chemical transporter, called retinol-binding protein (RBP4), could help identify patients with insulin resistances - disturbances in sugar metabolism associated with the development of type 2 diabetes, according to a report in the journal Cell Metabolism.

Night owls 'antisocial'

New study findings suggest that a preference for nighttime over daytime activities may be associated with antisocial behavior in adolescences, even in children as young as 8 years old. Those who prefer later bedtimes appear to exhibit more antisocial behavior than those who prefer to wake early and participate in daytime recreational activities, researchers report.

Therapy for stress fractures

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), a noninvasive technique that uses sound waves to stimulate healing, is an effective way to treat resistant stress fractures in athletes, according to a report of five cases in the American Journal of Sports Medicine. Between 1997 and 2003, a total of 62 patients were treated with ESWT at the researchers' hospital, including five athletes with chronic stress fractures that failed to heal after medical or surgical therapy.

China Daily-Agencies

(China Daily 07/25/2007 page19)