Warren symposium follows legacy of geneticist giant

If we want to understand how the brain creates memories, and how genetic disorders distort the brain’s machinery, then the fragile X gene is an ideal place to start. That’s why the Stephen T. Warren Memorial Symposium, taking place November 28-29 at Emory, will be a significant event for those interested in neuroscience and genetics. Stephen T. Warren, 1953-2021 Warren, the founding chair of Emory’s Department of Human Genetics, led an international team that discovered Read more

Mutations in V-ATPase proton pump implicated in epilepsy syndrome

Why and how disrupting V-ATPase function leads to epilepsy, researchers are just starting to figure Read more

Tracing the start of COVID-19 in GA

At a time when COVID-19 appears to be receding in much of Georgia, it’s worth revisiting the start of the pandemic in early 2020. Emory virologist Anne Piantadosi and colleagues have a paper in Viral Evolution on the earliest SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequences detected in Georgia. Analyzing relationships between those virus sequences and samples from other states and countries can give us an idea about where the first COVID-19 infections in Georgia came from. We can draw Read more
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parotid gland cancer

Band posts salivary gland cancer news on web

In the news this week are reports that a member of the Beastie Boys hip-hop band announced on YouTube that he has salivary gland cancer – specifically of the parotid gland.

Dong Shin, MD, examines a patient at Emory

Dong Shin, MD, examines a patient at Emory

The public does not hear much about this type of cancer, and according to the American Cancer Society salivary gland cancers account for less than 1 percent of all cancers in the United States. About two out of three salivary gland cancers are found in people who are 55 or older. The average age at the time this cancer is found is 64.

The salivary gland is important because it Ray Ban outlet produces saliva, which contains enzymes that begin the process of breaking down food. It also contains substances to help prevent infections of the mouth and throat.

According to Emory Winship Cancer Institute expert Dong Shin, MD, the parotid glands are found in front of and just below each ear and most major salivary gland tumors begin in these glands.

Shin says that salivary gland tumors exhibit two major growth patterns: low grade, which is slow growing and more easily treatable, and high grade, which is usually a faster growing, more aggressive cancer that can also invade the lymph nodes. Certain types of salivary gland tumors can recur or have distant metastasis, particularly to the lungs.

Although the causes of this cancer are not definitively identified, Shin notes, there are some risk factors, including a history of radiation therapy to the head and neck area and a history being exposed to certain chemical substances, most often in the workplace.

Treatment usually includes surgery with radiation therapy afterward. Certain aggressive cell types require chemotherapy as well as radiation. However, explains Shin, at this time there are no specific chemotherapy agents that work well in attacking salivary gland tumors. Recent http://www.gafasraybanoutletes.com/ clinical trials have shown evidence of a fair response to certain molecular targeted chemotherapy, but more research is needed on these targeted therapies. wxjy6rbm4s

Posted on July 22, 2009 by admin in Uncategorized Leave a comment