Safe travel, cold plunges and hot flashes: The week in Well+Being
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If your summer travel plans start with a trip to the airport, you might be a bit concerned about one infectious disease that's making a comeback: measles. Although it was officially eliminated 25 years ago, the United States is now experiencing a pretty big outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told The Washington Post this week that there have been 62 known cases of people with measles who traveled on commercial airlines, and at least one person who caught the infection presumably from someone seated nearby.
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31 minutes ago
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Bear Busts Through Nursing Home Window Before Being Lured Out with Rice Krispie Treats
Presbyterian Senior Living got an unusual visitor when a black bear burst through a window at the facility Staff lured it away with food after one person whacked it with a walker The Pennsylvania Game Commission safely captured and relocated the cubA nursing home in Pennsylvania had to evict an unwanted guest after a wild bear burst through their window looking for food. Staff and residents at Presbyterian Senior Living had a busy night on Tuesday, June 3 when a juvenile black bear broke through a window just after 11 p.m. One photo shared by CBS News Pittsburgh showed a shattered window, any showed claw marks by a different window sill. "I grabbed a walker and was hitting him, trying to get him away from the residents," Charlene Elliot told the news station exclusively during an on-camera interview. According to the nurse, her top priority was protecting the elderly residents: "Cause my thought was he was going to... maul them or swipe, slap at them.' 'That was my worst fear," she added. Elliot said her team did their best to get the bear out, using Rice Krispies Treats to lure the wild animal away from their Presbyterian Senior Living residents. Eventually their efforts worked, and they were able to get the animal out while keeping their residents safe. Pennsylvania Game Commission later arrived and set up a trap, which was able to humanely capture the approximately 150 pound cub and relocate it by Wednesday, June 4. Officials say of the estimated 18,000 black bears living in the state, most of them are generally afraid of humans and attacks rarely happen. The animals are typically just curious or looking for easy food. Elliot told the news station she was pleased with the work she did to keep her community safe. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "I feel I went above and beyond for my residents and that's the way I feel. I would put my life on the line for them, and pretty much I did," the staffer said. "We are incredibly proud of our team's quick thinking and dedication to ensuring the safety of everyone in our community," Presbyterian Senior Living said in a news release, per CBS News Pittsburgh. "To prevent future wildlife encounters, the game warden safely relocated the bear to a more suitable habitat today and all bird feeders on our campus were removed." Read the original article on People
Health Line
34 minutes ago
- Health Line
Ask the Expert: Should I have Biomarker Testing – and Would it Help?
Biomarker testing in colorectal cancer can help assess inherited risk and identify characteristics that may influence the disease's growth, spread, and response to treatment. Colorectal cancer (CRC) starts in the colon or rectum of the large intestine. Your doctor may refer to it as 'colon cancer' or 'rectal cancer,' depending on where the cancer develops first, but both of these diagnoses are included under the banner of CRC. CRC is treatable, and biomarker testing is a part of precision medicine in your comprehensive treatment plan. Biomarker testing in CRC can help detect cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages. It can also provide important details about cancer after a diagnosis that influence treatment and outcomes. Dr. Smitha Krishnamurthi, a gastrointestinal oncology specialist with the Cleveland Clinic, talks with Healthline about biomarker testing and who it's recommended for. What is biomarker testing? Biomarker testing refers to testing of the colorectal cancer to find out if there are certain changes in the cancer's genes and proteins that could impact prognosis [outlook] and treatment. What are the most common biomarkers, and what do they show? Biomarkers in CRC measure a variety of different biological processes and states. Each biomarker provides important details about the cancer's growth, spread, or treatment response. DNA mismatch repair Hospital pathology labs now commonly test all initial biopsies or surgical specimens of colorectal cancer for the presence of DNA mismatch repair proteins. This is done via immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of the slides to look for [the] expression of four mismatch repair proteins: MLH1, PMS2, MSH2, and MSH6. If one or two of these proteins are missing, then the cancer has deficient DNA mismatch repair. Microsatellite instability (MSI) This is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or next-generation sequencing (NGS) test [that looks] for abnormalities in microsatellite regions of the cancer DNA. The test can be done on a tumor specimen or blood (liquid biopsy). Microsatellites are short, repeated sequences of DNA. If the cancer has [atypical] DNA mismatch repair, errors will appear in microsatellite regions of DNA in the form of missing bases or extra bases added to the DNA sequence. RAS gene mutations (mutations in KRAS and NRAS genes) This testing can be performed by PCR or NGS testing of the tumor or NGS testing of blood (liquid biopsy). RAS is a very important oncogene, meaning that it is a gene that, when mutated, drives cancer cell proliferation and survival. Mutations in RAS genes are found in up to 50% of colorectal cancers. BRAF V600E gene mutation This testing can be performed by PCR or NGS testing of the tumor or NGS testing of blood (liquid biopsy). The BRAF V600E protein can also be detected by IHC. BRAF is another oncogene, so when it is mutated, it leads to cancer cell proliferation and survival. BRAF V600E mutations occur in about 8% to 10% of colorectal cancers and are more common in right-sided cancers. HER2 protein overexpression by IHC or gene amplification by NGS HER2 is another oncogene — gene amplification leads to [the] overexpression of the HER2 protein. Overexpression of HER2 leads to increased signaling via the epidermal growth factor receptor pathway, leading to cancer cell proliferation and survival. PIK3CA PIK3CA is another oncogene. Mutations in PIK3CA and a related gene, PIK3R1, lead to cancer cell proliferation and survival. Mutations in PIK3CA and PIK3R1 are typically found via NGS. PTEN PTEN is a tumor suppressor gene, [which typically] suppresses cancer growth. When the PTEN gene is mutated, the protein is not expressed, and that leads to [the] proliferation of cancer. PTEN gene mutations are typically found via NGS. Who should have biomarker testing done? All patients with colorectal cancer should have testing of their cancer for DNA mismatch repair (or microsatellite instability) soon after diagnosis. This is important for patients with cancers of all stages. Patients with early stage colorectal cancer should have testing of their cancers for mutations in PIK3CA, PTEN, and PIK3R1 by the time they finish adjuvant treatment or after surgery if [they're] not having adjuvant treatment. Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer should have next-generation sequencing of the cancer soon after diagnosis, as the results may impact the initial systemic treatment. The NGS results are also useful for identifying clinical trial eligibility. Comorbidities will not affect the results of these biomarkers, so they should not affect the timing and decision making about ordering these tests. How does biomarker testing help the treatment and outcome of a diagnosis? Biomarkers can impact your treatment choices and outcomes. They can help doctors decide which medications will be the most effective, identify inherited features in cancer, and determine if adjuvant or additional therapies would improve outcomes. Immunotherapy responsiveness It is critical to know if a cancer has deficient DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) or high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) because these cancers can respond dramatically to immunotherapy in the early stage and metastatic settings. For example, patients with rectal cancer that is dMMR or MSI-H may have a complete clinical response with immunotherapy and may be able to avoid radiation and surgery. Thus, this testing needs to be done early, before treatment starts. Identifying Lynch syndrome Another important reason for testing for dMMR or MSI-H is to identify cancers caused by Lynch syndrome. Lynch syndrome is the most common type of inherited colorectal cancer and is caused by germline mutations in the genes that code for the DNA mismatch repair proteins or in another related gene called EPCAM. Most cancers with deficient mismatch repair or MSI-H are not caused by Lynch syndrome and occur sporadically. We don't want to miss patients with Lynch syndrome, however, because they can benefit from counseling about [the] prevention of Lynch syndrome-related cancers such as uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, and gastric cancer, in addition to colorectal cancer. When a patient is diagnosed with Lynch syndrome, family members can then be tested to see if they have Lynch syndrome. Recommendations for cancer screening at early stages are made for individuals with Lynch syndrome, and early screening can be lifesaving. Identifying treatment resistance Mutations in KRAS and NRAS make cancers resistant to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor therapy. Cancers with KRAS G12C mutations can be treated with a regimen that targets this mutation (adagrasib plus cetuximab or sotorasib plus panitumumab). There are also many clinical trials now studying RAS gene inhibitors in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer that have been previously treated. Cancers with BRAF V600E tend to be aggressive and less sensitive to chemotherapy. There is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved regimen targeting BRAF V600E (encorafenib plus cetuximab) in metastatic colorectal cancer that improves survival when added to first-line FOLFOX chemotherapy. It also improves survival as a second-line treatment after chemotherapy. Greater response to targeted and adjuvant therapy Metastatic colorectal cancers that demonstrate [the] overexpression or gene amplification of HER2 can be treated with a targeted regimen of tucatinib plus trastuzumab after initial chemotherapy. Another targeted treatment available for metastatic colorectal cancers that overexpress HER2 by IHC is trastuzumab deruxtecan. Patients with early stage colorectal cancer with mutations in the PIK3CA, PIK3R1, or PTEN genes should be treated with aspirin 160 milligrams daily for 3 years after adjuvant therapy or after surgery if [they're] not having adjuvant therapy. The ALASCCA trial, presented at ASCO GI [American Society of Clinical Oncology – Gastrointestinal Cancer] in 2025, compared a placebo to aspirin in this patient population and found that aspirin significantly lowered the rate of cancer recurrence at 3 years. This is rather new data. Oncologists are starting to order NGS testing for patients with early stage cancers in order to obtain this biomarker information. What should you ask your doctor? It's always OK to ask your doctor about biomarker testing and what it means for you. Important questions to consider include: Is my cancer dMMR/MSI-H? Am I a candidate for immunotherapy? Patients with early stage colorectal cancer should ask if aspirin therapy will be recommended based on biomarker testing. Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer should ask for the results of RAS/BRAF/HER2 testing and overall NGS testing results.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Palantir and TeleTracking Team Up to Enhance Healthcare Operations Using AI-Driven Insights
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