TREATMENT
Ancient Remedy May Ease Side-Effects of Chemotherapy
Researchers have developed a new medication, based on an 1,800-year-old Chinese herbal recipe containing a combination of four plants called Huang Qin Tang, to ease the adverse effects of chemotherapy. The medicine, called PHY906, is specifically designed to relieve the side effects of the chemotherapy drug CPT-11 (Irinotecan), used to treat brain tumors and other cancers. In laboratory tests, mice undergoing chemotherapy showed less weight loss and more "anti-tumor" activity after receiving PHY906, when compared to the mice that did not receive the medication. Researchers said PHY906 did not alter the chemotherapy drug's effectiveness. Read a news release on the treatment from the Yale Cancer Center. 

New Research Launches Multi-Center Study on Adult Ependymomas
Ependymomas in adults are rare and often initially misdiagnosed. A new study, appearing in the August issue of the journal Neuro-Oncology, reports on 123 adult ependymoma patients at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. There were a nearly equal number of men and women, ranging in age from 18 to 72. Forty patients had tumors in the brain, 80 in the spine, and three had both. The majority were Grade I/II tumors (108); there were just 15 Grade III tumors. Eighteen of the tumors were initially misdiagnosed. The
results of the report will be used as the basis for a multi-center study to further examine adult ependymoma diagnosis, care and treatment. Read a free summary of the study. 

Double Treatment May Inhibit Brain Tumor Recurrence
Researchers recently combined chemotherapy with a targeted Notch inhibitor to effectively decrease the recurrence of glioblastoma in laboratory mice. The study, appearing in the September issue of the journal Cancer Research, combined temozolomide, proven to help glioblastoma patients to live longer, with a Notch inhibitor (the Notch signaling pathway is overexpressed in glioblastoma tumors). The combination "much more effectively reduced tumor growth and recurrence," according to the study authors. Read a news release on the research from the American Association for Cancer Research. Read a free summary of the study.

CARE AND SUPPORT
Palliative Care Extends Life
Patients who receive palliative care - a "whole person" approach to care that focuses on helping patients achieve the best possible quality of life while living with a serious illness -are happier, more mobile and in less pain, according to a new study appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine. In addition, the lung cancer patients who participated in the study lived longer. Researchers believe the results offer "great promise for alleviating distress in patients with metastatic disease, and addressing critical concerns regarding the use of health care services at the end of life." Read the full article. Read ABTA's Palliative Care guide.

Psilocybin May Ease Anxiety in Late-Stage Cancer Patients
Psilocybin, the active ingredient in the hallucinogenic drug "magic mushrooms," may boost mood and ease anxiety in late-state cancer patients, according to new research appearing in online edition of the September 2010 Archives of Psychiatry. In the study, 12 patients with advanced-stage cancer, all experiencing severe anxiety, received a single "moderate" dose of psilocybin. Significant reductions in anxiety were documented at one and three months after treatment, and for as long as six months, with no adverse side effects. The study authors say more research is needed to definitely assess the effectiveness of psilocybin, which is not available in the U.S., for cancer care. Read a free summary of the research from the Archives of General Psychiatry. Read a news article on the study.