Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a devastating and incurable disease. Combined therapy using conventional anticancer drugs and a proprietary medical nutriment, fermented wheat germ extract (FWGE), also known as Avemar, has been suggested as a treatment for progressing prostate cancer (PCa) patients, who have become resistant to first line hormonal therapy (gonadotropin releasing hormone, GnRH). The primary aim of this study was to test if this combined therapy would slow down disease progression in CRPC patients. We tested the nontoxic, readily available, inexpensive FWGE, together with the conventional treatment, GnRH analogue, in 36 CRPC patients. Although this is a pilot study, with the drawback of a statistically small sample size, some anticancer clinical activity of FWGE could be seen in the CRPC patients, as measured by prostate specific antigen doubling time (PSADT). We found that the intake of GnRH with FWGE for at least 4 months, improved the overall health as well as the quality of life (QOL) in 4 patients (11%) and was instrumental in extending the PSADT in about 17 (out of 26) patients (65.4%), six of whom were significant. Since no mentionable adverse events were noticed, this treatment may permit the postponement of chemotherapy for these patients.

BACKGROUND:Mass vaccination is the principal preventive measure against a smallpox outbreak after an act of bioterrorism. Vaccination of subjects who received immunosuppressive therapies is problematic because of smallpox vaccine reactogenicity. Moreover, long-term immunity to vaccinia might be affected.OBJECTIVE:The objective of the study was to examine the effect of cytotoxic chemotherapy on long-term immunity to vaccinia.METHODS:In a case-control study, 67 patients with breast cancer who received cytotoxic chemotherapy and who were disease free for at least 1 year were matched with healthy controls according to age, sex, and the number of smallpox vaccinations received. Markers of immunity to smallpox were examined. Forty-one patients with breast cancer who did not receive chemotherapy were used to assess the affect of cancer and radiotherapy on immunity to smallpox.RESULTS:Patients with breast cancer who received chemotherapy had lower levels of vaccinia total immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin G1 (expressed as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay units per milliliter), neutralizing antibodies, vaccinia:memory B cell ratio (expressed as a percentage), and interferon-gamma level (expressed as picograms per milliliter), compared with healthy control individuals.CONCLUSIONS:Immunity to smallpox is reduced after receipt of chemotherapy for breast cancer. This finding should be considered when planning smallpox vaccination campaigns. The effect of immunosuppressive treatments on persistence of immunity should be tested with respect to additional vaccines or natural infections.

Recently, we have seen the development of diagnostic tools based on the rationale that the measurement of electrical impedance of specific dermal zones might reflect the occurrence of pathological states in corresponding internal organs. Studies published lately have shown the diagnostic potential of this technique. We set out to evaluate the accuracy of this tool in diagnosing cancer. Our study group was composed of cancer patients visiting the Oncology clinic for a routine follow-up. All patients underwent conventional medical history and physical examination by a physician. We evaluated a device manufactured by Medex Screen Ltd. The device analysis was carried out by a physician who was blinded to the previous diagnosis. A third researcher compared the "conventional" diagnosis with the Medex device output using standard statistical analysis. Overall, 125 cancer patients were included in the study. When comparing Medex Screen diagnostic technique with the conventional methods of diagnosis for the various disorders we found a sensitivity of 76.2%, 78.7%, and 92.9% and a specificity of 95.0%, 90.7%, and 90.4% for lung, breast, and prostate cancer, respectively. Existence of metastatic disease or specific treatment did not affect the diagnostic properties of the described device. Although the exact mechanism is not entirely clear, measurement of electrical impedance of dermal-visceral zones has the potential to serve as a diagnostic and perhaps a screening tool for neoplastic pathologies. Further research should be conducted to create more evidence to support or dispute the use of this technique as a reliable diagnostic tool.

Abstract : Recently, we have seen the development of diagnostic tools based on the rationale that the measurement of electrical impedance of specific dermal zones might reflect the occurrence of pathological states in corresponding internal organs. Studies published lately have shown the diagnostic potential of this technique. We set out to evaluate the accuracy of this tool in diagnosing cancer. Our study group was composed of cancer patients visiting the Oncology clinic for a routine follow-up. All patients underwent conventional medical history and physical examination by a physician. We evaluated a device manufactured by Medex Screen Ltd. The device analysis was carried out by a physician who was blinded to the previous diagnosis. A third researcher compared the “conventional” diagnosis with the Medex device output using standard statistical analysis. Overall, 125 cancer patients were included in the study. When comparing Medex Screen diagnostic technique with the conventional methods of diagnosis for the various disorders we found a sensitivity of 76.2%, 78.7%, and 92.9% and a specificity of  95.0%, 90.7%, and 90.4% for lung, breast, and prostate cancer, respectively. Existence of metastatic disease or specific treatment did not affect the diagnostic properties of the described device. Although the exact mechanism is not entirely clear, measurement of electrical impedance of dermal–visceral zones has the potential to serve as a diagnostic and perhaps a screening tool for neoplastic pathologies. Further research should be conducted to create more evidence to support or dispute the use of this technique as a reliable diagnostic tool.

Immunologic methods for detection of colorectal neoplasia based on examination of stool or colonic effluent are being developed. Most current oral lavage preparations contain polyethylene glycol (PEG), and if PEG adversely interferes with immunologic testing these tests may become less useful. We describe a decrease in sensitivity of ELISA for tumor-associated antigens (TAA) when effluent samples are diluted in PEG-electrolyte lavage solution, equivalent to a commonly used oral lavage solution based on PEG. Radioisotope-labeled antigen binding to plastic plates was decreased by dilution in the PEG lavage solution. Antigen binding, present in colonic effluent collected by the laxative purge method, was absent in effluent collected by PEG oral lavage from the same patient. We conclude that PEG and PEG-containing lavage solutions interfere with ELISA detection of TAA in colonic effluents. We speculate that thein vitro, and possibly thein vivo, effect occurs at the level of antigen binding to the plate either by a steric effect or alteration of charge by the nonpolar properties of PEG.