Vigilance Hormone Linked to Panic Attacks

A new study has linked panic disorder to a wayward hormone in a brain circuit that regulates vigilance. While too little of the hormone, called orexin, is known to underlie narcolepsy, the new finding suggests that too much of it may lead to panic attacks.

Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder that afflicts 6 million American adults. It's characterized by unexpected, repeated episodes of intense fear. These can be accompanied by physical symptoms including chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness or abdominal distress. Panic disorder is also a risk factor for suicidal behavior.

In April 2009, seven researchers from organizations highly respected in scientific academia published a study, "Risk factors for triple-negative breast cancer in women under the age of 45 years," in the prestigious journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

The focus of the report was the revelatory finding that "a distinct etiology" exists between oral contraceptive use and triple-negative breast cancer, a particularly virulent form of the disease that typically strikes women under 45, many African-American.

TNBC was only first described in scientific literature in 2007. So for this study the seven researchers re-examined 897 saved cancerous breast tissue specimens from two previous studies to see if they tested positive for TNBC.

Gene Mutations Reveal Potential New Targets for Treating a Type of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Researchers have discovered genetic mutations that may contribute to the development of an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. These findings provide insight into a mechanism that cancer cells may use to survive, thus identifying potential new targets for treatment of the disease. The study conducted by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Human Genome Research Institute, components of the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues appeared Jan. 7, 2010, in Nature.

 Leafy green vegetables, folate, and some multivitamins could serve as protective factors against lung cancer in current and former smokers, according to a study that is a first step in understanding a complex association. The study was supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The study appeared online Jan. 12, 2010, in Cancer Research.

Researchers, led by Steven Belinsky, Ph.D., Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque, N.M., examined cells that were coughed up by current and former smokers.