A weekly round-up of news affecting your health.
BREAST CANCER
Australian patients with a type of metastatic breast cancer (type HR+/HER2-) now have access to a new treatment option, with the approval of protein inhibitor drug Kisqali by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Kisqali (ribociclib) from pharmaceutical company Novartis works by targeting two specific specific proteins in cancer cells that drive them to grow, divide and spread quickly.
For the past 10 years hormone therapies have successfully been used to treat metastatic breast cancer, however some patients can develop a resistance to those drugs over time.
The new oral treatment inhibits both CDK4 and CDK6 proteins, and is used in combination with an aromatase inhibitor that stops the production of oestrogen, which plays a role in the growth of most breast cancers.
Professor Fran Boyle, Medical Oncologist and Professor at the Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney said the approval of Kisqali marks a big step forward in the treatment of this aggressive cancer.
"With this new category of treatments, of which ribociclib is an example, they take existing successful breast cancer drug treatment to a new level when combined with CDK 4/6 inhibitors," Professor Boyle added.
Patients are advised to speak with their healthcare professionals about pricing. Novartis says it's currently holding discussions with the federal government to try to make this new therapy more affordable.
MENOPAUSE
US researchers have linked severe hot flashes with greater risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among menopausal women.
A study of 1691 women from the Mayo Clinic, published in journal Menopause, found 24.9 per cent were classified in the intermediate and high-risk categories for OSA.
It was found the women reporting severe hot flashes in midlife were 1.87 times more likely to have OSA than those with mild or no hot flashes.
According to the results, the women with OSA were also more likely to be older and have a higher body mass index and a greater incidence of hypertension.
"Sleep disruption is a common complaint at menopause. It is important to recognise the high number of undiagnosed sleep disorders, including OSA," says author Dr JoAnn Pinkerton.
"Early morning headaches or excessive daytime sleepiness should raise concern for OSA and signal a possible need for sleep apnea testing."
VAPING
Vaping may not be a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, with a US study finding e-cigarettes cause unique harm to lung tissue.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina collected mucus samples from 15 current e-cigarette users, 14 current cigarette smokers, and 15 never-smokers.
Using advanced quantitative proteomics technology they analysed the proteins within the sputum samples.
They found both cigarette smokers and e-cigarette users had a significant increase in proteins related to oxidative stress - a state when the levels of antioxidants in the body are not high enough to counteract the damaging effect of free radicals.
Also, e-cigarette users were found to have higher levels of proteins linked to chronic lung disease.
"Our results indicate that e-cigarette use alters the profile of innate defence proteins in airway secretions, inducing both similar and unique changes relative to cigarette smoking," the authors wrote in a paper published in the American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine.
"These data challenge the concept that e-cigarettes are a healthier alternative to cigarettes," they concluded.
