"Bio-detection" dogs in trial to be used for prostate cancer sniffing

Many urologists agree that the PSA test for detecting prostate cancer is often unreliable, but it remains widely used because there are no other relatively inexpensive tests. Researchers in Britain say this method may soon be replaced with dogs trained to sniff out the type of cancer that, according to the American Cancer Society, affects one in every 7 men. VOA’s George Putic reports:



It takes 6 months to train a dog to detect prostate cancer. According to the report, trained dogs can detect prostate tumors in urine in 93 percent of cases.

"These dogs have the ability to screen hundreds of samples in a day; it's something they find very easy, they enjoy their work. To them it's a hunt game - they find the cancer."

The alternative, "electronic nose" sensitivity is well below the one of a dog. A dog can find 1 part per trillion. An electronic nose is unable to find anything below 1 per million.

References:

Cancer sniffing dogs to aid British doctors. Reuters. http://buff.ly/1PWNrOL

All about hair loss (alopecia) - Deutsche Welle expert interview

Dr. Andreas Finner (Trichomed Praxis Berlin) talks about what everyone can do to keep a full head of hair and about the best methods for treating hair loss:



Today's Hair-Loss Treatments: Drugs

Minoxidil shampoo

Patients can buy an OTC shampoo with an ingredient called minoxidil. Minoxidil (Rogaine) fights androgenic alopecia in both men and women. It's still not entirely clear how minoxidil works. Used properly -- twice a day, massaged deep into the scalp -- it slows new hair loss. Two-thirds of men do get acceptable hair growth. "It is not something a bald person would use, but someone starting to go bald would use it. The goal is to maintain the hair you have."

An example from Amazon:



Propecia pill

Propecia (finasteride) works only for men. It keeps the male sex hormone testosterone from forming its DHT by-product. Many men use both minoxidil shampoo and Propecia pill for maximum effect.

Today's Hair-Loss Treatments: Surgery

Surgeons can transplant hair follicles from the sides and back of the head to the top of the head.

Future Hair-Loss Treatments

- "Hair cloning" although a more accurate name is hair duplication. Follicular stem cells are packaged into follicle-inducing implants.

- Gene therapy. A gene called sonic hedgehog can convert resting hair into growing hair.

Sonic the Hedgehog animation character from Amazon:



References:

Future Hair-Loss Treatments Promise What's not Hair Today will Be Hair Tomorrow. WebMD.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Hidradenitis suppurativa, also known as acne inversa, is a chronic skin disease characterized by recurrent boil-like lumps (nodules) under the skin. Hidradenitis suppurativa was once thought to be a rare condition because only the most severe cases were reported. However, recent studies have shown that the condition affects at least 1 in 100 people when milder cases are also considered.

There are three levels in the management of hidradenitis suppurativa:

- topical options
- systemic options
- surgical methods including laser therapy

Dr. Christian Baum, a Mayo Clinic dermatologist, takes a look at a chronic skin condition called hidradenitis suppurativa: overview of the condition and treatment possibilities.



References:

Hidradenitis suppurativa: a review of cause and treatment. Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2011 Apr;24(2):118-23. doi: 10.1097/QCO.0b013e3283428d07.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21192260

Hidradenitis suppurativa. NIH http://buff.ly/1Jiligz

Carpal tunnel syndrome animation

NHSChoices: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a condition that causes pain, numbness and a burning or tingling sensation in the hand and fingers. Watch this animation and find out what the carpal tunnel is and what causes CTS.

http://youtu.be/F3VryalTK14

"Gluten sensitivity" may be caused by FODMAPs in everyday foods: Fructose in fruit, Lactose in milk, Galactans in beans, Polyols in chewing gum

FODMAPs is an acronym for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. FODMAPs are sugars that draw water into the intestinal tract. They may be poorly digested or absorbed, and become fodder for colonic bacteria that produce gas and can cause abdominal distress.

FODMAPs are FLF-GP:

- Fructose: A sugar found in many fruits (hence the name), for example, apples, pears, watermelon, mangoes, grapes, blueberries, tomatoes and tomato concentrate, and all dried fruits; vegetables like sugar-snap peas, sweet peppers and pickles; honey; agave; and jams, dressings and drinks made with high-fructose corn syrup.

- Lactose: Sugar in milk from cows, goats and sheep, present in ice cream, soft cheeses, sour cream and custard.

- Fructans: Soluble fiber found in bananas, garlic, onions, leeks, artichokes, asparagus, beets, wheat and rye.

- Galactans: Complex sugars prominent in dried peas and beans, soybeans, soy milk, broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts.

- Polyols: Sugar alcohols (sweeteners) isomalt, mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol, present in stone fruits like avocado, cherries, peaches, plums and apricots.

People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or gluten sensitivity often find that their symptoms lessen or disappear when avoiding foods rich in FODMAPs; however, it can take 6-8 weeks on a low-FODMAPs diet to see a significant improvement.

References:

When Gluten Sensitivity Isn't Celiac Disease - NYTimes.com http://nyti.ms/1EmXFDl
Celiac disease and nonceliac gluten sensitivity - 2017 review in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology http://buff.ly/2pI2x61