A brief round-up of this week's other news.
Cancer breakthrough
Trinity College scientists, in collaboration with cancer research colleagues in the UK, have developed a new drug which marks a milestone in cancer chemotherapy. The drug, PaTrin-2, does not in itself damage tumour cells. Instead, it supports the action of anti-cancer drugs called alkylating agents . These drugs damage the DNA of tumour cells, but the cells have inbuilt repair mechanisms. PaTrin-2 destroys one of the repair mechanisms and the damaged DNA causes the cancerous cells to die.
Preventing aneurysms
Screening men over 65 years of age could substantially reduce death from ruptured aortic aneurysms, according to compelling evidence in a new study. Rupture of an aortic aneurysm - a swelling in the body's main artery - is a major cause of death among men over 65. Researchers looked at a group of 67,800 men aged 65 or over. Half of them were invited to attend screening and the other half were a control group, not invited for screening. Men who had aneurysms detected by screening (swellings larger than 3 cm in diameter) were followed up for an average of four years. The relative risk of aneurysm-related death was reduced by about 50 per cent among those screened. The results indicate substantial reductions in aneurysm-related deaths could be achieved by the implementation of a population-screening programme.
Smoking at work
Two out of three non-smokers would like to see a total ban on smoking in the workplace, according to a new study. One in three smokers also claimed they would smoke less if a strict smoking policy was introduced in their workplace. "One in three workplaces still do not have a smoking in the workplace policy," says Dr Fenton Howell, chairman of ASH, the quit-smoking lobby group. The study was commissioned by a nicotine replacement therapy manufacturer.
Bladder control
Tirim, the bladder control information service, has launched a new website, www.tirim.ie, with information and advice on bladder control problems such as an overactive bladder and stress incontinence.
Bladder control problems are believed to affect almost half a million people over 40 in Ireland. The website and information service aims to inform the public that bladder control problems are treatable and not a symptom of ageing which has to be tolerated. The website contains a symptom questionnaire, and a bladder health questionnaire.
Lifelines is compiled by Dr Muiris Houston and Sylvia Thompson
lifelines@irish-times.ie