OF TUMORS AND THE STOCK MARKET

              Linda, pursued by ash-flow tuff Voodoos!

I often forget that cancer research is, to a large extent, a business, and I somewhat irrationally recoil from articles that examine it as a money-making proposition.  I write this because I initially learned of the scientific development described below through web sites giving stock-market tips!  The company behind the tips is Celsion Corporation, headquartered in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, employing 29 persons, and tendering a stock valued, at this moment, $2.09 per share.  As far as I can see, Celsion has never even come close to making a profit, but I hope that will change with the following innovation:

https://www.cancernetwork.com/view/fda-grants-fast-track-designation-to-gen-1-immunotherapy-for-treatment-of-advanced-ovarian-cancer

Apparently Celsion has succeeded in devising a means of delivering an important cancer-destroying drug directly to the tumor, using nanoparticles, rather than pumping the stuff into the blood-stream and hoping for the best.  It appears that Celsion has received “fast track” status from the FDA for its new baby.  Let us hope.

So maybe I should buy a few shares?

THE QUESTIONS TO ASK & OTHER THINGS TO KNOW

             Linda visits a modest cottage along the Thames

I have written several times over the years that the main value of this endless series of blogs is to equip you to ask the right questions if, God forbid, you receive a diagnosis of ovarian cancer.  Well, US News and World Report has just published an article that does a commendable job of addressing just that question.  Every woman should read it, now.  Hell, every man lucky enough to have a woman in his life should read it, too.  Here it is:

https://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/questions-to-ask-when-youre-diagnosed-with-ovarian-cancer 

If your computer is like mine you will have to copy this link to the appropriate line; you know what I mean.  Simply clicking on it won’t work, for reasons that escape me.  Anyway – just do it.

Oh, by the way the ten best cancer centers are listed,  Fred Hutch is one of them/.

 

UNIVERSAL GENETIC TESTING

                        Linda in Quito, central square

                 At the time known as pick-pocket central

In this blog series I have written several times about the benefit of universal genetic testing of women for susceptibility to ovarian and breast cancer.  If I had my way, every little girl baby  at birth would have her foot pricked, yielding a precious little drop of blood, which immediately would go into a machine that would test for mutations in the BRCA genes and others known trouble makers.  Surprisingly, NIH has failed to adopt my scheme, citing its rather immense cost.  Well, now a bunch of medical economist types in Germany purport to have shown that some sort of scheme like this is cost effective!  And that’s as much as I can tell you.  Here, puzzle through it yourself:

https://www.journalofclinicalpathways.com/news/targeted-genetic-testing-cost-effective-breast-and-ovarian-cancer 

The analysis summarized above involves  measures like ICER (incremental cost effectiveness ratio) and QALY (quality-adjusted life years).  I googled these objects and – Stanford economics grad though I am – understood them not at all. Maybe you will do better.  Anyway, good news, I guess.

  If we can’t trust German medico-statisticians  we are in big trouble!

OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, 2021

                              Linda visits Mt. St. Helens

Lest you forgot, February is ovarian cancer awareness month.  Read this rather quaint blurb out of Australia:

https://www.miragenews.com/february-is-ovarian-cancer-awareness-507692/  

and wear your teal ribbon.  Also, use some of that money that has been accumulating in your bank account because you can’t travel or eat out to support OVCA research.  Donate to:

https://secure.fredhutch.org/site/TR/PersonalFundraisingPages/FredHutchinsonCancerResearchCenter?px=1148821&pg=personal&fr_id=1573&fb_comment_id=1379501758839112_1582806938508592

 I don't understand why neither of the URLs above show up an inviting blue.  You'll just have to cut and paste.