Extended chemo extends life for children with rare cancer

Health Problems

(HealthDay)—Children suffering from rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer of the muscle tissue, may have better chances for a cure if they have extended chemotherapy, a new study finds. In a phase 3 clinical trial, adding six months of low-dose maintenance chemotherapy after initial treatment extended the five-year survival rate from 74 percent to 87 percent, researchers found. Children with rhabdomyosarcoma who’ve […]

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Experimental drug extends survival in progeria

Health Problems

A report from a clinical trial for a drug to treat the rapid-aging disorder progeria, published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, offers hope for families with the ultra-rare genetic condition. Old Before Their Time Children with Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome have a distinctive appearance, seemingly hurtling towards old age. After an outwardly normal infancy, weight gain slows, hair […]

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