Nuclear Oncology

Posts Tagged ‘Children’

A small initial test in children with medulloblastoma (most common type of childhood malignant brain tumor) showed that an experimental drug developed by Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG, may have promising results.

Baptized under the name ‘GDC-0449′, this drug is part of a new class of drugs that block the so-called ‘Hedgehog Signaling Pathway, which involves several proteins that play a role in cell growth.

Presented at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the results of the test phase showed that the drug was well tolerated by 12 of 13 children with medulloblastomas constant or resistant to drugs, with one patient who remained with the drug for more than a year without achieving progress against the disease.

Amar Gajjar Dr., director of neuro-oncology at Children’s Research Hospital St. Jude in Memphis, Tennessee, and lead investigator of the study, stressed that: “Less than 5 percent of these children survive if primary treatment fails.”

Gajjar found that the ‘hedgehog pathway’ was responsible for about 20 percent of medulloblastomas and future trials will involve patients whose tumors have activated hedgehog ducts.

In addition, earlier studies have suggested that GDC-0449 could also be effective against basal cell carcinoma in adults and there is currently a two-phase test is performed in adults with medulloblastoma recurrent.

A VCUG is a pediatric X-ray exam of the bladder and lower urinary tract of a child who uses a special x-ray called fluoroscopy and a contrast material.

An x-ray (radiograph) is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. The imaging X-rays involves exposing a body part to a small dose of ionizing radiation to produce images inside the body. X-rays are the oldest and most frequently used for medical imaging.

Fluoroscopy allows visualization of internal organs in motion. When the bladder fills with contrast material soluble in water first and
Some common uses of the procedure

A VCUG allows the radiologist, a physician specifically trained to supervise and interpret radiology examinations, abnormalities in the flow of urine through the urinary tract.

Usually this test is recommended after a urinary tract infection, to detect a condition known as vesicoureteral reflux (VU).
About VUR

Urine is produced in the kidneys and flows through the ureter, the tube that carries urine from each kidney to the bladder. A valve mechanism prevents the return of urine to the kidneys as the bladder fills. Urine leaves the bladder through the urethra and out of the body during urination.

In some children, an abnormality in the valve or the ureters allows urine to flow backwards, a condition called vesicoureteral reflux. In mild cases, the urine backs up into the lower ureter. In severe cases, urine may back up into a swollen kidney. Usually, children with this condition are born with it. Other causes are: Read the rest of this entry »