Choosing Sides: Treatment Decisions for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer Must Consider Side Effects https://tinyurl.com/y2l3lj2l Recurrent ovarian cancer may be treated with many drugs, most of which cause side effects. Doctors and patients differ about which are the most significant. Medical staff note, “Neuropathy can result in patients needing assistance to walk or unable to feel their feet so they’re at risk for infections or injury. Other side effects include fatigue, hair loss, nausea and vomiting, joint pain and high blood pressure. Most get better with time and dose management”. Patients say, “My tumor is shrinking, but I’m in a really bad depression because I just don’t see the end of the tunnel. The nausea for the first four months was so brutal, and the extreme fatigue never subsides. Many anti nausea drugs cause constipation, which can be a real problem. There is a lack of communication”.

New name for breast-cancer syndrome could help to save lives  https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02015-7 The name, “hereditary breast and ovarian (HBOC) syndrome”, used for individuals with BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations, needs to be changed as it misleading.  HBOC could be renamed King syndrome to recognize the seminal contributions of pioneering cancer geneticist Mary-Claire King, the discoverer of BRCA1. All sexes have the same rate of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation and are equally likely to pass these mutations to their children. Changing the name would increase awareness that BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are not limited to women BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations are associated with a number of other cancers including prostate, pancreas and melanoma. A new name would raise awareness in men, especially those with metastatic prostate cancer, prompting more genetic testing with targeted therapy and better cancer awareness for family members. Mary King

Life Insurance products and genetic testing in Australia https://tinyurl.com/yx8m36d5 The Moratorium on Genetic Tests in Life Insurance came into effect from 1 July 2019; there will be a temporary suspension on the use of genetic test results as part of an insurance application up to the value of $500,000.  Although not written into Australian law, the moratorium will be included in the Life Insurance Code of Practice, and as such the independent Life Code Compliance Committee will be able to sanction members who are not compliant. Genetic discrimination by Australian insurance companies: a survey of consumer experiences https://www.nature.com/articles/s41431-019-0426-1 There is evidence of genetic discrimination by Australian insurance companies, both legal (permitted under current regulation) and illegal. The number of cases suggests a systemic problem with the Australian life insurance industry. Government oversight of the inherently conflicted model of i...

Oncolytic Measles Virotherapy and Opposition to Measles Vaccination https://tinyurl.com/yylzupqw Vaccine uptake rates have been declining in large part because of public misinformation. There is a new anti vaccination argument; that measles immunity is undesirable because measles virus is protective against cancer. Vaccination protects against measles and has been administered to over a billion people with an exceptional safety record. Measles is a very serious, highly transmissible, and potentially deadly viral infection responsible for over 100,000 deaths annually worldwide. There is no evidence that measles infection can protect against cancer Cure of lymphoma coincident with measles has been observed, suggesting the possibility of using measles as an anticancer drug. Patients with ovarian cancer have responded favourably to modified measles virus therapy although without complete remission.  Superior outcomes were noted in vaccinated vs. unvac...