6 CEA

Lab Update:(Dr Arpan Gandhi and Dr Navin Dang)

Description

Formal name: Carcinoembryonic Antigen

Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) is a protein found in embryonic tissues.

Purpose of the test: To determine whether cancer is present in the body and to monitor cancer treatment.

When you have symptoms that suggest the possibility of cancer your doctor will prescribe this tests.   Also this test is performed before starting cancer treatment especially in patients with Gastro Intestinal cancer, as well as at intervals during and after therapy to monitor treatment and recovery.

CEA levels are high on embryonic tissues.

Patients with smaller and early-stage tumors normally have low or normal CEA levels, while patients with more advanced tumors, or tumors that have spread throughout the body, are likely to have initially high CEA levels.

CEA levels decreased to “normal” levels after therapy means that the tumor has been removed.

If CEA levels return to rise steadily it can be the first sign of tumor recurrence.

 

What is the importance of varicella vaccine?

Infertility Update: (Dr. Kaberi Banerjee, Infertility and IVF Specialist, Max Hospital)

Varicella vaccine contains live attenuated virus. The vaccine should be administered within 96 hours of exposure, and pregnancy should be avoided for one month thereafter.

What is the importance of varicella vaccine?

Infertility Update: (Dr. Kaberi Banerjee, Infertility and IVF Specialist, Max Hospital)

Varicella vaccine contains live attenuated virus. The vaccine should be administered within 96 hours of exposure, and pregnancy should be avoided for one month thereafter.

 

What is spasmodic and recurrent croup?

Pediatric Update: (Dr. Neelam Mohan, Director Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Medanta – The Medicity)

Spasmodic and recurrent croup defines a sudden onset of symptoms, identical to viral croup, at night in a child who has been well. The symptoms last for few hours rather than days and usually there is no fever. The episodes are seldom life threatening. The child may be well during the day and have attacks on 3 to 4 successive evenings. During the first attack, it is difficult to make an accurate diagnostic distinction from viral croup. Spasmodic croup occurs most often in children with atopic tendency.

 

More exercise is recommended for MS patients

Fitness Update: (Contributed by Rajat Bhatnagar, International Sports & Fitness Distribution, LLC, http://www.isfdistribution.com)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. Research shows that individuals who suffer from MS also have an increased rate of atherosclerosis, which is associated with disease progression as well as cardiovascular disease.

The study, conducted at the University of Illinois’s Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, compared atherosclerosis, arterial function and risk of cardiovascular disease in people with and without MS. Participants consisted of 33 MS patients and 33 healthy individuals; all participants were matched for age, sex and BMI. The study used several tests of arterial function as well as accelerometer data, and found that MS patients engaged in significantly less activity than their healthy counterparts. Data analyses were able to make a direct link between the two, leading researchers to conclude that the decreased arterial function and increased atherosclerosis were directly caused by decreased levels of physical activity. The study recommends that medical experts find new ways to incorporate mild forms of physical activity in MS treatment, as this would decrease rates of cardiovascular disease and slow disease progression.

 

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)

Lab Update: (Dr Arpan Gandhi and Dr Navin Dang)

IGF-1 testing may be ordered, along with a GH stimulation test, when a child has symptoms of GH deficiency, such as a slowed growth rate and short stature. They also may be ordered when adults have symptoms that the doctor suspects may be due to a GH deficiency. An IGF-1 also may be ordered when a doctor suspects that a person has an underactive pituitary gland and at intervals to monitor patients on GH therapy.

IGF-1 testing may be ordered, along with a GH suppression test, when a child has symptoms of gigantism, an adult shows signs of acromegaly, and/or when a doctor suspects that a patient has hyperpituitarism.

To identify diseases caused by deficiencies and overproduction of growth hormone (GH), also to evaluate pituitary function. and to monitor the effectiveness of GH treatment.

This test is prescribed as part of an evaluation of pituitary function, when you have symptoms of slow growth, short stature, and delayed development or decreased bone density, reduced muscle strength, and increased lipids that suggest insufficient GH and IGF-1 production.   Also when you have symptoms of gigantism (in children) or acromegaly (in adults) that suggest excess GH and IGF-1 production.

IGF-1 may be ordered with other pituitary hormone tests, such as adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), to help diagnose hypopituitarism. It may be used to monitor the effectiveness of treatment for growth hormone deficiencies and growth hormone insensitivity.

What is the importance of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine?

Infertility Update: (Dr Kaberi Banerjee, Dr. Kaberi Banerjee, Infertility and IVF Specialist, Max Hospital)

MMR vaccine contains live attenuated virus. Vaccination therefore should be administered before pregnancy to avoid the possibility of intrauterine infection, and pregnancy should be avoided for one month after vaccination. Consequently, inadvertent MMR administration during pregnancy is not an indication for pregnancy termination.

 

When does one suspect croup?

Pediatric Update: (Dr. Neelam Mohan, Director Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Medanta – The Medicity)

Croup is a viral illness and the diagnosis is usually clinical. It typically presents with a constellation of :

• barky cough,
• hoarse voice
• high-pitched, inspiratory stridor.

It usually follows a prodrome of mild fever, rhinorrhea and sore throat. Symptoms tend to worsen during late night and early morning. The breath sounds are normal with no added sounds except  stridor. Occasionally, there may be wheezing, indicating severe narrowing or associated bronchitis.

 

Healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death

Fitness Update: (Contributed by Rajat Bhatnagar, International Sports & Fitness Distribution, LLC, http://www.isfdistribution.com)

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for more than half of all cardiac deaths in the United States, an estimated 300,000 cases each year according to the Heart Rhythm Society. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which is the first to investigate the lifestyle determinants of the condition, reveals that exercise is a key factor in preventing sudden cardiac death. Researchers from Harvard University collected data from a total of 81,722 women who were enrolled in the study, which took place from 1984 until 2010. Participants were divided into three groups, according to the following lifestyle factors: nutrition, exercise and smoking. Women in the healthiest lifestyle category ate a healthy, balanced diet, did not smoke, and engaged in 30 minutes of physical activity per day. These women were 92% less likely to suffer from sudden cardiac death as compared to their counterparts in the other two lifestyle groups, who were classified as having a riskier and less healthy lifestyle.

Hemoglobin electrophoresis

Lab Update: (Dr Arpan Gandhi and Dr Navin Dang)

• Find each type of hemoglobin in the blood. This can be used to diagnose certain types of anemia (such as thalassemia).
• Check treatment for diseases that have abnormal types of hemoglobin in the blood.
• Help couples find out how likely they are to have a child with certain forms of anemia that can be passed from a parent to a child (inherited).