The 411 on Mucositis
What is it? Mucositis is inflammation of the mucosa which is lines the gastrointestinal tract. Characterized by mouth sores, intraoral mucosal redness, tissue sloughing, and a burning sensation, mucositis is an acute side effect associated with radiation treatment, chemotherapy, and stem cell transplants. It may affect any tissues in the oral cavity but is more commonly seen on movable mucosa such as the buccal mucosa (cheeks), lips, tongue and soft palate. Not just limited t
Targeted Therapy...what's the hype? Biochemistry 101
Biochemistry 101? That sounds complicated and boring. I know, but this isn't. Targeted cancer therapy is actually extremely interesting and becoming increasingly popular for treating certain types of cancer. You may remember the TIME magazine cover story in 2001 about gleevec as a targeted cancer therapy to treat chronic myeloid leukemia. The development of gleevec represented a major breakthrough in the treatment of leukemia. What is Targeted Therapy? In essence, targeted th