Can IBM's Watson help cancer patients?

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Watson's "Jeopardy"-winning AI skills will be put to use at a New York hospital to help diagnose and treat cancers.

(Credit: IBM)

Patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center may receive cancer diagnoses and treatment with the help of IBM's Watson supercomputer by the end of 2013.

Watson would make diagnoses and suggest treatment approaches that take into account individual patient concerns, the Associated Press reported today.

Using its natural-language processing powers, the artificial intelligence system will study textbooks, oncology studies, and medical records if patients give permission. An advisory panel will test its assessments of increasingly complicated cancer cases.

If the collaboration proves successful, Watson's knowledge base could be used to help treat cancer around the world.

"The capabilities are enormous," Larry Norton, deputy chief for breast cancer programs at Sloan-Kettering, told the Associated Press. "And unlike my medical students, Watson doesn't forget anything."

Built as a collection of 90 IBM Power 750 servers, Watson can process the equivalent of 1 million books (some 200 million pages of data), analyze what it has looked at, and give precise answers -- all in less than three seconds.

Following the system's "Jeopardy" win last year, IBM inked a deal with health insurer WellPoint to use Watson for suggestions about diagnoses and patient treatment. The companies said they aim for better patient care and lower costs.

I doubt Watson will have any interaction with patients. But if it did, what do you think its bedside manner would be like? And could you imagine a scenario in which Watson would be allowed to tell you that you have cancer?

The name says it all. Crave is our blog about gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. If you would like to contact Crave with a tip or comment, please write to: crave@cnet.com

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Blue Scorpion venom in cancer therapy

Some therapies emerged in the twentieth century have advantageof that provides excellent results without the drawbacks which can generate classical approaches (such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy). This is the case, in particular, the treatment is done with blue Scorpion venom. This therapy, used incubates for more than a decade, showed good results in practice, but lacks rigor thescientific other methods of fighting cancer.

Blue Scorpion venom is reformulated in preparation called Escoazul and ismanaged in several countries. Scorpio Blue is a particular species of arthropod that grows this familyof only in some Caribbean Islands. Only in Cuba, on the other hand, there are 32 species of scorpions. The key to successful treatment liesblue Scorpion venom on inhibition of proteases (enzymes that act as a membrane to prevent the destruction of cancer cells in the body). By blocking the action of this particular enzyme is almost instantly achieved by stopping the formation of a tumor.

While blue scorpion venom is highly effective against the therapy has a point: you need to permanently manage to get the results you want. Many patients, ten years after initial treatment are still taking the remedy based on blue Scorpion venom as a preventative measure (otherwise there are high chances that the tumorfrom return as before). The mainstream medical community, although not unanimously accepted the benefits of this new therapy. While there are few whoargue against or skeptic, experts increasingly recommend Why do nothave associated side effects.

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12:54 PM | 1 comments

Broccoli increases the defences and prevents cancer

Broccoli increases the defenses to ward off cancer

This vegetable, rich in antioxidants, may help people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, cancer and cardiovascular diseases, a consequence of smoking. Under the theme "breathless not helpless, but" only to celebrate the day of COPD, an event that attempts to prevent this disease worldwide. In this line, say U.S. researchers broccoli is rich in certain substances able to adjust the amount of key components of the system of lung epithelial defense.

Broccoli is classified as a food which benefits the heart and brain, and the high antioxidant content is part of the list of products to assist in the fight against degenerative diseases. The latest study published in the "American Journal of respiratory and Critical Care Medicine" to add a broader curriculum of this vegetable. In addition to heading the list of vegetables anti-cancer, seems to have some substance able to adjust the amount of key components of the system of lung epithelial defense.

Antioxidant and inflammation

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the Fifth leading cause of death in our country and, according to estimates by the World Health Organization in 2030 will be the cause of 7.8% of all deaths in the world, exceeded only by cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The snuff is one of the biggest culprits for the development and expansion of this degenerative disease and this is why many surveys aim to find a remedy to decrease its prevalence is increasing.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medical School (USA) have found that the severity of COPD in smokers is linked to a decrease in a type of antioxidant present in the lung tissues, dependent on a substance called NRF2, a defense system against key lung inflammations. The link that connects the COPD broccoli and sulforaphane, a powerful antioxidant present in this vegetable in sufficient quantity to avoid, in part, the inflammatory process of damaged tissue in the lung.

This study demonstrates the ability of sulforaphane to restore depleted levels of NRF2 reducing the action of one of its main inhibitor, Keap1. It is also observed both in vitro and in vivo, diseased tissues of the lungs, which improves the level of NRF2 counter other negative effects of snuff. According to Peter Barnes, a member of the National Heart and Lung Institute in London, "therapy directed toward enhancing NRF2-dependent antioxidant might be a novel strategy to mitigate the effects of oxidative stress in the genesis of COPD."

Sulforaphane: a door open to research

Sulforaphane antioxidant was discovered in 1992 by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and since then has not ceased to investigate their properties. It is classified as a called Glucosinolates which are metabolized in the body and are converted into vegetables, sulphur-containing anticancer and much of the flavor and aroma of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts, among others carrying chemicals plant highly active.

We have studied the action of diets rich in sulforaphane, administered to mice exposed to harmful substances and its relation to lung cancer. According to investigators, the most critical phase in the evolution of this cancer is that in which tumors become malignant. It is precisely this that has been described as "markedly inhibited in rats fed diets with high percentages of sulforaphane.

While the research work on these compounds to achieve the scientific evidence, the manufacturers of dietary supplements and nutritional supplements and pills designed broccoli Extract containing specific doses of Glucosinolates.

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