For Thursday, November 16, WGN’s Dina Bair has new medical information, including:
New drug can kill pancreatic cancer cells
Pancreatic cancer migrates quickly and easily to other organs and the tumors have a unique biology resistant to many current therapies.
Doctors at the University of Rochester Medical Center say they are excited to launch a clinical trial for a drug that their studies show kills pancreatic cancer cells and prevents them from spreading.
The NP137 drug will be administered to patients in the new year to test its safety and effectiveness.
It targets an essential gene involved in pancreatic, breast and colon cancers.
The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is only 12%.
1 in 10 children taken by ambulance experienced a behavioral health emergency
Suicidal thoughts are a true teenage emergency.
Researchers at Lurie Children’s Hospital revealed that more than one in 10 children brought to the hospital by ambulance were suffering from a behavioral health emergency.
Most of those in crisis were between 12 and 17 years old.
There are currently no emergency medical services guidelines for treating patients with mental health problems.
Patients as young as six years old have been immobilized and some have been given medication to calm them in their crisis.
Marijuana increases the chances of premature birth
A warning for pregnant women about the impact of marijuana use during pregnancy.
Babies exposed to cannabis in utero are more likely to be born prematurely.
Premature babies have many health complications that can persist throughout their lives.
When mothers use marijuana during pregnancy, their babies are also more likely to end up in the neonatal intensive care unit.
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