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34 t m c » p u l s e | d e c 2 0 1 9/JA N 2 02 0 9 • • • THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER Boosted survival rates with breast cancer drug A targeted therapy, when added to hormone therapy, significantly increases survival rates of younger women diagnosed with an advanced stage of the most common type of breast cancer, according to findings from a 2019 MD Anderson Cancer Center study. The study focused on a type of breast cancer fueled by estrogen, which accounts for two-thirds of all cases among women who have not yet gone through menopause. Typically, this type of can- cer is treated by therapies that block estrogen's production. The international clinical trial, called MONALEESA-7, found that adding the drug ribociclib on top of hormone-blocking therapy lowered the risk of death by 29 per- cent. After three-and-a-half years, 70 percent of women were still alive, compared to 46 percent of those who took the hormone treatment only. "This data provides clear evidence that ribociclib offers a significant survival advan- tage," said Debu Tripathy, M.D., chair of breast medical oncology and the study's senior author. "Breast cancer in younger women is known to be more aggressive, so this provides a much- needed treatment option for these patients." • • • THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BRANCH AT GALVESTON Identified biomarkers to predict muscle decline in deep space Prolonged space travel can wreak havoc on the human body, including loss of muscle mass and strength, and no two bodies react the same way to reduced gravity. To help future deep space travelers—headed to Mars and beyond— researchers at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) learned to identify biomarkers that can help predict how susceptible each individual will be to muscle decline and how to combat it. An extended bed rest study allowed scientists to see how the human body would react to different exercise and supplement regimens. With that knowl- edge, NASA could tailor treatments for individ- ual space travelers before they leave Earth. Serena Auñón-Chancellor, M.D., is an astronaut and physician who completed internal medicine and aerospace medicine residencies at UTMB. C H R I S T M A S A T P A L M E R C h r i s t m a s E v e S e r v i c e s 4 : 0 0 , 7 : 0 0 a n d 1 0 : 0 0 P M ( C a n d l e l i g h t S e r v i c e a t 1 0 : 0 0 P M ) C a r o l S i n g & H o l i d a y L u n c h D e c e m b e r 1 1 a t 1 2 : 0 0 P M A d v e n t L e s s o n s & C a r o l s D e c e m b e r 1 5 a t 5 : 0 0 P M C h r i s t m a s D a y 1 0 : 0 0 A M 6 2 2 1 M a i n S t r e e t | p a l m e r c h u r c h . o r g Credit: NASA