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Deborah Allen

Publications and source records attributed to Deborah Allen.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Gefitinib (Iressa, ZD1839) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors: the wave of the future in cancer therapy.

Targeted therapies are one of the latest innovative trends in cancer therapy. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a target found in high concentrations in several solid tumors including lung, breast, colorectal, and brain. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as gefitinib (Iressa, ZD1839), block the EGFR. As a result, there is inhibition of cellular proliferation, promotion of apoptosis, and inhibition of anti-angiogenesis. Gefitinib has demonstrated significant efficacy in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), leading to FDA approval for treatment of this refractory disease. Phase 2 trials with gefitinib for platinum refractory NSCLC reported disease response and symptom improvement. Early results of phase 2 studies of gefitinib, combined with standard chemotherapy in colorectal cancer, showed a 75% response rate compared with 55% with standard therapy alone. Gefitinib, combined with flutamide, produced an additive growth inhibition in prostate cancer. A phase 2 trial of gefitinib in first-relapse glioblastoma multiforme demonstrated median overall survival from treatment start of 39.4 weeks compared with 40 weeks with standard chemotherapy. Gefitinib is an oral agent with a mild toxicity profile, and thus, may be an optimal addition to chemotherapeutic regimens for some solid tumors. Gefitinib is potentially a vital and useful weapon in the arsenal of cancer therapies.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Perceptual causality in children.

Three experiments considered the development of perceptual causality in children from 3 to 9 years of age (N = 176 in total). Adults tend to see cause and effect even in schematic, two-dimensional motion events: Thus, if square A moves toward B, which moves upon contact, they report that A launches B--physical causality. If B moves before contact, adults report that B tries to escape from A--social or psychological causality. A brief pause between movements eliminates such impressions. Even infants in the first year of life are sensitive to causal structure in both contact and no-contact events, but previous research with talking-age children found poor verbal reports. The present experiments used a picture-based forced-choice task to reduce linguistic demands. Observers saw eight different animations involving squares A and B. Events varied in whether or not these agents made contact; whether or not there was a delay at the closest point; and whether they moved rigidly or with a rhythmic, nonrigid "caterpillar" motion. Participants of all ages assigned events with contact to the physical domain and events without contact to the psychological domain. In addition, participants of all ages chose causality more often for events without delay than with delay, but these events became more distinct over the preschool range. The manipulation of agent motion had only minor and inconsistent effects across studies, even though children of all ages considered only the nonrigid motion to be animal-like. These results agree with the view that perceptual causality is available early in development.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Use of herbal remedies by Hispanic patients: do they inform their physician?

PURPOSE: This study measured the knowledge and use of herbs among Hispanics and assessed their experiences when discussing herb use with their physician. METHODS: Self-administered questionnaires were collected from 620 Hispanic patients seeking treatment in urban health centers. RESULTS: Most (80.3%) reported using herbs. Herb users were more comfortable speaking Spanish (91.9% vs 80.2%) and had been in the United States less than 5 years (47.0% vs 29.4%). More users considered herbs as drugs (60.5% vs 39.6%). Users were more aware that herbs could harm a baby if taken during pregnancy (56.4% vs 36.0%). The majority did not know the English name for 23 of the 25 herbs. A majority indicated their physician was unaware of their herb use. Few (17.4%) responded that their physicians asked about herb use. Only 41.6% thought their physician would understand their herb use, and 1.8% believed their physician would encourage continued use. There were no significant differences between herb users and nonusers in their perception of patient-physician communication levels. CONCLUSION: Primary care physicians need to be aware that most Hispanic patients are likely to use herbs. It is important to initiate and encourage discussion of their patient's interest in and use of these therapies.

Adult↗