HIV and Cancer

As I write my blog for week #5 I am saddened at the wasting of my next door neighbor who is 47 years old and in his last days. He does not have HIV, but was diagnosed with cancer about six years ago. I remember when he first shared with us that he had a tumor. He did not seem overly concerned. He was ready for the surgery and then things would go on as normal. I have watched him bounce back and forth from healthy to not healthy, depending on whether or not he was in remission or if he was able to tolerate the treatment. He has gone from a healthy 230 pound man to wasting away to almost nothing. He has lost his desire to eat, to visit, to survive. He has had to deal with fever, nausea, horrible pain, sores, and fatigue while wasting away to someone who is barely recognized.

The human body and what it accomplishes each and every day is amazing. The body has automatic survival skills that are at work 24/7 so when a virus or disease gets the best of our bodies we know it has put up a good fight. It seems that many viruses and diseases have many of the same signs and symptoms at the onset and throughout the longevity of the illness. Anything that attacks our immune system seems to cause a breakdown in our bodies ability to defend itself from many different fronts. If the disease or virus can't get us through muscle, it moves to bone, if it can't get us through our bones, it moves to our blood until it consumes us. Meanwhile the unfortunate victim of the horrible disease/virus is at the mercy of available treatments and the body they were born with.

Reading over this weeks module gives me the desire to take better care of myself. I will be more quicker to get to the doctor and the dentist. I will not put off getting my moles checked or my pap smear done on a yearly basis. I will pay closer attention to the little signs that could mean I have the beginning of something more serious. I will be more proactive in not taking unnecessary risks like having unprotected sex or engaging in IV drug use. I will do a better job of taking care of this body since it is trying to take care of me. I will make each day count because life can be short.


My tidbit this week is on the similarities and differences of HIV and cancer. On the web site, The HIV-Cancer Link, they are studying the similarities and differences of HIV and cancer. Some of the similarities is in the area of cytokine research which has to do with chemical interactions and the immune systems response to infection. Another similarity has to do with several sexually transmitted viruses that are linked to HIV cancers (those cancers that are common in HIV patients).

Some differences that are important are the patient populations affected, the attitudes of the physicians and how the FDA approves clinical trials. With some of this new information, researchers are finding that those HIV patients who are living longer will develop some type of HIV cancer. AIDS research has lead to a better understanding of some infections within the cancer community. The sharing of data and information between the HIV/AIDS and the cancer research community can only have a positive impact on the fight against these debilitating viruses.

Web: HIV-Cancer (2009). Retrieved Sept. 20, 2009, from http://www.aidsinfonyc.org/hivplus/issue2/ahead/cancer.html.

What I Have Learned So Far; What I Have Yet to Learn.

It has been about a month since this class started and I feel like I am consumed by learning about HIV/AIDS. In four weeks I have read a book, watched three movies, and talked about the virus and I still don't know all there is to know about the HIV virus. I have had mixed emotions about the films and the book was better than I expected as iI enjoyed the story attached to learning about the virus. The book seemed more real to me than the movies. As I have learned new information such as the virus does not go dormant, but is asymptomatic and slowly replicating and taking over the body, and that if you are HIV positive you can still kiss people without giving them HIV, there is still a lot of unanswered questions. As I have researched information on the web I am concerned about the accuracy of the data that is given. I question why one country is throwing condoms at their citizens and other countries are ignoring the problem. I wonder why people infected with this awful virus continue to behave in irresponsible ways infecting others. I am learning that there are many HIV testing sites but some may be closing due to budget cuts, and can this virus ever be irradicated since it is worldwide? The more I learn, the more scared I get. I'm not scared about the virus itself, but the chances of catching it, not just for me but for my children. If this is a pandemic then why are we not having an all out war against it? I still have so many unanswered questions and I know that in the next four weeks I will be better educated then I am today.

In the AMA Morning Rounds web page at http://webmail.att.net/wmc/en-US/v/wm/4AAF95B5000F075D000010312222...., there is a short article that says that Myriad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a drug for HIV called Bevirimat that "may" cut the HIV virus as much as 50% in two weeks based off of a trial. This is a new class of medicine for HIV called maturation inhibitors. Although this trial is seen as positive, additional trials will be needed. The trial in Austrailia that led to this discovery shows that Bevirimat can reduce the HIV virus in blood about 20 times more than other drugs and has an average of 60 times better results than other current HIV durgs.

Web: AMA (2009). Retrieved, Sept. 15, 2009, from http://webmail.att.net/wmc/en-US/v/wm/4AA.....

Tidbits

I came across this statistical information at the Kaiser Family Foundation web site at http://www.kff.org/hivaids/3030.cfm. I thought some of this information was pretty interesting and wanted to share it with you.

*Most new infections are transmitted heterosexually.
*Estimated 8 in 10 people infected with HIV do not know it.
*TB is on the rise due to HIV.
* Young people ages 15-24 account for 45% of new HIV infections.
* A large part of research is also geared towards medications to prevent and treat the opportunistic infections caused by AIDS.
*The U.S. is government is the single largest donor to international HIV efforts in the world.
*In 2009 the amount of funding the U.S. government gave towards global HIV/AIDs was 6.3 million dollars.

I also learned in class this week that there are many students who would take African blood supply in an emergency situation even though it may be tainted with the HIV virus.

Did You Know column

First of all I am not sure if this is how or where I am suppose to post this information but I hope that you enjoy reading it anyway.

I found an article on the web about two new antibodies that have been found to cripple HIV. I will try to keep it simple as much of the information is very medical. Apparently The Scripps Research Institue and the biotechnology companies Theraclone Sciences and Monogram Biosciences have made a discovery of two new antibodies that seem to put a kink in the HIV virus and they are hoping that they can form a vaccine with these antibodies.

The goal is to have our bodies neutralize any and all HIV infections via the new vaccines. These new antibodies known as PG9 and PG16 have shown real promise by "targeting a region of the viral spike used by HIV to infect cells" (Web: zikkir).

Christos Petropoulos, chief scientific officer and vice president of virology research and development at Monogram Biosciences compares the finding of the new antibodies to that of a fishing expedition, "we and the rest of the field were previously using the wrong bait in the search for HIV-specific boradly neutralizing antibodies" (Web: zikkir). He attributes this finding to the global abilities and input from many of those who work within the HIV field and those who do not.

I think this is exciting news even though there is no mention in the article when they think a vaccine would be available. Finding a preventative measure for HIV/AIDS would be great. I would still like to find research on a cure or a way to irradicate the disease from this earth.

Web:zikkir, (2009). Two New Antibodies Found to Cripple HIV, retrieved Sept. 13, 2009, from http://zikkir.com/index/32897

Georgia AIDS Coalition

My blog this week is about the Georgia AIDS Coalition. This is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1989 to help to educate and inform, and work towards good public policies for HIV/AIDS. Their goal is to look out for those inflicted with the HIV/AIDS virus.

They have five main objectives. These five objectives revolve around ethical decision-making, education for the public, promoting collaboration with community and organizations, advocating any and all HIV/AIDS issues, and informing those who need help with HIV legislative issues.

Their web site offers statistics and information on legislation. There is a resource library area that can help with government, prescription, treatment, and other HIV medical issues. They also offer updated news and event information along with their contact information.

Web: GAC(2009). Georgia AIDS Coalition, retrieved Sept. 13, 2009, from http://www.georgiaaids.org/

TIdbits

I thought I would share this tidbit of information that I read from the AMA at http://webmail.att.net/wmc/en-US/v/wm/4AA901/. Medicare may begin to pay for HIV testing since "about 19 % of all US residents with AIDS were age 50 or older. Coverage would extend to Medicare beneficiaries who are at increased risk for the infection, including women who are pregnant, as well as beneficiaries of any age who voluntarily request the service."

Also a non profit group called AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition are grading drug companies. Merck received a B "for producing Isentress (raltegravir), the first of a new class of AIDS drugs called integrase inhibitors," and "gave an F to Abbott for raising the wholesale price of Norvir (ritonavir), the first drug proved to increase survival in AIDS patients, by 400 percent in 2003." This information was also provided by the above AMA web site.

It is good to know that there is a coalition of people looking out for those who are infected with HIV. I would like to know the reason they increased the cost of Norvir. I hope that it was not for profit and if so, how much of the profit is going back into the company for research on HIV.

Other Class Bloggers

My blog spot only shows 4 followers. Am I doing something wrong? Shouldn't there be more blogs? I entered everyones URL's but some of them I couldn't pull up. Any suggestions?

First Blog

Hi everyone. Since I have never used this program before I am flying by the seat of my pants. So please offer any help and assistance you can.

I guess my first experience with this program is alittle like being diagnosed with HIV. Unless you are real familiar with the disease you are flying by the seat of your pants. You will need to find out all about what it is, how to handle having the disease, and what can and can not be accomplished to live and combat it.

I have no experience with HIV/AIDS. I know this should be a good thing, but I know I have a lot to learn about this prevalent life altering disease. When I hear of others who have a daily battle living with HIV/AIDS it reminds me of my disabled sister who has been fighting cancer for over 20 years now. I think about how each and every day their lives are altered by the disease and how it has changed how they live and how people react to them.

I know I will learn a lot of new statistical data in this class, but I think what will remain with me are the personal experiences that I hear or read about.