The drug, Zelboraf, is the second melanoma drug approved this year that has been found to improve patients’ overall survival, said Dr. Richard Pazdur, at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Zelboraf is made by Roche.

The other drug, Yervoy, is made by Bristol-Meyers Squibb and was approved in March.

“This has been an important year for patients with late-stage melanoma,” Pazdur said.

Zelboraf is only approved for patients with melanoma whose tumors express a gene mutation called BRAF V600E. The drug has not been studied in patients whose melanoma doesn’t have that mutation.

The drug blocks the function of the mutated BRAF protein in these patients.The BRAF protein is normally involved in regulating cell growth, but is mutated in about half of the patients with late-stage melanomas.

Zelborafhas been approved along with a first-of-a-kind diagnostic test called the cobas 4800 BRAF V600 Mutation Test. The test will help determine if a patient’s melanoma cells have the BRAF V600E mutation.

“Today’s approval of Zelboraf and the cobas test is a great example of how companion diagnostics can be developed and used to ensure patients are exposed to highly effective, more personalized therapies in a safe manner,” said Alberto Gutierrez, a director in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

Zelboraf was reviewed under the FDA’s priority review program that provides for an expedited six-month review of drugs that may offer major advances in treatment or that provide a treatment when no adequate therapy exists.

Zelboraf’s safety and effectiveness were established in a single, international trial of 675 patients who had late-stage melanoma with the BRAF V600E mutation who had not received prior therapy. Patients were assigned to receive either Zelboraf or dacarbazine, a chemotherapy drug that does not target any specific mutation and is a current standard treatment for these patients.

Seventy-seven percent of patients who received Zelborafare still living, while 64 percent of those who received dacarbazineare still alive.

Melanoma is the leading cause of death from skin disease. The National Cancer Institute estimated that 68,130 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed in the United States during 2010; about 8,700 people died from the disease.

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There are loads of little ways by which people can cut the calories down without a radical diet makeover and still lose weight. Read on these weight loss tips on how this is possible.

1. Tackle the portion size.

The simplest way to cut down on the calories is to reduce the size of the meal portion. What the meal contains will make a difference for both health and weight; however if your diet is more or less healthy and balanced or if you are really determined that you don’t want to change what you eat, then go for portion size. This does not mean starve yourself by all means or skip meals. If you were going to have a burger and chips have a small burger and half of the amount of chips you would usually eat.

A personal friend who tends to follow this tip always suggests using smaller size dinner plates and only just about fill them, without going for multiple layers. Well think about the psychological aspect:

a)      If you have an extra large plate and ½ of it is empty you may process this as not enough food or be tempted to fill it.

b)      If you have a medium sized dinner plate and is full psychologically you could think that this is enough food.

Often when we feel hungry we can overload our plates and eat beyond the point of satiety. Think how many calories you can save if you cut the portion size of every meal…

2.  Cut down on fizzy and sugary drinks

Calories from fizzy and sugary drinks are the one’s which tend to go unaccounted for. Possibly because people don’t tend to think that a glass or two of fizz could tip the scales over.

Well a small size cup (16 fl oz/ 345 g) of the classic coca cola* from burger king contains as much as 150 kcal. The glass that you may consume at home is not that far off on the calories. How many of those do you usually consume per day? Do the maths to see how many calories you could avoid. Stick to only 1 or 2 glasses a day or opt for sugar free or low calorie ones. However, be aware that some artificial sweeteners commonly used in fizzy drinks have been questioned regarding the health risks they may carry if over consumed.

Like the fizzy drinks, a lot of the pre-packed fruit juices and fruit drinks can also be as calorific. For example 1 can (12 fl oz / 436 g) of breakfast type orange drink with juice can contain as much as 665 kcal. Having second thoughts about that glass you had for breakfast?

You can use our free calorie counter to track down the calories each food, drink and activity has.

 3. Skip sugary snacks, biscuits and crisps 

Offices, schools, and workplaces in general tend to house a biscuit tin in the kitchen or common area, or a snacks vendor. The same way dampness breads bacteria, offices bread calories. If you add the couple of biscuits with the packet of crisps and the energy bar you had you will probably find that you had an extra meal. Always carry some healthy snacks like a fruit or a handful of nuts to cover you if you get a craving or the munches and try to say no to the very tempting box of chocolates.    

4. Skip cereals and cereal bars

Ok maybe I should rephrase this in skip some cereals, but I must admit I am not part of the cereal fun club all together. Breakfast is an important meal so treat it with respect. Why should you avoid the most popular breakfast and snack? There are 2 ways that you could potentially be saving yourself from extra calories.

a)      A lot of the advertised as ‘healthy’ cereals contain enough sugar to cover the needs of the whole neighbourhood. Apart from the fact that too much sugar is not good for the body, they can also contain a lot of calories. I would first suggest to replace your cereal breakfast with a protein based one such as boiled eggs. However, if you have to have cereal it helps to read the labels and chose the lowest in sugars and calories.

b)      I have spoken about the sugar – insulin vicious cycle in previous articles. Basically you if you have loads of carbs for breakfast you are likely to get hunger cravings half way through the day and end up with a snack. On the other hand with a protein based breakfast you are more likely to feel full for longer and thus not need a snack before lunch.

Cereal bars play on a similar tune; too many calories and too much sugar.

5. Don’t fry. Go for grilling, roasting, boiling

The way in which food is prepared can change the amount of calories it contains. It can also change the amount of trans fats it contains and frying is definitely guilty for doing both. See bellow the values for 100g of chicken (without the skin and bones) if fried, roast or stewed:

100g chicken = 288 kcal fried

100g chicken = 239 kcal roast

100g chicken = 209 kcal stewed

If you do the maths is pretty obvious that stewed will have the least calories, however, if not to your taste you can still roast or grill food and be as tasty. If you skip frying for majority of ingredients/meals then you could be well on your way of cutting 200 kcal daily (if not more).

6.  Opt for fresh food instead of processed food

Freshly prepared foods tend to be less calorific than processed foods. One main reason is that they usually contain loads of carbs and sugars, especially if they are in a sauce. Replace the frozen chicken nuggets with fresh chicken pieces. Ideally you want to skip the breadcrumbs as well but if you have too… Don’t forget to avoid deep frying it as well (see above).

7. Remove the skin of the chicken and the fat from meat

Chicken skin and fat in your steak can add extra calories. Yes it can be really tasty sometimes when all crispy but it will not do any favours to your waistline or your health. Try to buy lean meats or cuts where the fat is visible and remove majority of it. Do the same with bacon as well. It is a fair amount of calories there.

Want to know what you can actually recycle? Every council collects different materials depending on where you live. Go to www.recyclenow.com and enter your postcode to find out exactly what you can recycle and where your nearest drop-off point is.

A veritable haven for those inclined to fitness, Montauk offers something for everyone. Expansive public beaches offer easy access for anything from swimming to surfing to Frisbee. Log miles biking, walking, or running around Fort Pond, the Marina, or a loop past the Montauk Lighthouse. Don’t feel like doing the work yourself? Jump on a horse at Deep Hollow Ranch, one of the oldest in the United States, and ride through sunset.

Love Yoga
83 South Elmwood Avenue; 631-668-8068;
loveyogamontauk.com
Offering classes for first timers, regulars, hard-core yogis, and even a class specific to dudes called Man Up, Love Yoga is “the” place in Montauk to hone deep breathing and flexibility. Classes are $ 20, 5-Class and 10-Class cards are $ 85 and $ 160, respectively.

Surfing Lessons
Air and Speed Surf Shop. 795 Montauk Highway; 631-668-035631
airandspeedsurf.com

Montauk breeds a love for the board, so it follows that many of the town’s shops offer surfing lessons. Air and Speed Surf has been around for 15 years, and employs some of the East End’s finest for instruction on how to get up—and stay up when those waves come pounding. For pricing and bookings, stop by the store where you can ogle the boards in the hopes of success.

Body Tech Health and Fitness
240 Edgemere Street; 631-238-5311
bodytechclub.com
Located in the Montauk Playhouse Community Center, Body Tech offers top-of-the-line equipment from cardio machines to free-weights, and a wide variety of scheduled group fitness classes including spin and Pilates. Day passes can be had for $ 20 ($ 17 for hotel guests with key) while 2 and 3 days passes top out at $ 35 and $ 45.

EAT

Joni’s
34 South Etna Street. 631-668-3663
Expect a line at Joni’s, a cozy organic food store where locals take their meals tucked around community dining tables reading local newspapers. Joni, the pretty blond who is always in the kitchen, makes mouth-watering breakfast wraps filled with eggs and assorted fillings, while smoothies, iced coffees, muffins, salads, and sandwiches round out the chalkboard menu. Cash only.

Dave’s Grill
468 West Lake Drive. 631-668-9190
davesgrill.com

Located in Montauk Harbor, Dave’s Grill is the no-frills favorite. Here, it’s all about the clams and mussels, the grilled lobster and lobster rolls, as well as a list of daily catch specials. Montauk is known for their seafood, and Dave’s Grill is, hands-down, the best place to sample it.

Crow’s Nest Inn
4 Old West Lake Drive. 631-668-2077
The divey Crow’s Nest got a facelift this summer—a whitewashed interior and a simple menu focused on fresh ingredients like spaghetti with fresh tomatoes and roasted local fluke with potatoes. It’s first-come, first-served, but if you have to wait, the gorgeous lakefront property, bonfire, and cool crowd will make up for it.

Navy Beach
16 Navy Road. 631-668-6868
navybeach.com
Celebrating its second season, the nautical-themed Navy Beach draws diners for its beach location—complete with outside picnic table dining—its buzzing bar, and of course, a great menu. With a long list of small plates, salad, ceviches, and main dishes, don’t miss the tuna sashimi, the watermelon salad, and the ribs.

NIGHTLIFE

Surf Lodge
183 Edgemere Street. 631-668–1562
thesurflodge.com

This indoor-outdoor surf hotel is Montauk’s original high-end concept hotel, restaurant, and bar. The large deck on Fort Pond is a great cocktail stop set against the din of a live band, and the cozy nooks that surround the property lend themselves to staying well past dinner at Top Chef contestant Sam Talbot’s breezy restaurant. On weekends, arrive early; this casual spot turns into quite the scene.

Montauket
88 Firestone Road. 631-668-5992
montauksun.com/Montauket
The beauty of a Montauk sunset is to be cherished, and there are few better places to take it in than at the Montauket. This dive, filled with both locals and passerby, serves just right bar food, $ 5 beer specials, and a view overlooking Fort Pond Bay that beats the competition when it comes to drinking yourself through happy hour.

Ruschmeyer’s
161 Second House Road; 631-668–2877
visitruschmeyers.com
Sporting a summer camp feel, Ruschmeyer’s is the latest one-stop spot to chill. The restaurant, from the team behind NYC’s The Fat Radish, sits next door to a disco serving maritime-themed spirits, while the sand-filled Pool, an outdoor beer garden, offers ping-pong, bocce ball, craft beers, punch bowls, and weekly acoustic performances.

STAY

Daunt’s Albatross
44 South Elmwood Avenue. 631-668-2729
dauntsalbatross.com
A throwback to the beach motels of old, Daunt’s Albatross is an affordable Montauk option with two neighboring locations across from the beach. Free Wi-Fi, no-fuss accommodations, and rates as low as $ 145 during summer weekdays, Daunt’s is often the best deal going.

Solé East
90 Second House Road. 631-668-2105
soleeast.com

The laid-back backyard complete with pool, grassy spaces, and swanky beds for lounging is the draw at this 67-room boutique hotel. The suites and the bungalows are the most desirable digs, and the restaurant, aptly named Backyard, is worth a visit. If you prefer a beach property, Solé East also has an outpost off Main Beach.

Montauk Yacht Club
32 Star Island Road. 888-MYC-8668
montaukyachtclub.com
Established in 1929, Montauk Yacht Club is a beloved slice of Montauk’s past and present. With 107 guestrooms, including some gorgeous stand-alone villas, this blue and white marine hotel is the crème de la crème of lodging. With two restaurants, a spa, LCD TVs, Keurig coffeemakers, and off-room balconies, if you can snag a room here, book it!

Drug abuse and childhood obesity ranked highest on a new survey of health concerns for children.

Both of those health issues were rated as a “big problem” by 33 percent of adults surveyed.

The survey results also revealed that 25 percent of adults rated smoking as a big problem for children’s health, and 24 percent rated teen pregnancy as such. “Sexting” — the practice of sending or receiving sexually explicit text messages or photos via cellphone —made the list for the first time, coming at No.10 with 20 percent.

“The perception of drug abuse as a big problem matches recent national data showing increasing use of marijuana and other drugs by U.S. teens,” Dr. Matthew Davis, a pediatrician at the University of Michigan and director of the National Poll on Children’s Health, said in a statement.

The fifth annual survey of the top 10 health concerns for kids also included alcohol abuse, as well as stress and bullying. The poll, which was conducted by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, asked a randomly selected group of adults that closely resembled the U.S. population to rate 23 different health concerns for children living in their communities.

The results reflect concerns regarding the risks associated with children’s use of technology, with Internet safety coming in sixth place and sexting  making its first appearance on the list.

The risk of driving accidents, which was absent from the 2010 list, came in at No. 9 this year.

Compared with last year’s survey, teen pregnancy jumped from seventh place to fourth. Stress, however, slipped down from No. 5 to No. 7. The risk of child abuse and neglect was No. 8 in 2010, but was absent from this year’s top 10.

Davis said that although obesity tied for first place, the general public still needs to become more aware of the issue. For example, the survey option “not enough opportunities for physical activity” came in ninth place on last year’s list, but did not make this year’s list at all.

“Although obesity remains atop the list of child health concerns for the fourth straight year, the level of public concern has declined over the last few years in our poll,” Davis said. “This may be a warning to public health officials, because it indicates how the public is hearing national messages that previous increases in children’s obesity rates have recently leveled off.”

Pass it on: Childhood obesity, drug abuse tied for first place on the 2011 Children’s Health issues report, with sexting making the list for the first time.

Follow Remy Melina on Twitter @remymelina, and follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND. Like us on Facebook.

Flaxseed may protect against the damaging effects of radiation, whether from a terrorist’s dirty bomb or a routine cancer treatment, a new study in mice suggests.

Mice that ate flaxseed either before or up to six weeks after receiving a large radiation dose to the chest were more likely to survive and had fewer lung problems than mice not given flaxseed. Four months after receiving radiation, up to 88 percent of mice that ate flaxseed were still alive, compared with just 40 percent of mice who did not eat flaxseed.

Researchers have been particularly interested in finding a cheap, safe supplement to give to people who have been exposed to radiation in the event of a terrorist attack.

“You need to give something that’s really safe as well as [easy] to deliver to a huge number of people all at once,” said study researcher Dr. Keith Cengel, an assistant professor of radiation oncology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Flaxseed meets these requirements and may provide additional health benefits, including improved heart health. “It’s as close to a no-brainer as you get,” Cengel said.

However, the researchers are not certain the protective benefits will translate to people.

The new study was published online in the journal BMC Cancer on June 24.

Radiation dangers

Terrorist use of a “dirty bomb” could expose large numbers of people to radiation. This type of bomb disperses radioactive material in the form of an aerosolized powder, and poses great health risks, the researchers said. One type of lung injury that can follow is called fibrosis, in which scar tissue prevents the lung from being able to expand normally during breathing. This injury can also occur in lung cancer patients who have received too much radiation during treatment. 

The mice in the new study received a single dose of radiation equivalent to getting about 10,000 X-rays, or what a cancer patient might receive over an entire course of radiation treatment, Cengel said.
One group of mice ate a diet of 10 percent flaxseed before radiation. In people, this would be the equivalent of eating four tablespoons of whole-grain flaxseed per day, the researchers said. Other mice were given that amount of flaxseed two, four or six weeks after radiation. A control group ate no flaxseed.

Aside from having a better chance of surviving, the mice that ate flaxseed also lost less weight and had a  lower risk of inflammation and fibrosis than those who didn’t eat flaxseed.

The researchers said they aren’t sure how flaxseed mitigates radiation’s effects. Most DNA damage occurs immediately after a radiation exposure, but flaxseed may prevent the body from reacting in an abnormal way to the radiation, and thus causing further damage, Cengel said.

What about people?

“This is extremely encouraging,” Dr. Nagy Elsayyad, an assistant professor of radiation oncology at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, said of the study’s results. The results warrant more research in this area, said Elsayyad, who was not involved with the study.

It’s possible providing flaxseed to lung cancer patients before radiation treatment could allow doctors to increase the radiation dose without increasing the risk of injury, Elsayyad said. “That could translate to better cure rates with radiation,” he said.

But some are skeptical about whether flaxseed could be used after a terrorist attack or nuclear accident.

“I think there’s a likelihood it might do some good,” said Dr. Jacqueline Williams, a radiation expert at the University of Rochester in New York. “But I think what the decades of research that have gone into such attempts have shown is that a single drug or a single attempt like this is unlikely to be totally effective,” Williams said. It’s more likely a combination of agents will be needed to provide protection, she said.

And the mice used in the study were genetically identical, in contrast to people, who are genetically diverse, Williams said. It’s unclear whether flaxseed would have the same effect on everyone, she said.

The researchers are now testing the effectives of flaxseed to prevent radiation damage in people receiving radiation treatments for cancer, Cengel said.

Pass it on: Flaxseed may mitigate the effects of radiation exposure.

Follow MyHealthNewsDaily staff writer Rachael Rettner on Twitter @RachaelRettner. Like us on Facebook.

There’s nothing more frustrating than slipping on your mat when doing the downward-facing dog, but listen up, yoga lovers! This ecoYoga Mat, made from woven jute and natural rubber, is officially the grippiest we’ve tried! What’s more, the sustainable mat is made from 100 per cent plantbased materials, so your eco credentials won’t slip, either. From £27, www.ecoyoga.co.uk

Austin, 46, continues to toss criminals like rag dolls by keeping his workout simple. “Chest/triceps, back/biceps, legs, take a day off. Nothing crazy,” he explains. “I just stick with the basic bread and butter exercises. Lots of compound movements.”

When he was in his prime, he would regularly get under the bar and squat 455 for 30 reps. He’d also hit the bent over row for ten reps at 405, and he maxed out his bench press at 440. Now, Austin tries to take it easy on his joints when he does cardio. Years of wrestling haven’t been too friendly on his knees, so he’ll jump on the elliptical or walk on the treadmill at a ten-degree incline.

When he’s not filming, he admits that his diet gets a little loose and he indulges in “a few beers, here and there.” But when it comes time to film, he’s all business. Austin drops his caloric intake from 3500-3700 to 2800-3000 nutrient-packed calories and drinks a gallon or so of water per day.

Now, you would think that the fight scenes and gunplay would be the hardest part of filming the movie, right? Nope. Stone Cold can kick ass all day long, but running around Vancouver in the dead of winter wearing a t-shirt can take a toll on anybody.

“It snowed the entire time we were shooting,” he says. “So when you’re freezing your ass off in a warehouse, trying to act like you’re not freezing your ass off in a warehouse, that was the toughest part.”

Click here to get your copy of Tactical Force.

Exercise counteracts the memory decline that can occur after an infection, a new study of mice suggests.

The research adds to a growing body of evidence that exercise may help preserve cognition in the elderly. It may be that exercise reduces inflammation in the body that would otherwise contribute to cognitive decline, however the exact reason for the link remains unclear, the researchers said.

Researchers at the University of Colorado experimented on elderly mice, some of which they infected with a strain of E. coli. The mice were then tested to see how well their memories worked.

“When an aged animal gets an infection, a bunch of things happen in the brain that impair memory processes,” said study researcher Ruth Barrientos. “What we found is that a little bit of exercise basically reverses or blocks a lot of those changes from happening.”

Barrientos said that while studies of exercise in elderly people may focus on those who can still perform youthful levels of exercise, her research indicates that even moderate levels can yield these beneficial results.

Of mice and memories

The researchers placed mice in boxes with a number of visual cues on the wall, and delivered a mild electrical shock. The mice’s memory was tested by placing them in the same box several days later and observing whether and how often they froze, a sign that a mouse remembers a shock.

The researchers found that mice that exercised after being infected with E.coli froze about as often as mice that had not been infected. Those who had been infected but did not exercise did not freeze as often, indicating worse memory.

“We found that these animals run nearly 50 times less than a young animal and yet were able to garner all of the positives of exercise without having to run a marathon,” Barrientos said. The research shows that “your average elderly Joe can just do a bit of consistent regular exercise and protect against the effects of infection in aging.”

Exercise & memory in people

While mice were the subjects of these findings, the role of exercise in warding off dementia in people has been an ongoing area of inquiry.

This latest research may give some further indication of how exercise and other prevention strategies for dementia actually work, said Dr. Gary Small, director of the UCLA Longevity Center and author of the forthcoming book, “The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program.”

“There seems to be a theme in the scientific evidence regarding brain health and aging, and that brain health relates to inflammation,” said Small, who was not involved in this research.

Small said of some of the strategies recommended for older people to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, such as eating fish, “those approaches are also anti-inflammatory.”

Physicians have investigated anti-inflammatory drugs — both prescription drugs such as COX-2 inhibitors and nonprescription drugs such as ibuprofen — to see if they have an effect on memory. At present, the mixed results suggest they may help in prevention but hurt once decline has begun.

Exercise has been thought to be beneficial but the reasons were unclear; some researchers have suggested it improves circulation or brings more nutrients to the brain, Small said. But the inflammation connection presents another possibility, and exercise is a treatment that does not involve medication.

“We actually like to recommend less-toxic approaches,” Small said. “And exercise is a very important strategy to protect brain health and to help people live longer and live better.”

The research appears in the Aug. 10 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

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That’s because most parents buy their children unhealthy items, even though healthier options are available, the findings revealed.

“The number of meals and snacks eaten away from home is believed to contribute to excess calories consumed by children, and this number has increased dramatically in the past 30 years,” study researcher Kerri N. Boutelle said in a statement. “On a typical day, a remarkable 30 percent of youth report consuming fast food.”

The study showed that lunchtime meals from fast-food restaurants accounted for between 36 and 51 percent of a child’s daily calorie needs. And 35 percent to 39 percent of those calories came from fat.

In addition, the meals provided more than 50 percent of the recommended total daily sodium intake for most children, and as high as 100 percent of sodium levels recommended for preschoolers. [Tips to Promote Healthy Eating for Kids]

Over a six-week period, researchers from the University of California, San Diego, surveyed 544 families with children who had entered a fast-food chain restaurant located inside of Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego and purchased food at lunchtime.

Parents were asked to specify for whom in their family each food item was purchased, whether the items were shared and other details. There were also asked to show researchers their receipts.

The most popular items purchased for preschoolers were french fries, soda, chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers and hamburgers, according to the findings. Common meal choices for older children were similar, with the addition of hot apple pies for those ages 6 to 11, and chocolate chip cookies for ages 12 to 18.

The researchers noted that although healthier options such as milk, juice, apple slices and fruit parfaits were available, families did not choose them over more typical fast foods.

“Considering the high prevalence of fast-food consumptions by adults as well as kids, it’s important to recognize the impact of fast food and its impact on the current obesity epidemic in the U.S.,” said Boutelle, who is the behavioral director of the Weight and Wellness Clinic at the UCSD.

“Bottom line, we need to educate families on making health decisions when in a fast-food restaurant,” she said.

The findings are published this week in the journal Childhood Obesity.

Pass it on:

Follow Remy Melina on Twitter @remymelina, and follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND. Like us on Facebook.