kthrough-can-solve-cfsmystery-3615631.html
English version: Norwegian research breakthrough can solve CFS-mystery
Two oncologists in the city of Bergen in Norway have recently
discovered a possible treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The drug
that they administered improved the condition of two out of three of
the patients treated. Several patients were healed.
The breakthrough, published today in the medical journal PLOS one, can
provide answers to CFS-patients concerning what causes the mysterious
disease and how it can be treated.
-=93We definitely see an effect. There is hope,=94 states professor and
head of oncology at Haukeland University Hospital, Olav Mella to the
TV 2 News.
TV 2 has exclusive access to the research paper that came out in the
medical journal PLOS one. Mella and his colleague, attending MD
=D8ystein Fluge, have completed a double-blind study on 30 Norwegian
CFS-patients.
The results are sensational. Two out of three of the patients
experienced major improvement, while some experienced a full recovery.
New status to CFS-patients
I addition to providing hope to millions of CFS-patients concerning
treatment, the MDs are giving the patients, as a group, new status.
The two doctors say the results indicate that CFS is in fact a somatic dece=
ase.
=96"We think that CFS is an autoimmune decease. The immune system has a
central role in this," they say to TV 2 News.
Attracts international attention
The discovery has already attracted international attention. However,
the news wasn=B4t released to the public until today, after the medical
journal finally lifted the embargo.
Mella and Fluge presented their results as early as in May at a
CFS-conference in London. At the conference, reporting restrictions
were imposed upon the audience. Following the conference, the doctors
have been contacted by several foreign doctors and researchers who
attended the London-meeting.
Cancer-drug against CFS
The two Norwegians are the first two doctors in the world to have
found that the cancer-drug Rituximab has very good effects upon CFS.
Each year the disease, which has an unknown etiology, ruins the lives
of millions of people worldwide. In Norway alone it is estimated that
15.000 people have CFS.
A fortunate conjuncture
Professor Mella and attending MD Fluge have basically stumbled over
what could become one of the biggest breakthroughs in the field of
CFS.
A patient with Hodgkin=92s lymphoma also had the diagnosis CFS. To fight
the cancer, the patient was given amongst other treatments, the
antibody Rituximab. After a few weeks the patient=92s condition
regarding CFS-symptoms suddenly improved.
=96 =93Completely surprisingly, to both us and the patient, the
CFS-symptoms were gone after six to eight weeks after the treatment,=94
says Fluge.
First in the world
Through a so-called double blind study, the doctors have tested the
drug which is normally used in cancer treatment on patients who had
CFS. There was a total of 30 people in the study.
Half of the patients received saline, while the other half received
Rituximab. No one knew who received which of these two, including the
doctors or the nurses.
=96 =93The group was split up by the pharmacist who drew lots. The drug
and the saline containers were double bagged in red plastic. This was
done so no one would see who got what,=94 says Fluge.
In the group that received Rituximab, ten out of 15 had a significant
positive effect. Nine of these had what the doctors characterize as a
significant improvement.
Amongst those who received the placebo, only two had a measureable
improvement. Only one of these two experienced what is characterized
as a strong improvement.
In medical terms these results are considered to be good.
Amongst the patients that experienced effects from the drug, the
transformations were enormous. They experienced a dramatic improvement
in their symptoms. For some patients, the symptoms completely
vanished.
The study did however show that the duration of the effect varies.
Most patients have experienced relapse. Meanwhile, the doctors are now
experimenting with continued treatments intended to maintain the
effect. These treatments appear to be working.
Could transform lives
Some might consider administering a cancer drug to CFS patients to be
irresponsible. However, Mella and Fluge point out that the CFS
patients in some cases are so sick that they are chained to the bed
most of the day.
KAN V=C6RE P=C5 SPORET AV EN KUR MOT ME: Overlege kreftavdelingen p=E5
Haukeland sykehus, =D8ystein Fluge (til v.) og hans kollega, professor
og avdelingsoverlege, Olav Mella(til h.), kan v=E6re n=E6rt =E5 finne en ku=
r
for ME/ Kronisk utmattelsessyndrom. Foto: Barbro Eikesdal/ TV 2
English version: Norwegian research breakthrough can solve CFS-mystery
Two oncologists in the city of Bergen in Norway have recently
discovered a possible treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The drug
that they administered improved the condition of two out of three of
the patients treated. Several patients were healed.
Del med andre:
Facebook Twitter Epost Del The breakthrough, published today in the
medical journal PLOS one, can provide answers to CFS-patients
concerning what causes the mysterious disease and how it can be
treated.
=96 =93We definitely see an effect. There is hope,=94 states professor and
head of oncology at Haukeland University Hospital, Olav Mella to the
TV 2 News.
Del p=E5 facebook138
TV 2 has exclusive access to the research paper that came out in the
medical journal PLOS one. Mella and his colleague, attending MD
=D8ystein Fluge, have completed a double-blind study on 30 Norwegian
CFS-patients.
The results are sensational. Two out of three of the patients
experienced major improvement, while some experienced a full recovery.
New status to CFS-patients
I addition to providing hope to millions of CFS-patients concerning
treatment, the MDs are giving the patients, as a group, new status.
The two doctors say the results indicate that CFS is in fact a somatic dece=
ase.
=96"We think that CFS is an autoimmune decease. The immune system has a
central role in this," they say to TV 2 News.
Attracts international attention
The discovery has already attracted international attention. However,
the news wasn=B4t released to the public until today, after the medical
journal finally lifted the embargo.
Mella and Fluge presented their results as early as in May at a
CFS-conference in London. At the conference, reporting restrictions
were imposed upon the audience. Following the conference, the doctors
have been contacted by several foreign doctors and researchers who
attended the London-meeting.
Cancer-drug against CFS
The two Norwegians are the first two doctors in the world to have
found that the cancer-drug Rituximab has very good effects upon CFS.
Each year the disease, which has an unknown etiology, ruins the lives
of millions of people worldwide. In Norway alone it is estimated that
15.000 people have CFS.
A fortunate conjuncture
Professor Mella and attending MD Fluge have basically stumbled over
what could become one of the biggest breakthroughs in the field of
CFS.
A patient with Hodgkin=92s lymphoma also had the diagnosis CFS. To fight
the cancer, the patient was given amongst other treatments, the
antibody Rituximab. After a few weeks the patient=92s condition
regarding CFS-symptoms suddenly improved.
=96 =93Completely surprisingly, to both us and the patient, the
CFS-symptoms were gone after six to eight weeks after the treatment,=94
says Fluge.
First in the world
Through a so-called double blind study, the doctors have tested the
drug which is normally used in cancer treatment on patients who had
CFS. There was a total of 30 people in the study.
Half of the patients received saline, while the other half received
Rituximab. No one knew who received which of these two, including the
doctors or the nurses.
=96 =93The group was split up by the pharmacist who drew lots. The drug
and the saline containers were double bagged in red plastic. This was
done so no one would see who got what,=94 says Fluge.
In the group that received Rituximab, ten out of 15 had a significant
positive effect. Nine of these had what the doctors characterize as a
significant improvement.
Amongst those who received the placebo, only two had a measureable
improvement. Only one of these two experienced what is characterized
as a strong improvement.
In medical terms these results are considered to be good.
Amongst the patients that experienced effects from the drug, the
transformations were enormous. They experienced a dramatic improvement
in their symptoms. For some patients, the symptoms completely
vanished.
The study did however show that the duration of the effect varies.
Most patients have experienced relapse. Meanwhile, the doctors are now
experimenting with continued treatments intended to maintain the
effect. These treatments appear to be working.
Could transform lives
Some might consider administering a cancer drug to CFS patients to be
irresponsible. However, Mella and Fluge point out that the CFS
patients in some cases are so sick that they are chained to the bed
most of the day.
Del p=E5 facebook138
=96 =93When we have cancer patients that are as sick as many of these
patients are, they have a very short life expectancy. That says a lot
about the quality of life for many of them.=94
Professor Mella is convinced that the possible treatment of CFS
patients can have tremendous significance.
=96 =93Knowing that CFS each year costs society about nine billion
dollars, that is in the US alone, says a lot about the colossal costs
involved. I addition you have the patients expenses. However, even
more important is the fact that the quality of live for millions of
patients, worldwide, can dramatically improve.=94
Offered therapy
Currently there is no test to set the CFS diagnoses. Being diagnosed
with CFS results from ruling out all other possible diseases.
In other words, today there is no cure or treatment for CFS patients
in the Norwegian health system.
People who get the diagnoses are being offered therapy and courses to
learn how to live with the decease.
While several private clinics and individuals offer alternative
treatments, no one has so far been able to document that their (often
very costly treatments) actually have an effect.
Think they know what causes CFS
There have been several theories about what causes CFS. Still the
research community has not been able to come to a conclusion.
The core of the matter is the question of whether CFS is a
physiological or psychological condition. In Norway, the latter
explanation has been the prominent one.
A Norwegian survey shows that 52 percent of Norwegian health
caretakers believe that CFS is a psychological condition.
In the last couple of years, theories about CFS being a physiological
condition have gained more impact. Now it looks as if the researchers
have taken a huge step towards confirming this theory.
After having seen the effect which Rituximab produced in the majority
of the patients in the study, their theory is that CFS is an
autoimmune decease.
In short that means that the body=92s own immune system attacks the
body=92s own cells.
Other researchers have on previous occasions indicated that CFS is an
autoimmune decease. Followign this study with Rituximab in Bergen
there is now, for the first time, evidence that supports this theory.
=96 =93The results show that the immune apparatus plays a central role. We
still haven=92t found the breaking in point. The fact that the patient
has an effect of the drug, might help us. However there is quite a lot
of lab work that remains,=94 says professor Mella.
Many people will probably read this report and wonder: =93how can I, or
someone I know, get this treatment?=94
=96 =93They will have to wait. First of all there needs to be bigger
studies. We definitely see that there is an effect. We will find a
treatment, however it might still be years until this can be offered
to all patients with this decease,=94 says Mella.
Both Mella and Fluge think that this is the first step on the road to
finding a treatment for these patients and also providing the correct
diagnosis.
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