Igjk ■ The Battalion
Nation
Wednesday • Marcli
Scientists dissolve darkness
in fighting some cancers
BALTIMORE (AP) — Dr. Marcia
Canto threaded a thin fiber optic
line deep into the throat of Jesus
Jimenez. The fiber pulsed with
bright red light for 12 1/2 minutes,
destroying deadly cancer cells with
out pain and without hurting the
healthy esophagus tissue trembling
just behind.
Scientists once scoffed at har
nessing light to fight cancer and
other diseases, but now they say
such “photodynamic therapy” has
potential thanks to potent new
drugs that make diseased cells vul
nerable to light beams.
The Food and Drug Administra
tion recently approved light thera
py to fight advanced esophageal
cancer and early lung cancer. It’s
not a silver bullet, but it is showing
promise against other cancers, too
— with fewer risks than surgery or
chemotherapy. It is even being test
ed against a leading cause of blind
ness and autoimmune diseases.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Canto said.
She was treating Jimenez at Johns
Hopkins University Hospital after
his doctors in Puerto Rico said op
erating on the mid-stage tumor was
too risky.
It’s too early to know Jimenez’s
prognosis, but his main worry upon
leaving the hospital hours later was
to guard against a sunburn from the
light-sensitive drug left in his system.
“This treatment was so easy, I
can’t tell you,” added 83-year-old
Walter Winkelmeyer, -whose two
treatments have left his esophagus
cancer-free for six months. “My doc
tors had told me I had 18 months to
live, and look at me now.”
Winkelmeyer’s tumor was
caught early, but serious heart and
lung problems meant he wouldn’t
survive any strenuous surgery. Doc
tors in Sarasota, Fla., said he would
die, but relatives discovered Canto
also was studying photodynamic
Fighting cancer
Scientists are using light-
harnessing therapy to treat
various forms of cancer. A look
at the process:
1 Photosensitizer drug is
administered intravenously
Malignant
tissue
2 Malignant tissue
selectively holds
the drug
Laser J-
L» WM »»„l MWWW m W ^
3 Drug remains inactive until it’s
exposed to laser light of a
specific wavelength
4 Drug interacts with light and
releases a toxic form of
oxygen that kills the cancer
cells with minimal damage
to surrounding healthy cells
Source: Laserscope, LumaCare AP/Justin Gilbert
therapy, or PDT, in early esophageal
cancer.
Doctors have known for nearly
100 years that light could kill. Many
drugs are photosensitive — it’s why
patients on the antibiotic tetracy
cline, for example, get sunburned.
The key to making light therapy
work was injecting photosensitizers
that concentrate in diseased cells
but quickly clear out of normal cells
— and then harnessing the right
wavelength of light.
Blasting the disease site with a
laser’s non-burning red light
makes the photosensitizer pro
duce a toxic oxygen molecule that
kills targeted cells.
“It sounded kind of goofy... that
shining visual light on something
would kill a cancer cell. There’s
been some resistance,” said Dr.
Stephen Hahn, who is testing the
method against three intractable
cancers — ovarian, advanced lung
and mesothelioma -r- at the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania.
With recent advances in laser
fiber optics and photosensitizers,
“we’re seeing a resurgence in inter
est,” said George Washington Uni
versity’s Dr. Michael Manyak, who
has had success in bladder cancer
and now is studying infertility-
causing endometriosis.
The government has approved
one photosensitizer, Photofrin, by
Canada’s QLT Phototherapeutics. It
doesn’t cure advanced esophageal
cancer, but regulators determined
it offered patients a longer reprieve
before throats reclog. Even better, it
eliminated early lung cancer in 79
percent of patients.
The drawbacks: the drug takes
two days to concentrate in tumors,
leaves patients prone to sunburn
for six weeks, and penetrates only
relatively shallow tumors.
“Any place that you can reach
with a laser light-delivery system
can theoretically be treated with
this kind of approach,” says FDA
oncology chief Dr. Robert DeLap.
In the case of macular degener
ation, which blinds the elderly, reg
ular lasers can burn away vision
robbing abnormal blood vessels
that grow into the eye, but they
leave damaging scar tissue and the
vessels grow back.
Preliminary experiments suggest
therapy every three months with
BPD, a next-generation Photofrin,
can kill the abnormal blood vessels
and block relapse. Now, over 20
North American and European hos
pitals are searching for proof.
Justice department looking
into accusations against Stj
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) —The Justice Department
has taken over the review of a lawyer’s allegations that
Kenneth Starr, the independent counsel investigat
ing President Clinton, concealed perjury when Stan-
defended General Motors in a lawsuit filed by fami
lies of people killed or injured in truck fires.
U.S. Attorney Rene Josey said Monday he would
look into the allegations by lawyer J. Kendall Few, who
represents one of the families.
But Josey said Justice Department officials told
him Tuesday they would review the matter, The
Greenville News reported in today’s editions.
“They have better expertise up there to look at cer
tain types of things,” Josey said. “And it may be that
an independent counsel requires an independent
counsel to investigate him.
“I’m comfortable with passing it on to them,” he
said.
In a sworn statement sent to Josey, U.S. Attorney
General Janet Reno and the three-judge panel that
appointed Starr independent counsel, Few alleges
Starr knew that GM presented false testimony in the
truck fires cases.
Starr “has taken active, energetic andsn
steps to conceal and cover up such perjury,’
A message left at Starr’s office was not
Tuesday.
“Mr. Starr and Kirklar.
re pres en t at io n of Gener-
in the Cameron case was:
every respect,” said Kyle
manager oflegal and salt
for GM Communication.'
Few’s accusations reit
analysis by GM enginee:
Ivey in 1973 calculatinghc
truck fire deaths were cos
automaker and what in,
worth to fix the problem
tified 13 times that he could not recallwh;
pared the study and he never showed it tc ;
Few said.
Documents uncovered in December 1993:
that GM's legal staff and regional counsek
1981 that Ivey did the analysis for the Oldsr
vision and circulated copies to other G.Merr
Sic-
Starr
Supreme Court extends immun
WASHINGTON (AP) —Tens of thousands of local
lawmakers, such as city council members, cannot be
sued for their votes even if they had illegal or discrimi
natory motives, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
The unanimous decision for the first time gave local
officials the same “absolute immunity” from civil rights
lawsuits their federal, state and regional counterparts
have long enjoyed when introducing or voting on leg
islation.
“Absolute immunity for local legislators ... finds
support not only in history but also in reason,” Jus
tice Clarence Thomas wrote as the court killed a law
suit against two former Falls River, Mass., city coun
cil members.
“Whether an act is legislative turns on the nature of
the act, rather than on the motive or intent of the offi
cial performing it,” Thomas added.
Tuesday’s ruling does not shield city officials from
lawsuits stemming from the many administrative mat
ters they carry out, such as hiring and firing employees
or dealing with the public. Neither does it prevent peo
ple who believe their rights were violated by some leg
islative action from suing the local government.
Individual lawmakers cannot be the targets of such
lawsuits. In other words, you still cansuec
not the folks who help run it.
National League of Cities President Bria
Philadelphia City Council member, calledir.
clear and welcome acknowledgment thatei:
nicipal officials should not have to worry ah
taken to court for trying to meet their resp:
to vote on public policy issues.”
He said the ruling “will assure that ourci:
county courthouses are open forums.”
The decision threw out a $231,000 darr„
against two former Falls River officials forr.
a city worker’s job after she complainedfe
worker used racial slurs.
Janet Scott-Harris had been Fall River’sfr
ministrator when she was hired in 1987ic
Health and Human Services Department.
Jay Grenig, a Marquette University law
who had studied the case, applauded then
mischief that could have been created l
and determining motivation for a part
have been tremendous,” he said. “Then
liability but the person who has bt
against still has a remedy — sue the cit
QoCcCen Notional Honor' Society
We have a meeting Wednesday
at 7pm in Rudder 301.
The Career Center will be there
So Should You!
(s®s|
imp
'pppi
mm
up
J
BE AN EXCHANGE STUDENT IN
PUEBLA* MEXICO
IfNfVERSJ DAD DE LAS AMERICAS
FOR SCHOOL YEAR IWB-W
INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS:
THURSDAY, 3X5 AxOOPM
FRIDAY, 3X6 TtOOPM
RM 358 BIZZELJL HALL WEST
jyi £*■ iyi u ju jyj
Of tr v s tr v
-REQUIREMENTS: 3.0 CPR. U.S. CITIZEN. JUNIOR
STATUS AT TIME OP EXCHANGE. PROFICIENCY
OF THE SPANISH LANGUAGE
STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS
161 BIZZEEl. HALL WEST 845-0544
Last chance to
PREPARE FOR THE
April QRE :
rTesM
Sun. Mar. 7th
9am-
Ion
Class 1
Sun.Mar.8lh
6-9pm
1 Class 2
IhiMat 12lh
6-9pm
Tesf2
Sat,. Ma, 21st
9am-
Ipm
Class 3
Sun., Mar. 22nd
6-9pm
Class 4
Thu., Met. 26fh
6-9pm
Tesl3
Sat.. Ma 28th
9am-lDm
Class 5
Sun., Mar. 29lh
6-9pm
Class 6
Thu., Apr. 2nd
6-9pm
rse starts on
X
March 7th. Designed for motivated
students, it teaches our highest return
TECHNIQUES in the SHORTEST TIME POSSIBLE.
If you thought you didn't have time
to prepare, think again.
Want $$$ for grad school? Acing the
GRE can make you eligible for more
and better scholarships. Our only job
is to help YOU get those scores.
THE
PRINCETON
REVIEW
(409) 696-9099
(800) 2REVIEW
PROFESSOR BOYLE HITS THE
^‘HALF-CENTURY’ MARK TODAY!
HAPPY FIFTIETH
BIRTHDAY, DAVE!
With love, from your much younger sisters.
Barbs and Peggy
s Think of us
the Money Aisl
Cl na cn r=a pa c=l ra na cn pa
I MEXICO E
Study Abroad as a ...
Reciprocal Exchange Student
1998-99 at
Monterrey Tecnologico
X
INFORMATIONAL IMEETINO:
Thursday, IVIarch 5 10-11 am
Wednesday, IVIarch 11 1-2 pm
Rm 358 Bizzell Hall West
Requir merits
3.0 GPR, U.S. citizen. Junior status at time of exchange,
proficiency of the Spanish language
STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS 161 BIZZELL WEST 845-0544 I I
L=3 C=J La cJ 1=3 CJ 1=3 E=J 1=3 €=\ [=3
>Ph
ijS2~2EL^29L^S&a
The Road To Stability:
Africa in the Next Millennium
ft ?
F.W. de Klerk
Former President of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize
Recipient Along with an international panel of ^ WILEY
economic, political, and social experts speaking l e c t u rTb
on how to improve stability and prosperity in Sub- C||y|||r
Saharan Africa.
27 March 1998 • 8:00 p.m. • Rudder Auditorium r
Visit our website at wfiey.tomu.edu lor more information
Ticket, Available at the MSC Box Office 845.1234 or tall free 888.890.5667
There's a new
NationsBank
Banking Center
coming to your
neighborhood
Albertsons.
OPENS MARCH 1 2 # ~?998j
College Station
InStore Banking Center
(Inside Albertsons)
615 University East
Mon. - Fri., 10 am - 7 pm
Sat., 10 am - 5 pm
Additional locations in your area
• 2205 Longmire • 111 University Dr.
NationsBank
NationsBank of Texas. N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. ©1998 NationsBank
Corporation. You need not be a customer of NationsBank or make a purchase to register towi
in the Grand Opening contest. Contest rules available at this Banking Center.