To Your Health

Young Women and Epilepsy

Adolescence is a trying time for girls and their parents, and it becomes even more so when the teen is coping with epilepsy, or seizure disorder. For example, young women may have more seizures during the menstrual cycle, or when they don’t get enough sleep. Epilepsy can affect bone health and complicate decisions on oral contraceptives. Get an indepth look at how epilepsy affects women throughout life at an educational conference Sept. 13. Call 610-402-CARE.

New Drug for Breast Cancer

A recent study suggests that for breast cancers that carry a protein (HER2) promoting cancer cell growth, the new drug lapatinib may be a wise choice. “Chemotherapy alone may leave ‘chemo-resistant’ cells that can lead to cancer regrowth,” says oncologist Gregory Harper, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “But lapatinib combined with chemotherapy appears to inhibit the growth of the stem cells which produce the cancer.” That lowers the risk for recurrence. Harper and his colleagues are using lapatinib to treat women whose cancers would benefit from it.

Recognizing its overall commitment to cancer care, Lehigh Valley Hospital was recently designated a Blue Distinction Center for the treatment of complex and rare cancers.

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