Northwest hopes for reprieve from powerful storm

King County Deputy Joe Abreu at left helps Potelco workers, Joe Lewis, center and Travis Barrett clear a downed tree coated with ice Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012 in Seattle. An ice storm followed heavy snow in western Washington, bringing down trees that killed one person and knocked out power for about 100,000 homes while sending cars and trucks spinning out of control. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Steve Ringman) MAGS OUT; NO SALES; SEATTLEPI.COM OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

King County Deputy Joe Abreu at left helps Potelco workers, Joe Lewis, center and Travis Barrett clear a downed tree coated with ice Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012 in Seattle. An ice storm followed heavy snow in western Washington, bringing down trees that killed one person and knocked out power for about 100,000 homes while sending cars and trucks spinning out of control. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Steve Ringman) MAGS OUT; NO SALES; SEATTLEPI.COM OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

A Delta Air Lines plane is sprayed with de-icing fluid prior to take-off at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, in Seattle. On the heels of heavy snow that fell Wednesday, the Western Washington region was hit with an ice storm Thursday that closed runways at the airport and stranded hundreds of travelers as flights were delayed or cancelled. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

A Southwest Airlines plane sits covered in a a thick layer of ice while parked at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, in Seattle. On the heels of heavy snow that fell Wednesday, the Western Washington region was hit with an ice storm Thursday that closed runways at the airport and stranded hundreds of travelers as flights were delayed or canceled. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

A United Air Lines plane lands on at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on a recently re-opened runway, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, in Seattle. On the heels of heavy snow that fell Wednesday, the Western Washington region was hit with an ice storm Thursday that closed runways at the airport and stranded hundreds of travelers as flights were delayed or canceled. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Port Orchard Marina resident Mitch Glover builds a snow igloo in front of the A Dock gate in Port Orchard, Wash. on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Kitsap Sun, Meegan M. Reid)

(AP) ? The powerful Pacific Northwest storm that swelled Oregon rivers and left Washington state coated in ice that brought much of the state to a standstill was supposed to taper off Friday, but a rainy weekend forecast meant flooding worries would continue for some time.

The unusually strong system temporarily shut down Seattle's airport Thursday and knocked down so many trees state patrol troopers brought chainsaws in their cruisers to hack through the obstacles. It also left three people dead: a mother and her 1-year-old boy, killed after torrential rain swept away a car from an Oregon grocery store parking lot; and an elderly man fatally injured by a falling tree as he was backing an all-terrain vehicle out of a backyard shed near Seattle.

The snow kept falling Thursday evening in western Washington and was not expected to stop until early Friday, but familiar rain is on its way, according to the National Weather Service.

"The better news is that we have a regular Pacific front coming in tomorrow with highs in the 40s," meteorologist Dennis D'Amico said Thursday.

Oregon should see a break in the rainfall for some hours before another front comes in, said meteorologist Paul Tolleson in Portland.

"We'll have decent fronts for the next 24 to 36 hours. It'll be just enough rain to make people nervous," he said.

The region hoped to clean up after two days of wind, snow and ice. More than 50 downed trees on railroad tracks and the threat of more falling forced Amtrak officials to close service between Portland and Seattle on Thursday morning. the closure continued Friday.

Officials in Spokane declared a snow emergency, banning parking along arterials and bus routes beginning Thursday evening. The City of Seattle asked people to get home before dark if possible, fearing even worse icing conditions by nightfall. And authorities told pedestrians to be extra careful on sidewalks and to look out for "falling ice from trees, buildings and power lines."

The State Patrol said it had responded to about 2,300 accidents in a 24-hour period ending at 9 a.m. Thursday, roughly quadruple the average number.

The National Weather Service said the last widespread freezing rain in Seattle was in December 1996.

Elsewhere, the state Transportation Department closed one highway for much of Thursday because of falling trees that also took out power lines. The Seattle Times reported late Thursday night that about 250,000 customers were without power in several counties in the Seattle area. Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency, authorizing the use of National Guard troops if necessary.

The weather system brought heavy snows to Washington's Mt. Rainier and four people were reported missing. A search was suspended at nightfall but was to resume Friday, officials said.

Farther south, near Reno, Nev., winds gusting up to 82 mph pushed a fast-moving brush fire south out of control on Thursday as it burned several homes, threatened dozens more and forced thousands to evacuate their neighborhoods.

In Washington, ice closed Sea-Tac Airport completely in the early morning Thursday before one runway was reopened. Lines hundreds of people long snaked around nearly every ticket counter at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, with many passengers on their cellphones as they tried furiously to rebook their flights. Reader boards showed the vast majority of flights canceled or delayed. All three runways reopened by Thursday evening, but the backlog from the earlier disruption was going to take a while to clear.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air canceled 310 flights to and from Seattle Thursday and Alaska Air said it was canceling 50 flights on Friday.

Sarah Slack and her daughters, 9-year-old Jayda and 6-year-old Jaycee, were at the airport Thursday, trying to get to Disneyland for Jaycee's 7th birthday on Saturday. A connecting flight was cancelled, and it looked like the family from Puyallup wouldn't be able to get out until Friday evening. Jayda tried to take things in stride. "Our flight got cancelled....so we have to go tomorrow," she said.

Oregon State climatologist Kathie Dello said the Hawaiian "Pineapple Express" is responsible for the wet weather. The system is creating a fire hose-like effect, dumping a concentrated stream of Pacific moisture on a small area in the western Willamette Valley.

Another Willamette Valley town, Scio, contended with floodwaters and many residents were being evacuated as the city manager said water was pouring down Main Street.

Officials in the city of Turner have issued a voluntary evacuation order to residents, asking them to flee to higher ground as floodwaters from the rising Mill Creek swept through town.

To the west of Oregon's Coast Range, residents were being moved out of Mapleton, with a population of about 900.

In Albany, rising water from heavy rains swept a car carrying four people into an overflowing creek on Wednesday night. Two people escaped, but one child's body was recovered early Thursday morning, and family members in the afternoon located his mother's body, authorities said.

A witness said that the car was sucked into a culvert.

Near Issaquah, Wash., a man in his 60s backing an all-terrain vehicle out of a shed was killed by a falling tree, King County sheriff's Sgt. Cindi West said.

Karina Shagren, a spokeswoman for Gregoire, said even though an emergency declaration has been issued, the National Guard has not been called up. Shagren said what sparked the proclamation was concern over truck drivers carrying dairy products not being able to drive more than 12 hours a day due to federal regulations.

Freight train operations were suspended by BNSF Thursday between Tacoma and Centralia. Large trees continued to fall, creating a safety hazard, said spokesman Gus Melonas, adding that regular service was not expected until Friday afternoon.

In a Tacoma apartment complex, 25-year-old Sam Doyle woke up to see a 40-foot tree on his Subaru Impreza, now with two busted windows and a caved in roof.

"It handles great in the snow but the snow ended up taking it out in the end," he said. "It could be worse. It could have been a person that got hit."

___

Cooper reported from Albany, Ore. Associated Press writers Doug Esser, Ted Warren, Shannon Dininny, Rachel La Corte, Nigel Duara and Nicholas K. Geranios contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-20-Northwest%20Storm/id-77130d46fe20496c8336582515d3f1a5

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HBT: Rockies acquire Scutaro from Red Sox

UPDATE: Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM reports that the deal is done. The Red Sox are sending Marco Scutaro to the Rockies for right-hander Clayton Mortensen. Colorado will be responsible for Scutaro?s entire $6 million salary this season.

Mortensen, a 2007 supplemental first-round pick of the Cardinals, posted a 3.86 ERA and 30/24 K/BB ratio over 58 1/3 innings at the major league level last season. The 26-year-old sinkerballer had a ground ball rate of 52.7 percent, so he could have some value out of Boston?s bullpen, but this was a pure salary dump.

6:06 PM: Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe and Alex Speier of WEEI.com are both hearing that a deal is ?likely? to get done. These guys might have the same source.

Anyway, while moving Scutaro could free up salary to sign Roy Oswalt or Edwin Jackson, Speier mentions that the Red Sox could also consider a trade with the White Sox for right-hander Gavin Floyd. Floyd, who turns 29 later this month, is owed $7 million this season and his contract includes a $9.5 million option for 2013.

5:56 PM: The Rockies? efforts to acquire Marco Sctuaro from the Red Sox hit a snag yesterday, but Troy Renck of the Denver Post now hears that the two sides are ?finishing up? a trade.

The Red Sox are expected to receive a pitcher in return and Renck names right-hander Clayton Mortensen as a possibility. It?s hard to believe they wouldn?t get more in return, even if the Rockies are picking up most or all of Scutaro?s $6 million salary for 2012. It will be interesting to see if the Red Sox also try to get Jonathan Herrera, who could be thrown into the mix at shortstop with the likes of Mike Aviles, Nick Punto and possibly Jose Iglesias.

Scutaro would immediately slot in as the starting second baseman for the Rockies. The 36-year-old batted .299/.358/.423 with seven homers, 54 RBI and a .781 OPS over 113 games in 2011. He would be a marked improvement from a group that combined to bat just .256/.304/.351 with a .655 OPS last season.

As for the Red Sox, it appears they are motivated to move Sctuaro in order to clear some salary to sign a starting pitcher like Roy Oswalt or Edwin Jackson.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/21/the-deal-is-back-on-rockies-close-to-acquiring-marco-scutaro-from-red-sox/related/

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Karzai says he's met with Afghan insurgent faction

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, right, delivers a speech at the opening of the second year of the Afghanistan parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Karzai announced to parliament on Saturday that he has taken the lead in peace negotiations with the Hizb-i-Islami insurgent faction, meeting personally with radical Islamist militia representatives to push ahead with the peace process.(AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, right, delivers a speech at the opening of the second year of the Afghanistan parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Karzai announced to parliament on Saturday that he has taken the lead in peace negotiations with the Hizb-i-Islami insurgent faction, meeting personally with radical Islamist militia representatives to push ahead with the peace process.(AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Afghan President Hamid Karzai listens to Afghan national anthem ahead of inspecting the guards of honor during the opening ceremony of the second year of the Afghanistan parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Karzai announced to parliament on Saturday that he has taken the lead in peace negotiations with the Hizb-i-Islami insurgent faction, meeting personally with radical Islamist militia representatives to push ahead with the peace process. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, salutes to Afghan parliament members, as he walks out of parliament after delivering his speech at the opening ceremony of the second year of the Afghanistan parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Karzai announced to parliament on Saturday that he has taken the lead in peace negotiations with the Hizb-i-Islami insurgent faction, meeting personally with radical Islamist militia representatives to push ahead with the peace process. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

(AP) ? Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai said Saturday that he personally held peace talks recently with the insurgent faction Hizb-i-Islami, appearing to assert his own role in a U.S.-led bid for negotiations to end the country's decade-long war.

Karzai made the announcement hours before he met with American special representative Marc Grossman to discuss progress and plans for bringing the Taliban insurgency into formal talks for the first time.

"Recently, we met with a delegation from Hizb-i-Islami ... and had negotiations," Karzai told a meeting of the Afghan parliament. "We are hopeful that these negotiations for peace continue and we will have good results," he added.

Karzai's statement was a reminder that any negotiations to end Afghanistan's war will be more complex than just talking to the Taliban's Pakistan-based leadership, headed by Mullah Mohammed Omar. The two other main insurgent factions in the country have their own leaders and agendas.

Hizb-i-Islami is a radical Islamist militia that controls territory in Afghanistan's northeast and launches attacks against U.S. forces from Pakistan. Its leader, powerful warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, is a former U.S. ally now listed as a terrorist by Washington.

Based over the Pakistan border, Hekmatyar has ties to al-Qaida and has launched deadly attacks on U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Fighters loyal to Hekmatyar also have strongholds in Baghlan, Kunduz and Kunar provinces in the north and northeast Afghanistan.

The other main insurgent group is the feared Haqqani network, which maintains close ties to both al-Qaida and the Taliban and commands the loyalties of an estimated 10,000 fighters. The Haqqanis have been blamed for a series of spectacular attacks, including suicide bombings inside Kabul.

By showing he can bring at least one major faction to the negotiating table, Karzai may hope to boost his standing in a tentative peace process that has recently been dominated by Washington. The president has met before with representatives of Hekmatyar, whose political allies hold seats in the Afghan parliament and Cabinet, but Saturday's public announcement seemed intended to bolster Karzai's insistence on inclusion in the U.S.-led peace process.

"It should be mentioned that the Afghan nation is the owner of the peace process and negotiations," Karzai said. "No foreign country or organization can prevent (Afghans) from exercising this right."

The U.S. has repeatedly said that formal negotiations must be Afghan-led, but Karzai is reportedly uneasy with his government not being directly involved in recent preliminary talks with Taliban representatives.

U.S. representative Grossman was meeting with Karzai on Sunday, the U.S. Embassy said. Grossman stressed that any future negotiations would include Afghanistan's government, and said he would meet Karzai on Saturday.

"After our meeting with President Karzai, we will decide what to do next because we take his guidance and advice in an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led process," Grossman said Friday during a stop in India.

French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet also arrived in Kabul on Saturday for talks with Afghan officials after Paris suspended training missions following the killing of four French troops by an Afghan soldier, the latest in a rising number of assaults in which Afghan security forces or infiltrators have turned their guns on coalition forces.

Longuet said on arrival that there is "no possible partnership" in Afghanistan without "trust."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has threatened to withdraw French troops from Afghanistan early over the deaths, a potential setback for the U.S.-led coalition's efforts to build a national army and allow foreign troops to go home.

On Saturday, insurgents killed a NATO service member in southern Afghanistan, the coalition said. The statement gave no other details, nor the nationality of the casualty.

The attack comes a day after an Afghan soldier opened fire on French troops during a training exercise, killing four of them and prompting France to suspend its training programs.

Insurgents clashed Saturday with government forces in the town of Barmal in Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan, said Maj. Abdul Rahman, who coordinates coalition and Afghan operations in the area.

The Paktika governor's office said four attackers were trying to enter the town's main bazaar and then move toward government offices and military bases nearby. Before they could, Afghan security forces engaged them in a one-hour gun battle and all four attackers were killed, it said.

Separately, a roadside bomb killed four Afghan civilians Saturday morning in Helmand province in the south, the Interior Ministry said.

On Friday, insurgents killed five border police in the Gulran district of Herat province near the Iranian border in western Afghanistan, said Sulaiman Khan, commander of a border police rapid reaction unit in the area.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-21-AS-Afghanistan/id-5faf82dc96124734aac82af92af39197

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Jessica Simpson: Baby Bumpin' and Beautiful!


We have to say, Jessica Simpson makes a cute pregnant person.

She may be ballooning by the day, but the 31-year-old singer isn't about to let that stop her from getting out and about - in glamorous fashion.

Jess stepped out looking ultra chic in Los Angeles earlier this week, wearing a beautifully ornate black and grey patterned dress and black jacket.

With her adorable baby bump on display, flawless make-up and silver and black high heels completed the look for the pop star / fashion mogul:

A Jessica Simpson Pregnant PicJessica Simpson, Bump

Suffice it to say, pregnancy looks good on J-Simps.

Although it is not clear when exactly her first child is due, she has had she is expecting a spring baby with her fiance, former NFL player Eric Johnson.

Jessica has also been upfront about her pregnancy cravings, recently revealing that she is enjoying indulging in all her favourite childhood foods.

Hey, what better excuse than eating for two?

[Photos: Fame Pictures]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/jessica-simpson-baby-bumpin-and-beautiful/

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Deal on EU embargo of Iran's oil remains in doubt (AP)

BRUSSELS ? A possible European Union ban on oil deals with Iran remains in doubt just days before EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels in hopes of adopting it, a diplomat said Thursday.

Such an embargo would choke off funding for Iran's nuclear program, which many Western governments believe is geared toward developing nuclear weapons ? something Iran denies. The embargo would prevent EU countries from buying crude oil from Iran and also from selling refined oil to Iran, the diplomat said.

The diplomat, who is accredited to the European Union, spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss ongoing talks.

EU foreign ministers will meet Monday to consider an embargo and possibly action to freeze the assets of Iran's central bank.

A number of Western leaders say they are determined that Iran, which is ruled by a fundamentalist Islamic government, should not acquire nuclear weapons. France, Germany and the United Kingdom are eager to have an oil embargo against Iran take effect quickly.

But other EU countries ? Greece in particular ? are concerned because they are in dire economic difficulty and rely heavily on oil from Iran.

Under a compromise being offered by the Danes, who hold the rotating presidency of the EU, the ban would take effect immediately but existing contracts would be honored during a transition period, the diplomat said.

The embargo would have a strong effect at once, the diplomat said, as short-term contracts for the purchase of Iranian oil expired. But longer-term contracts would remain in force until July 1, when the transition period would end, which might happen only after a review of the impacts of the ban on world oil prices.

That review would allow countries reliant on Iranian oil to assess whether the price of alternatives sources had risen to unaffordable levels, the diplomat said.

Permanent representatives to the European Union discussed the issue Thursday but broke up without agreement, the diplomat said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iran/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_re_eu/eu_iran_oil_embargo

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Prosecutors say veteran killed homeless for thrill (AP)

SANTA ANA, Calif. ? An Iraq war veteran charged with stabbing to death four homeless men in a weeks-long rampage in Southern California was a thrill seeker who took pleasure in killing his victims, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas told reporters outside a jailhouse courtroom that 23-year-old suspect Itzcoatl Ocampo appeared lucid, calm and intelligent and showed no signs of mental illness.

"He gets a thrill out of it," Rackauckas said. "This is a serious, vicious killer who went out there intentionally going about killing people and terrorizing a whole area."

Ocampo made his first court appearance Wednesday morning wearing an orange jail jumpsuit. The slender former Marine shifted his eyes back and forth as the judge discussed plans to delay his arraignment until Feb. 17 at the request of Ocampo's attorney.

After the brief hearing, defense attorney Randall Longwith declined to comment on the allegations and said his main concern was gaining access to Ocampo, who was being held in a medical ward and denied visitors.

Longwith said he obtained a court order on Tuesday to be able to see his client briefly and spoke with him through a food slot in his jail cell while Ocampo was wearing only underwear and wrapped in a blanket designed to prevent him from hurting himself.

"We're just concerned that he hasn't really had access to an attorney or to anyone at this point," Longwith told reporters. "He seems very scared."

Ocampo was arrested Friday night when bystanders chased him down after a man was stabbed to death outside a fast-food restaurant in Anaheim, about 26 miles southeast of Los Angeles. He was caught with blood on his hands and face, authorities said.

Ocampo was charged Tuesday with four counts of murder and special allegations of multiple murders and lying in wait and use of a deadly weapon. Three victims were stabbed more than 40 times each with a single-edged blade at least 7-inches long, authorities said.

Ocampo will be given a psychological evaluation and is being held in isolation and monitored around the clock to prevent him from hurting himself or being harmed by other inmates, said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the county sheriff's department.

The killing spree began in December and prompted police to fan out across the county known as the home to Disneyland and multimillion-dollar beachfront homes to urge the homeless to sleep in groups or in one of two wintertime shelters.

Ocampo would stalk each of his victims, then stab them repeatedly with a knife that could cut through bone. He selected his last victim, 64-year-old John Berry, after he was featured in a Los Angeles Times story about the killing spree, prosecutors said.

Berry filed a police report the day before he died, saying he feared he was being stalked, but officers didn't have a chance to follow up amid a flood of nearly 600 leads and tips.

"It is unfortunate that we didn't get to him before the suspect did," Anaheim Police Chief John Welter said.

Ocampo's family said the 23-year-old was a troubled man after he returned from Iraq in 2008.

Ocampo's arrest was the latest violent crime involving a veteran. This month, an Iraq War veteran fatally shot a ranger at Mount Rainier National Park and died later as he fled police across the mountain's snow-covered slopes.

Veterans Affairs officials say such high-profile violence can paint an inaccurate picture of returning veterans. The cases, however, raise the issue of veterans having a difficult time adjusting back into civilian life.

To help, the VA created a program to assist veterans in readjusting to their lives and avoid repeated brushes with the law. "We've seen over and over again that once they access those services, we can help them," VA spokesman Josh Taylor said.

A neighbor who is a Vietnam veteran and Ocampo's father both tried to push him to get treatment at a VA hospital, but he refused. His father, Refugio Ocampo, said, his son came back from his deployment a changed man.

He said his son expressed disillusionment and became ever darker as he struggled to find his way. After Ocampo was discharged in 2010 and returned home, his parents separated. The same month, one of his friends, a corporal, was killed during combat in Afghanistan. His brother said Ocampo visited his friend's grave twice a week.

Like the men Ocampo is accused of preying on, his father is homeless. His father lost his job and ended up living under a bridge before finding shelter in the cab of a broken-down big-rig he is helping to repair.

Days before his arrest, Ocampo visited his father, warning him of the danger of being homeless. He showed him a picture of one of the slain men, his father said. "He was very worried about me," his father said. "I told him, `Don't worry. I'm a survivor. Nothing will happen to me.'"

As fear spread through the homeless community, police last week set up road blockades to seek help from members of the public in tracking down a suspect. Ocampo, who appeared to relish the media spotlight, passed through the checkpoints twice but did not draw attention to himself, Rackauckas said.

In addition to Berry, James Patrick McGillivray, 53, was killed near a shopping center in Placentia on Dec. 20. The body of Lloyd Middaugh, 42, was found near a riverbed trail in Anaheim on Dec. 28. The third victim, Paulus Smit, 57, was stabbed to death outside a library in Yorba Linda on Dec. 30.

Ocampo is being held without bail. If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of life in prison without parole. Authorities have not decided whether to seek the death penalty.

___

Associated Press writer Kevin Freking in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120118/ap_on_re_us/us_homeless_homicides

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Melanoma Drug's Link to Other Skin Cancers Identified (HealthDay)

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- The recently approved drug vemurafenib (Zelboraf) has been hailed as a breakthrough in the treatment of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. But roughly one-quarter of patients who take the medication develop a troublesome side effect: secondary skin cancers called squamous cell carcinomas.

Now, a new study by researchers at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues identifies the specific genetic mechanism that causes this side effect.

"What we found is that vemurafenib blocks the mutation that makes the melanoma grow, but when patients have skin cells with another mutation that's probably induced from sun exposure, there the drug has the exact opposite effect and causes these squamous cell cancers to grow," said Dr. Antoni Ribas, co-senior author of the study and an associate professor of hematology/oncology at UCLA.

What's more, the findings suggest that combining vemurafenib, a BRAF inhibitor, with a drug called an MEK inhibitor -- which blocks the other mutation -- may not only prevent this side effect, but may also lead to an even more effective melanoma treatment, Ribas said.

"It needs to be demonstrated in clinical trials, but the theory is that if we give these two medications together up front, we will be punching the melanoma where it really hurts twice, and also preventing the growth of secondary skin cancers," Ribas said.

For the study, which appears in the Jan. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Ribas and his colleagues analyzed cells from squamous cell lesions in patients treated with vemurafenib to look for specific genetic mutations.

In a set of 21 tumor samples, the researchers found 13 had what's known as an RAS mutation, which predisposes someone to develop squamous cell cancer. In a separate set of 14 samples, eight had RAS mutations.

"Our data suggest that about 60 percent of patients who develop skin squamous cell cancers while treated with a BRAF inhibitor have an RAS mutation," Ribas said.

In experiments in mice with the RAS mutation, the researchers showed that the combination of a BRAF inhibitor and an MEK inhibitor successfully blocked the growth of squamous cell cancers.

This result may need replication in humans, since many findings in animals do not translate into effective treatments for people.

Ribas noted that the findings have implications beyond just melanoma, since RAS mutations are common in lung, pancreatic and colon cancer. "What this data also warns us is that we have to be very careful about using BRAF inhibitors in a setting where we don't know what other mutations may be driving [the cancer]," he said.

In an editorial accompanying the study, a cancer researcher at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia sounded a similar note. "Patients being given BRAF inhibitors should be tested to determine their RAS status, since the potential for secondary tumor development is of concern," wrote Ashani Weeraratna, an assistant professor in Wistar's Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program.

In an interview, she added, "While cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas are not usually life-threatening, a small portion are. And further, squamous cell carcinomas of other cell types can be very aggressive. So understanding how to solve this problem is critical."

Another skin cancer expert said that although the findings were important and timely, more studies were needed before making broad recommendations. "Patients need to be aware of the risk of development of squamous cell carcinomas, and dermatology exams need to be included as part of the care for these patients," said Dr. Iman Osman, an associate professor of dermatology and oncology at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.

"I believe any other recommendation, such as adding a MEK inhibitor from the beginning, or doing biopsies of any squamous cell carcinoma for RAS mutation at the time of starting BRAF inhibition, will require more data," Osman said.

Other researchers who took part in the study included investigators from the Institute of Cancer Research in London and the pharmaceutical companies Roche and Plexxikon.

More information

Visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute to learn about melanoma.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/cancer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120119/hl_hsn/melanomadrugslinktootherskincancersidentified

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U.S. Strategic Command Mysteriously Deletes Russian Mars Spacecraft's Tracking Data After Sabotage Accusations [Space]

NJ disabled girl's parents narrow criticism (AP)

PHILADELPHIA ? The parents of a 3-year-old New Jersey girl who claim she's being denied a kidney transplant because of her mental disabilities said their problems may be with one doctor, and not The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

"It's one doctor who's never seen us who is making this call," Joe Rivera told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "We've had a great experience with CHOP. We're not against CHOP, but maybe something needs to be changed. One guy tarnished their reputation."

Rivera, 39, and his wife Chrissy plan to meet with hospital officials next week, amid a growing online furor that has experts warning the situation may be much more complex than many realize. The hospital has not commented on the child's case, citing patient confidentiality laws, but acknowledged the online discussion and said on its Facebook page that "we hear your concerns."

Chrissy Rivera posted a blog entry last week that described an encounter she claimed happened at The Children's Hospital. She and her husband were there to discuss treatment for her daughter, Amelia, who was born with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare genetic defect that can cause physical and mental disabilities. Amelia will need a transplant in six months to a year.

Chrissy Rivera, 36, wrote that a doctor, whom she did not name, told her and her husband that Amelia wouldn't be eligible for a transplant because of her quality of life and her mental condition.

"I put my hand up. `Stop talking for a minute. Did you just say that Amelia shouldn't have the transplant done because she is mentally retarded. I am confused. Did you really just say that?'" she wrote. "I begin to shake. My whole body trembles and he begins to tell me how she will never be able to get on the waiting list because she is mentally retarded."

Joe Rivera said he was left thunderstruck.

"It just felt like that you were punched in the gut," he told the AP. "It was mind blowing how people think these days."

But he said that the experience was not necessarily indicative of the treatment they've gotten from the hospital.

Afterward, Chrissy Rivera, who teaches high school senior English, detailed the exchange on the blog.

Her story was seen by Sunday Stilwell, the mother of two severely autistic boys, and she began an online petition Friday, demanding that the hospital give a transplant to the girl. By Wednesday afternoon, 26,520 people had signed it.

"I read Chrissy's original blog post, and I just cried. I couldn't believe it," said Stilwell, whose boys are 6 and 9. "I shared it on Twitter with all my followers and on Facebook."

Children's Hospital said in a statement that it "does not disqualify potential transplant candidates on the basis of intellectual abilities."

"We have transplanted many children with a wide range of disabilities, including physical and intellectual disabilities," it said, adding that it is "deeply committed" to providing the best possible medical care for all children, including those with disabilities.

It noted the debate on its Facebook page. "We're listening. We hear your concerns and take seriously your posts, emails and phone calls," it wrote, adding, "Please know that you have been heard and that your feedback is appreciated."

Stilwell has been in contact with the Riveras daily over the events.

"There's a lot of camaraderie" between parents of special-needs kids, Stilwell said. "Almost all of us, across the board, have experienced some discrimination. I've certainly had some bad run-ins with some certainly ignorant doctors, but nothing like this. That's part of the reason I did it. I couldn't actually believe this was happening."

The issue the Riveras face is not simple, said Arthur Caplan, director of the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics. For example, the blog notes that Chrissy Rivera told the hospital that "we plan on donating" the kidney because they come from a large family.

"Most adults can't donate an organ because it won't fit" a child, Caplan said. "You're starting to say you're going to use another child as a living donor, and that's ethically really trouble."

The supply of organs for child transplants is "extremely limited," Caplan added. "So you have hard choices to make," he said. "Dialysis may be a better option."

However, in recent years some hospitals have pioneered ways to use an adult's kidney in a child.

According to the National Institutes of Health, 87,820 people were awaiting kidney transplants as of last February. The National Kidney Foundation, which seeks to enhance the lives of people affected by kidney disease, said 4,573 patients died in 2008 while waiting for kidney transplants.

A 2006 study from Ohio State University on kidney transplants for patients with mental disabilities found that the one- and three-year survival rates for 34 people were 100 percent and 90 percent, respectively.

"The studies reported good compliance with post-transplant medications due to consistent support from family members or caregivers," the paper noted.

The researchers added that previous controversies over mental disabilities and transplants led the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations to express concern that many people with disabilities are "denied evaluation and referral for transplantation."

Whatever the medical details of Amelia's situation, her mother's blog captured the anger of parents with disabled children who don't want outsiders to decide life and death issues.

"Do not talk about her quality of life," Rivera wrote of her exchange with the doctor last week. "You have no idea what she is like. We have crossed many, many road blocks with Amelia and this is just one more. So, you don't agree she should have it done? Fine. But tell me who I talk to next."

Mary Beth Happ, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Bioethics and Health Law, said that the issue of severe mental disability and kidney transplants has been a source of contention for nearly two decades.

"Co-existing health problems such as weakened immune system and/or heart disease, which are prevalent in (Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome), are an additional risk that transplant centers and parents must consider," Happ wrote in an email.

But Happ and Caplan noted that it's virtually impossible to have a full discussion of Amelia's case because of medical privacy laws.

"We're seeing this more and more where very private, difficult medical decisions are debated in the media without the full facts," Happ said, adding that while the general discussion can be good, the risks of one side or another inflating the situation is problematic.

Caplan said he has heard of cases in which other transplant programs considered severe mental disability as a factor in transplants.

"With scarcity, social factors do count, with every transplant," he said.

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Begos reported from Pittsburgh.

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Follow Matt Moore at http://www.twitter.com/mattmooreap

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Online:

Rivera's Blog: http://bit.ly/xAmRaV

CHOP's Facebook Page: http://on.fb.me/wkvIW0

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120118/ap_on_he_me/us_disabled_child_transplant

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