Researchers identify Achilles heel of common childhood tumor
Date: 21.10.2008
Researchers have discovered a mechanism for the rapid growth seen in infantile **hemangioma**, the most common childhood tumor.
The tumors, which are made up of proliferating blood vessels, affect up to 10 percent of children of European descent, with girls more frequently afflicted than boys. The growths appear within days of birth—most often as a single, blood-red lump on the head or face—then grow rapidly in the ensuing months. The development of infantile hemangioma slows later in childhood, and most tumors disappear entirely by the end of puberty. However, while the tumors are benign, they can cause disfigurement or clinical complications. This new research offers hope for the most severe of these cases, pointing at a potential, non-invasive treatment for the condition.
Whole article on "rarediseases.checkbiotech.org":[ http://rarediseases.checkbiotech.org/news/2008-10-19/Researchers_identify_Achilles_heel_of_common_childhood_tumor/]
