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March 2013
NEWSLETTER •
Molecular Screening Services Packages
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New Year Message From CEO
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Event Snapshots
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Recent News
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Are You Afraid of Cholesterol?
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Managing Our Own Health, Starts With Cholesterol
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Simply, Breast Cancer
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MSS Partners (updated)
INFOVALLEY® Group of Companies Unit 1.1, Level 1, Block B, MINES Waterfront Business Park, No. 3, Jalan Tasik, MINES Resort City, 43300 Selangor, Malaysia. Tel: (603) 8941 5830 Fax: (603) 8941 5970
2 Molecular Screening Services at one GLANCE Package List
Cancer Type M
F
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Breast Cancer Colorectal Cancer
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Nasopharyngeal Cancer
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Ovarian Cancer
Prostate Cancer
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Cervical Cancer
Gastric Cancer
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Leukemia
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Liver Cancer
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Lung Cancer
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Oral Cancer
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Thyroid Cancer
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Single Cancer Predisposition Screening is available and can be arranged upon request. Corporate Screening Package (CAN12 + FH1536) can be arranged for corporate clients. Molecular screening for cancer is meant for health conscious individuals, which test for genetic variations associated to cancers. More info
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NEW YEAR MESSAGE Dear INFOValiants, When I sat to write this mail on this last day of the Year 2012, I noticed that I am at lost for words to describe what has happened over the last 12 months! I am truly and nervously look forward to Year 2013 to 2015, a 3 year period that is going to shape the future of INFOVALLEY, a shape and form
that we have been carving for a long, long time now. I cannot wait to launch this new phase of plan and look forward to making it a reality that all of us can be proud of. Like a child that could not sleep thinking about the plans lined up for tomorrow, once again I cannot wait for January 1st. I strongly believed that January 1st should be the day when you put your best foot forward to kick-start and drive the engine forward, rushing with adrenaline towards this new world that we have always been thinking of and hoping to realise. Anticipating, turning, twisting and negotiating bends and hurdles along the way, knowing each hurdle passed is a mile closer to our new destination. INFOVALLEY is completely committed to its vision to shape and realise the new future. We do not intend to live in the present which was formed yesterday. Instead, we want to experience the tomorrow that was shaped by us at INFOVALLEY today. Thus, doing all today and looking forward to a new tomorrow is the thinking that we would nurture within our eco-system. We can’t wait for tomorrow because we do not want to live in the world of yesterday another day. We want to live in the new world the soonest, the way we wanted it and it is INFOVALLEY’s World. I thank all of you for having been part of this ship that sails to the new horizon but I am sure you understand that it is a Starship with only the sky as its limit. I wish you a Happy New Year and I look forward to a feverish start in 2013. Best Wishes. Matt A. Chandran Group Chief Executive Officer INFOVALLEY Group of Companies Global Business Office London Management Headquarters, Kuala Lumpur
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EVENT SNAPSHOTS Crime Scene Investigation Workshop Date: Venue:
15th – 16th January 2013 Management & Science University
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RECENT NEWS Karamjit Singh from DigitalNewsAsia.com talks to Matt Chandran, the Group CEO of INFOVALLEY about what he plans to do with the RM70 million fund from AIM.
CLICK to listen to
BFM Tech Talk Podcasts
Check out more iGene news here:
• • •
AIM Invest RM70 million to iGene Frustration the Trigger for Success at iGene Week in Review: We’re All Going To Be Watching Matt Chandran
HERE comes again … Our Molecular Screening Services Groupon advertisement will be refeatured on coming March 11th 2013, to reach out to mass audiences about INFOHaemTM CAN12. Last quarter, we managed to hit 100% redemption rate. This quarter, we hope to get more responses from the public.
We welcome all healthy subjects who have done their DNA screening test write to us about your experience, your concern and even your relief after doctor’s consultation.
Send your opinions HERE - Contact
6 Are You Afraid of Cholesterol? http://infovalleyart.blogspot.com/2012/09/areyou-afraid-of-cholesterol_27.html
Since we are living in a fast paced world, many of us tend to neglect the significance of taking good care of our health. As we age, our body needs the urgency for medical check up. Whenever any of us see the word “CHOLESTEROL� in the report, we are inclined to think that it is something bad to our body. To tell the truth, cholesterol is not necessarily bad for our body because there are two types of cholesterol; namely good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. Typically, cholesterol is a fat formed by the liver and is fundamental for usual body operation. It exists in the external coat of each cell in our body and has numerous functions. These functions aid the regular function of our body. Before one starts to be afraid of cholesterol, it is better to learn the significance of good cholesterol to our body. Firstly, cholesterol builds and maintains cell membranes which are the outer layer of each cell. These cell membranes have permeability which is essential for determining which molecules can pass into the cell and which cannot. This helps to eliminate unwanted molecules from entering the cells. Moreover, cholesterol aids in the production of bile. We have read in books that sunshine provides Vitamin D to our body but has anyone wondered how is it possible for the sunshine to convert to Vitamin D? Well, with the aid of cholesterol, it is possible because it converts sunshine to vitamin D. Furthermore, it is also imperative for the body to enhance metabolism of fat soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K. With all these functions in hand, there isn’t any necessity to be afraid of cholesterol unless you have LDL. Now you may ask what LDL is. LDL is the acronym for low density lipoprotein. People often refer to it as bad cholesterol. LDL carries cholesterol from the liver to cells. If too much is carried, too much for the cells to use, there can be a harmful build up of LDL. This can increase the risk of arterial disease if levels rise too high. Most human blood contains approximately 70% LDL but this may vary, depending on the person. Too much LDL can cause the arteries to become blocked, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Blocked arteries occur when excess LDL and other fatty substances attach themselves to the walls of the arteries, causing them to become narrower, meaning that blood cannot pass through as easily. Over time, partially blocked arteries also become hardened and inflamed, increasing the risk of breakage. All this increases the risk of a range of vascular diseases, such as heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. When there is bad cholesterol, the good comes along. Cont.
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Are You Afraid of Cholesterol? http://infovalleyart.blogspot.com/2012/09/areyou-afraid-of-cholesterol_27.html
HDL (high density lipoprotein) is often referred to as good cholesterol. Experts say HDL prevents arterial disease. Moreover, HDL does the opposite of LDL. It takes the cholesterol away from the cells and back to the liver. In the liver it is either broken down or expelled from the body as waste. In addition, high cholesterol itself doesn't cause any symptoms. This means that we could have high cholesterol and not know about it. The only way to know our cholesterol level is to have it tested. Once receiving the results, it is not necessarily something devastating because level of bad cholesterol in body can be reduced or controlled if we follow a balanced diet, live a healthy lifestyle and obviously by following the instructions from doctors. High cholesterol level becomes deadly only when we refuse to change our habits that contributes to the increase in cholesterol in our body. In a nutshell, living a healthy lifestyle is everyone’s dream. Daydreaming about it but living an unhealthy lifestyle, for example, smoking, eating food which is high in cholesterol and not exercising regularly will never help in avoiding ourselves from getting high cholesterol. Cholesterol is not something to be afraid of because as stated above good cholesterol does play a vital role in our body. It is our responsibility to restrict the increase in bad cholesterol in our body. Prevention is always better than cure. Therefore, start preventing from getting high bad cholesterol since a very young age instead of trying to reduce it after getting affected. We only live once. Why waste it by being afraid of something that we can restrain? References: • Grundy SM, et al. (2001). Executive summary of the third report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA, 285(19): 2486-2497. • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (2005). Your Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol With TLC (NIH Publication No. 06-5235). Available online: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/chol/chol_tlc.pdf
By Khamsigan A/L Munretnam, Molecular Research Scientist
8 Managing Our Own Health, Start With Cholesterol http://infovalleyart.blogspot.com/2012/09/managi ng-our-own-health-start-with.html
Ian Waterston is an executive working in corporate finance; he had his first heart attack at the age of 30 when he went for hill climbing during the weekend. He learned a precious lesson from the incident, don’t be dumb. Like him, many of us think that someone as young and fit as him is impossible to have a heart attack, and according to Ian, it is dumb. We heard many stories of friends and family members suffered from heart problems, in certain cases it involves sudden heart attacks which may lead to unexpected death. It may alert us for a while, however most of time, when it comes to managing our health, we prefer to take the passive role and let the nature to take it’s course. Why should you manage your own health? Most of us leave our health to the doctors. However, we only go to see doctors when we are sick. And that comes with a hefty price tag, its either expensive medical bill, or emotional stress; sometimes it even causes loss of days of productivity. However, if we are to manage our health actively, many diseases are preventable, for example - Cardiovascular disease or in lay man term - heart disease. Cardiovascular (CVD) disease is the number one cause of death globally, whereby 1 in 4 deaths in government hospitals are attributed to either heart disease or strokes. To make it worse, it is a silent chronic disease which can take years to develop without any symptom at all. However, by managing the level of bad cholesterol in your body can greatly reduce the chance of getting heart disease. And you don’t even need a doctor to tell you how. It’s all started with Cholesterol Heart disease occurs when a substance called plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Plaque is made up of cholesterol deposits, which can accumulate in the arteries. When this happens, the arteries can narrow over time. Plaque build-up can cause chest pain/discomfort, because the heart muscle doesn't get enough blood. A heart attack occurs when plaque totally blocks an artery carrying blood to the heart. It also can happen if a plaque deposit breaks off and clots an artery. On the other hand, a stroke happens when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. When brain cells are not getting sufficient blood and oxygen, it will be damaged and lead to loss of brain function, and even death. Cont.
9 Managing Our Own Health, Start With Cholesterol http://infovalleyart.blogspot.com/2012/09/managi ng-our-own-health-start-with.html
To lower bad cholesterol in your body only requires easy step such as be informed with what you eat every day. Food such as meats, poultry, shellfish, eggs, butter, cheese, and milk contain additional cholesterol, and this is on top of the cholesterol which is manufactured by our body. Hence, have more fibrous food and complex carbohydrate such as fruit, raw vegetables, brown rice, whole grain breads in your diet. The American Heart Association recommends that you eat at least 25 grams of dietary fiber every day2. Knowing your DNA However, there are also some factors which can lead to high cholesterol in your body but is not modifiable, such as hereditary. The amount of bad cholesterol in our body makes and how fast it is removed from body is determined partly by genes. If an individual inherited certain genetic mutations in those genes from his/her parents, there is a high chance that he/she is suffering from a familial disease called Hypercholesterolemia (A condition where high cholesterol is present in the blood). Today, there are many DNA test available which can ascertain whether an individual’s has inherited the genetic mutations which causes Familial Hypercholesterolemia from his/her parents. Using an advance biochip technology, Molecular Screening Services such as INFOHaem FH1536™ screens for genetic mutation from LDLR, ApoB (ApolipoproteinB) gene and PCSK9 gene. The test also involves clinical examination associates the individual’s lifestyle, family history and medical history to Familial Hypercholesterolemia. If the DNA test found to be positive, it’s important to inform your doctors immediately as you may require certain cholesterol lowering medication. In summary, take care of high cholesterol as soon as possible and manage your own health actively. Not doing so will put you at a higher risk of suffering from heart disease. 1. http://collectivewizdom.com/MyHeartAttackAtAge30.html 2. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=514 3. http://www.infovalley.net.my/~infovall/mss-fh1536 By Susan Ong, Product Portfolio Manager INFOVALLEY® Molecular Screening Services is registered under Ministry of Health’s Medical Device Bureau’s MeDVER programme (Registration number: A-000531). INFOHaem™ Molecular Screening was recognized by Frost and Sullivan’s Malaysian Excellence Award 2012, as best product Innovation.
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Simply, Breast Cancer http://infovalleyart.blogspot.com/2012/10/si mply-breast-cancer.html
In a quick glance, ordinary people in usual settings distinguish males and females by glancing for common facial features and anatomy. Hence, the distinguishing anatomical feature between a man and a woman is quite obvious at the upper torso. Biologically, both male and female four-week old embryos undergo a similar process of epidermal thickenings, called milk lines or mammary ridges [1]. This happens before either chromosome pairs of XX or XY interferes with determining physical traits that distinguish males from females [2]. However, during puberty, the hormone oestrogen plays a role in stimulating the development of these mammary glands in females commonly called breast. These glands consist of lobules, ducts and the fatty tissue. Cells are naturally the main building blocks of tissues that eventually make up organs. Cancer is a dreaded word. The simplest way to explain cancer is the continuous growth of cells which at that point of time are not needed by the body forming lumps. Breast cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in women worldwide [3]. This cancer type is however rare in males. Cancer is either caused by hereditary mistakes or by lifestyle. Hereditary is defined by the damaged DNA material passed on by either parent. A sedentary lifestyle packed with food made of white flour and diet rich in meat while lacking the greens and fruits is considered as risk to causing cancers. Obesity, early age of menarche, age of first pregnancy, null parity and late age of menopause are among other risk factors of breast cancers.
Breast Cancer cell
Cont.
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Simply, Breast Cancer http://infovalleyart.blogspot.com/2012/10/si mply-breast-cancer.html
Breast cancer if detected at an earlier stage can save a woman’s life. Women are encouraged to carry out self breast examination each month and if at high risk due to hereditary factor are encouraged to undergo mammography. Mammography is also recommended for women above the age of 40. Please see a doctor the soonest if any of these symptoms appear: lumps or thickening of the tissue, flaking skin or discharge from the nipple, 'tethering' of the skin, as if it's being pulled from the inside, any unusual sensation or discomfort or a change in outline, shape or size of the breast [4]. Total mastectomy is the removal of the entire breast and nipple [5]. Depending on the type of breast cancer, some women will be prescribed with hormone therapy [4].
Learn breast self-examination – What to look for, How to do it
Cancer patients and cancer survivors lead a longer more fulfilling life with the support of loved ones and peers. Hence, it is important to support their decisions on the type of treatments they choose. It is not an easy decision for a woman to opt for mastectomy but it could save her life, therefore the partner’s support in this decision is very significant. The colour pink has been associated to breast cancer promotion and support towards women with breast cancer, with the pink ribbon adopted as an international symbol of breast cancer awareness since the year 1992. The colour pink and blue symbolizes support for men with breast cancer. The 10th month, October, has been officially picked as the Breast Cancer Awareness month. Now that you know a little about breast cancer, your support no matter how small can go a long way. References: 1. http://tinyurl.com/8o6dqq6 2. http://tinyurl.com/8ewjf8d 3. http://tinyurl.com/ybdo45s 4. http://tinyurl.com/9ry77z8 5. http://tinyurl.com/3ry83f2 By Jagdish K. Chahil, Senior Scientist (R&D) Cont.
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Study shows half of early-stage breast cancer patients may be able to avoid chemotherapy. A diagnosis of early-stage breast cancer doesn’t always mean you need to use chemotherapy, a new study shows.
Check out what Dr. David Wenk at Florida Cancer Specialist said about MammaPrint in ABC Action News.
Check out Symphony test offered by INFOVALLEY
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Our Partners (updated) Centres offering Can12 & FH1536
Centres offering SYMPHONY速
1.
HSC Medical Centre
1.
Assunta Hospital
2.
Tropicana Medical Centre
2.
Adventist Hospital
3.
Lablink Medical Laboratory
3.
Beacon International Specialist Hospital
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Global Doctors Specialist Centre
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Dev Breast Specialist Clinic
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Golden Horses Health Sanctuary
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Gleneagles Intan Medical Centre
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Gleneagles Intan Medical Centre
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Kedah Medical Centre
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Pantai Premier Pathology Laboratory
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KPJ Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital
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KPJ Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital
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KPJ Tawakkal
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KPJ Tawakkal
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KPJ Ipoh Specialist Hospital
10. KPJ Ipoh Specialist Hospital
10. KPJ Johor Specialist Hospital
11. KPJ Penang Specialist Hospital
11. Pantai Hospital Sg. Petani
12. Kedah Medical Centre
12. Pantai Hospital Ipoh
13. Dharan Wellness Clinic (PJ)
13. Pantai Hospital Penang
14. Chaudhury Medic-Centre
14. Prince Court Medical Centre
15. Dr Kim Wong Women Specialist Clinic
15. Sime Darby Medical Centre
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(Centrepoint, Bandar Utama)
16. Sunway Medical Centre
Dev Breast Specialist Clinic (Bangsar South)
17. Tropicana Medical Centre
17. Pantai Hospital Ipoh 18. Pantai Hospital Penang 19. Sidiq Specialist Medical Clinic (opposite Tawakkal) 20. Taman Desa Medical Centre
18. Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC)
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Join our social networks Single Cancer Screening Service
INFOVALLEY速 Group of Companies Unit 1.1, Level 1, Block B, MINES Waterfront Business Park, No. 3, Jalan Tasik, MINES Resort City, 43300 Selangor, Malaysia. Tel: (603) 8941 5830 Fax: (603) 8941 5970