World Haemophilia Day - April 17

World Hemophilia Day is an international awareness day for hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. It is held annually on April 17, date of the birthday of Frank Schnabel, founder of the World Federation of Hemophilia.

Hemophilia is a mostly inherited genetic disorder that impairs the body's ability to make blood clots, a process needed to stop bleeding. This results in people bleeding longer after an injury, easy bruising, and an increased risk of bleeding inside joints or the brain. Bleeding into a joint can result in permanent damage while bleeding in the brain can result in long term headaches, seizures, or a decreased level of consciousness.

There are two types of hemophilia, both with the same symptoms:

Haemophilia A - factor VIII (8) deficiency

Haemophilia B - factor IX (9) deficiency

Common symptoms:

• Bruising easily
• More painful swelling and bruising and bleeding for longer after an injury than you would expect •
• Prolonged bleeding after medical or dental procedures or surgery
• Internal bleeding into muscles, joints, and organs 

How to fight Cancer?

A new drug-free anti-platelet therapy which is reversible could lower the risk of clotting in blood and potentially prevent cancer metastasis. A study reported in Science Translational Medicine reveals that this therapeutic approach involves modification of human platelets to create "decoys" which are still capable of binding to some cells but will not mix-up or carry out the other regular platelet functions, including chemical signaling associated with the coagulation process.

Platelets play a crucial role in resisting the bleeding and help to protect against life-threatening bleeding. Even though the hyperactive platelets are able to contribute various disorders, including severe blood clots, heart disease and cancer, several anti-platelet drugs inhibits clotting and their effects are not easy to reverse the function, leaving patients in dangerous condition if they develop unexpected severe bleeding or are in need of an emergency surgical procedure. Platelets also play an important role in cancer metastasis by binding to cancer cells and protecting them from the body's immune system and shear stress due to their circulations in the bloodstream. Platelets may also help the cancer cells to get rid from the way of blood vessels and seed distant tissues during the process of metastasis.

These studies will be available with the cancer pharmacology studies and the insights of cancer pharmacology and the pharmaceutical aids towards the blood clots are anti-platelet drugs like Aspirin, dipyridamole, cilostazol.