VOA标准英语2011--Study: Eradicating Cancer-Causing Infect

Study: Eradicating¹ Cancer-Causing Infection Feasible

A new study finds it may be possible to eradicate² an infection responsible for an often-fatal cancer.
The research also illustrates³ the complexities⁴ of that approach, especially when different treatments seem to work differently in different parts of the world.
H. pylori is an extremely common bacteria. Worldwide, about half of us have it in our gut⁵. Most of the time, it doesn't bother us. But sometimes it causes ulcers⁶, and H. pylori is implicated⁷ in stomach cancer, the second-deadliest cancer worldwide.
A three-drug treatment spread out over two weeks had been considered the preferred therapy. However, recent studies in Europe, Asia, and North America have found that a four-drug treatment given over five to 10 days was more effective.
But that's not the case, according to a new study, for patients in Latin America.
"And we found that the three-drug regimen - somewhat to my surprise - actually did better than the four-drug regimen," said Robert Greenberg of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington.
Greenberg and his colleagues randomly⁸ assigned about 1,500 participants to different treatments. They found that the four-drug regimen - which worked so well elsewhere - was less effective than the standard triple therapy.
The study was conducted at seven locations in six countries - Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Chile.
In a research paper published in The Lancet, Greenberg and his colleagues explain that the responses to the different drug combinations might be explained by regional variations in resistance that H. pylori has developed to the specific antibiotics⁹ and other medicines in each combination regimen.
More than 87 percent of those in the three-drug group who took their medicine were cured of their infection, a success rate that suggests the possibility of eradicating H. pylori. But researcher Greenberg says it's not a simple decision.
"I think, although we were positive in saying we think it's feasible to eradicate [H. pylori], we ourselves are undecided as to whether and how an eradication¹⁰ program should be implemented¹¹."
Because H. pylori is more common in developing countries, eradication might make more sense in those areas, although Greenberg and his colleagues take no position on whether it should be done.
In a commentary published with Greenberg's paper, a trio of Brazilian experts argue against mass eradication for several reasons, including the fear that the widespread use of antibiotics could prompt drug-resistant mutations not only of H. pylori but of other pathogens, too.

1 eradicating   

摧毁，完全根除( eradicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Objective: To study the acute and chronic toxicity of Ten-flavor-acne eradicating-capsule. 目的：探讨复方中药合剂十味平痤胶囊的急性及慢性毒性。
• We are on the verge of eradicating polio in the world. 我们已在世界消除小儿？痹症的边缘了。

2 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

3 illustrates   

给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明

参考例句：

• This historical novel illustrates the breaking up of feudal society in microcosm. 这部历史小说是走向崩溃的封建社会的缩影。
• Alfred Adler, a famous doctor, had an experience which illustrates this. 阿尔弗莱德 - 阿德勒是一位著名的医生，他有过可以说明这点的经历。 来自中级百科部分

4 complexities   

复杂性(complexity的名词复数)； 复杂的事物

参考例句：

• The complexities of life bothered him. 生活的复杂使他困惑。
• The complexities of life bothered me. 生活的杂乱事儿使我心烦。

5 gut   

n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏

参考例句：

• It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
• My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。

6 ulcers   

n.溃疡( ulcer的名词复数 )；腐烂物；道德败坏；腐败

参考例句：

• Detachment of the dead cells produces erosions and ulcers. 死亡细胞的脱落，产生糜烂和溃疡。 来自辞典例句
• 75% of postbulbar ulcers occur proximal to the duodenal papilla. 75％的球后溃疡发生在十二指肠乳头近侧。 来自辞典例句

7 implicated   

adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的

参考例句：

• These groups are very strongly implicated in the violence. 这些组织与这起暴力事件有着极大的关联。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Having the stolen goods in his possession implicated him in the robbery. 因藏有赃物使他涉有偷盗的嫌疑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 randomly   

adv.随便地，未加计划地

参考例句：

• Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内，分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
• Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句

9 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

10 eradication   

n.根除

参考例句：

• The eradication of an established infestation is not easy. 根除昆虫蔓延是不容易的。
• This is often required for intelligent control and eradication. 这经常需要灵巧的控制与消除。

11 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句