Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Wednesday 6 June 2018
A closer look at Guatemala's Volcano of Fire

By EMILIANO RODRIGUEZ eruptions, the most recent food and water supply. A
MEGA event began May 17, when powerful explosion about
Associated Press a mudflow of water and 2 p.m. sent a river of red-
NEW YORK (AP) — rocks started moving down hot ash and rock down the
Guatemala's Volcano the slope of the volcano, volcano's flanks. "It traveled
of Fire erupted over the followed by explosions and much faster. It arrived in
weekend, spewing deadly ash plumes that rose almost communities right when
clouds and rivers of ash and 3,300 feet (1 kilometer). The the evacuation alerts were
pulverized rock. It is one of eruptions continued for at being generated," Conred
11 active volcanoes in the least four days but were spokesman David de Leon
Central America country much smaller than Sunday's said.
that is along the so-called major eruption, which WHAT IS THE RING OF FIRE?
Ring of Fire. reached almost 15,000 feet It's a horseshoe-shaped
Some questions and (4.5 kilometers). region surrounding the
answers about the volcano: WAS THERE A WARNING? Pacific Ocean that
HOW BIG IS IT? Authorities say they were stretches from South
At its peak, the volcano is Firefighters and police are forced to evacuate a search and closely monitoring the America, up the western
rescue effort as the Volcan de Fuego, or "Volcano of Fire,"
12,346 feet (3,763 meters) continues to spill out smoke and ash in Escuintla, Guatemala, volcano after activity coast of North America,
above sea level. It's an Monday, June 4, 2018. picked up around 6 a.m. and rounds to Japan,
example of one of the tallest Associated Press Sunday. But there was the Philippines and New
and most violent types of no indication that any Zealand. Along a series of
volcanoes in the world, colonial city of Antigua, Institute for Seismology, eruption would be any fault lines, it contains about
its steep sides made out one of Guatemala's most Volcanology, Meteorology worse than previous ones, three-quarters of the world's
of accumulated layers of popular tourist destinations. and Hydrology. Records and no evacuations were active volcanoes. While
lava and ash. The volcano HOW ACTIVE IS IT? of activity go back to the ordered. The disaster it's called a ring, Janine
is 27 miles (44 kilometers) This volcano is probably 1500s and recent reports agency Conred issued Krippner, a volcanologist at
west of Guatemala City the most active in show that the volcano has standard precautions, Concord University in West
and only about 10 miles Guatemala, according been continuously erupting telling people to wear Virginia, says the volcanoes
(16 kilometers) from the to the country's National since 2002. Before Sunday's face masks and cover their are not really connected.q

Study finds rare gain for tough-to-treat pancreatic cancer

By LINDSEY TANNER patients were disease-free for pancreatic cancer in 25
Associated Press compared with about years.
CHICAGO (AP) — Patients 20 percent who had the Folfirinox is already
with pancreatic cancer standard drug, Gemzar. standard treatment for
that hadn't spread lived Overall, almost two-thirds patients whose pancreatic
substantially longer on a of folfirinox patients were cancer has spread.
four-drug combo than on still alive compared with The outlook has been bleak
a single standard cancer almost half of Gemzar for patients with pancreatic
drug, a rare advance for patients, unexpectedly cancer , an uncommon
a tough-to-treat disease, good results, said Dr. Thierry disease for which there is
researchers reported Conroy, the lead author no screening. Symptoms
Monday. and a cancer specialist including fatigue, weight
The results indicate the at the Cancer Institute of loss and abdomen pain
powerful chemotherapy Lorraine in Vandoeuvre-les- often don't occur until
treatment known as Nancy, France. late, after the disease has
folfirinox will likely become Results were presented spread.
standard of care for the Monday at an American About 330,000 cases are
minority of patients whose Society of Clinical diagnosed each year
pancreatic cancer is Oncology conference in worldwide, including about
diagnosed early enough Chicago. 55,000 in the United States.
to be removed by surgery, Dr. Richard Schilsky, the About half are diagnosed
experts not involved in the group's chief medical after the disease has
study said. officer, called the research spread; most die within a
This undated microscope image from USC via the NIH shows
pancreatic cancer cells, nuclei in blue, growing as a sphere After an average three an "immediately practice- year of diagnosis and only
encased in membranes, red. years of follow-up, almost changing study" and said about 6 percent survive for
Associated Press 40 percent of the folfirinox it's the biggest advance five years.
About 15 percent of
patients are candidates
for surgery; generally their
disease was detected early
and has not spread widely
beyond the pancreas.
The new results are
"reassuring for a disease
where unfortunately on
average people only live
several months rather than
several years. q