Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles

RNA Snippet Suppresses Spread Of Aggressive Breast Cancer
A low cellular level of a tiny fragment of RNA appears to increase the spread of breast cancer in mouse models of the disease, according to researchers at Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.
generic viagra online
GOP Ramps Up Attacks
"Emboldened by divided Democrats and polls that show rising public anxiety about President Obama"s handling of health care and the economy, Republicans on Monday launched an aggressive effort to link the two, comparing the health-care bills moving through Congress to what they labeled as a failed economic stimulus bill," The Washington Post reports. "And the news Monday that the Obama administration would delay release of a congressionally mandated report on the nation"s economic conditions only stoked the rhetoric, spawning GOP speculation that the White House is trying to avoid bad news amid the health-care debate. "The last time the president made grand promises and demanded passage of a bill before it could be reviewed, we ended up with the colossal stimulus failure and unemployment near 10 percent," Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said. "Now the president wants Americans to trust him again, but he can"t back up the utopian promises he"s making.""
News of the day
AccuVein Launches First Portable, Non-Contact Vein Illumination Device
AccuVein LLC announced the launch of AccuVein AV300, the world"s first hand-held, non-contact vein illumination device that helps healthcare professionals locate hard-to-find veins. IV starts and blood draws (venipuncture) can be a of patient anxiety and discomfort, and accessing veins in difficult patients can take up to 10 minutes and require multiple needle sticks. Venipuncture is the most common invasive medical procedure with an estimated 2.7 million procedures conducted every day in the United States alone. The AV300 can help reduce the need for multiple needle sticks, with the goal of improving patient care and the time to access veins.
Nutrition

New Radiotherapy Technique Proven Safe, Less Toxic For Cancer Patients, University Of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Study Finds

A new technique known as stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is safe for patients with recurrent head and neck cancers and may improve their quality of life, according to researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI). Results of the phase I study were reported today in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics. Each year approximately 500,000 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck are diagnosed worldwide. While treatment has improved with advances in surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, more than half of patients will die from recurrent disease. Treatment options for patients with recurrent disease are limited, and for many, surgery may not be an option, according to principal investigator Dwight E. Heron, M.D., director, Radiation Oncology Services, UPMC Cancer Centers. "Chemotherapy alone can provide this patient population some palliation and pain relief, but it doesn"t prolong survival," said Dr. Heron. "A few patients may be able to receive additional radiation treatments, but head and neck cancers, by their very nature, develop in very delicate areas of the body, which provide significant retreatment challenges." SBRT may offer these patients an alternative, noted Dr. Heron. "At the completion of our study, we found this treatment was tolerated very well. No maximum tolerated dose was reached, and no toxicities occurred that caused us to limit the dosing." SBRT is a relatively new technique using CyberKnife® technology, which delivers high doses of radiation with more precision than conventional techniques. The vast majority of patients complete treatment within 10 days. In the trial, 31 patients with recurrent, inoperable head and neck cancers were treated over a two-week period. PET-CT also was used to develop an individualized radiation treatment plan for each patient, allowing radiation oncologists to more accurately target the cancer while sparing healthy tissue. "Ultimately, SBRT offers patients a better quality of life. Instead of having to go through six or seven weeks of treatments that are often associated with significant toxicities, patients can receive treatment over a shorter course and still get the same outcomes compared to the current standard of care," said Dr. Heron. Study co-authors include Robert L. Ferris, M.D., Ph.D., Michalis Karamousiz, M.D., Regiane S. Andrade, M.D., Erin L. Deeb, B.S., Steven Burton, M.D., William E. Gooding, M.S., Barton F. Branstetter, M.D., James M. Mountz, M.D., Ph.D., Jonas T. Johnson, M.D., Anthanassios Argiris, M.D., Jennifer R. Grandis, M.D., Stephen Y. Lai, M.D., Ph.D., all of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. This study was funded by the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009