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Family-centered care approach may improve children's care

As physicians and scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital work to find new insights into pediatric cancer and other catastrophic diseases, a central tenant of any treatment plan is to keep families at the center of children's care.

12 Oct 2010

Proper treatment for scoliosis may help children to lead active lives

Scoliosis may sound like a frightening diagnosis, but proper treatment enables children with the condition to lead normal, active lives. Scoliosis refers to an abnormal curvature of the spine. Small curves are a normal part of spine anatomy and are not cause for concern, according to Dr. Daniel Green, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. But when the curvature exceeds a certain range, children require medical attention.

12 Oct 2010

Physician shortage expected to balloon to 91,500 in 2020

News outlets report on workforce issues, including the doctor shortage, Medicaid pay cuts and the effects of long work hours on medical residents.

12 Oct 2010

New, multidisciplinary Senior Adult Oncology Center established at Kimmel Cancer Center

The odds of developing some type of cancer increase with age; sixty percent of cancer in the United States occurs in persons aged 65 and older. At the same time, senior patients may have acute or chronic diseases that make treating their cancer challenging. That's why the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson has established a new, multidisciplinary Senior Adult Oncology Center to provide a comprehensive consultation for senior patients in order to meet those special challenges.

12 Oct 2010

Insulin resistance increases risk of stroke in non-diabetic patients

Insulin resistance, a condition in which insulin produced by the body becomes less effective in reducing blood glucose levels, appears to be associated with an increased risk of stroke in individuals without diabetes, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Oct 2010

Doctors pushing hard for Medicare pay fix

The Hill: "Capitol Hill and K Street are starting to wonder if a Republican victory in the House or Senate could be good news for doctors in 2011. ... Physicians are asking for a 13-month fix to the problem, and sources say a Republican victory could create momentum for that to happen in November" (Pecquet, 10/9).

12 Oct 2010

Healthy Eating Decisions program helps to reduce childhood obesity

Pittman, a psychology professor at Wofford College in Spartanburg, ran tests in two different elementary schools in his area. He was trying, in part, to convince the children to select white milk instead of sugary, flavored milk for their lunch. And then, with an array of menu selections, to pick the healthiest food for lunch. All this comes at a time when America is confronting an epidemic of childhood obesity.

12 Oct 2010

BioSystem Development completes $978,000 investment round

BioSystem Development, a privately held life science analytics company, announces a recently completed investment round that raised $978,000 (USD) in funding. The proceeds will be used to expand manufacturing infrastructure and to launch new products into the biopharmaceutical development market.

12 Oct 2010

HCMV infection may help promote intestinal cancer

More than 50% of adults in the United States test positive for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection. For most people, infection produces no symptoms and results in the virus persisting in the body for a long time. HCMV infects many cell types in the body including the cells that line the intestines (IECs).

12 Oct 2010

Students with greater spatial abilities have high scanning proficiency

Diagnostic ultrasounds are the most widely used medical tests in the world. Though the technology is more than 50 years old, scientists continue to discover new uses for it, ranging from more targeted cancer treatments to liposuction. As the technology becomes more complex, a sonographer's skill level is even more important. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri may have found one of the keys to becoming a successful sonographer: spatial ability.

12 Oct 2010

Health premiums climb

Buffalo (N.Y.) News: "Two of the region's three dominant health insurers intend to raise premiums on average by double digits for next year, and the third wants a double-digit increase for plans not structured as health maintenance organizations. The premium for one insurance plan could rise almost 36 percent. The insurers cite rising costs of medical care and federal health care reforms." The increases must be approved by the state (Epstein, 10/10).

12 Oct 2010

Estrogen therapy increases risk of kidney stone development in postmenopausal women

Use of estrogen therapy is associated with an increased risk of developing kidney stones in postmenopausal women, according to a report in the October 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Oct 2010

Researchers investigate mechanism of immune system to decipher gut-dwelling worms

A billion people living in underdeveloped areas around the world are infected with parasitic helminthes, worms that survive by residing in and feeding on their hosts. These infestations can cause chronic intestinal (and occasionally systemic) illnesses leading to long-term disability. Irah King and Markus Mohrs, biomedical researchers at the Trudeau Institute, are investigating illnesses caused by these gut-dwelling worms in an effort to decipher how immune cells send and receive signals that determine the specific immune response to mount.

12 Oct 2010

Study: Neurons interact to drive decision-making

We know that casting a ballot in the voting booth involves politics, values and personalities. But before you ever push the button for your candidate, your brain has already carried out an election of its own to make that action possible. New research from Vanderbilt University reveals that our brain accumulates evidence when faced with a choice and triggers an action once that evidence reaches a tipping point.

12 Oct 2010

Research reveals new details about health benefits of fish-oil

Some of America's most popular fish salmon and albacore tuna, for example are rich in healthful natural compounds known as omega-3 fatty acids. Ongoing studies by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) chemist Darshan S. Kelley and co-investigators are helping uncover new details about how these fish-oil components help protect us from chronic diseases.

12 Oct 2010

$750 million needed to treat obstetric fistula until 2015

A report released by the United Nations today calls for intensified investment in cost-effective interventions to address the problem of obstetric fistula. The document estimates that at least $750 million is needed to treat existing and new cases between now and 2015. Caused by prolonged, obstructed labour without timely medical intervention, the condition affects as many as 3.5 million women in the world.

11 Oct 2010

$Balloon kyphoplasty relieves painful spine fractures in patients with metastatic cancer$

Balloon kyphoplasty relieves painful spine fractures in patients with metastatic cancer

A surgical technique appears to offer quick and effective relief for debilitating spinal fractures often suffered by patients with metastatic cancer, researchers reported at the 35th Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Milan.

11 Oct 2010

New targeted therapy adds benefit to erlotinib in some patients with advanced lung cancer

A subset of lung cancer patients seem to live longer and experience delays in disease progression when a new drug that targets a cancer-associated molecule called MET is added to treatment with erlotinib, the results of a double-blind Phase-II trial show.

11 Oct 2010

Erlotinib improves progression-free survival as first-line therapy in advanced lung cancer

For patients with advanced lung cancer whose tumors carry EGFR activating mutations, first-line treatment with erlotinib nearly tripled progression-free survival compared to a standard chemotherapy combination, show results from the first prospective Phase-III study to report findings in this setting.

11 Oct 2010

Identifying subsets of patients who will respond to subsequent lines of chemotherapy

In a study presented at the 35th Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), Dr Giovanni Bernardo from Fondazione Maugeri in Pavia, Italy, presented results that suggested it may be possible to identify subsets of metastatic breast cancer patients who are likely to respond to subsequent lines of chemotherapy.

11 Oct 2010

Medical News

Family-centered care approach may improve children's care

Proper treatment for scoliosis may help children to lead active lives

Physician shortage expected to balloon to 91,500 in 2020

New, multidisciplinary Senior Adult Oncology Center established at Kimmel Cancer Center

Insulin resistance increases risk of stroke in non-diabetic patients

Doctors pushing hard for Medicare pay fix

Healthy Eating Decisions program helps to reduce childhood obesity

BioSystem Development completes $978,000 investment round

HCMV infection may help promote intestinal cancer

Students with greater spatial abilities have high scanning proficiency

Health premiums climb

Estrogen therapy increases risk of kidney stone development in postmenopausal women

Researchers investigate mechanism of immune system to decipher gut-dwelling worms

Study: Neurons interact to drive decision-making

Research reveals new details about health benefits of fish-oil

$750 million needed to treat obstetric fistula until 2015

Balloon kyphoplasty relieves painful spine fractures in patients with metastatic cancer

New targeted therapy adds benefit to erlotinib in some patients with advanced lung cancer

Erlotinib improves progression-free survival as first-line therapy in advanced lung cancer

Identifying subsets of patients who will respond to subsequent lines of chemotherapy

Revolutionizing Life Science: An Interview with SCIEX on ASMS, the SCIEX 7500+ System, and AI-Driven Quantitation

From Discovery Biology to ELRIG Chair

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