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Panel recommends close monitoring and delay of treatment for localized, low-risk prostate cancer

An independent panel convened this week by the National Institutes of Health has concluded that many men with localized, low-risk prostate cancer should be closely monitored, permitting treatment to be delayed until warranted by disease progression.

9 Dec 2011

VDF, CDC and VDC to educate women about gender-specific DVT risks

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in the deep veins in the legs. These clots can break loose and travel to the lungs, causing a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism (PE). Even when they don't, they can cause permanent damage to the leg veins that results in long-term pain, swelling, and disability of the leg.

9 Dec 2011

Ovary removal in younger women may lead to low-bone mineral density, arthritis

Having both ovaries removed before age 45 is strongly associated with low-bone mineral density and arthritis in later years, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins oncologists and epidemiologists. The analysis covered several thousand women who took part in a U.S. government-sponsored, multiyear national health study, and excluded women whose ovaries were removed due to cancer.

9 Dec 2011

Roundup: Ohio lawmakers consider abortion bill; Aetna sues Mich. Blues

An Ohio lawmaker on Wednesday touted the importance of the fetal heartbeat as an indicator of life as he urged a legislative panel to support a bill that would impose the nation's most stringent abortion limit. The measure would outlaw abortions at the first detectable fetal heartbeat. That's sometimes as early as six weeks into pregnancy.

9 Dec 2011

Toyota's lean approach might be beneficial to medical procedures

Japanese vehicle manufacturer, Toyota, is well-known for developing the principles of so-called "lean manufacturing". Research published in the International Journal of Technology Management suggests that the lean approach might also be beneficial to medical procedures, making hospitals more efficient and cut waiting lists.

9 Dec 2011

Breast cancer risks and management updates

A new report that looks at the environmental factors that affect risk of breast cancer is out. It suggests that women can reduce their risk by avoiding unnecessary medical radiation, forgoing hormone treatments for menopause that combine estrogen and progestin, limiting alcohol intake and minimizing weight gain.

8 Dec 2011

Race, ethnicity, and insurance status influence follow-up care

According to the results of a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, African-Americans, Hispanics and uninsured patients use fewer post-hospitalization services after traumatic injury, including home health care, skilled nursing care, and rehabilitation.

8 Dec 2011

Heart patients may experience fewer traumas with new invention

Heart patients may experience "a lot less" trauma with a new invention to mend leaky valves with minimum cutting, says inventor James Gammie, MD, an associate professor at the University of Maryland (UM) School of Medicine.

8 Dec 2011

Montefiore recognized among Leapfrog's 2011 Top Hospitals list

Montefiore Medical Center was recognized yesterday as one of the nation's 2011 Top Hospitals by The Leapfrog Group, a coalition of public and private purchasers of employee health coverage dedicated to improving healthcare safety, quality and affordability. Of the 65 hospitals chosen from nearly 1200 nationwide that participated in the annual survey, Montefiore was one of only two hospitals named from New York State.

8 Dec 2011

Treating 'brain tsunamis' could stop many victims of major head injury from further damage

Treating 'brain tsunamis' or 'killer waves' could stop many victims of major head injury from suffering additional brain damage, a study published in Lancet Neurology has found.

8 Dec 2011

Massive and consistent changes in inflammatory gene expression seen in trauma, burns

Serious traumatic injuries, including major burns, set off a "genomic storm" in human immune cells, altering around 80 percent of the cells' normal gene expression patterns. In a report to appear in the December Journal of Experimental Medicine, members of a nationwide research collaborative describe the initial results of their investigation into the immune system response to serious injury, findings which have overturned some longstanding assumptions.

8 Dec 2011

Adjuvant zoledronic acid shows promise against ER-positive premenopausal breast cancer

Researchers have proven the continuing effectiveness of treating patients with estrogen receptor-positive premenopausal breast cancer with adjuvant zoledronic acid in addition to adjuvant endocrine treatment including ovarian function suppression.

8 Dec 2011

Cedars-Sinai neurosurgeon seals off wide-neck aneurysm with new device

As Stephanie Weiss was coming to grips with the news she had two large and three small aneurysms in her brain, the Los Angeles independent travel consultant was told there was no minimally invasive way to treat at least one of the defects: a wide-neck aneurysm. She would have to undergo open-brain surgery.

8 Dec 2011

Notch inhibitor appears to treat breast cancer

In a novel therapeutic approach to treating breast cancer, Loyola University Medical Center researchers are reporting positive results from a clinical trial of a drug that targets tumor stem cells.

8 Dec 2011

Scientists discover clues to the pancreatic cysts' possible origins

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have surveyed the DNA in four common types of pancreatic cysts, and have determined that each type bears a distinct pattern of gene mutations. Pancreatic cysts are present in about two percent of U.S. adults, and can, in some cases, require surgical removal and microscopic analysis to determine their type and likelihood of turning cancerous.

8 Dec 2011

Majority of women do not receive guideline-recommended breast cancer adjuvant therapy

A first-of-its kind study led by Xiao-Cheng Wu, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Public Health at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, reports that a significant number of women are not receiving guideline-recommended treatment for breast cancer and what factors contribute.

7 Dec 2011

New book explains distressing breathing problems of children

Why do infants make snorting sounds during feedings? Is snoring normal in a toddler? Is it safe to give popcorn to a 2-year-old? How many colds a year are normal for a 5-year-old? Does air quality in the home affect a child's respiratory system?

7 Dec 2011

Leapfrog names UMHHC a top hospital for safety and quality

The University of Michigan hospitals are among the safest and most effective hospitals in the country, according to a new national ranking from the respected independent health care quality rating organization, The Leapfrog Group. This is the second year in a row, and third year overall, that Leapfrog named the U-M Hospitals and Health Centers a top hospital.

7 Dec 2011

New updated site shows how well UMHS provides care in clinical settings

Plenty of hospitals and medical providers claim they do a great job at caring for patients and protecting their safety during care. But very few actually publish the cold, hard numbers that could prove those claims. And even fewer do it like the University of Michigan Health System has: on a website open to anyone, with dozens of charts and graphs showing actual performance and comparisons to national averages and benchmarks.

7 Dec 2011

UH Case Medical Center designated as 'Top Hospital' and leader in quality patient care

University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio is among 65 hospitals nationwide to be designated as a "Top Hospital" and leader in quality patient care by The Leapfrog Group.

7 Dec 2011