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FDA panel votes in favour of Sunitib (Sutent) for pancreatic tumors

Pfizer Inc. announced this Tuesday that its oral multi-kinase inhibitor Sutent was determined as having a favorable benefit-risk profile by an oncology advisory committee of the FDA for the treatment of unresectable pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. The panel voted 8-2 in favor of Sutent – generically called Sunitib malate.

12 Apr 2011

Obama’s next target - medical error reduction for patient safety

Finally serious efforts are being made to ensure patient safety. The Obama administration announced this Tuesday an aggressive approach called ‘The 'Partnership for Patients Program’ to reduce medical errors, partnering with private insurers, business leaders, hospitals and patient advocates to tackle a problem that kills thousands of Americans every year.

12 Apr 2011

Robotic prostatectomy speeds recovery

Robotic cancer surgery is being introduced into the public hospital system for the first time in Victoria. The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne has been trialing the robotic key-hole surgery technology for the past six months.

12 Apr 2011

Study finds SAVI applicator for breast brachytherapy safe for women with breast implants

The SAVI® applicator for breast brachytherapy was used to safely deliver post-lumpectomy radiation therapy to a woman with breast implants, according to a newly published paper in a peer-reviewed journal. The case study showed that SAVI produced an "optimal" clinical outcome and "excellent cosmetic results that pleased the patient," wrote the authors.

12 Apr 2011

Lanx launches Concero Facet Screw System at AANS 2011

Lanx, Inc., a privately held medical device company focused on developing and commercializing innovative devices for spinal surgery, today announced the launch of the Concero™ Facet Screw System (Concero) at the 2011 American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.

12 Apr 2011

Lanx announces initial launch of Durango Stand-Alone ALIF System

Lanx®, Inc., a privately held medical device company focused on developing and commercializing innovative devices for spinal surgery, today announced the initial launch of its Durango™ Stand-Alone ALIF System (Durango), following 510(k) clearance in February. The announcement was made at the 2011 American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.

12 Apr 2011

Cerapedics announces i-FACTOR biologic bone graft study results in PLIF spine surgery

Cerapedics, Inc., a medical device company focused on developing and commercializing novel osteobiologic products, announced the results of a prospective, randomized, controlled trial of its i-FACTOR biologic bone graft for patients undergoing posterior lumbar interbody fusion spine procedures.

12 Apr 2011

Experts to discuss latest findings in IBD research at Rome meeting

Experts from 11 countries will gather this week in Rome to discuss innovative strategies for studying and treating Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

12 Apr 2011

Sea squirt study unravels complex mechanisms underlying heart defects

Each year in the U.S., approximately 40,000 babies are born with a heart defect. Without the proper diagnosis and treatment, many of these babies would die before their first birthday, according to Dr. Scott Klewer, a cardiologist at the UA's College of Medicine.

12 Apr 2011

Medisse completes FlexiSurge biomaterial study based on ISO standards

Medisse, a medical device company focused on the development of a new generation of resorbable flexible implants, announced today that it has successfully completed the biocompatibility evaluation of its novel resorbable FlexiSurge biomaterial in accordance with the international ISO 10993 standards.

12 Apr 2011

Study: Significant variation found in results of bowel cancer surgery across English NHS hospitals

There is worrying variation in the results of bowel cancer surgery across NHS hospitals in England with some having many more patient deaths immediately after surgery than others, according to new research funded by Cancer Research UK and published today in Gut.

12 Apr 2011

Patients with cervical disc disease can benefit from new neck surgery

A new surgery for cervical disc disease in the neck may restore range of motion and reduce repeat surgeries in some younger patients, according to a team of neurosurgeons from the University of California, San Francisco and several other medical centers that analyzed three large, randomized clinical trials comparing two different surgeries.

12 Apr 2011

Targeted photodynamic therapy eradicates some models of cancer

Targeted photodynamic therapy can completely eradicate some models of cancer, according to the latest research by UK and Swiss scientists, published in the current issue of the British Journal of Cancer.

12 Apr 2011

Hypericin may treat recurrent malignant brain tumors

Researchers have found that a synthetic version of hypericin, a compound naturally found in St. John's wort, may be a promising treatment for patients with recurrent malignant brain tumors. Their findings were published online on March 31, 2011 in the journal Cancer.

12 Apr 2011

Statin prior to major elective surgery can reduce serious kidney injury

Taking a statin before having major elective surgery reduces potentially serious kidney complications, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

12 Apr 2011

Study finds pelvic anatomy differences following RARP and open prostatectomy

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine have concluded that the anatomy of the pelvis following robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy.

12 Apr 2011

Baxter's ARTISS phase III study results in face lift surgery presented at AAPS meeting

Baxter International Inc. announced today the results of a phase III study evaluating the safety and efficacy of ARTISS in 75 patients.

From Baxter International Inc. 12 Apr 2011

Bowel cancer surgery survival rates “worrying” experts

In a new study that looked into post-operative death rates for one of the most common cancers, trends look worrying. On average 6.7% of patients died within a month of undergoing surgery for bowel cancer in England between 1998 and 2006. Patients face a seven-fold higher risk of dying after surgery in some NHS trusts than others, the study shows.

11 Apr 2011

Research on rare cancers

A cancer diagnosis can be a life-changing event. Many questions arise, with one of the first being, "Where should I be treated?" Patients diagnosed with rare cancers may have difficulty finding a physician knowledgeable in treating their type of cancer.

11 Apr 2011

Study: Patients with glaucoma experience psychological problems

Fear of the unknown is one of the greatest issues facing patients with glaucoma - the second leading cause of blindness worldwide after cataracts - according to research in the April issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing. People also worry about how the eye disease, which can be hereditary, will affect other members of their family.

11 Apr 2011