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Erbitux can now be used in Japan as 1st-line treatment for mCRC: Merck Serono

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today that Erbitux® (cetuximab) can now be used in Japan in combination with chemotherapy in the 1st-line treatment for patients with epidermal growth factor receptor -expressing, curatively unresectable (inoperable), advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer carrying the KRAS wildtype gene.

29 Mar 2010

Cook Medical's new IVF culture-oil purification process reduces contaminant trace to below detectable limits

A new purification process developed by Cook Medical for culture oil used in assisted reproduction eliminates traces of contaminants below detectable limits of 0.1 parts per million. The oil is purified by a proprietary refining technique that removes hydrocarbon impurities, which can have adverse effects on fertilization and threaten the viability of the developing embryos. The culture oil viscosity, MEA and LAL parameters remain unchanged.

27 Mar 2010

Radio ad supports legislation to end cash for egg donation

Today, Family Research Council Action and the Oklahoma Family Policy Council released a radio advertisement supporting State Representative Rebecca Hamilton's Oklahoma House Bill 3077, currently being reviewed by the Oklahoma State Senate. H.B. 3077 would put an end to the financial lure that draws young women into donating their eggs to fertility clinics, a dangerous procedure that can cause life-threatening complications including kidney failure and blood clots.

27 Mar 2010

Informing young women surviving breast cancer about opportunities to have children

At a time when more and more young women are surviving breast cancer and delaying childbirth, it is important to take their needs and wishes about their future fertility into consideration when deciding on treatment, the seventh European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC7) in Barcelona will hear today.

26 Mar 2010

Pregnancy safe for breast cancer survivors, says study

Women who have been treated for breast cancer can choose to become pregnant and have babies, without fears that pregnancy could put them at higher risk of dying from their cancer, according to a major, new study.

26 Mar 2010

Fertility industry offers big money to recruit “desirable” egg donors at top universities

Many egg donation agencies and private couples routinely exceed compensation recommendation limits for potential donors, a new study finds.

25 Mar 2010

Fertility remains a significant issue for majority of breast cancer patients

The use of chemotherapy and hormonal treatments in young women can have significant implications for their fertility.

24 Mar 2010

British couples seek alternative fertility treatment in the US

With strict social and legal restrictions associated with third party reproduction, as well as limited egg donors available in the UK, an increasing number of British couples are traveling to the U.S. for alternative fertility treatments, such as egg donation. Unfortunately, the UK does not allow financial compensation for egg donors; this greatly reduces the number of available donors and presents major obstacles for many infertile couples, some of whom wait for an egg donor for two years or longer. Last year approximately 1200 egg donors were needed in the UK, and roughly 500 families were unable to find a donor.

24 Mar 2010

Caesarean births jump over 70%

There was a time when a C-Section caused both doctors and pregnant mothers’ anxiety, but not anymore. If the current trends are anything to go by more women are opting for a voluntary Caesarean baby than ever before. They have risen from 53% since 1996 to 2007. This is considerably higher than the figures for 1994 to 1998 which are at 21%.

24 Mar 2010

Understanding the African mindset may help promote health education in rural areas

Seen through western eyes, beliefs in supernatural forces are common in Ghana and other African countries. Death, suffering and diseases are often attributed to witchcraft. Over thirty per cent of its inhabitants believe such evil forces could be responsible for the spread of HIV/AIDS.

22 Mar 2010

Male infertility linked to increased risk of high grade prostate cancer

Infertile men have an increased risk of developing high grade prostate cancer, which is more likely to grow and spread quickly. That is the conclusion of a new study published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study's results suggest that because infertility may be an identifiable risk factor for prostate cancer, early screening may be warranted in infertile men.

22 Mar 2010

Full Medicare coverage for IVF: CFAS felicitates Quebec government

The Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS) congratulates Premier Jean Charest and his Government on their announcement of full Medicare coverage for in-vitro fertilization treatments in Quebec.

17 Mar 2010

Study reveals comparable fertility rates between UFE and surgical myomectomy

Uterine fibroid embolization, a minimally invasive interventional radiology procedure that blocks blood supply to treat painful uterine fibroids, has a comparable fertility rate to myomectomy, the surgical removal of uterine fibroids, for women who want to conceive, according to the first study on the subject released at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa, Fla.

16 Mar 2010

FDA approves Irvine Scientific's Vit Kit-Freeze and Vit Kit-Thaw for cryopreservation of all stages of embryos

Irvine Scientific, a pioneer in developing products specifically for the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) community, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved their products intended for vitrification of pronuclear (PN) zygotes through day 3 cleavage and blastocyst stage embryos within the fertility area.

16 Mar 2010

Glycolytic oscillations during ischemia can increase heart damage

Researchers in Germany show that a classical biological oscillator, the glycolytic oscillator, may increase damage to the heart during acute loss of oxygen (anoxia), and as may occur during ischemia.

16 Mar 2010

Uterine fibroids: Promising new minimally invasive treatment using high-energy ultrasound waves

There's a new interventional radiology tool showing promise in the treatment of uterine fibroids: magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS), a minimally invasive treatment that uses high-energy ultrasound waves to generate heat at a specific point to destroy uterine fibroid tissue and relieve symptoms.

16 Mar 2010

Kisspeptin injections may help restore women's fertility

Twice weekly injections of the hormone kisspeptin may provide a new treatment to restore fertility in some women. The research is being presented at the Society for Endocrinology BES meeting in Manchester.

16 Mar 2010

Painful periods at early age doubles risk of endometriosis

Queensland Institute of Medical Research scientists have identified a new link between strong period pain experienced in adolescence and early adulthood and the risk of endometriosis.

15 Mar 2010

New SpermCheck Fertility home test kit for sperm level measurement

Infertility affects between 10 and 15 percent of couples worldwide. Surprisingly, problems with male fertility account for approximately 50 percent of infertility cases.

12 Mar 2010

Genentech announces topline results from Phase III trial of Avastin

Genentech, Inc., a wholly owned member of the Roche Group, announced today the topline results of a Phase III trial led by the U.S. Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) and sponsored by the National Cancer Institute investigating the use of Avastin® (bevacizumab) in combination with docetaxel chemotherapy and prednisone in men with late stage prostate cancer (hormone-refractory / HRPC).

12 Mar 2010