Surgery News and Research

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Gamma Knife Stereotactic Radiosurgery (GKRS) is an effective treatment for trigeminal neuralgia

"This has proven to be a safe, effective treatment for trigeminal neuralgia patients, without the potential facial paralysis and long-term recovery experienced with conventional surgery," said Volker Stieber, M.D., co-director of the Gamma Knife Program at Wake Forest Baptist.

19 Oct 2005

Herceptin results "quite remarkable"

The targeted drug trastuzumab, or Herceptin, previously shown to prolong survival in advanced breast cancer, dramatically reduced the chances of recurrence in patients with early-stage disease when given for one year following standard chemotherapy.

19 Oct 2005

Majority of women with breast cancer do not need chemotherapy

Researchers are now saying that chemotherapy with drugs called aromatase inhibitors is unnecessary after lumpectomy, radiation and 5 years of Tamoxifen, for the vast majority of women with breast cancer.

19 Oct 2005

Surgery to treat obesity far more risky for men

Researchers say that using stomach-shrinking surgery to treat severe obesity is riskier than previously thought for men, the elderly and people with conditions such as hypertension.

19 Oct 2005

Patients with head and neck cancer may be spared the risk and expense of surgery by undergoing a CT scan

Researchers with the UF Shands Cancer Center have identified criteria doctors can use to evaluate CT scans four weeks after patients undergo initial treatment. If these criteria are met, there is a 94 percent likelihood a patient's lymph nodes are cancer free, said Stanley L. Liauw, M.D., a resident in radiation oncology.

18 Oct 2005

Drug-eluting stents significantly cut the rates of heart attack and repeat procedures

The use of medicated stents markedly improves the clinical outcomes of patients who develop blockages in aging veins surgically grafted onto the heart, according to a just-published study in the November 2005 issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions: Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.

18 Oct 2005

There will be nearly ten times as many operations performed for weight loss in 2005 as there were in 1998

...report researchers from the University of Chicago and the University of California at Irvine in the 19 October 2005 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, but the groups that need surgery the most are not the ones driving the increase.

18 Oct 2005

Treating four or more brain tumors in a single radiosurgery session resulted in improved survival

...compared to whole brain radiation therapy alone, according to a study the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine presented today at the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) in Denver.

18 Oct 2005

Radical prostatectomy may be a safe option for the treatment of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in American men and the third most common cause of cancer death. In patients with localized disease, radical prostatectomy is associated with lower disease-specific mortality, lower rates of local progression and metastases, and higher overall survival compared with conservative management.

18 Oct 2005

Study demonstrates feasibility of a revolutionary, minimally invasive approach to introducing an electrical lead to stimulate the heart

Correcting the timing of heart contractions through cardiac resynchronization therapy can be a lifesaver for people with advanced heart failure. But the procedure, as it is done today, fails in about 15 percent of patients.

18 Oct 2005

Corticosteroids often used in the treatment of infectious mononucleosis

Corticosteroids are used often in the treatment of infectious mononucleosis, and for reasons beyond usual criteria, according to a study in the October issue of Archives of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery.

17 Oct 2005

Less invasive surgery effective in treatment of reflux disease

Laparoscopic (minimally invasive) surgery to treat severe reflux disease was effective in relieving symptoms and was associated with high rates of patient satisfaction five years after the procedure, according to a study in the October issue of Archives of Surgery.

17 Oct 2005

Breast magnetic resonance imaging helps doctors select best treatment for early breast cancers

Breast magnetic resonance imaging enhances patient selection for accelerated, partial breast irradiation by detecting previously unsuspected, microscopic lesions within the breast, according to a study presented October 17, 2005, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 47th Annual Meeting in Denver.

17 Oct 2005

Accelerated partial breast irradiation using balloon brachytherapy is an excellent option for women with early breast tumors

A new method of radiation -- accelerated partial breast irradiation using balloon brachytherapy -- makes it more convenient for breast cancer patients to receive radiation therapy after surgery and appears to be safe, offer good cosmetic results, and keep cancer from coming back, according to four-year results of an ongoing study presented October 17, 2005, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 47th Annual Meeting in Denver.

17 Oct 2005

Course of radiation after prostate cancer surgery improves cancer-free survival rates

Patients with advanced stage prostate cancer who receive radiation therapy immediately after surgery to remove their prostate live longer without their cancer returning than patients who do not receive radiation after surgery, according to a study presented October 17, 2005, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 47th Annual Meeting in Denver.

17 Oct 2005

Radiation therapy combined with hormone therapy after surgery is more effective in keeping the breast cancer from returning

The current standard of care for early-stage breast cancer is breast conserving surgery (lumpectomy) to remove the tumor followed by radiation and hormone therapy to kill any remaining cells.

17 Oct 2005

Radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy before surgery helps patients beat rectal cancer

For patients with rectal cancer, receiving radiation therapy and chemotherapy before surgery to shrink the tumor so it can be more easily removed helps keep the cancer from coming back, according to a study presented October 17, 2005, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 47th Annual Meeting in Denver.

17 Oct 2005

New type of silicone gel breast implant

A new type of silicone breast implant, currently available to women who agree to be part of a clinical study, offers breast augmentation and reconstruction patients more natural looking breasts with a low complication rate, according to a recent study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

17 Oct 2005

New findings on brain tumors called ependymomas

Brain tumors called ependymomas that occur in different parts of the central nervous system appear to arise from subpopulations of stem cells called radial glia cells (RGCs), according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The discovery explains why some identical-looking ependymomas are actually distinctly different diseases, the researchers said.

17 Oct 2005

Breast conserving surgery followed by radiation therapy is a good option for women with early-stage breast cancer who have breast implants

The new findings challenge past studies that showed delivering radiation to a breast with an implant in place causes significant problems in the implant, resulting in poor cosmetic results.

16 Oct 2005

Surgery News and Research

Gamma Knife Stereotactic Radiosurgery (GKRS) is an effective treatment for trigeminal neuralgia

Herceptin results "quite remarkable"

Majority of women with breast cancer do not need chemotherapy

Surgery to treat obesity far more risky for men

Patients with head and neck cancer may be spared the risk and expense of surgery by undergoing a CT scan

Drug-eluting stents significantly cut the rates of heart attack and repeat procedures

There will be nearly ten times as many operations performed for weight loss in 2005 as there were in 1998

Treating four or more brain tumors in a single radiosurgery session resulted in improved survival

Radical prostatectomy may be a safe option for the treatment of prostate cancer

Study demonstrates feasibility of a revolutionary, minimally invasive approach to introducing an electrical lead to stimulate the heart

Corticosteroids often used in the treatment of infectious mononucleosis

Less invasive surgery effective in treatment of reflux disease

Breast magnetic resonance imaging helps doctors select best treatment for early breast cancers

Accelerated partial breast irradiation using balloon brachytherapy is an excellent option for women with early breast tumors

Course of radiation after prostate cancer surgery improves cancer-free survival rates

Radiation therapy combined with hormone therapy after surgery is more effective in keeping the breast cancer from returning

Radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy before surgery helps patients beat rectal cancer

New type of silicone gel breast implant

New findings on brain tumors called ependymomas

Breast conserving surgery followed by radiation therapy is a good option for women with early-stage breast cancer who have breast implants

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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