Gynaecology News and Research

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Annals of Internal Medicine raises concerns over placebo standard

Much of medicine is based on what is considered the strongest possible evidence: The placebo-controlled trial. A paper published in the October 19 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine - entitled "What's In Placebos: Who Knows" calls into question this foundation upon which much of medicine rests, by showing that there is no standard behind the standard no standard for the placebo.

19 Oct 2010

Genetic variations linked to early menopause: Study

In a new study scientists have found that particular genetic variations are linked to early menopause before the age of 45. They compared the DNA of more than 2,000 women who had experienced early menopause with that of women who had menopause later than 45 years.

19 Oct 2010

CIHR, Genome BC announce $5.4 million for microbiome research

The University of British Columbia today welcomed the announcement of $5.4 million in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Genome British Columbia for research into how micro-organisms affect human health.

15 Oct 2010

Study reveals fine-tuning mechanism of angiotensinogen in pre-eclampsia

An exciting collaboration between the Universities of Cambridge and Nottingham has resulted in new insights into the hypertension that frequently blights pregnancy.

7 Oct 2010

What to eat and drink when pregnant: New studies

There is fresh debate over drinking during pregnancy. Researchers agree that the area is “highly politically and morally charged”. According to Government advice women who are trying to conceive or who are pregnant should avoid alcohol because it has proved impossible to establish a safe level of alcohol consumption in pregnancy. Excess alcohol consumption during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome that can lead to mental retardation, behavioral problems and birth defects.

6 Oct 2010

Father of IVF acknowledged with a Nobel prize

Professor Robert Edwards who came to be known as the “father of In Vitro fertilization” (IVF) has won this year's Nobel prize in medicine. He is 85 and has won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for his pioneering work on the in vitro fertilisation of human eggs that led to the birth of the world's first IVF baby, Louise Brown, in 1978. When he had started off initially his funding request for IVF research was turned down by Britain’s Medical Research Council (MRC) in the 1970s. His co-worker the gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe, died in 1988. Professor Edwards becomes the sole recipient of this award since it cannot be awarded posthumously.

4 Oct 2010

Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health draws more than $40 billion in resources

Culminating a global summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Heads of State and Government, along with the private sector, foundations, international organizations, civil society and research organizations, kicked off a concerted world-wide effort to save the lives of more than 16 million women and children.

23 Sep 2010

Gene links to ovarian cancer and diagnostic delays

According to the latest research a group of genes may help predict a woman's risk of developing ovarian cancer. Studies have also shown that breast and ovarian cancer may share some of the same genetic risk factors.

20 Sep 2010

New sperm freezing technique may be a boon for IVF

A new improved method of freezing and storing sperm for future use in infertility treatment has arrived as a boon for couples wanting babies.

16 Sep 2010

Unsuccessful gum-disease treatment linked to preterm birth

A collaboration led by a periodontal researcher from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine has found a possible link between the success of gum-disease treatment and the likelihood of giving birth prematurely, according to a study published in the journal BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

15 Sep 2010

Professor Nygren reviews current state of IVF safety

Now a review by the Chair of the international body which collects data on IVF concludes that IVF is generally safe, although he stresses that patients need to be made aware of the slight risks, and that we need to continue to monitor the results of the technique.

14 Sep 2010

C-section rates on the rise

According to a California Watch analysis, profit making hospitals across the state are performing Cesarean sections at higher rates than non-profit hospitals. The analysis compiled a database of state birthing records and showed that women were at least 17 percent more likely to have a Cesarean section at a for-profit hospital than at a non-profit or public hospital from 2005 to 2007.

12 Sep 2010

BC gynecologists initiate campaign to reduce ovarian cancer mortality

Gynecologic oncologists with the Ovarian Cancer Research Program at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and the BC Cancer Agency have begun an important campaign that will reduce deaths from ovarian cancer.

9 Sep 2010

ARID1A gene links ovarian cancer to endometriosis

Researchers with the Ovarian Cancer Research Program of BC (OvCaRe) reveal a major new cancer gene-ARID1A. Mutations are frequent in this gene and link two types of ovarian cancer to endometriosis.

9 Sep 2010

Further evidence on adverse effects of smoking on fertility

Two new studies have shed more light on how smoking may damage fertility, and give further weight to advice that mothers and fathers-to-be should stop smoking before attempting to conceive. The research is published online in the reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction today (Wednesday 8 September).

8 Sep 2010

Eight signs of cancer: Study

Scientists have now identified eight signs of cancer that need immediate attention. These can predict the risk of cancer with such accuracy in certain age groups that patients should be referred to a specialist straight away unless there is a good explanation that is is something else.

30 Aug 2010

TomTec Imaging Systems introduces 4D MV- Assessment software for Mitral Valve measurement

TomTec Imaging Systems GmbH today announced the introduction of its new 4D MV-Assessment 2.0 software. The 4D MV- Assessment software combines the strength of 2D with the advantages of 3D echocardiography to provide the doctor with important and partly unprecedented diagnostic information and measurements for the Mitral Valve.

26 Aug 2010

Education and screening of pregnant women recommended for prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Featured in the August edition of the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada is a new consensus clinical practice guideline which recommends that screening for alcohol consumption be done periodically for all pregnant women and women of child-bearing age.

13 Aug 2010

TomTec releases new version of 2D Cardiac Performance Analysis package

TomTec launches the latest version of its 2D Cardiac Performance Analysis package as part of TomTec's Image-Arena™ multimodality imaging solution.

11 Aug 2010

MabCure's MAbs 94% accurate in identifying ovarian cancer

Biotechnology company MabCure, Inc. today announced that a confirmatory study demonstrated the company's proprietary monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) successfully identified ovarian cancer in blood (94 percent accuracy) and with no false positives or cross-reactions with benign ovarian tumors or healthy blood. MabCure's serum diagnostic test is the first to recognize unique tumor markers or cancer fingerprints present only in ovarian cancer, the deadliest of all gynecological cancers.

28 Jul 2010