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Unique genetic signature alerts physicians to high-risk breast tumors

A unique genetic signature can alert physicians to high-risk breast tumors that are masquerading as low-risk tumors, according to research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and collaborating institutions. Although these tumors are apparently estrogen-receptor positive - meaning they should depend on estrogen to grow - they don't respond well to anti-estrogen therapy.

21 May 2008

Blood test for lung cancer

A simple blood test may be able to detect lung cancer in its earliest stages with unprecedented accuracy, according to new research to be presented at American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, May 20.

19 May 2008

Majority of kidney cancers diagnosed at earliest stage

Patients in the United States today are now much more likely to be diagnosed with smaller tumors, in the earliest, most treatable stage of kidney cancer than a decade ago, leading to a slightly higher survival rate, according to the results of a national study led by a UC San Diego Medical Center researcher.

19 May 2008

Physician Gainsharing programs reduce hospital spending

Giving physicians cash payments for reduced hospital spending can help control costs without sacrificing quality or access to care, researchers report in a study released today in the May/June 2008 issue of the journal Health Affairs. The issue is a thematic volume on health reform supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

13 May 2008

Researchers launch lung cancer screening trial

Scientists are testing a new way of detecting lung cancer at an early stage in people at greatest risk of developing the disease.

9 May 2008

Color Doppler ultrasound should be first imaging technique for diagnosing suspected acute appendicitis

Color Doppler ultrasound, not CT, should be the first imaging examination for adult patients with suspected acute appendicitis, a new study emphasizes.

7 May 2008

New scanner opens up new possibilities for patients

Dolphins swimming underwater, jet planes whizzing overhead, and monkeys climbing up palm trees are just some of the images patients are now seeing at Strong Memorial Hospital as it introduces the region's first "open" high-field magnetic resonance (MRI) scanner.

6 May 2008

FGFR2 gene increases susceptibility to breast cancer

Much work has been done to identify genetic variations that predispose women to breast cancer. Previous work showed that variants in the gene called fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) were associated with increased risk of the disease, but how these variants translated into increased risk was unknown.

6 May 2008

Effectiveness of decompression surgery in patients with cervical spinal cord injuries

Every year, nearly 12,000 individuals in the United States and Canada, mostly young adults, sustain a spinal cord injury (SCI). According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), SCI costs an estimated $9.7 billion each year in the United States alone.

29 Apr 2008

New imaging technology lights up lungs to diagnose disease

Researchers at the University of Sheffield have developed innovative technology which illuminates a person's lungs and helps clinicians identify if they are functioning correctly. The new technology could result in earlier diagnosis of emphysema and smoking related damage, as well as other lung conditions and diseases.

28 Apr 2008

Research links low-frequency hearing to shape of the cochlea

Shape matters, even in hearing. Specifically, it is the shape of the cochlea - the snail-shell-shaped organ in the inner ear that converts sound waves into nerve impulses that the brain deciphers - which proves to be surprisingly important.

27 Apr 2008

Minimally invasive heart bypass surgery using a DaVinci robot provides health and economic benefits

Minimally invasive heart bypass surgery using a DaVinci robot means a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery for patients, as well as fewer complications and a better chance that the new bypass vessels will stay open.

27 Apr 2008

Connecticut HIV/AIDS advocates, teenagers call for passage of bill that would provide grants for comprehensive sex education

HIV/AIDS advocates and teenagers from Healthy Teens Connecticut on Wednesday in Connecticut rallied at the state capitol and called on lawmakers to pass a bill that would provide $500,000 in state grants for comprehensive sex education, the Hartford Courant reports.

26 Apr 2008

New 3-D ultrasound provides clear images of the major arteries within the brain

Using 3-D ultrasound technology they designed, Duke University bioengineers can compensate for the thickness and unevenness of the skull to see in real-time the arteries within the brain that most often clog up and cause strokes.

24 Apr 2008

Menstrual blood - an abundant sources of stem cells

Researchers seeking new and more abundant sources of stem cells for use in regenerative medicine have identified a potentially unlimited, noncontroversial, easily collectable, and inexpensive source - menstrual blood.

23 Apr 2008

Cancer could return unless stored ovarian tissue undergoes adequate testing before re-implantation

Cancer patients who have been successfully treated for their disease face the prospect of its return if stored ovarian (or testicular) tissue is transplanted back into their bodies without adequate checks, according to researchers at two university hospitals in Israel.

21 Apr 2008

Biomoda granted 'notice of allowance' for U.S. patent protection for additional IP

Biomoda, Inc., a development stage medical diagnostics company, announced it has been granted a notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its invention directed to the "Method for Prognosing Response to Cancer Therapy with 5,10,15,20-Tetrakis (Carboxyphenyl) Porphine."

18 Apr 2008

Best use for popular CAD assessment procedure is misunderstood

What is the best way to determine if you are developing the nation's most deadly condition, coronary artery disease (CAD)?

15 Apr 2008

Patient's exposure to radiation significantly lower when using prospective gated 64-channel cardiac CT

A new cardiac CT technique, prospective gated 64-channel cardiac CT, has a significantly lower radiation dose and produces CT coronary angiograms with better image quality when compared with the standard retrospective ECG gating, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington in Redmond, WA.

11 Apr 2008

Sonoenteroclysis, a new sonographic method for diagnosing small bowel disorders proves effective

Sonoenteroclysis, a new sonographic method in evaluating and diagnosing small bowel disorders is an effective alternative to the usual method of barium enteroclysis, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India.