Neck News and Research

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New device for patients too sick for open-heart surgery

An innovative device that acts like a belt to reshape an enlarged, leaky heart valve is providing a minimally invasive treatment option for patients who are too sick for open-heart surgery.

7 May 2009

Sufferers of mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea may benefit from exercise

Practicing certain tongue and pharyngeal exercises may reduce symptoms of mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to new research being published in the second issue for May of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

7 May 2009

CT scans increase cancer risk estimates in multiply-imaged emergency department patients

Physicians should review a patient's CT imaging history and cumulative radiation dose when considering whether to perform another CT exam, according to researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.

5 May 2009

Imiquimod, a topical cream, may help treat skin cancer

In a case study of a type of melanoma skin cancer typically found on chronically sun-exposed skin, Saint Louis University researchers found that imiquimod, a topical cream, produced good results for patients when used together with surgery to treat the cancer, potentially helping doctors cut less.

30 Apr 2009

Histone deacetylase inhibitors show promise against head and neck cancer

A laboratory study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University suggests that an anti-cancer compound studied for treating blood cancers may also help in treating cancers of the head and neck.

30 Apr 2009

Sublingual immunotherapy for inhalant allergies deserves deeper consideration

Sublingual immunotherapy for the treatment of allergy symptoms caused by a wide variety of environmental inhalants has been effectively used in Europe.

30 Apr 2009

New cancer centre launched in Southampton

Southampton joins a unique chain of Cancer Research UK Centres that are being launched across the UK.

29 Apr 2009

Cancer incidence, mortality, treatment and survival in Ireland

Survival rates for cancer are continuing to rise even though the number of cases being diagnosed is increasing, an all-Ireland report reveals.

26 Apr 2009

Fistula-related morbidity decreased by prompt treatment in Sierra Leone

Extent of fibrosis is the most profound factor in predicting surgical outcomes of genitourinary fistula repair, suggesting that prompt treatment could significantly improve survival.

26 Apr 2009

Researchers study why people who are obese become hypertensive

When Francois Abboud began his work at the University of Iowa in 1960, little was known about the constant physiological chatter between the brain and the blood vessels.

22 Apr 2009

Robot-assisted surgery appears useful for removal of some head and neck tumors

Robot-assisted surgery appears feasible for treatment of selected head and neck cancers, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

21 Apr 2009

Radiation exposure linked to more aggressive thyroid cancer

Patients with thyroid cancer who have previously been exposed to radiation - for example, in the workplace, through environmental exposure or for treatment of acne or another condition - appear to have more aggressive disease and tend to have worse outcomes in the long term, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

21 Apr 2009

Grapefruit juice boosts efficacy of drug rapamycin

In a small, early clinical trial, researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center have found that combining eight ounces of grapefruit juice with the drug rapamycin can increase drug levels, allowing lower doses of the drug to be given.

20 Apr 2009

Nanoparticle delivery of a fully functioning copy of P53 tumor suppressor gene

Dr. Esther Chang describes the most recent developments in human trials of the first systemic, non-viral, tumor-targeted, nanoparticle method designed to restore normal gene function to tumor cells while completely bypassing normal tissue April 21 at an American Association of Anatomists (AAA) scientific session at Experimental Biology 2009 in New Orleans.

20 Apr 2009

Acupuncture relieves symptoms of xerostomia

Twice weekly acupuncture treatments relieve debilitating symptoms of xerostomia - severe dry mouth - among patients treated with radiation for head and neck cancer, researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report in the current online issue of Head & Neck.

20 Apr 2009

Cold and brown fat raise the prospect of a new method of treating obesity

Sven Enerbäck, Professor at the Institute of Biomedicine at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, is one of the scientists who published their results in The New England Journal of Medicine this week.

16 Apr 2009

Topical bevacizumab therapy effective in treating corneal blood vessels growth that can cause blindness

Researchers at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Schepens Eye Research Institute have concluded that short-term topical bevacizumab therapy reduces the severity of corneal neovascularization (formation of new blood vessels in the cornea that can create impaired vision or vision loss) without local or systemic adverse effects.

15 Apr 2009

Health Canada approves Simponi (golimumab) for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis

Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. and Schering-Plough Corporation has announced that Health Canada has granted approval of Simponi (golimumab) as a once-monthly, subcutaneous therapy for the treatment of moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and active ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

13 Apr 2009

Tips to maintain a safe environment for children in home with pets

Pets are a great addition to the family. However, having an animal in the house can lead to injuries and even hospitalizations. Parents especially need to be wary of children's interactions with pets. Thousands of children go to emergency departments (EDs) each year for dog bites and pet-related injuries.

12 Apr 2009

New alternative to biopsy detects subtle changes in cancer cells

A drop of blood or a chunk of tissue smaller than the period at the end of this sentence may one day be all that is necessary to diagnose cancers and assess their response to treatment, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

12 Apr 2009