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Trauma patients likely to experience moderately severe pain 1 year after injuries

Most patients have moderately severe pain resulting from their injuries one year after sustaining major trauma, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

18 Mar 2008

Study examines changes in quality of life after head and neck cancer treatment

In the year following their first treatment, patients with head and neck cancer report declines in their physical quality of life but improvements in their mental health quality of life, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

18 Mar 2008

Cancer drug allergies

Cancer patients from the Southeastern United States who are treated with the drug cetuximab, known commercially as Erbitux, are far more likely to suffer severe allergic reactions than patients in other regions of the country.

14 Mar 2008

Researchers find cause of severe allergic reaction to cetuximab

Clinicians have been perplexed by the fact that some patients given the drug cetuximab - an immune-based therapy commonly used to treat persons diagnosed with head and neck cancer, or colon cancer - have a severe and rapid adverse reaction to the drug.

13 Mar 2008

New behavioral risk factors for head and neck cancers

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have teased out two distinct sets of risk factors for head and neck cancers, suggesting that there are two completely different kinds of the disease.

12 Mar 2008

New surgery technique for pancreatic cancer offers hope to sufferers

Just days after it was announced in the media that Hollywood actor Patrick Swayze was being treated for pancreatic cancer, doctors in Britain have performed a new operation for people with the advanced stage of the disease.

11 Mar 2008

Emergency on-field treatment for neck injuries in young sports athletes no different than adults

New guidelines for on-field treatment and emergency transport of young athletes with suspected neck injuries should recommend keeping both helmet and shoulder pads on for initial stabilization and transport, followed by removal of both, once the patient is in a controlled setting, according to new research released today at the 2008 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine Specialty Day at The Moscone Center.

10 Mar 2008

Smoking marijuana (cannabis) does not increase risk of head, neck cancer

Smoking marijuana (cannabis) does not increase the user's risk of head and neck cancer, according to a new study published in the March 2008 issue of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.

6 Mar 2008

PET/CT planning beneficial for head and neck cancer patients

Using a combination of positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography for radiation therapy treatment planning in head and neck carcinoma patients provides for excellent, local and regional disease control when compared to CT alone, according to a study in the March 1 issue of the International Journal for Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

6 Mar 2008

Cochlear implants improve quality of life

Cochlear implant recipients experience a significant improvement in their quality of life, and have improved speech recognition, according to new research published in the March 2008 issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

6 Mar 2008

NIU seeks approval for new proton cancer treatment and research center

Northern Illinois University has named Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation as its expected provider of clinical services for a new $160 million proton therapy cancer treatment and research center to be built in the DuPage National Technology Park about 35 miles west of Chicago.

27 Feb 2008

New radiation therapy standards needed

Modern radiation techniques result in substantial variation between the prescribed dose and the actual dose of radiation delivered to the tumor, according to a study published online February 26 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

27 Feb 2008

Drug for anemic cancer patients raises risk of death

Millions of cancer patients take drugs to boost their red blood cells and health when they become anemic after chemotherapy.

27 Feb 2008

Surgery for spinal stenosis yields greater benefits over nonsurgical treatments

A research study by orthopedic spine, back and neck surgeon at Rush University Medical Center Dr. Howard An and colleagues found that patients who underwent surgery for spinal stenosis showed significantly more improvement in all primary outcomes than did patients who were treated nonsurgically.

26 Feb 2008

Mosquito bourne diseases cause concern in three areas of Australia

Australian Health officials have issued public health warnings about mosquito bourne diseases in three areas.

25 Feb 2008

New devices less effective in thwarting brain aneurysm recurrence

A retrospective analysis of 100 patients suffering from a ruptured brain aneurysm has found that expensive new coiling devices are no more effective than bare platinum coils at preventing aneurysms from recurring.

22 Feb 2008

Aquatic exercise shows benefit for fibromyalgia sufferers

Patients suffering from fibromyalgia could benefit significantly from regular exercise in a heated swimming pool, a study published in the open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy shows.

21 Feb 2008

New spine center at UT Southwestern

UT Southwestern Medical Center has launched a multidisciplinary Spine Center that features top physicians from diverse fields who work together to treat one of the most common problems plaguing our aging society: back pain.

14 Feb 2008

Throwing money at back pain treatments does not guarantee relief

A new study by researchers in the United States has revealed that despite the billions of dollars spent in recent years on treating back pain, many people gain little relief.

13 Feb 2008

HPV-positive head and neck cancer patients fare better than HPV-negative patients

Head and neck cancer patients with HPV-positive tumors tend to survive longer and are more responsive to treatment compared with patients with HPV-negative tumors, according to a study published online February 12 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

13 Feb 2008