Obstetrics News and Research

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Gynecology and obstetrics are twin subjects that deal with the female reproductive system. While obstetrics deals with pregnancy and its associated procedures and complications, gynaecology involves treating women who are not pregnant.

One-third of breast cancer survivors rate breast-conserving treatments as fair

A third of breast cancer survivors who received the breast-conserving treatments lumpectomy and radiation rate the appearance of their post-treatment breast as only "fair" or "poor" in comparison to their untreated breast, according to a new University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine study that will be presented today at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in San Diego.

3 Nov 2010

CONRAD receives $5 million award from USAID

CONRAD, leaders in reproductive health and HIV prevention research, today announced a $5 million award from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The grant will fund research and development of vaginal rings that are contraceptive and also prevent HIV and STI infections.

3 Nov 2010

GOG to initiate combination elesclomol-paclitaxel Phase 2 clinical trial for ovarian cancer

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to treat severe medical conditions, today announced that the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) will initiate a Phase 2 clinical trial of elesclomol in combination with paclitaxel for the treatment of persistent or recurrent ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer.

1 Nov 2010

Largest annual Pregnancy Wellness report distributed to millions

MediaPlanet published the largest Pregnancy Wellness report distributed to millions with the help of The American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG), The March of Dimes, in support of Prematurity Awareness Month this November and with Every Little Bottom Campaign, Huggies, Best for Babes, and Peggy O'Mara, Mothering Magazine and much more.

30 Oct 2010

Women with anorexia nervosa at risk of unplanned pregnancies and induced abortions

A new study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Norwegian researchers has found that women with anorexia nervosa are much more likely to have both unplanned pregnancies and induced abortions than women who don't have the serious eating disorder.

30 Oct 2010

New findings on Th17 cells pave way for human cancer treatment protocol

A recently identified immune cell that directs other cells to fight infection plays a critical role in regulating the immune system in both health and disease. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered how a stimulatory molecule and a protein found on the membrane of another immune cell make T helper 17 cells multi-taskers of sorts. Th17 cells protect the body against infection and cancer, but are also culprits in some autoimmune diseases and out-of-control, cancerous cell growth.

29 Oct 2010

Researchers explore knowledge of palliative care oncologists with respect to genetic testing

If you were dying from cancer, would you consider genetic testing. A recent study conducted by researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center showed that most terminally ill cancer patients who were eligible for genetic testing never received it despite that it could potentially save a relative's life.

28 Oct 2010

Two-thirds of fetuses with HLHS have strong chance of survival

When prenatal diagnosis detects the severe heart defect hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) in a fetus, a comprehensive prenatal evaluation is important to provide parents an accurate prognosis. In HLHS, one of the heart's pumping chambers is severely underdeveloped. However, say researchers, in two-thirds of cases, reconstructive surgery affords the infant an excellent chance of early survival.

27 Oct 2010

ENDOMETRIN Vaginal Insert offers effective luteal support in IVF procedures

Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc. presented study results demonstrating that ENDOMETRIN (progesterone) Vaginal Insert provides effective luteal support compared to intramuscular (IM) progesterone-in-oil (PIO) in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) using gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist.

27 Oct 2010

Researchers recommend vaginal delivery for breech babies

Most babies are delivered head-first, but in about 4% of all deliveries babies are "born breech" ― with their buttocks or feet first. Doctors usually exercise caution and use caesarean sections (C-sections) as the delivery method of choice for such births, believing it safer for the baby. After a large-scale international study in 2000, C-sections became the near-universal choice for such births.

27 Oct 2010

Study suggests need to explore new infertility tests

The method used to assess infertility in at-home tests might not be the best for identifying which women will have trouble getting pregnant, according to new research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

27 Oct 2010

Study demonstrates changing levels of nitrite and nitrate in breast milk

Ask someone in the know to list the substances in breast milk that make it the ideal food for newborns and you may hear about proteins that guard against infection, fats that aid in the development of the nervous system and carbohydrates that promote the growth of healthy bacteria. But, you may not hear too much about the nitrite and nitrate in breast milk and their contributions to developing gastrointestinal, immune and cardiovascular systems.

27 Oct 2010

IMRT reduces gastrointestinal complications in prostate cancer patients

Prostate cancer patients who receive intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) are less apt to suffer serious gastrointestinal complications following their treatment than those who receive three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (CRT), according to new research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

27 Oct 2010

Examining genetic material of egg cells may inform about embryos health

Fertility procedures such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) require a couple and the doctor to place the risky bet that the multiple eggs they choose to fertilize will produce an embryo that will thrive in the uterus. Researchers cannot biopsy eggs directly because that would destroy them, but a new discovery by professors at Brown University and Women & Infants Hospital could lead to new insights about how eggs develop and ultimately inform judgments about how the embryos they produce will fare. The idea is to examine the genetic material the egg cells discarded when they were first forming, to see which genes they were expressing.

26 Oct 2010

Annual conventional Pap smear is cost effective to reduce cancer incidence and mortality

A study of the options for reducing cancer incidence and mortality among women who have been treated for precancerous cervical lesions found that an annual conventional Pap smear is a cost effective strategy.

21 Oct 2010

Menopausal estrogen replacement therapy speeds growth of ovarian cancer

Estrogen therapy used by menopausal women causes a type of ovarian cancer to grow five times faster, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Cancer Center.

21 Oct 2010

Z-Medica enters agreement with two Swedish medical device distributors for QuikClot products

Z-Medica Corporation, a medical device company developing innovative hemostatic agents, today announced that it has signed exclusive distribution agreements with Vingmed AB and Mediplast AB, two leading Swedish medical device distributors, for distribution of its QuikClot line of hemostatic agents in Sweden, Denmark and Norway for the first time.

From Medica Corporation 21 Oct 2010

National Pap Test Campaign for cervical cancer diagnosis

The Federation of Medical Women of Canada (FMWC) and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) are ready to launch this year's National Pap Test Campaign, to take place during National Cervical Cancer Awareness Week. From October 24th to 30th, over 100 health-care professionals across Canada are taking a stand against cervical cancer by hosting public Pap test clinics in their community.

20 Oct 2010

UTHSC-Houston initiates enrollment in NanoLogix technology trial for detection of GBS in pregnant women

NanoLogix, an innovator in the accelerated detection and identification of microorganisms, announced today that the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston is enrolling 300 patients in an ongoing clinical trial to study the speed and accuracy of NanoLogix technology. The trial is designed to compare NanoLogix technology to current methods in use for detection and identification of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in pregnant women.

20 Oct 2010