Surgery News and Research

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Medical robots to cover ward rounds

Remote Presence (RP6) Robots allow a medical expert to visually examine and communicate with a patient from anywhere in the world, via the machine, using wireless technology. The robots (nicknamed by staff Sister Mary and Dr Robbie) can also be used for surgical teaching and even videoconferencing.

18 May 2005

Regular exercise helps early stage colon cancer patients recover

Patients treated for early stage colon cancer fared significantly better if they exercised regularly at the level of an hour's walk six times a week, according to a study to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

17 May 2005

Jefferson researcher’s results show promise for metastatic eye melanoma

But now, by simultaneously revving up the immune system and choking off the tumor’s oxygen supply, oncologists at Jefferson Medical College and the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia may have found a better way to battle this deadly cancer.

17 May 2005

Smoking may have a devastating effect on gastrointestinal health

Smoking may have a devastating effect on gastrointestinal health and increase a person's risk of developing pancreatic and liver cancer, according to new research presented today at Digestive Disease Week 2005 (DDW). Furthermore, data from the Nurses' Health Study shows that meat intake and smoking play a part in significantly increasing a woman's risk of colorectal cancer.

17 May 2005

Grapefruit have strong antioxidant properties that can have healing effects on stomach ulcers

Extracts of the popular diet item grapefruit have strong antioxidant properties that can have healing effects on stomach ulcers, according to a new study presented today at Digestive Disease Week 2005 (DDW).

17 May 2005

Postmenopausal women who follow a low-fat diet have 24 percent less chance of a recurrence of breast cancer

The study by Rowan T. Chlebowski and colleagues at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, involved 2,437 women aged 48 to 79 who were diagnosed with early stage breast cancer and were treated at several medical centers. All the women had the standard treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy and or tamoxifen therapy.

17 May 2005

New drug combination prevents breast cancer growth pre-surgery

A new type of drug originally developed for lung cancer can reduce the size of breast cancer tumours when taken in combination with other drugs.

17 May 2005

Gefitinib (Iressa) could reduce the size of breast cancer tumours

Giving women with early breast cancer a drug called gefitinib (Iressa) before surgery could reduce the size of their tumours, suggests a randomised trial published online today by The Lancet Oncology.

17 May 2005

Use of a common type of antidepressant may increase gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding

In fact, the study suggests that the increase is similar to that associated with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, known as pain relievers). DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians, academics and researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

17 May 2005

SU11248 drug show promise against neuroendocrine tumors-stubborn cancers that respond poorly to chemotherapy

A unique, targeted anti-cancer drug appears to show promise against neuroendocrine tumors-stubborn cancers that have traditionally responded poorly to chemotherapy, according to research findings announced at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

17 May 2005

Patients with suspicious axillary lymph nodes in their breasts should first undergo ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration to avoid unnecessary surgery

Currently, breast cancer patients undergo axillary lymph node dissection for accurate staging and control of the cancer. In many cases, this major procedure can be replaced by sentinel lymph node biopsy, which is a more simple and less invasive surgical procedure, but many still have to undergo axillary dissection after the sentinel lymph node biopsy.

17 May 2005

Expandable electrodes safe and effective for radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors

The use of expandable electrodes with multiple tips in the treatment of liver tumors by radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is safe and effective, making it a useful alternative to surgery in selected patients, say researchers from the University of Brescia in Italy.

17 May 2005

Statin chemoprevention with minimal surveillance could prevent 96 percent of colon cancers

Ulcerative colitis affects about one out of every 2,000 Americans, and after living with the disease for 30 years, nearly 22 percent of those people will develop colon cancer.

16 May 2005

Identifying high-risk prostate cancer means more prudent treatment decisions

While prostate cancer is a very common diagnosis, it is a deadly disease in relatively few men. One in 6 men will develop prostate cancer during his lifetime. However, of these, only one in 10 cases will be life-threatening.

16 May 2005

High-risk for melanoma patients no more likely to take proper precautions in the sun

Those considered high-risk for melanoma--the most dangerous form of skin cancer--are no more likely to sunbathe protected than those who are unaware of their risk, according to a new study conducted by McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) researchers.

16 May 2005

Improvements in critical care decrease risk of post-injury multiple organ failure

Improvements in critical care and decreased use of blood transfusions over the course of the last decade are associated with decreases in the rate, severity and risk of death from post-injury multiple organ failure, according to a study in the May issue of Archives of Surgery.

16 May 2005

Survival rates higher for children receiving living donor liver transplant

Children who undergo liver transplantation have better survival rates with living donor liver transplant graft than with deceased donor organ transplant, although factors other than the type of graft also are important, according to a study in the May issue of Archives of Surgery.

16 May 2005

New study demonstrates high rates of tumor death in patients receiving regimen

A new pilot study suggests that treating soft-tissue sarcoma with a new regimen of intense chemotherapy and a short course of radiation before surgery may be beneficial. About 41 percent of study participants were found to have complete tumor death at the time of surgery.

16 May 2005

Bevacizumab (Avastin) combined with low-dose chemotherapy slows ovarian cancer

A targeted cancer drug given with low-dose chemotherapy shrank ovarian tumors and slowed progression of ovarian cancer in patients with recurrent disease, according to research findings presented by Agustin Garcia, M.D., principal investigator of the study and Director of Breast Cancer Research at the Women's Cancer Research Institute at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

16 May 2005

The American College of Surgeons publishes manual on surgical patient safety

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has announced the publication of its new manual Surgical Patient Safety: Essential Information for Surgeons in Today's Environment. Edited by Barry M. Manuel, MD, FACS, and Paul F. Nora, MD, FACS, the manual is intended to provide guidance and leadership in evolving areas of patient safety in the surgical profession.

16 May 2005

Surgery News and Research

Medical robots to cover ward rounds

Regular exercise helps early stage colon cancer patients recover

Jefferson researcher’s results show promise for metastatic eye melanoma

Smoking may have a devastating effect on gastrointestinal health

Grapefruit have strong antioxidant properties that can have healing effects on stomach ulcers

Postmenopausal women who follow a low-fat diet have 24 percent less chance of a recurrence of breast cancer

New drug combination prevents breast cancer growth pre-surgery

Gefitinib (Iressa) could reduce the size of breast cancer tumours

Use of a common type of antidepressant may increase gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding

SU11248 drug show promise against neuroendocrine tumors-stubborn cancers that respond poorly to chemotherapy

Patients with suspicious axillary lymph nodes in their breasts should first undergo ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration to avoid unnecessary surgery

Expandable electrodes safe and effective for radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors

Statin chemoprevention with minimal surveillance could prevent 96 percent of colon cancers

Identifying high-risk prostate cancer means more prudent treatment decisions

High-risk for melanoma patients no more likely to take proper precautions in the sun

Improvements in critical care decrease risk of post-injury multiple organ failure

Survival rates higher for children receiving living donor liver transplant

New study demonstrates high rates of tumor death in patients receiving regimen

Bevacizumab (Avastin) combined with low-dose chemotherapy slows ovarian cancer

The American College of Surgeons publishes manual on surgical patient safety

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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