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First advance in pancreatic cancer treatment in a decade offers new hope

The first advance in pancreatic cancer treatment in a decade has been achieved by researchers in a Canadian-led study, and at last gives some encouragement to scientists and invigorates a field that has experienced more than its share of disheartening failures.

15 May 2005

Great news for breast cancer patients

In encouraging new study results researchers say that modern treatments have significantly boosted the 15-year survival rate for breast cancer, and even better news is that they have also found that drug and hormonal therapies effectively cure many women, rather than simply delaying the recurrence of disease.

12 May 2005

If you want to avoid smoke-filled pubs you will be better off in the south of England

If you want to avoid smoke-filled pubs you will be better off in the south of England than in the north according to a snapshot survey published today by the British Medical Association (BMA). In an attempt to establish just how many pubs will be exempt from laws banning smoking in enclosed workplaces, the BMA found wide regional differences with a strong north-south divide.

12 May 2005

New trend in treating heart disease in diabetics - angioplasty using the Cypher Sirolimus-eluting coronary stent

The World Health Organisation has predicted an increase in the worldwide prevalence of diabetes of epidemic proportions . Eighty percent of people with diabetes will die from cardiovascular complications -- stroke and/or coronary heart disease (CHD).

12 May 2005

New study says surgery still the best option for prostate cancer

A study by Swedish researchers has found that men who opt to have cancerous prostates surgically removed, have higher long-term survival rates than those who delay the operation, and the benefits of surgery may be greatest for men under 65.

11 May 2005

Broader range of treatments for excessive sweating disorder, Mayo Clinic Proceedings says

The often embarrassing, excessive sweating disorder, hyperhidrosis, and its treatment options are gaining greater attention from physicians. This is improving the efficacy of treatment and minimizing its adverse effects, Mayo Clinic authors write in the May issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

11 May 2005

Less invasive procedure for treatment of uterine fibroids is effective

Women who suffer from the frustrating and painful chronic symptoms of uterine fibroids have a safe and effective alternative to surgery according to new five-year studies presented at an annual meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology held in April. Studies found that uterine fibroid embolization has a 73 percent success rate at five years.

11 May 2005

Aspirin aids recovery following heart bypass surgery

Many patients who regularly take aspirin to thin their blood prior to undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery, have in the past been told to stop the aspirin a week before the operation, but new research has found that they may be better off taking it.

11 May 2005

Broken bones may reduce risk of ovarian cancer

The pain and suffering of a broken bone may yield an unexpected benefit – a reduced risk of ovarian cancer.

10 May 2005

Jefferson vascular surgeons go on web to demonstrate less invasive treatment than vein stripping for varicose veins

Stripping is a lengthy procedure often performed under general anesthesia and requires a surgeon to make incisions in the groin and below the knee and remove the vein with a long, surgical instrument extending inside the leg to the knee.

10 May 2005

Cataract treatment in the blink of an eye

Researchers at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand are pioneering the development of an eye drop to halt the development of cataracts.

10 May 2005

Reconstruction of the lower jaw with a fibula autotrasplant

The University Hospital of the University of Navarra has carried out a complicated surgical operation on a child who had a particularly large benign tumour located in the mandibular region. The procedure involved the extraction of the lower jaw and its substitution by a bone transplant from the fibula of the patient.

10 May 2005

Many lives may be saved by new blood test for ovarian cancer

A new blood test which has the potential to save many lives has been developed to detect ovarian cancer, a disease known as the silent killer because it is so difficult to identify.

9 May 2005

Australian-designed heart pump gives new hope to heart patients

A 56-year-old New Zealand man, a heart failure patient, is recovering in hospital after world-first surgery to implant an Australian-designed device which helps the heart pump blood.

9 May 2005

Doctors say only Jamie Oliver can cure NHS food!

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is being called upon by Junior doctors to repeat his success with school dinners and lead a campaign to improve food in hospitals.

9 May 2005

Children are more likely to be awake during surgery than adults

New groundbreaking Australian research has discovered that children are more likely to be awake during surgery than adults.

9 May 2005

$Soft tissue injuries can predict risk of facial fractures in trauma patients$

Soft tissue injuries can predict risk of facial fractures in trauma patients

Trauma patients with specific types of facial soft tissue injuries should have a CT (computed tomography) scan of the face as well as a standard head scan to determine the presence and severity of facial fractures, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

8 May 2005

Stem-cell breakthrough gives new hope for IVF treatments

In a scientific first, human eggs have been grown in the laboratory using stem cells scraped from the surface of women's ovaries and the development raises the possibility of delaying menopause and providing a limitless source of donor eggs for in vitro fertilisation treatments and embryonic stem cell research.

5 May 2005

Doctor voices concerns over new NHS IT system

The political drive to implement the NHS's national programme for information technology is failing to take account of professionals' anxieties, argues a GP in this week's BMJ.

5 May 2005

Global epidemic of avian flu - Governments bury their heads

Governments around the world must stop burying their heads in the sand over the growing threat of a global epidemic of avian flu, argues a GP in this week's BMJ.

5 May 2005