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Scientists challenge theory about why chemotherapy agents target cancer

Challenging a half-century-old theory about why chemotherapy agents target cancer, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have devised a test that can predict how effective the drugs will be by determining whether a patient's tumor cells are already "primed" for death.

28 Oct 2011

Two new studies could provide tools to prevent rehospitalizations after major surgeries

Studies have shown that patients returning to the hospital soon after they've been discharged may cost Medicare up to billions of dollars each year, but two new studies presented at the 2011 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons could give surgical teams and their patients tools to prevent rehospitalizations.

28 Oct 2011

Platform approach to chemically incorporate homing receptors onto surface of cells

Stem cell therapies hold enormous potential to address some of the most tragic illnesses, diseases, and tissue defects world-wide. However, the inability to target cells to tissues of interest poses a significant barrier to effective cell therapy.

28 Oct 2011

Researchers explore novel therapeutic approach for thyroid cancer

Some forms of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) respond to treatment with radioactive iodine, which is taken up by the thyroid gland, destroying the cancerous cells. However patients with two forms of thyroid cancer, radioiodine-refractory DTC and anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), do not benefit from radioiodine therapy, and other treatment options are limited.

28 Oct 2011

No significant evidence of breast cancer after nipple-sparing mastectomy

A modified mastectomy technique provides effective treatment for breast cancer while preserving the nipple and surrounding tissues for use in breast reconstruction, according to a report in the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

28 Oct 2011

Novel technique saves Gulf War veteran's forearm

A plastic surgeon at UT Southwestern Medical Center recently used a novel technique to save the arm of a Gulf War veteran who was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital after a horrific accident.

28 Oct 2011

ORBIT 3D X-ray scanner can be integrated into operations

Having an operation always places strain on patients, and this is especially true of complicated operations. Surgeons use 3D X-rays to check the results before the patient has left the operating room. This does help to avoid possible complications, but it also means interrupting the surgery. Fraunhofer researchers are now developing a 3D X-ray system that can be integrated seamlessly into operating procedure - with no more forced interruptions.

28 Oct 2011

Novel stem cells method may eliminate need for antirejection drugs in transplants

Surgical researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle, have pioneered a method using stem cells that may one day eliminate the need for antirejection drugs in transplants. Primary investigator David Mathes, MD, FACS, and his research fellow Jeff Chang, MD, MS, presented their findings today at the 2011 Clinical Congress of the American College Surgeons.

28 Oct 2011

New rapid method for detection of BRAF V600E gene in thyroid tissue

During surgical removal of thyroid tissue suspicious for cancer, fast, reliable, and cost-effective techniques are needed to analyze the resected tissue for biomarkers—including BRAF V600E, is a molecular biomarker for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC)—that can confirm the presence and type of cancer cells. Researchers have developed a new, rapid method for direct detection of the BRAF V600E gene in thyroid tissue without the need to purify DNA from tumor cells—high resolution melting analysis.

28 Oct 2011

Obesity linked to increased complications after breast surgery in women

Obese women are at substantially higher risk of complications following breast surgery, according to a study in the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

28 Oct 2011

First-ever study of chronic postoperative pain in children

Are children suffering needlessly after surgery? UC Irvine anesthesiologists who specialize in pediatric care believe so. An operation can be one of the most traumatic events children face, and according to a UCI study, many of them experience unnecessary postsurgical pain lasting weeks or months.

28 Oct 2011

FDA's advisory panel votes against approval of Medtronic Phased RF Ablation System

Medtronic, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Circulatory Systems Devices advisory panel voted against the Medtronic Phased RF Ablation System, the first atrial fibrillation ablation therapy under investigation for the treatment of persistent and long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation.

28 Oct 2011

Enoxaparin can reduce risk of VTE in plastic surgery patients

For plastic surgery patients at high risk, treatment with the anticoagulant (blood-thinning) drug enoxaparin can reduce the risk of serious blood clot-related complications called venous thromboembolism (VTE), reports a study in the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

28 Oct 2011

Nipple sparing mastectomy safe and effective option for breast cancer treatment

A new study suggests some women needing a lumpectomy or mastectomy to treat their breast cancer have another potential option that is safe and effective, say researchers at Georgetown. They say the procedure known as a nipple sparing mastectomy is also a viable surgical option for women who choose to have their breasts removed because of their increased risk of developing the disease.

28 Oct 2011

TU/e researcher develops smart eye-surgery robot

Researcher Thijs Meenink at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) has developed a smart eye-surgery robot that allows eye surgeons to operate with increased ease and greater precision on the retina and the vitreous humor of the eye.

28 Oct 2011

Novel scarless surgery effectively removes skull base tumors

A technique developed by Johns Hopkins surgeons is providing a new route to get to and remove tumors buried at the base of the skull: through the natural hole behind the molars, above the jawbone and beneath the cheekbone.

27 Oct 2011

HDM and SCT increase overall survival for patients with AL amyloidosis

A team of researchers led by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), has found treatment of selected immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis patients with high-dose melphalan and autologous stem cell transplantation (HDM/SCT) resulted in a high organ response rate and increased overall survival (OS), even for those patients who did not achieve a hematologic complete response.

27 Oct 2011

Simple walking test can predict how well seniors would recover from operations

An elderly person's walking speed can predict how well he or she will fare after an operation, according to new findings presented at the 2011 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons. Researchers from the University of Colorado, Denver, reported that a simple, walking test that typically takes less than 20 seconds was a powerful tool for predicting how well seniors would recover from various surgical procedures.

27 Oct 2011

Medtronic initiates Symplicity System clinical study in treatment-resistant hypertension

Medtronic Inc. announced today the start of SYMPLICITY HTN-3, the company's U.S. clinical trial of the Symplicity Renal Denervation System for treatment-resistant hypertension.

From Medtronic 27 Oct 2011

Clinical and genetic risk factors associated with early stent thrombosis

Patients with certain genes or specific factors related to use of the anti-clotting drug clopidogrel are more likely to experience a blood clot within a coronary stent shortly after placement, according to a study in the October 26 issue of JAMA.

27 Oct 2011