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Patients having stray tumor cells in the blood should receive aggressive treatment

The presence of circulating tumor cells in the blood appears to have no relationship to survival in women who have just been diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, according to new research from Fox Chase Cancer Center.

9 Dec 2011

Research roundup: Depression and Medicaid spending; Saving on chronic care costs?: Mental health coverage

The researchers looked at treatment of depression in Medicaid enrollees in Florida from 1996-2006. They found a 29 percent increase in spending "despite decreases in inpatient costs." They attributed much of the increase to the growing use of antipsychotic drugs. They concluded that "spending for Medicaid enrollees with depression increased substantially, with minimal improvements in quality of care".

9 Dec 2011

Positive results from Puma's neratinib Phase II trials presented at CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

Puma Biotechnology, Inc., a development stage biopharmaceutical company, announced that results from ongoing Phase II clinical trials of Puma's investigational drug PB272 (neratinib) were presented at the 2011 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium that is currently taking place in San Antonio, Texas.

9 Dec 2011

New international consortium aims to prepare researchers for next pandemic

"A group of health organizations [on Wednesday] launched a new international consortium to better prepare the clinical research community to respond to the next pandemic or other emerging health threat," CIDRAP News reports (Schnirring, 12/7).

9 Dec 2011

'Disinfectants' may reduce risk of E. coli outbreaks

Some E. coli bacteria are harmless and some are dangerous from the outset. Then some become dangerous when they are subjected to viral infection. Researchers are working to find tools that will reduce the risk of this happening.

9 Dec 2011

First Edition: December 9, 2011

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations include artilces about a new GOP tax plan that includes a Medicare pay fix for doctors and President Obama's support of a decision to keep the "Morning After Pill" from minors.

9 Dec 2011

New methods speed up process of identifying harmful E. coli bacteria

New methods speed up the process of identifying the subgroup of E. coli bacteria responsible for an outbreak of illness. Swift identification may spare lives.

9 Dec 2011

Sebelius overrules FDA on 'morning after' pill's OTC availability

The decision to keep the contraceptive pill "Plan B" behind the counter could shield the Obama administration from a bruising battle with conservatives but comes at the expense of liberal groups who are "shocked" at the decision.

9 Dec 2011

Experimental sublingual vaccine shows promise against influenza infection

Scientists from the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) have discovered that an antigen common to most influenza viruses, and commonly referred to as matrix protein 2 (M2), when administered under the tongue could protect mice against experimental infection caused by various influenza viruses, including the highly pathogenic avian H5 virus and the pandemic H1 ("swine flu") virus.

9 Dec 2011

Mayo Clinic's seven-prong model improves service quality, patient experience scores

Details of a "seven-prong" model for improving service quality and creating value, developed by Mayo Clinic in Arizona, were published in the November/December issue of Journal of Healthcare Management. Results of the pilot study suggest that the model has utility in improving patient experience scores, which can influence reimbursement under value-based purchasing.

9 Dec 2011

Training can change adult brain's structure

As London taxi drivers in training are busy learning how to navigate the city's thousands of streets and places of interest over a period of years, the experience actually changes the very structure of their brains, according to a report published online on December 8 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication.

9 Dec 2011

Dramatic rise in substance abuse treatment admission rates from 1999-2009

A new report shows that while the overall rate of substance abuse treatment admissions among those aged 12 and older in the United States has remained nearly the same from 1999 to 2009, there has been a dramatic rise (430 percent) in the rate of treatment admissions for the abuse of prescription pain relievers during this period.

9 Dec 2011

Initial results from whole-genome sequencing trial for triple negative breast cancer

Initial results from an ongoing clinical trial, the first designed to examine the utility of whole-genome sequencing for triple negative breast cancer, were reported today during the CRTC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

9 Dec 2011

The latest on the payroll tax break extension and 'doc fix'

Top House Republicans hope to win rank-and-file GOP support for a measure renewing this year's Social Security payroll tax cut and extending benefits for the long-term unemployed. House GOP lawmakers were meeting privately Thursday to seek agreement on legislation that leaders want to bring to a vote next week. They would also include language heading off a 27 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements to doctors.

9 Dec 2011

Paper calls for strong steps to control global crisis of antibiotic-resistant infections

Shahriar Mobashery, a University of Notre Dame researcher, is one of the coauthors of a new paper by a group of the world's leading scientists in academia and industry that calls for strong steps to be taken to control the global crisis of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. The group issued a priority list of steps that need to be taken on a global scale to resolve the crisis.

9 Dec 2011

Critical access: Hospitals that face budget traumas

Kaiser Health News examines the concept of "critical access hospitals." Meanwhile, a related story examines how the hospital district in Harris County, Texas, is key to the Houston area's safety net.

9 Dec 2011

QUMS researchers to gain better understanding of dynamics of mortality

A better understanding of worldwide mortality rates is on the cards thanks to a novel study by researchers from Queens University Management School.

9 Dec 2011

VDF, CDC and VDC to educate women about gender-specific DVT risks

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in the deep veins in the legs. These clots can break loose and travel to the lungs, causing a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism (PE). Even when they don't, they can cause permanent damage to the leg veins that results in long-term pain, swelling, and disability of the leg.

9 Dec 2011

CSIS publishes reports on immunization and global health

The Center for Strategic & International Studies on Wednesday released two reports on immunizations and global health. "The Future of Global Immunization: Will the Promise Be Fulfilled?," by Stephen Cochi of the CDC, "outlines 10 important issues facing the global vaccine and immunization agenda."

9 Dec 2011

Study may help personalize pain medication management for sickle cell disease patients

A study that may help personalize pain medication management for sickle cell disease patients is underway at Georgia Health Sciences University.

9 Dec 2011

Medical News

Patients having stray tumor cells in the blood should receive aggressive treatment

Research roundup: Depression and Medicaid spending; Saving on chronic care costs?: Mental health coverage

Positive results from Puma's neratinib Phase II trials presented at CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

New international consortium aims to prepare researchers for next pandemic

'Disinfectants' may reduce risk of E. coli outbreaks

First Edition: December 9, 2011

New methods speed up process of identifying harmful E. coli bacteria

Sebelius overrules FDA on 'morning after' pill's OTC availability

Experimental sublingual vaccine shows promise against influenza infection

Mayo Clinic's seven-prong model improves service quality, patient experience scores

Training can change adult brain's structure

Dramatic rise in substance abuse treatment admission rates from 1999-2009

Initial results from whole-genome sequencing trial for triple negative breast cancer

The latest on the payroll tax break extension and 'doc fix'

Paper calls for strong steps to control global crisis of antibiotic-resistant infections

Critical access: Hospitals that face budget traumas

QUMS researchers to gain better understanding of dynamics of mortality

VDF, CDC and VDC to educate women about gender-specific DVT risks

CSIS publishes reports on immunization and global health

Study may help personalize pain medication management for sickle cell disease patients

Advancing Menopause Care: Non-Hormonal Treatments for Vasomotor Symptoms

Building quality into drug development for safer, faster medicines

How Pulp Fixin Is Turning Paper into High-Performance Sustainable Labware

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