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Susan G. Komen-funded project targets genetic complexity of breast tumors

By analyzing which animal models of breast cancer best compare to human cases, a Michigan State University researcher is hoping to overcome one of the most significant barriers in treating the deadly disease: The genetic complexity of the tumors themselves.

19 Oct 2011

Coughing may signal trouble for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

A new analysis has found that coughing may signal trouble for patients with the lung-scarring disease known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The study, published in the journal Respirology, found that patients with the condition who also cough are more likely to develop advanced forms of the disease that may be life threatening.

19 Oct 2011

Melbourne Brain Centre to open on Monday

Melbourne will become a magnet for the world's best and brightest brain researchers after the official opening of the Melbourne Brain Centre at The University of Melbourne Parkville by the Premier Ted Baillieu and Federal MP Michael Danby on Monday.

19 Oct 2011

Calcium with other trace minerals might reduce risk of bowel cancer

Bowel cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in developed countries but occurs much less frequently in the developing world. A high fat diet, particularly high in saturated fat, can increase a person's risk of developing bowel cancer. In addition to the high content of saturated fat, the 'typical' Western diet contains only low levels of calcium and other minerals.

19 Oct 2011

JPO issues new patent for Genprex's lead lung cancer candidate

A new patent covering tumor suppression technologies, including the company's lead product candidate Oncoprex, was recently awarded to The University of Texas System by the Japan Patent Office. Patent number 4813746 pertains to the discovery that chromosome 3p21.3 genes act as cancer suppressors.

19 Oct 2011

Medicare reimbursements high for digital mammography — though test may be no more effective than less expensive ones

High-tech, digital mammography may not be any better at detecting breast cancer in women over 65 than older film-based systems, but Medicare is spending millions of taxpayer dollars reimbursing the procedure at a far higher rate. A new study comparing digital mammography with less expensive film mammography found that the two types of breast cancer screens are equally effective at detecting cancers in most women. ... The study was performed by the National Cancer Institute-funded Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium.

19 Oct 2011

Colon cancer may be linked to a bacterium that causes appendicitis and gum disease: Study

A new study shows that a bacterium that causes appendicitis and gum disease is also found in colon tumors. Researchers suggest that it may set the stage for colorectal cancer, the second-deadliest malignancy. The bacterium – fusobacterium might play a role in determining the prognosis of colorectal cancers and shaping their treatment, according to two research teams independently reporting a relationship between the rod-shaped microbe and cancers of the lower digestive system.

18 Oct 2011

“Binge drinking is binge spending” for the individual as well as the State: Report

Binge drinking is costing the U.S. economy more than $200 billion a year, mostly in lost workplace productivity, a U.S. health agency said on Monday.

18 Oct 2011

Malaria elimination could be a reality soon

Malaria – a mosquito borne illness kills more than 780,000 people a year worldwide. Nearly a third of all countries affected by malaria are on course to eliminate the mosquito-borne disease over the next 10 years, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.

18 Oct 2011

First results from phase 3 malaria vaccine candidate trial

First results from a large-scale Phase III trial of RTS,S, published online today in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), show the malaria vaccine candidate to provide young African children with significant protection against clinical and severe malaria with an acceptable safety and tolerability profile. The results were announced today at the Malaria Forum hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, Washington.

18 Oct 2011

New promise of a malaria vaccine

New results published today in the New England Journal of Medicine about a large-scale Phase III trial conducted in seven African countries of the malaria vaccine candidate RTS,S deserve a hearty round of applause.

18 Oct 2011

Yearly mammogram after 40 has high rate of false alarms: Study

Latest evidence suggests that getting a mammogram each year after age 40 may not be a good idea. A study suggests that far fewer women would be put through the anxiety of being called back for a second mammogram and unnecessary biopsies if screening took place every two years.

18 Oct 2011

Autism in low birth weight babies five times more common: Study

Roughly 3% of U.S. newborns fall into the low-weight category used by the researchers (2,000 grams or less). Babies of this size are typically born prematurely, though certain pregnancy complications can also cause low birth weight in full-term babies.

18 Oct 2011

Christie introduces hand-held version of VeinViewer

Christie Medical Holdings, Inc. today announced the market launch of the company's newest product, VeinViewer Flex. With the addition of this fifth-generation VeinViewer, following the recent launch of VeinViewer VisionXTND, Christie now provides a full portfolio of three product tiers that addresses the needs of every major health care market segment.

18 Oct 2011

FDA clears Spineology's Rampart line of Interbody fusion implants

Spineology Inc.,the innovator in anatomy-conserving spine surgery, announced today that it has received FDA clearance for, and is initiating launch of, the new Rampart™ line of Interbody fusion implants.

18 Oct 2011

Forest Laboratories second quarter net sales increase 9.0% to $1,130.3 million

Forest Laboratories, Inc., an international pharmaceutical manufacturer and marketer, announced that reported earnings per share equaled $0.91 in the second quarter of fiscal 2012. Reported earnings per share in the second quarter of fiscal 2011 were $1.00.

18 Oct 2011

Effective liability reform could reduce hospital admissions

Visits to emergency departments climbed nearly 10 percent in one year to a new high of more than 136 million visits in 2009, according to preliminary estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), just as emergency physicians are releasing new studies showing an association between medical liability concerns and rising hospital admissions from the emergency department.

18 Oct 2011

Los Angeles Times examines polio eradication campaigns in Pakistan

The Los Angeles Times examines polio eradication campaigns in Pakistan, which is one of just four countries where the disease remains endemic.

18 Oct 2011

Differences in key metabolic enzyme levels linked to liver damage susceptibility

Differences in the levels of two key metabolic enzymes may explain why some people are more susceptible to liver damage, according to a study in the October 17 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology (www.jcb.org).

18 Oct 2011

Focusing on disease eradication rather than control 'can pay off'

"Work on malaria suggests that focusing on the science and technology required to eliminate a disease, rather than just control it, can pay off -- and that such approaches could be applied to other diseases," SciDev.Net Editor David Dickson writes in a SciDev.Net editorial.

18 Oct 2011