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Tonsil cancer patients harbouring HPV16 can avoid chemotherapy

Clinical researchers at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) have confirmed that patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer ("tonsil cancer") harbour a common type of human papilloma virus (HPV16), but also that such cancers are very sensitive to radiation. For some patients, this may mean successful treatment with radiation alone and avoiding the side effects of chemotherapy.

4 Nov 2009

Radiation treatment as effective and as safe in reducing the risk of prostate cancer from returning

A shorter, five-week course of radiation treatment that delivers higher doses of radiation in fewer sessions, known as hypofractionation, appears to be just as effective and as safe in reducing the risk of prostate cancer from returning as standard radiation therapy, yet is delivered in two-and-a-half weeks less time, according to interim results of a randomized study presented November 4, 2009, at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

4 Nov 2009

Breastfeeding: ADA position paper details health benefits for both infants and mothers

The American Dietetic Association has released an updated position paper on breastfeeding that details health benefits for both infants and mothers and encourages promotion of breastfeeding whenever possible.

4 Nov 2009

Early-morning colonoscopies yield more polyps per patient than later screenings

The effectiveness of a screening colonoscopy may depend on the time of day it is performed. According to a new UCLA study, early-morning colonoscopies yielded more polyps per patient than later screenings, and fewer polyps were found hour by hour as the day progressed.

4 Nov 2009

H1N1 vaccine: Discussions and debates

You can't avoid H1N1 media coverage. It's front-page news on the web, the presses, the airways. Vaccine details, or lack of, are spurring discussion and debate. And a lot of people are in a quandary about whether or not to have the H1N1 shot based on their personal views and the information disseminated for public knowledge.

4 Nov 2009

House Democrats pick up some moderate votes for health bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is picking up some centrist votes for the Democratic health care reform bill, though a leak of a list held by Majority Whip Rep. Jim Clyburn has led to difficulties counting votes on support for a more moderate public option.

4 Nov 2009

Advanced equipment targets radiation to specific areas in the brain

Radiation oncologists at Rush University Medical Center are intent on finding ways to avoid damage to the critically important hippocampus and limbic circuit of the brain when cranial radiation is required to treat existing or potential metastatic cancers.

4 Nov 2009

ASTI's 'Tell-a-Friend program' for solving sleep-related problems

Adaptive Sound Technologies, Inc. (ASTI) announced today that it will pay cash rewards to ASTI customers who refer friends that in turn buy an Ecotones or Ecotones Duet directly from ASTI. The new "Tell-a-Friend" program rewards customers for doing what they have been doing since the first Ecotones was introduced late last year: letting friends in on the secret to better sleep.

4 Nov 2009

MRF's research Consortium to develop effective treatments for advanced melanoma

For more than a decade, there have been no new therapies that have improved survival rates for patients with advanced melanoma. Today, at the 6th International Melanoma Congress for the Society for Melanoma Research, the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) announced a novel collaboration between the research community and pharmaceutical companies that will pool knowledge and resources to generate new breakthroughs in treatment.

4 Nov 2009

Stereotactic radiosurgery effectively controls pain in patients with cancer

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), a radiation therapy procedure pioneered at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) that precisely delivers a large dose of radiation to tumors, effectively controls pain in patients with cancer that has spread to the spine, according to researchers from UPCI.

4 Nov 2009

Stress related to school pressure and family finances has greater impact on young people

Stress related to school pressure and family finances has a greater impact on young people than parents believe, according to a new national survey released today by the American Psychological Association (APA).

4 Nov 2009

Eat slowly to avoid overeating

According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), eating a meal quickly, as compared to slowly, curtails the release of hormones in the gut that induce feelings of being full. The decreased release of these hormones, can often lead to overeating.

4 Nov 2009

Merck and Schering-Plough merge as one

Merck & Co., Inc. and Schering-Plough Corporation (NYSE: SGP) today announced that they will complete their merger shortly after 4:00PM ET today.

4 Nov 2009

U.S. clinical trials show single dose of H1N1 vaccine protects pregnant women, children under 10 need two doses

U.S. government data released on Monday confirmed that a single dose of the vaccine protects pregnant women from the virus, while children under the age of 10 years need two doses of the vaccine, the Washington Post reports. The findings came the same day that a team of experts tasked with monitoring the national H1N1 vaccine campaign for any adverse side effects met for the first time.

4 Nov 2009

Battle with lung cancer

In his debut memoir, "No Expiration Dates: A Cancer Patient's Strategies for Survival" (published by iUniverse), Leon Weisman recounts his unique and inspirational battle with lung cancer while also offering practical advice about the emotional and social changes that a cancer diagnosis can bring to a patient as well as a family embarking on the fight to stay alive.

4 Nov 2009

Work, money and job stability are significant sources of stress for Denver residents

More Denver residents say that their work, money and job stability are significant sources of stress than Americans nationwide, according to the American Psychological Association's (APA) Stress in America survey.

4 Nov 2009

One out of every eight US births is preterm; March of Dimes calls for research to prevent preterm births

The United States' extraordinarily high number of babies born too soon explains why the nation has an infant death rate significantly higher when compared to Europe, according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics.

4 Nov 2009

CDA, JDRF launch national campaign to identify Canada's Diabetes Champions

Today, the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) launched a national campaign to identify Canada's Diabetes Champions. This national celebration - held in honour of World Diabetes Day (November 14) - recognizes the ongoing commitment of millions of Canadians who build awareness of, and live with, diabetes in Canada.

4 Nov 2009

Second-quarter fiscal 2010 results announced by STERIS

STERIS Corporation today announced financial results for its fiscal 2010 second quarter ended September 30, 2009. Fiscal 2010 second quarter revenues were $314.2 million compared with $323.1 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2009, a decline of 3%.

4 Nov 2009

Department of Health: CDC has allocated 964,100 doses of H1N1 vaccine to Pennsylvania to date

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, has allocated a total of 964,100 doses of H1N1 vaccine to Pennsylvania to date, the state Department of Health announced today.

4 Nov 2009