Sexual Health
ZymoGenetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZGEN) announced that Interleukin 21 (IL-21) demonstrated an impressive overall response rate in the treatment of metastatic melanoma. In interim Phase 2 results from 24 patients, 29 percent showed a partial response, with an additional 33 percent of patients showing stable disease in this difficult to treat disease.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccination with seasonal flu vaccines made for the 2005 to 2009
St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) announced European CE Mark approval of its Accent™ RF pacemaker and Anthem™ RF CRT-P (cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemaker).
Standard Chartered"s Group Finance Director, Richard Meddings, has pledged to run The Standard Chartered Great City Race 2009 blindfolded to help raise funds for the race"s official community partner, Seeing is Believing (SiB). Today, organisers call for the other runners to start fundraising and help make a difference*.
HIV in Europe is transmitted primarily in vacation destinations, according to a study published recently in the journal Retrovirology, the PA/Google.com reports. For the study, researchers led by Dimitrios Paraskevis of the University of Athens analyzed samples of HIV-1 subtype B virus, the most prevalent form of HIV in Europe, from 16 European countries and Israel (PA/Google.com, 5/20). The researchers created a family tree of the virus and examined its genetic characteristics to determine how it has evolved.The study found that tourists are more likely to contract HIV in Greece, Portugal, Serbia and Spain, which are popular vacation destinations. Meanwhile, HIV-positive people in Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Luxembourg are more likely to have contracted the virus outside of these countries. The study also found that HIV-positive people in Israel, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom contract the virus both within these countries and in other countries. In addition, the study found that in Poland the virus spread mainly among residents through injection drug use. "Viruses move around with travelers -- thus health programs within countries should not only target the national populations, prevention efforts must also be aimed at migrants, travelers and tourists -- who are both major s and targets of HIV," Paraskevis said (BBC News, 5/20). Lisa Power, head of policy at the Terrence Higgins Trust, said that the findings are not a "surprise," adding, "We"ve known for some time with high levels of mobility in the world these days that it"s very easy for viruses to move around. What it tells us is that you can"t limit HIV prevention and support just to permanent residents" (PA/Google.com, 5/20).
Somerset"s midwives can now offer women a new early pregnancy support service.
Although the number of blacks who are registered as organ donors in Michigan has increased in the last 15 years, many are still reluctant to be organ donors, the Detroit News reports. According to Remonia Chapman, director of Gift of Life Michigan"s minority organ tissue transplant education program, many blacks are hesitant to participate with the organ donor registry because they have inadequate access to health care.Chapman said that increased awareness and education about organ donation and the diseases that lead to the need for donated organs, as well as partnerships with minority donors, black ministers and community groups, have encouraged more blacks to be organ donors. In the last 15 years, the percentage of black Michigan residents who are registered organ donors has increased from 10.8% to 21%, with overall minority registration at 24%. Chapman noted that about 41.3% of people on Michigan"s transplant waiting list and about 46% of people in need of a kidney are minorities.According to the News, minority donors are the best matches for minority organ recipients because the genetic profiles of the donor and recipient will have more similarities. Chapman added that the best matches for kidney recipients are donors from the recipient"s family or from the recipient"s ethnic group if a family donor is not available (Stolarz, Detroit News, 5/19).
Regulatory processes differ across continents,
Spiration, Inc., a developer of novel medical devices designed to benefit patients with severe and chronic conditions of the lung, presented results of two analyses of methods used for evaluating U.S. Pilot Study effectiveness of bronchial valve treatment for severe emphysema at the annual American Thoracic Society (ATS) International conference taking place in San Diego May 15 to 22, 2009.
Research led by David Worthylake, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, may help lay the groundwork for the development of a compound to prevent the spread of cancer. The research will be published in the May 29, 2009 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
At six months, the NEVO™ Sirolimus-eluting Coronary Stent, incorporating RES Technology™, was superior to the Taxus® Liberte® Stent in reducing tissue growth within the stent that can potentially lead to repeat procedures, in new clinical study results released . In addition, no reports of stent thrombosis were reported in patients treated with NEVO™ through six months.
Bovie Medical Corporation (the "Company") (NYSE-AMEX Symbol: BVX), a manufacturer and marketer of electrosurgical products, announced a 510K submission to the FDA seeking pre-market clearance for a laparoscopic SEER device for solid organ resection. The laparoscopic SEER is a line extension of the Saline Enhance Electrosurgical Resection (SEER) device that Bovie launched earlier this year and will address the growing market of minimally invasive liver resection.
An experimental vaccine applied to the surface of the skin appears to protect against certain types of ear infections. Scientists from the Research Institute at Nationwide Children"s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, reported their findings at the 109th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Philadelphia.
Using fenofibrate to lower blood fats in people with type 2 diabetes reduces the risk of a first diabetes-related amputation by 36%. This is among the conclusions of the FIELD study, reported in an Article in this week"s diabetes special issue of The Lancet.
Boehringer Ingelheim will present new data on the company"s two lead oncology compounds, BIBW 2992 and BIBF 1120 at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the company announced today. Two studies in the LUX-Lung clinical development program for BIBW 2992 and a Phase II study of BIBF 1120 in ovarian cancer patients will be presented.
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: BCRX) announced long-term data from a Phase 2 study of forodesine, the Company"s lead oncology compound, in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). The data will be presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) being held in Orlando, Florida from May 29-June 2. Forodesine is a transition-state analog inhibitor of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), a purine salvage pathway enzyme that is essential for the proliferation of T-cells and B-cells.
PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company developing acute care products for infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders, has received a notice of no objection from Health Canada for the Company"s Clinical Trial Application ("CTA") for its defensin mimetic antibiotic compound, PMX-30063. This notice of no objection allows for the initiation of the second human clinical study in Canada. PMX-30063 is a defensin mimetic antibiotic compound, the first of an entirely new class of antibiotic drugs that is believed to work in such a way that makes bacterial resistance unlikely to develop.
Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRBN) announced the acceptance of three data presentations on its proprietary product candidate, TRU-016, that will be given at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting May 29 through June 2 in Orlando, Fla. The presentations will include positive data from a Phase 1 clinical trial of TRU-016 for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a preclinical study demonstrating the additive or synergistic effects of TRU-016 in combination with other therapeutic drugs for the treatment of non-Hodgkin"s lymphoma (NHL), and a preclinical study evaluating the effect of TRU-016 on direct apoptosis in CLL cells.
Alzheimer imaging aficionados thronged to back-to-back meetings held recently in Seattle for a preview of the latest data from the Alzheimer"s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Launched in the fall of 2004 and set to conclude next year, the $64-million ADNI is comparing imaging methods and fluid biomarkers in the same set of people to determine which measures can best predict and track Alzheimer-disease clinical changes over time. The project is approaching the homestretch of data collection. By the fall of 2010, ADNI scientists will have collected three years of longitudinal data from more than 800 participants (about 200 normal, 400 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 200 with Alzheimer disease) at 59 U.S. and Canadian sites. The Seattle meetings featured preliminary analysis of the one-year data.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced at the end of the day of 22nd May, 2009, that so far 6,552 humans have been infected with the A(H1N1) influenza virus, also known as swine flu. This new A (H1N2) flu virus originates from pigs and was first identified in April this year. The virus is human transmissible, says the CDC, meaning it spreads from person-to-person, and has sparked a growing outbreak of illness throughout the USA. The CDC stresses that cases of confirmed human infection are occurring all over the world.
Recent studies have linked sleep loss and sleep disorders to health problems such as depression, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke. The latest findings in sleep research will be presented and discussed by more than 6,500 scientists and sleep specialists when the SLEEP 2009 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies convenes at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Wash. from June 8 to 11.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide grant support for the completion of a project under way to evaluate the effectiveness of a new training program for telephone crisis counselors at suicide hotline centers. The rollout of the new training program, which began in winter of 2008, offers an unrepeatable opportunity to assess the benefits of the training. The information could shape telephone-based suicide prevention services across the country.
Drinking on college campuses in the United States is a pervasive problem, leading to numerous problems. One study estimated that more than 500,000 college students suffered alcohol-related injuries in 2001. This study examined the "dose-response" effect of quantities and frequencies, finding that heavy drinkers with a sensation-seeking disposition had the greatest risk of alcohol-related injuries.
Someone who has a low level of response (LR) to alcohol, meaning relatively little reaction to alcohol, has a higher risk for developing alcohol-use disorders (AUDs). A study that examined the influence of LR in conjunction with other characteristics - like family history of AUDs and age of drinking onset - has found that LR is a unique risk factor for AUDs across adulthood and is not simply a reflection of a broader range of risk factors.
A researcher with Weill Cornell Medical College has developed a vaginal ring that releases microbicides and could prevent HIV and unplanned pregnancies, ANI/Times of India reports. Brij Saxena -- a professor of reproductive biology and endocrinology and lead author of a recent study on the ring in the journal AIDS -- said that laboratory testing showed the device would be effective at preventing HIV infection and pregnancy by releasing several types of nonhormonal agents and microbicides. He added that if proven successful in clinical trials, the device would allow women to effectively protect themselves from HIV and avoid pregnancy. According to Saxena, the ring releases antiretroviral drugs over a period of 28 days. He noted that the device potentially could serve as an alternative method to prevent other sexually transmitted infections. Jeffrey Laurence, co-author of the study and a physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center, said, "No one has ever conquered a viral epidemic with treatment, so prevention is the most effective option." He added, "Ideally, an HIV vaccine is the most desirable method, but that is not foreseeable in the near future. The next best thing would be something that would prevent infection and put the power in the susceptible female partner"s control. That"s the potential a device such as this can offer" (ANI/Times of India, 5/20).
A total of 199 patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer underwent breast MRI. "We found additional, unsuspected cancers in the ipsilateral breast (the one that had already been diagnosed with cancer) in 16% of patients; we found cancers in the contralateral breast (the one that had not been diagnosed with cancer) in 4% of patients," said Petra J. Lewis, MD, lead author of the study. "These patients had already had bilateral mammography and these tumors had not been apparent on mammography," said Dr. Lewis.
In just two weeks from the time the first patient virus samples were made available, Singapore scientists report an evolutionary analysis of a critical protein produced by the 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus strain.
Using a specially adapted tool called P[acman], a collaboration of researchers led by Baylor College of Medicine has established a library of clones that cover most of the genome of Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) and should speed the pace of genetic research.
Couples are being asked to replace their usual form of birth control with a new male contraceptive in a study to test its effectiveness.
Cancer Research UK scientists have tamed a virus so that it attacks and destroys cancer cells but does not harm healthy cells, according to a paper published in PLoS Pathogens*.
New research claims that people with diabetes can cut their risk of a heart attack if they lower their blood glucose levels.
Johns Hopkins Medicine"s patient safety program has earned second place in Healthcare Informatics magazine"s eighth annual Innovator Awards.
There has been an alarming rise in new cases of the deadliest form of skin cancer in the UK, with binge tanning cited as a main reason, said a
The largest study of its kind to date shows that women may not be able to learn as well shortly before menopause compared to other stages in life. The research is published in the May 26, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
UroToday.com - Angiogenesis is the process of new blood vessel formation in tumors, facilitating their growth. Endostatin is a cleavage product of collagen and is a potent inhibitor of endothelial cell proliferation and migration. Endostatin causes apoptosis in endothelial and tumor cells. Prostate cancer expresses angiogenic factors.
UroToday.com - Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Cigarette smoke contains a variety of carcinogenic chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic amines, heterocyclic aromatic amines and N-nitrosamines. Among the N-nitrosamines present in cigarette smoke, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is the most abundant and the most potent in terms of carcinogenicity.
UroToday.com - Our first results of sentinel node mapping with intraoperative radioguidance in urological tumors are described in our abstract. We selected this movie to show the whole imaging procedure. In a patient with prostate cancer, the radiopharmaceutical is injected in 4 depots into the prostate. After tracer administration, planar lymphoscintigraphy is performed after 15 minutes and in 2 hours is followed by a SPECT/CT. After fusion of corresponding SPECT and CT slices, the two-dimensional fusion images show the location of the sentinel nodes.
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) announced its ECON 09 Business Programs for the 2009 Marketplace Conference, to be held June 28-July 1 in Boston, Massachusetts. The presentations are new additions to the Marketplace program.
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is an aggressive muscle cancer that mostly affects children. The most common forms of RMS are embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS). Although ARMS is less common than ERMS, it is associated with a much higher rate of mortality. A therapy tailored to the ARMS form of RMS is therefore badly needed. A team of researchers, at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, and Monash Institute of Medical Research, Australia, has now provided hope that it might be possible to develop such a therapy by showing that the protein ILK promotes the growth of ARMS cells, whereas it suppresses the growth of ERMS cells.
As thousands of students nationwide prepare to leave high school, a UC Davis study appearing online in the June issue of the medical journal Pediatrics shows a clear link between attention problems early in school - as early as kindergarten - and lower high school test scores.
Thank parasites for making some of our immune proteins into the inflammatory defenders they are today, according to a population genetics study that will appear in the June 8 issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine (online May 25). The study, conducted by a team of researchers in Italy, also suggests that you might blame parasites for sculpting some of those genes into risk factors for intestinal disorders.
Hospice, a well-established approach to palliative care, has enabled countless people worldwide to die with dignity. Through focusing on the patient rather than the disease, individuals can spend the last weeks of their lives in an environment where hospice caregivers minimize their pain, maximize their comfort, and provide bereavement services for loved ones and family members.
The amazingly powerful computers at Amazon.com - where online customers order books, CDs, and other products - are giving scientists an inexpensive tool to crunch massive amounts of data being generated by efforts to understand proteins. Termed proteomics, the large-scale study of all the proteins in an organism, promises new ways of diagnosing and treating hundreds of diseases. In a report scheduled for the June 5 issue of ACS" monthly Journal of Proteome Research, scientists describe the development of free tools using Amazon"s "cloud computing" service that can help shoulder scientists" data crunching needs with its brawny network of computers.
Journalists are invited to register for the 36th European Symposium on Calcified Tissue in Vienna, 23 - 27 May. Presentations offer state-of-the-art research on bone and mineralized tissue, as well as the diagnostis and treatment of metabolic bone disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today announced the launch of a Joint Programme on Cancer Control, aimed at strengthening and accelerating efforts to fight cancer in the developing world.
AltheaDx, a world leader in the development of companion diagnostics and biopharma services, announced that they have successfully passed the State of California survey for CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) certification. AltheaDx is offering high-quality patient and biopharma molecular testing services from their state-of-the-art, GMP, GLP, and now CLIA compliant facility located in the Sorrento Valley, San Diego.
HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust is teaming up with local HIV support service Summit House Support to launch Sandwell"s first ever centre for people living with HIV. The new centre will be opened by Heart FM broadcaster Steve Denyer at 12.00pm on Wednesday 3 June.
The 128,000-member American College of Physicians (ACP) endorsed the Preserving Patient Access to Primary Care Act of 2009 (H.R. 2350), introduced by Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA). "Primary care is the best medicine for better health and lower costs," ACP noted, "and this is the best medicine for curing the growing crisis in primary care."
Are you a man or a mouse? A new paper, published in this week"s issue of
The recent H1N1 influenza epidemic has raised many questions about how animal viruses move to human populations. One potential route is through veterinarians, who, according to a new report by University of Iowa College of Public Health researchers, are at markedly increased risk of infection with zoonotic pathogens -- the viruses and bacteria that can infect both animals and humans.
TeleHealth Services, the nation"s leading provider of healthcare grade televisions and on-demand patient and staff interactive education solutions, has announced the implementation of its TIGR on-demand video education and entertainment system into Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Orem, Utah.
The 22nd Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) will be held from 12-16 September 2009 in Istanbul, Turkey.
There are several risk factors for the development of Alzheimer"s disease and vascular dementia. Based on an increasing number of studies linking these risk factors with Vitamin D deficiency, an article in the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer"s Disease (May 2009) by William B. Grant, PhD of the Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center (SUNARC) suggests that further investigation of possible direct or indirect linkages between Vitamin D and these dementias is needed.
Vimpat(R) (lacosamide) C-V, a new antiepileptic drug (AED), will be available in U.S. pharmacies by the first week of June 2009. Vimpat was approved by the U.S. FDA in the fall of 2008 for the use as an add-on therapy for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in people 17 years and older with epilepsy.
A short, preoperative team briefing prior to cardiac surgery - where each person on the team speaks - improves communication and reduces errors and costs, according to a pilot study conducted at Mayo Clinic.
Ascenta Therapeutics announced that eleven presentations or publications on pre-clinical and clinical studies of AT-101, an oral, pan-Bcl-2 inhibitor, in several major tumor types will be made during the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, May 29-June 2, in Orlando, Florida.
A panel of senior advocates and health policy experts gathered on Capitol Hill
A machine developed at North Carolina State University in Raleigh may allow researchers to expedite development of new tools and techniques for heart surgery. The dynamic heart system pumps fluid through a pig heart so that it continues to function like a live heart even after it"s been removed from the animal"s body. The machine will allow researchers to test and refine surgical technologies in a realistic surgical environment without the cost and time associated with animal or clinical trials, its developers say.
The American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) has joined the Association for Molecular Pathology, the College of American Pathologists, and the American Society for Clinical Pathology in a lawsuit filed today charging that patents on the human genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer interfere with diagnostic testing, stifle research and limit women"s options regarding their health care. The lawsuit challenges patents on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which are responsible for most cases of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. Because these genes are "products of nature," the ACMG believes that granting patents on them is illegal.
California (USC) have identified a
Victorian stem cell scientists from the Australian Stem Cell Centre, Monash University and the Florey Neuroscience Institutes are the first recipients of collaborative grants under the Victoria-California Stem Cell Alliance.
Hospira Inc. (NYSE: HSP) presented two posters at the World Congress of Nephrology reporting new data and analysis on epoetin zeta (Retacrit®), its biosimilar epoetin.
Small businesses increasingly are eliminating their employee health coverage plans because of rising health care premiums and declining revenue attributed to the current economic recession, the Wall Street Journal reports. About 10% of small companies are considering ending their employee health coverage plans over the next year, compared with 3% of small businesses in 2005, according to a recent survey by the National Small Business Association. In 2008, 38% of small companies offered health coverage, compared with 41% in 2007 and 61% in 1993, according to NSBA. According to a Hewitt Associates survey, 19% of all U.S. businesses plan to halt providing health care benefits to their employees in the next three to five years.A rise in health care coverage premiums has contributed to employers eliminating plans, according to the Journal. Premiums for single policies increased by 74% for small businesses from 2001 to 2008, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. According to Scott Krienke, senior vice president of product lines for Assurant Health, health insurance premiums for small businesses increase by 8% to 16% annually on average, with smaller firms often having the highest increases. According to the Journal, many employers are choosing to eliminate health coverage instead of eliminating jobs or closing down their business. Some businesses have chosen instead to shift more health care costs to workers, change health insurers, switch prescription drug plans to encourage employees to purchase more generic drugs or offer employees wellness plans that encourage healthy habits as a strategy to reduce health care costs, the Journal reports (Mattioli, Wall Street Journal, 5/26).
Concerns regarding the H1N1 flu strain or the current global economic recession should not take attention away from the long-term fight against HIV/AIDS, Julio Mantaner, head of the International AIDS Society, said recently, VOA News reports. Mantaner said global health issues need to be "put ... into the proper perspective," adding, "No doubt that ... whatever new flu or any other epidemic that may show up the day after tomorrow ... is something that we need to respond to. But it cannot be at the expense of a proven, established killer" like HIV/AIDS. He said that although it is important to remain vigilant in detecting emerging epidemics and infectious diseases, "we"re (doing) ourselves a very serious disservice" when res are taken away from combating HIV/AIDS and given to "the next new potential epidemic."Mantaner said that although it is "clear that we failed to meet original targets" in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, there has been an increase in the number of HIV-positive people in developing countries receiving antiretroviral treatments from about 500,000 in 2003 to more than three million by the end of 2007. In addition, he said that antiretrovirals are "saving lives of people" and "preserving the social network, the family structure ... that is so severely compromised by HIV and AIDS." Despite this progress, Mantaner said that "[w]e need to recognize more [people] are being infected every day by a factor of nearly two than the number of people accessing antiretroviral therapy."Mantaner urged members of the World Health Assembly -- who recently met in Geneva -- to honor HIV/AIDS commitments, noting that the gains in fighting the pandemic cannot be reversed. He said that he is concerned the global recession, worries over the H1N1 flu and other "competing needs or hypothetical epidemics" could lead to donor nations "losing their interest" in fighting HIV/AIDS. Mantaner said that he is disappointed with President Obama"s recent $63 billion, six-year proposed global health initiative, adding that it falls short of his campaign promises. He said that IAS is asking leaders from the Group of Eight industrialized nations to "refocus their efforts" and "meet their commitments." He warned that if the commitments are not met, "[h]istory is going to judge us very harshly," adding, "We"ve been distracted by the epidemic of the day without recognizing that we have a killer within our midst that we can control" (DeCapua, VOA News, 5/21).
Faculty physicians at academic medical centers may be less likely to experience burnout if they spend at least one day per week on the aspect of their work that is most meaningful to them, according to a report in the May 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
A new way of assessing professionalism among medical students could help to make better doctors, a new research study suggests.
Older women, women with a higher grade of precancerous cells and women who undergo a freezing procedure known as cryotherapy to remove abnormal cervical cells are at a higher risk than other groups that the problem cells will return or develop into cervical cancer, according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Reuters reports. For the study, Joy Melnikow of the University of California-Davis and colleagues compared 37,000 women who were treated for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia -- abnormal cervical cells -- from 1986 through 2000 with 71,000 women who had no history of abnormal cervical cells.The researchers found that the risk of cervical cancer and recurrence of medium to severe degrees of CIN was highest for women who were older than age 40, who had been previously treated for severe CIN or whose abnormal cells were treated using cryotherapy. The women underwent cone biopsies a surgical procedure to remove abnormal cells were least likely to have a recurrence of CIN. According to Melnikow, recurrence was most likely to occur within the first six years after treatment. Melnikow said that women who have been treated surgically have higher risks of bleeding and preterm labor. Therefore, younger women who are planning to become pregnant might prefer cryotherapy, she said, adding that younger women"s "risk of recurrence is lower, and a recurrence can be treated again" (Steenhuysen, Reuters, 5/12).
A team of researchers has found an association between breast cancer survival and two proteins that, when present in the blood in high levels, are indicators of inflammation. Using data from the Health, Eating, Activity and Lifestyle (HEAL) study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, the researchers found that breast cancer patients with elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) were approximately two to three times more likely to die sooner or have their cancer return than those patients who had lower levels of these proteins, regardless of the patient"s age, tumor stage, race, body mass index, or history of previous cardiovascular issues. The results of this study were published online, May 26, 2009, in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Mice and rabbits immunized with a multimeric-L2 protein vaccine had robust antibody responses and were protected from infection when exposed to human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 four months after vaccination, according to a new study published in the May 26 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
UNICEF has appealed for an additional $41.4 million to provide urgent assistance to people displaced by fighting in northwest Pakistan. Over half of the displaced are children. UNICEF Pakistan has now almost exhausted its contingency stocks of supplies and funding.
A landmark clinical trial led by a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researcher concludes that radiofrequency ablation is an effective treatment for dysplasia in people with Barrett"s esophagus, a condition that can lead to deadly gastrointestinal cancer.
Financial contracts to care for sick or aging relatives nearly unthinkable just a decade ago are drawing new interest as everyday Americans wrestle with the time and expense of providing long-term health care, a University of Illinois legal expert says.
An editorial published on bmj.com reports that better legal protection, support from regulatory groups and most importantly, a change in culture are required to promote whistleblowing in order to defend patients and clinicians.
President Obama on Tuesday in his official announcement of his nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court emphasized what he called her "extraordinary journey" from a modest background to the top of the judiciary, launching a "confirmation battle that he hopes to wage over biography more than ideology," the New York Times reports. If confirmed, Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic and the third woman to serve on the court, as well as the sixth of the court"s current members with a Roman Catholic background, the Times reports (Baker/Zeleny, New York Times, 5/27). Sotomayor would replace retiring Justice David Souter, who typically is a liberal vote on social issues, the Wall Street Journal reports. Therefore, the addition of Sotomayor would not likely change the ideological balance of the court (Bravin/Koppel, Wall Street Journal, 5/27). The Washington Post reports Obama in his remarks cast Sotomayor "as the embodiment of the qualities he seeks in a judge," including superior intelligence, an understanding of the limited role of the judiciary and what he called "an understanding of how the world works and how ordinary people live" (Barnes/Fletcher, Washington Post, 5/27). The president said he wants Sotomayor to be confirmed before the Senate leaves in August for its summer recess, so she can join the court in time for its September review of potential cases. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that the Senate has "ample time" to complete the confirmation process, as the average time span is 72 days and there are 74 until the recess (Koffler, Roll Call, 5/26). Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) praised Obama"s decision, calling Sotomayor"s record "exemplary" and her nomination "historic." Leahy noted that both former President George H.W. Bush and former President Clinton nominated Sotomayor to federal judgeships, adding, "She has been nominated by both Democratic and Republican presidents, and she was twice confirmed by the Senate with strong, bipartisan support" (Stanton, Roll Call, 5/26).Rulings on Abortion Rights Throughout her career as a federal judge, Sotomayor has not issued what are considered major decisions regarding abortion rights, although her record on cases involving civil and social rights issues appear "more liberal than not," according to the New York Times (Liptak, New York Times, 5/27). Politico reports that Sotomayor has ruled in favor of antiabortion-rights groups in two cases. The first case occurred in 2002 when she sided with the Bush administration in its efforts to implement the "global gag rule," which banned federal funding for international family planning groups that offer abortion services or information with their own funds. Sotomayor ruled that the government had the right to decide how to spend its funding. In 2004, Sotomayor ruled in favor of antiabortion-rights protesters who alleged that they were brutalized while being arrested in West Hartford, Conn. (Gerstein/Javers, Politico, 5/26). Gibbs said that Obama did not ask Sotomayor about issues related to abortion during her vetting and there was "no litmus test" on abortion-rights issues (Koffler, Roll Call, 5/26).Obama"s announcement was well-received by many groups that support abortion rights. NARAL Pro-Choice America President Nancy Keenan said the group is anticipating more information about Sotomayor"s views on abortion rights and the right to privacy. She added that the group is "encouraged by the strong support she receives from her peers and other legal scholars and the fact that the Senate has twice confirmed her for federal judgeships" (Posner, Congress Daily, 5/26). Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization of Women, said that Sotomayor "brings a lifelong commitment to equality, justice and opportunity, as well as the respect of her peers, unassailable integrity and a keen intellect informed by experience." Gandy added that Obama "said he wanted a justice with "towering intellect" and a "common to
Several newspapers on Wednesday included editorials and opinion pieces on President Obama"s nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Summaries appear below. ~New York Times: Obama "seems to have made an inspired choice" in selecting Sotomayor as his nominee because she "has an impressive judicial record, a stellar academic background and a compelling life story," a Times editorial states. According to the editorial, "Based on what we know now, the Senate should confirm her so she can join the court when it begins its new term in October." The editorial notes that, "Conservative activists have already begun trying to paint Judge Sotomayor as a liberal ideologue, but her carefully reasoned, fact-based decisions indicate otherwise." The editorial continues, "If Judge Sotomayor joins the court, it will be a special point of pride for Hispanic-Americans," and "will also bring the paltry number of female justices back to two." It adds, "Judge Sotomayor, though, is more than just a distinguished member of two underrepresented groups. She is an accomplished lawyer and judge, who could become an extraordinary Supreme Court Justice" (New York Times, 5/27).~Gerard Magliocca, New York Times: In addition to sharing Obama"s "experience and intellect," Sotomayor "also mirror"s the president"s measured temperament," Magliocca, a law professor at Indiana University, writes in a Times opinion piece. Magliocca writes that he has known Sotomayor for 13 years and notes that although he is a conservative and has at times been "at odds with" Sotomayor professionally, he does not dispute her qualifications. According to Magliocca, "For those of us who think that intellectual rigor and fairness are the crucial factors" to be a Supreme Court justice, "no matter which party the president hails from, there is no question that Judge Sotomayor should be confirmed" (Magliocca, New York Times, 5/27).~USA Today: Upon hearing that Sotomayor was Obama"s nominee, Republican critics "quickly insisted that the Senate assure itself that Sotomayor would not make rulings based on her "personal politics, feelings and preferences,"" a USA Today editorial states. According to the editorial, "To some extent, the entire argument is overblown. People inevitably are the product of their experiences, and they can hardly shed their history and character at the courthouse door." The editorial continues, "That is why the court is enriched by having an eclectic mix of justices who can bring differing perspectives to bear on the case at hand." The editorial concludes, "Sotomayor"s education and experience make her far more than a political twofer who allowed Obama to check the "female" and "Hispanic" boxes. But there"s a limit to the application of empathy and heritage to the law, and her confirmation hearings will be an opportunity for her to spell out exactly where she believes that line falls," (USA Today, 5/27).~ Steven Waldman, Wall Street Journal: "Everyone seems to assume" that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is "ardently for abortion rights," but there is "stunningly little information about her abortion views -- and what we do know hardly paints her as a pro-choice activist," Waldman, president and editor-in-chief of Beliefnet.com and author of "Founding Faith," writes in a Journal opinion piece. He continues that Sotomayor has ruled only on three cases "indirectly related to abortion," and each time ruled in a way preferred by abortion-rights opponents, "albeit for reasons unrelated to the merits of abortion." Although Sotomayor"s decisions in the cases were related "to matters of constitutional law and criminal procedure, ... at a minimum, it showed that whatever her abortion views, it didn"t produce some powerful inclination against the pro-life position," according to Waldman. "Now all of this might not mean anything. She may prove to be a strong advocate of Roe v. Wade. But it"s telling that the abortion interest groups took sides without knowing anything about her abortion
Technology Partners, Inc. (dba IMAGINE Software), a leading provider of medical billing technology, recently announced it has attained Gold Certified Partner status in the Microsoft Partner Program with its flagship product IMAGINEradiologyTM, which achieved an ISV/Software Solutions Competency. The company also received a Networking Infrastructure Solutions Competency, recognizing Technology Partners" expertise and impact in the technology marketplace.
In a recent New Yorker essay, physician Atul Gawande examines the rising cost of health care in the U.S. and how controlling those costs is a central issue as lawmakers prepare health care overhaul legislation. Gawande compares hospitals in McAllen, Texas -- which is in the county with the lowest household income nationwide but has one of the most expensive health care markets in the U.S. -- with hospitals in other parts of the country that have lower costs but higher quality of care. He writes, "McAllen and other cities like it have to be weaned away from their untenably fragmented, quantity-driven systems of health care, step by step," which means rewarding physicians and hospitals that "collaborate to increase prevention and the quality of care, while discouraging overtreatment, undertreatment and sheer profiteering" (Gawande, New Yorker, 6/1).
Timothy J. Bartness, Regents" Professor of Biology at Georgia State University, has received a multi-million dollar award from the National Institutes of Health to further research into the biological mechanisms of obesity.
Rice University researchers have announced that the first field tests of "nanorust," the university"s revolutionary, low-cost technology for removing arsenic from drinking water, will begin later this year in Guanajuato, Mexico.
Today"s Irish launch of RoActemra, a new treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from Roche, is being hailed as a breakthrough in the fight against this incurable and often debilitating disease. RoActemra (tocilizumab) is the first medication of its kind developed for the treatment of RA and provides an innovative therapy option (1), which gives people with RA fast relief of RA signs and symptoms, such as pain. Also, people receiving RoActemra continue to benefit from increased relief during the course of treatment, with approximately half reaching remission (minimal signs and symptoms) by one year.
The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on Tuesday heard testimony on the Medical Device Safety Act of 2009 (HR 1346), which would allow consumers to sue medical device manufacturers in state courts, CQ HealthBeat reports. The bill responds to last year"s Supreme Court ruling that says medical devices with FDA pre-marketing approval can be pre-empted from lawsuits under state law, in accordance with the Medical Device Amendments of 1976. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.Y.), who introduced the bill, said that the 2008 Supreme Court ruling "ignor[ed] congressional intent" by providing blanket immunity for medical device makers. According to Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), a co-sponsor of the bill, the original 1976 law sought to grant regulatory authority to FDA for medical devices, but it did not aim to eliminate state liability. Committee Chair Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), another co-sponsor, said last year"s ruling already has caused 1,400 injury cases to be thrown out of court, adding that the threat of litigation provides manufacturers with additional safety incentives. David Vladeck -- a law professor at Georgetown University Law Center who testified at the hearing -- added that immunity from lawsuits "removes incentive to manufacturers to fix devices quickly and get defective devices off the market."Rep. Nathan Deal (R-Ga.) said the class of device that must obtain pre-marketing approval -- which includes pacemakers and replacement heart valves -- represents only 2% of all approved medical devices each year. Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) added that the measure could create an inconsistent system that allows both FDA experts and jurors in various states to make decisions on medical device safety standards. In addition, Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) cautioned that the bill might encourage manufacturers to limit distribution of their devices to certain states (Kim, CQ HealthBeat, 5/13). Related Editorial
When American patients trust their health to a for-profit insurance company, they"re doing nothing less than gambling with their lives. Registered nurses from the National Nurses Organizing Committee and California Nurses Association today announce the launch of a new healthcare video game, based on this idea, called "You Bet Your Health." The game is part of a wide-ranging public education and political mobilization campaign for single-payer health reforms, which is the choice of nurses and doctors. The game can be viewed at http://www.YouBetYourHealth.com
Side effects associated with several commonly-prescribed dementia drugs may be putting elderly Canadians at risk, says Queen"s University Geriatrics professor Sudeep Gill.
The Alabama Department of Public Health has designated the University of South Alabama
New guidelines designed to standardize and optimize the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of patients with Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC), an uncommon and challenging form of thyroid cancer, have been developed by the American Thyroid Association and published online ahead of print in Thyroid, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The guidelines are available free online at http://www.liebertpub.com/thy.
The most reliable method of diagnosing gout is to aspirate the joint in order to obtain fluid to verify the presence of monosodium urate crystals (uric acid). Up to now, computed tomography (CT) has played a limited role in the evaluation of gout, since conventional CT systems cannot reliably verify deposits of uric acid. However, a current study at the Vancouver General Hospital in Canada gives rise to speculation that dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) could radically change the diagnosis of this disease. DECT enables fast, noninvasive examinations and, based on initial evaluations, has the potential to surpass the invasive gold standard and clinical examination in terms of reliability. Investigations have confirmed the high sensitivity of the DECT method in detecting uric acid deposits. The Canadian scientists used the SOMATOM Definition computed tomography (CT scanner) from Siemens for their investigation. This system is the only CT scanner worldwide that features two X-ray tubes capable of simultaneously producing different energies.
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is responsible for an estimated 219,000 to 246,000 babies born each year worldwide according to an international study. The study also finds that the number of ART procedures is growing steadily: in just two years (from 2000 to 2002) ART activity increased by more than 25%.
Immunology researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered how two biochemical signals play unique roles in promoting the development of a group of immune cells employed as tactical assassins.