News • Epilepsy
FDA approves first drug derived from marijuana
FDA approves first drug comprised of an active ingredient derived from marijuana to treat rare, severe forms of epilepsy.
News • Patient safety
Greiner Bio-One expands blood collection product range
The Vacuette Safety Winged Set is a new addition to Greiner Bio-One’s (GBO) range of safety products. GBO now offers its customers an even wider selection of safety blood collection sets. In response to high demand for Greiner Bio-One safety products, the existing range will be joined by the new Vacuette Safety Winged Set. As always, the aim is to provide functional, user-friendly and…
News • Therapy
A 'super' receptor that helps kill HIV infected cells
While treatments for HIV mean that the disease is no longer largely fatal, the world still lacks a true therapy that can eradicate the virus across a globally—and genetically different—population.
News • Oncology
Breaking through a tumor's defenses
Babraham Institute researchers have shown that some tumours use not one but two levels of protection against the immune system. Knocking out one level boosted the protective effects of the second and vice versa. The research demonstrates that a two-pronged approach targeting both cell types simultaneously may offer a promising route for the development of new cancer immunotherapies.
News • Deadly brain cancer
Personalized cancer vaccine may increase long-term survival
An international Phase 3 study has found that a personalized glioblastoma vaccine may increase long-term survival in some patients.
Sponsored • Breast cancer patients
Study confirms: Scalp Cooler prevents alopecia
‘Scalp cooling successfully prevents alopecia in breast cancer patients undergoing anthracycline or taxane-based chemotherapy’, according to the latest clinical data published in The Breast. The paper, written by clinicians from the Berlin Oncology Center, Germany, revealed that 71% of women who took part on the study retained their hair as a result of using the Paxman Scalp Cooler. Scalp…
News • Surgical implant for damaged eyes
FDA approves first artificial iris
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first stand-alone prosthetic iris in the United States, a surgically implanted device to treat adults and children whose iris is completely missing or damaged due to a congenital condition called aniridia or other damage to the eye. The iris is made of thin, foldable medical-grade silicone and is custom-sized and colored for each individual…
News • New study
Pancreatic cancer: Chemotherapy goes platinum
A small study of adults with the most common form of pancreatic cancer adds to evidence that patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations long linked to a high risk of breast cancer have poorer overall survival rates than those without the mutations. The same study also found that those with BRCA1 or BRCA2 had better survival rates with platinum-based chemotherapy, compared with similar patients…
Sponsored • Radiation garment
Zero-Gravity suspended radiation protection
In today’s operating rooms, increasing fluoroscopic procedures keep interventionists at work longer, wearing the hugely heavy lead aprons necessary for protection against radiation. Chronic back pain is often accepted as something that simply comes with the job. Relief has arrived at last in the form of Zero-Gravity, a suspended radiation protection system designed to increase radiation…
News • Bone health
Osteoporosis defined: causes, symptoms and treatments
Weak, easily broken bones are an epidemic in the United States. They’re often tied to osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to degenerate over time. This makes them less flexible, more brittle, and easier to break. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, more than 44 million Americans aged 50 and older either have or face the threat of developing osteoporosis due to low bone…
Sponsored • Tropical diseases
Investigating schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis, a disease that is common in sub-Saharan Africa, is particularly widespread in Madagascar. The Schistosoma mansoni parasite responsible for the disease is linked to fibrotic changes in the liver which can be detected using point-of-care ultrasound.
News • Pivotal trial
Parkinson's disease: First patient treated with focused ultrasound
The first patient in a multicenter pivotal trial using focused ultrasound to address the major motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease has been treated at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York. This randomized, double-blind clinical trial is evaluating the safety and efficacy of using Insightec’s Exablate Neuro device in more than 100 patients…
News • Macular degeneration
Deteriorating eyesight is part of getting older? Don't be so sure
Many people accept deteriorating eyesight as an inevitable part of getting older, but blurry or distorted vision – such as when straight lines appear wavy – could be signs of age-related macular degeneration. The condition is the most common cause of severe vision loss in people age 50 and older in developed countries.
Article • GCCA/GBCA safety
Gadolinium @ ECR 2018 – diverse and “disunited”?
Gadolinium-containing/gadolinium-based contrast agents (GCCAs/GBCAs) and their usage was a major topic at ECR 2018. Fuelled by the current debate a number of presentations focused on possible impact, risks and necessities. Some were highly specific, others took a broader view. The only consensus, however, seems to be the need for more research and the focus on safety. Three ECR speakers, Joseph…
News • Pediatrics
New risk staging for children with kidney disease
Experts in pediatric kidney disease have published a new staging system to help doctors better predict the length of time until a child with chronic kidney disease (CKD) will need to undergo a kidney transplant or start receiving dialysis. Although this type of prognostic guide exists for adults, this is the first such tool specific to children. “We designed a clinically useful, data-driven…
Article • Rising up
Anaesthesia is a story of great success
Technical innovations and the implementation of quality standards in anaesthesia have immensely increased patient safety. ‘Over the past 60 years, patient safety during anaesthesia has improved more than in any other medical discipline,’ according to Professor Achim von Goedecke MD MSc, Director of the Institute of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care at Landeskrankenhaus Steyr in Upper Austria.
News • Otolaryngology
Treating head and neck cancer — the patient's perspective
Jan Walker, a retired administrative assistant to the superintendent of Boaz City Schools, was getting ready for her regular doctor visit and noticed a lump on her neck. Her primary care physician examined it and determined it was a simple swollen lymph node. Two months later, she began to lose feeling on the right side of her throat and noticed the lump had increased in size. After seeing other…
News • Fact-checking
Inherited cancer and genetic testing - looking beyond the myths
Cancer is a genetic disease caused by abnormal changes over time to genes that control cell function, typically starting in a single cell (an acquired mutation) and often not linked to an inherited genetic mutation. In other words, most cancers happen by chance. Only about 5 to 10 percent of cancers are due to an inherited genetic mutation, says Monique Lubaton, MGC, CGC, cancer genetic counselor…
News • External and brachytherapy
Prostate cancer: Combination of radiation therapies key to success
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed nationally among men. The National Cancer Institute estimates 161,000 were diagnosed in 2017. While there are many treatment options for men with prostate cancer, a recent national study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association compared the effectiveness of treatments for high-risk prostate cancer. Said Daniel Krauss,…
Sponsored • Artificial lungs
Easing ARDS and AECOPD
Innovative ‘artificial lungs’, which help the patients to breathe, offer less traumatic treatment for severe diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD/AECOPD). Respiratory failure is one of the most frequent causes of ICU admission. It may occur inter alia in patients with ARDS, a dangerous condition when the respiratory system…
Article • Women's health
Benign gynaecology specialist centres are needed
The recently opened Uterine Repair Center (URC) in VUmc (Amsterdam) serves women suffering non-cancerous gynaecological disorders, such as myomas, adenomyosis (endometriosis of the uterus), niches (caesarean scar defects) or congenital uterine abnormalities. Gynaecologist Professor Judith Huirne leads the clinic – but has greater aspirations.
News • Don't turn a blind eye
Annual dilated eye exams key in preventing diabetic eye disease
Diabetic eye disease is the leading cause of blindness among people ages 40 to 60. The longer you have diabetes, the greater your likelihood of developing vision problems increases. Keeping blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control can help people with diabetes maintain good eye health. They must also have a dilated eye exam once a year, says Dr. Malav Joshi, an…
News • Cooperation
Fraunhofer and Mologic partner on UTI solutions
Mologic Ltd, which develops powerful, personalised diagnostics to improve the lives of patients, and Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics (Fraunhofer CAP), a world-leading centre in the field of applied laser research and development, announced they are working together to develop a rapid, point-of-care test to immediately diagnose bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs) and any associated…
Video • TCAR (Transcarotid artery revascularization)
Reversing blood flow reduces stroke risk during carotid artery procedure
Loyola Medicine is the first academic medical center in Illinois to use the TCAR system, which reduces stroke risk during carotid artery procedures by temporarily reversing blood flow. Carotid arteries on each side of the neck supply blood to the brain. In patients with carotid artery disease, a build-up of plaque can cause blockages. A common method to open the artery involves a balloon…
News • Stroke campaign
If you suspect a stroke, act F.A.S.T.!
Newcastle stroke experts are backing a regional campaign launched by Public Health England (PHE). The Act F.A.S.T. stroke campaign launched in the North East urges the public to call 999 if they notice even one of the signs of a stroke in themselves, or in others. Current figures show there are over 64,500 people on GP registers in the North East who have had a stroke, and in 2016 1,765 people…
