http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. The decision to limit life support in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) appears to be significantly influenced by physician practices and/or the culture of the hospital, suggests new findings from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference on May 21. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-decisions-forgo-life-heavily-icu.html Other Tue, 21 May 2013 14:00:02 EST news288357068 A new stress test protocol that investigates reducing the use of perfusion imaging in low risk patients undergoing SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging for possible angina symptoms was found to be diagnostically safe, revealed a US retrospective analysis. The study, reported as an abstract¹ at the International Conference on Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac CT (ICNC11) May 5 to May 8 in Berlin, Germany, predicted that using exercise ECG stress testing alone in patients with high exercise capacity would have had no adverse effects on their prognosis at five years. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-protocol-limits-spect-mpi.html Cardiology Sun, 05 May 2013 06:50:01 EST news286952015 Lung cancer is one of the most common primary cancers that cause leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC), when cancer spreads to the membranes surrounding the spinal cord and brain. Cases of LMC have increased because of the improved survival of lung cancer patients with the help of new advances in treatment. This is the type of cancer diagnosis facingValerie Harper, who played Rhonda on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-latest-items-key-decrease-symptoms.html Cancer Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:56:41 EST news285868229 (HealthDay)—Prescriber preference rather than patient characteristics influences the duration of antibiotic courses in long-term care residents, according to research published online March 18 in JAMA Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-docs-duration-antibiotics-long-term.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:50:01 EST news283020087 A new study from Japan investigated various prognostic indicators, including clinico-pathological and pre-operative hematological factors to develop a novel prognostic factors-based risk stratification model for disease-specific survival (DSS) in bladder cancer (BCa) patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-prognostic-disease-specific-survival-bca-patients.html Cancer Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:46:16 EST news282829567 Infectious diseases in Ghana tend to capture the most attention, but a quiet crisis may soon take over as the country's most threatening epidemic: cancer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-stigma-stymies-prostate-cancer-screening.html Cancer Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:35:22 EST news278267715 Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson (KCC) have developed potentially game-changing diagnostic and prognostic genetic tests shown to better predict prostate cancer survival outcomes and distinguish clinically-relevant cancers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-game-diagnostic-prognostic-prostate-cancer.html Cancer Thu, 20 Dec 2012 12:15:38 EST news275228128 (HealthDay)—For patients with traumatic injuries, there is an inverse dose-response association between blood alcohol concentration and in-hospital mortality, according to a study published in the December issue of Alcohol. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-post-injury-blood-alcohol-inversely-tied.html Health Mon, 03 Dec 2012 19:10:03 EST news273776394 Researchers at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, have found an association in the United States between a higher density of neurologists and neurosurgeons and a decreased risk of death from stroke. The findings of their study are described in the article "Association of a higher density of specialist neuroscience providers with fewer deaths from stroke in the United States population. Clinical article," by Atman Desai, M.D., and colleagues, published today online, ahead of print, in the Journal of Neurosurgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-neurologists-neurosurgeons-deaths.html Surgery Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:00:02 EST news273435916 Scientists have used DNA sequencing for the first time to effectively track the spread of, and ultimately contain, an outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to new research published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-mrsa-outbreak-dna-sequencing.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 13 Nov 2012 18:30:01 EST news272044480 Cyberbullying – the use of the Internet, phones or other technologies to repeatedly harass or mistreat peers – is often linked with teen suicide in media reports. However, new research presented on Saturday, Oct. 20, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans, shows that the reality is more complex. Most teen suicide victims are bullied both online and in school, and many suicide victims also suffer from depression. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-cyberbullying-rarely-sole-factor-teen.html Psychology & Psychiatry Sat, 20 Oct 2012 05:30:01 EST news269928810 (HealthDay) -- Superficial X-ray therapy remains a viable treatment for primary basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in select patients, according to a study published online July 23 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-superficial-x-ray-viable-basal-squamous.html Cancer Mon, 06 Aug 2012 19:00:01 EST news263492832 Researchers at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire have found an association between increasing the distribution of neurosurgeons throughout the United States and decreasing the risk of death from motor vehicle accidents (MVAs). The findings of their study are described in the article "Increased population density of neurosurgeons associated with decreased risk of death from MVAs in the United States. Clinical article," by Atman Desai, M.D., and colleagues, published today online, ahead of print, in the Journal of Neurosurgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-greater-availability-neurosurgeons-death-motor.html Neuroscience Tue, 24 Jul 2012 10:42:17 EST news262345224 (HealthDay) -- A class of heart medications, cardiac glycosides, can induce immunogenic cell death (ICD), whereby dying cancer cells are converted into a vaccine that stimulates antitumor response, according to a study published in the July 18 issue of Science Translational Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-heart-medication-cancer-cells-vaccine.html Cancer Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:55:13 EST news262256106 Results from a retrospective analysis of contemporary data presented today at EULAR 2012, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, predict, based on estimates from a multivariate regression model, that the cumulative use of anti-tumour necrosis factor drugs (anti-TNFs) for one, two, or three years is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular events by 24%, 42% and 56% in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) respectively, compared to not using anti-TNF therapies (adjusting for background use of methotrexate or other disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs [DMARDs]). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-treatment-anti-tnfs-cardiovascular-events-rheumatoid.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Thu, 07 Jun 2012 07:39:25 EST news258273522 A retrospective analysis of methotrexate (MTX) safety data found that injection of this disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) was not superior to oral therapy in long-term treatment of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Findings published in Arthritis Care & Research, a peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), suggest that with similar efficacy and tolerability the more comfortable oral approach may be more suitable to treat pediatric arthritis patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-methotrexate-superior-oral-therapy-juvenile.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:02 EST news257531483 Investigators report that a simple bedside manual therapy to correct a painful misaligned sacroiliac joint was highly successful in a group of 45 patients 10 to 20 years of age. Thirty-six patients (80 percent) obtained significant pain relief, whereas nine patients (20 percent) experienced minimal to no relief. In 24 patients (53 percent) complete resolution of pain was experienced immediately upon treatment. Only two patients required a second treatment because of symptom recurrence. These findings are reported in a new article, "Sacroiliac joint pain in the pediatric population. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-quick-sacroiliac-joint-pain-children.html Surgery Tue, 22 May 2012 10:40:41 EST news256902013 Researchers at the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine and Feinstein Institute for Medical Research conducted a retrospective analysis which found that morbid obesity impedes kidney donation. In fact, in the analysis of 104 potential living kidney donors, 23 (22 percent) donors were classified as morbidly obese, only three (13 percent) of whom were able to successfully lose weight and donate their kidney. This data will be presented at the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) 2012 Spring Clinical Meetings, to be held from May 9-13 in Washington, DC. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-obesity-hinders-kidney-donation.html Other Thu, 10 May 2012 20:00:02 EST news255886451 (HealthDay) -- Data from a case series of 65 patients indicate that combining abdominoplasty and hysterectomy is safe and effective, according to a study presented at the annual clinical meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, held from May 5 to 9 in San Diego. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-acog-abdominoplasty-hysterectomy-deemed-safe.html Obstetrics & gynaecology Tue, 08 May 2012 14:20:01 EST news255702765 (Medical Xpress) -- A new analysis of hundreds of existing research studies shows that lesbians, gays and bisexuals experience high rates of victimization. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-high-victimization-gays-lesbians-bisexuals.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 07 May 2012 06:58:04 EST news255592663 Several new studies that may help doctors tailor lung cancer treatment to the characteristics of individual patients and of their tumors are being presented at the 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-advances-personalized-medicine-lung-cancer.html Cancer Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:12:43 EST news253966356 In wealthy countries, antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed AIDS into an often-manageable chronic condition, as patients can receive both the therapeutics and the constant monitoring that ensures the therapies remain effective. Developing nations, however, frequently need to balance expansion of treatment access versus the economic resources to sustain the routine blood testing that ART requires. At a time when global funding commitments for AIDS therapy programs are being cut, there is a great need to find new strategies to maximize available resources. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-biostatistics-resource-aids-treatment-poor.html HIV & AIDS Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:00:09 EST news253890648 An HIV prevention trial that pre-dates the shift to antiretroviral (ARV)-based approaches is nonetheless helping to answer some of the most relevant and topical questions the field is facing today. More than three years after reporting the primary results of HPTN 035, one of the last trials of the so-called first generation microbicides, researchers from the National Institutes of Health-funded Microbicide Trials Network (MTN) reported two new sets of findings gleaned from the study's trove of statistical data and laboratory specimens. The results of both analyses were presented at the International Microbicides Conference (M2012). The meeting, which started Sunday, April 15 and ends tomorrow, April 18, is being held in Sydney. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-microbicide-trials-network-hiv.html HIV & AIDS Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:15:51 EST news253876530 An analysis of Medicare beneficiaries suggests that surgical treatment for nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) increased substantially from 2001 through 2006, primarily due to a doubling in the rate of Mohs micrographic surgery procedures, according to a report published in the April issue of Archives of Dermatology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-medicare-mohs-micrographic-surgery-surgical.html Health Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:04:59 EST news253811091 Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson have demonstrated for the first time that the metabolic biomarker MCT4 directly links clinical outcomes with a new model of tumor metabolism that has patients "feeding" their cancer cells. Their findings were published online March 15 in Cell Cycle. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-cancer-paradigm-shift-biomarker-links.html Cancer Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:33:38 EST news251051606 Two studies published today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), demonstrate preliminary success of an effective multiple myeloma (MM) regimen in patients with AL amyloidosis, a rare and devastating blood disease that results in deposition of damaging abnormal protein in critical organs of the body, including the kidneys, heart, liver, and intestines, and shares some characteristics with MM. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-powerful-myeloma-treatment-regimen-al.html Cancer Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:28:09 EST news248362040 Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services today announced the publication of an article in the December issue of Reproductive BioMedicine Online about miscarriage rates following IVF treatment with frozen thawed embryos which may revolutionize clinical and laboratory practice. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-miscarriage-reproduction.html Other Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:11:44 EST news244980687 Accelerated partial breast irradiation using brachytherapy (APBIb) for the treatment of breast cancer has been rapidly increasing over the last several years in the U.S. as an alternative to standard whole-breast irradiation (WBI), according to a study published December 16th in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-advantages-uncertain-brachytherapy-breast-cancer.html Cancer Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:42:02 EST news243279712 The size of a heart attack and subsequent left-ventricular function are significantly different based on the time of day onset of ischemia, according to a first of its kind study in humans, published online Nov. 17 in Circulation Research. The greatest amount of injury to the heart occurs when individuals have a heart attack between 1:00am and 5:00am. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-severity-heart-day.html Cardiology Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:19:50 EST news241093141 In patients with a devastating form of vasculitis who are in remission, stress can be associated with a greater likelihood of the disease flaring, according to a new study by investigators at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-stress-triggers-disease-flares-patients.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Sun, 06 Nov 2011 07:20:01 EST news239784413