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New studies on the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis and the treatment of prostatitis

Antimicrobials Ineffective in Treating Chronic Prostatitis / Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CP/PPS): Though the traditional means of treating men with CP/PPS, use of antibiotics and alpha-adrenergic receptor blockers (tamsulosin and ciprofloxacin) did not lead to significant change after six and 12 weeks of treatment.

10 May 2004

X-rays and scans to be stored and mailed electronically across NHS

The new system will enable images such as X-rays and scans to be stored and mailed electronically rather than printed on film and filed manually – enabling doctors to provide a much faster diagnosis.

10 May 2004

Europe-wide network fighting heart disease

Academic expertise at the University of Birmingham's Medical School is contributing to a Europe-wide network fighting heart disease. The European Vascular Genomics Network (EVGN) is the first European Funded network of excellence in the field of cardiovascular disease.

10 May 2004

No evidence of CJD associated with the Garden State Racetrack

The Department of Health and Senior Services released a report today on an investigation of a suspected cluster of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) associated with the Garden State Racetrack.

8 May 2004

66 percent of adults never talked to their mothers about heart disease

Just in time for Mother's Day, a national survey commissioned by GE Healthcare reveals that nearly two out of three adults have never talked to their mothers about heart disease, the number one killer of women in the United States.

8 May 2004

New screening helps to determine risk for having a baby with Down syndrome

Obstetricians at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, are offering a new, quicker, option for pregnant women who choose to undergo first trimester screening. The screening helps to determine whether the woman is at increased risk for having a baby with Down syndrome.

5 May 2004

World's first gene therapy trial aimed at preventing cancer

The concept seems straightforward. If, at its heart, cancer is a disease of genes, then giving patients new genes should disarm cancer. Such treatment would replace missing or faulty genes that keep cell growth in check, or would flush the body with "super genes" that could attack and destroy cancer.

5 May 2004

Swedish Medical Center has unveiled the world's most advanced mobile mammography center

Swedish Medical Center today unveiled the world's most advanced mobile mammography center. Known as the "Swedish Breast Care Express," the 64-foot self-contained coach features the latest full-field digital mammography equipment. And it will be the first unit to incorporate a complete rooftop satellite system for transmitting images remotely.

5 May 2004

Adult marijuana abuse increased during 1990's

In an article appearing in the May 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), addiction researchers at the National Institutes of Health compared marijuana use in the U.S. adult population in 1991 - 92 and 2001 - 02.

4 May 2004

Chemical thumbprint can help determine if tumor is returning or dying

Brain tumor survivors live with the constant worry that their cancer might come back. And even if they have a brain scan every few months to check, doctors often can't tell the difference between new cancer growth and tissue changes related to their treatment with radiation or chemotherapy.

3 May 2004

New radiology camera delivers sophisticated technology to Cambridge Medical Center patients

When most of us think of new cameras, we think about those little digital pocket-sized ones that easily fit into the palm of our hand. It’s amazing how much technology is contained in something so small.

3 May 2004

New practice guidelines for treating fluid in the ears

Most toddlers and preschoolers will be diagnosed with fluid in their middle ears--or otitis media with effusion (OME)--at some time before school age.

3 May 2004

New electromagnetic imaging techniques to help detect breast abnormalities

Researchers are testing three promising new electromagnetic imaging techniques to help detect breast abnormalities, including cancer. The findings of the benchmark study will be published in the May issue of the journal Radiology.

3 May 2004

Warning to parents-to-be that non-medical ultrasounds are unapproved, inappropriate, and possibly even risky

For many expectant parents, ultrasounds offer a window into the world of their growing unborn baby. Unlike most standard prenatal tests that involve nothing more than a urine cup or a needle

1 May 2004

Elderly black male cancer patients stay in hospital longer than white

The risk of death from cancer increases sharply after 50 years of age and most cancers occur in middle-aged and older persons. The incidence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and thyroid cancer are increasing along with the nation’s population of elderly Americans.

30 Apr 2004

First imaging-based diagnostic test for living Alzheimer’s

Mayo Clinic researchers have devised a way to produce enhanced MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) pictures of the destructive brain lesions that cause Alzheimer’s disease. This advance using laboratory mice lays the foundation for the first imaging-based diagnostic test for living Alzheimer’s disease patients.

30 Apr 2004

FDA updates Zelnorm labeling a treatment of women with irritable bowel syndrome

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the addition of new risk information to the health professional labeling for Zelnorm (tegaserod maleate). Zelnorm is a prescription medication for the short-term treatment of women with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) whose primary bowel symptom is constipation.

30 Apr 2004

Telemedicine focus of symposium "Future Directions for Telemedicine"

A pediatric patient in Marquette, Michigan is being examined by a doctor— but the doctor is 365 miles away in Ann Arbor. Elsewhere in Michigan, a mental health patient, his family and psychiatrist are participating in a commitment hearing in the safe, secure environment of a psychiatric unit— but the judge is actually on the other side of town.

30 Apr 2004

China reports SARS infection in two patients previously under investigation

The Chinese Ministry of Health has today reported diagnostic confirmation of SARS infection in two patients previously under investigation in Beijing. Confirmation is based on the results of laboratory tests, clinical symptoms, and a history of close contact with a known case.

29 Apr 2004

Pediatric thyroid cancer is most common amongs teenage girls

Thyroid carcinoma is the third most common tumor malignancy in children. This pediatric cancer shares several characteristics with adult thyroid cancer patients including common cellular subtypes that are papillary, follicular and medullary; a female to male ratio is approximately 6:1; and a cervical nodal disease that can be observed at the time of presentation in 30-60 percent in both papillary and follicular malignancies.

29 Apr 2004