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Can vegetables could help to prevent cervical cancer?

Researchers in South Wales are investigating the possibility that a chemical called Diindolylmethane (DIM), which is usually found in broccoli, sprouts and cabbage, could help to prevent cervical cancer.

27 Jan 2005

Study focuses on best treatment for older women with receptor negative early breast cancer

Older women with hormone receptor negative early breast cancer who may currently be missing out on effective post-operative anticancer drugs will be able to participate in a new clinical trial specifically aimed at this group of women.

27 Jan 2005

VCU Gastroenterology research papers ranked 4th in most cited papers

Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Medicine has been ranked fourth among federally funded U.S. universities based on the average number of citations per research paper published in indexed journals of gastroenterology and hepatology between 1999 and 2003.

26 Jan 2005

Painful surgical adhesions may be preventable by taking the COX-2 inhibitor Celebrex

Adhesions – bands of scar tissue that bind together two internal body surfaces – develop in 55 percent to more than 90 percent of patients undergoing surgery, depending on the type of operation. They are part of normal healing, but when surfaces fuse together that shouldn't, serious pain and complications can result.

26 Jan 2005

Researchers discover way to overcome major hurdle in gene therapy for cancer

In a new study published in the Jan. 25 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the researchers demonstrated that the technique works by incorporating it into a specially designed virus. The virus eradicated prostate cancer cells in the lab and in animals while leaving normal cells unscathed.

26 Jan 2005

Stem cells given in minimally invasive procedure improve heart function

Patients with severe congestive heart failure who had exhausted all other treatment options showed markedly improved heart function following a procedure in which their own stem cells were deployed directly into the heart by way of four tiny incisions in the chest, according to results of a trial presented today at the 41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Thoracic Surgery.

26 Jan 2005

Basic biochemical composition of heart valves in patients with congestive heart failure are markedly different than those with healthy hearts

Surprising new findings in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology show that the basic biochemical composition of heart valves in patients with congestive heart failure are markedly different than those with healthy hearts, a finding that may explain the mixed success of surgery to repair valve dysfunction in these patients.

25 Jan 2005

Bariatric surgery for severely obese patients leads to weight loss and improves insulin sensitivity

In a study published in the current issue of The American Journal of Medicine, researchers from the State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil; Catholic University, Rome, Italy; and the University of Pisa, Italy, found that the degree of improvement depended on the surgical technique used, comparing biliopancreatic diversion to gastric bypass.

25 Jan 2005

Breast augmentation top cosmetic procedure for women carried out in UK

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons has announces the results of their annual audit for the period ending 31 March 2004.

24 Jan 2005

Nasogastric tube after abdominal surgery slows recovery

Routine use of a nasogastric tube after abdominal surgery, once thought to speed the return of normal intestinal functions, actually slows recovery, according to a new review of research.

24 Jan 2005

Vaginal hysterectomies better than abdominal hysterectomies

A review of recent studies concludes that surgeons should perform vaginal rather than abdominal hysterectomies whenever possible in order to cut down on complications and the length of hospital stays.

24 Jan 2005

Distraction osteogenesis procedure may be a feasible and effective method to repair cleft palate in the future

Results from a Mayo Clinic laboratory study in animals suggest that using distraction osteogenesis, a procedure that uses the mechanical force of an appliance to lengthen soft tissue and bone, may be a feasible and effective method to repair cleft palate in the future.

24 Jan 2005

Early seizures after surgery for epilepsy predict more seizures

Current understanding of seizures in the weeks just after epilepsy surgery is that they are likely to be temporary, probably due to swelling or minor trauma suffered by the brain during the operation.

24 Jan 2005

RU-486 plus prostaglandins remains the most effective nonsurgical abortion method

The most common medical approach to terminating early pregnancy — the drug RU-486 plus prostaglandins — remains the most effective nonsurgical abortion method, according to a new research review.

24 Jan 2005

Severity of liver disease not a reliable indicator of quality of life

A new study on the determination of how livers are allocated for transplants examined the relationship between liver disease severity and quality of life, and found that the commonly used model for liver allocation is not a reliable indicator of general quality of life.

24 Jan 2005

Fracture jaw, lose consciousness and suffer less than if you don't black out?

Contrary to what might be expected, people who sustain a jaw fracture and lose consciousness actually tend to have milder bone injuries than those who do not black out from a trauma to the jaw, according to a study published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

20 Jan 2005

Sildenafil restores cognitive function in rats after liver failure

A study involving rats reveals the mechanism responsible for learning impairment due to liver failure and shows that sildenafil restores cognitive function.

19 Jan 2005

Medicine alone may not offer best quality of life for patients with moderate heart attack risk

Routine angiography and revascularization procedures, if indicated, appear to offer better quality of life than conservative medical treatment for patients with chest pain and evidence of coronary artery disease, according to a new study (PDF file) in the Jan. 18, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

19 Jan 2005

Racial disparities in access to surgical evaluation

African Americans with esophageal cancer are half as likely as whites to be seen by a surgeon and to receive life-prolonging surgery, a new study shows.

19 Jan 2005

Physicians should avoid prescribing Bextra altogether

Physicians should avoid prescribing Bextra altogether, or use it only as a drug of last resort, says a researcher from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues in an editorial published on-line Jan. 17 in Circulation, a publication of the American Heart Association.

19 Jan 2005