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Achieving the gold standard in breast cancer care is possible

A study in the Netherlands has proved that achieving the gold standard in breast cancer care is possible. Teams across the Netherlands set up and met targets for faster diagnosis of breast cancer and a reduction in waiting time for operations.

23 Mar 2006

Trial of paclitaxel with or without bevacizumab as first-line therapy for locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer

Results from a large, randomised clinical trial for patients with breast cancer show that those who received bevacizumab (Avastin.) in combination with paclitaxel (Taxol.) survived without the disease getting worse for almost twice as long as patients who received paclitaxel alone.

23 Mar 2006

Innovative automatic system stops patients falling through gaps

Every day in hospitals around the country, thousands of patients undergo CT, MRI, X-ray and other kinds of scans, producing detailed images of their bodies. Specially trained doctors "read" those images to look for problems, and then send a report of what they've found to each patient's own doctor.

23 Mar 2006

The choroid plexus prevents build up of plaque related to Alzheimer's disease

Researchers have discovered that an organ in the brain called the choroid plexus apparently plays a critical role in preventing the accumulation of a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease.

23 Mar 2006

Researchers combat tuberculosis - help may come from protective protein

Most Americans think of tuberculosis as a disease of the past, but with HIV and drug-resistant strains fueling epidemics in India and Africa, TB kills someone every six seconds across the world.

23 Mar 2006

Children whose mothers are depressed are more likely to suffer from anxiety

...mental-health problems and disruptive behavior than those whose moms aren't. And if the mothers don't get better, these kids' problems often become worse, new research shows.

23 Mar 2006

Dutch researchers develop tools to simplify keyhole surgery

Endoscopic surgery brings many advantages for patients but is very difficult for the surgeon.

23 Mar 2006

Raloxifene shows potential benefits in treating prostate cancer

In a study to be published in the April, 2006 issue of the British Journal of Urology International, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have shown that Raloxifene, a drug commonly used to treat osteoporosis, has a potential clinical benefit in treating men with prostate cancer.

23 Mar 2006

Early risk, attention and brain activation in adolescents born preterm

In one of the first studies to use brain imaging with adolescents born prematurely, New Jersey researchers report that the effects of premature birth and environmental risks on the brain during the first three years of childhood continue through adolescence.

23 Mar 2006

Significant association between smoking and erectile problems

Men who smoke a pack or more of cigarettes daily are 40 per cent more likely to be impotent than non-smokers, finds research in Tobacco Control.

23 Mar 2006

Beta carotene slows the decline in lung power associated with ageing

Beta carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, slows the decline in lung power associated with ageing, reveals research in Thorax.

23 Mar 2006

No evidence that early episodes of schizophrenia without medication result in long-term harm

A USC review of published research has found no evidence that early episodes of schizophrenia without medication result in long-term harm for patients, casting doubt on the practice to immediately medicate for a year.

23 Mar 2006

How the brain knows where limbs are without looking at them

The experiment provides a new and intriguing illusion that sheds light on how we learn to move accurately, as well as indicating why some people who have had limbs amputated still feel as if they can move their 'phantom' limb.

23 Mar 2006

Divergent behavioral roles of angiotensin receptor intracellular signaling cascades

Researchers at the University at Buffalo and the University of Pennsylvania were the first to demonstrate that two intracellular events, both stimulated by the same cell receptor, can provoke different behaviors in mammals.

23 Mar 2006

Zinc's role in Alzheimer's disease

Zinc may be a familiar dietary supplement to millions of health-conscious people, but it remains a mystery metal to scientists who study zinc's role in Alzheimer's disease, stroke and other health problems.

23 Mar 2006

Immune system protein LL-37 critical in controlling replication of vaccinia virus

Scientists supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have identified a defect in the immune response of people with the skin condition atopic dermatitis that puts them at risk of developing serious complications following smallpox vaccination.

23 Mar 2006

Potential therapeutic targets against serious side effects of smallpox vaccine

Smallpox is considered a potential terrorist weapon, but millions of people in the United States are currently advised not to get a vaccine to the disease because they are susceptible to developing a severe adverse reaction.

23 Mar 2006

There is little chance the U.S. will be able to manufacture enough vaccines to stop a bird flu pandemic

A group of medical experts who attended a national avian flu conference last fall believe there is little chance the United States will be able to manufacture and stockpile enough vaccine or antiviral medication to stop a bird flu pandemic should the virus mutate into a form that can be spread easily from human to human

23 Mar 2006

Study first to document cumulative effect of racial, sexual harrassment

New research at the University of Toronto is the first to empirically document that women who are visible minorities face a double dose of harassment in the workplace, based on both sex and ethnicity.

23 Mar 2006

Researchers gain better understanding of protein folding

Proteins, one of the basic components of living things, are among the most studied molecules in biochemistry. Understanding how proteins form or "fold" from sequenced strings of amino acids has long been one of the grand challenges of biology.

23 Mar 2006