Health News

Data Collection On Guns And Violence Needs To Be Improved, Says Institute Of Medicine

Date: Jun-06-2013
We need a better understanding of the public health aspects of gun-related violence, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. It is vital that we understand the causes and health burdens of guns and violence, so that effective interventions are implemented...

Is Fear A Justified Response Or Faulty Wiring?

Date: Jun-06-2013
Fear is one of the most primal feelings known to man and beast. As we develop in society and learn, fear is hard coded into our neural circuitry through the amygdala, a small, almond-shaped nuclei of neurons within the medial temporal lobe of the brain. For psychologists and neurologists, the amygdala is a particularly interesting region of the brain because it plays a role in emotional learning and can have profound effects on human and animal behavior...

Discovery Of A New Oncogene And Target In Lung Cancer

Date: Jun-06-2013
Adding to the list of oncogenic drivers of lung cancer that includes ALK, EGFR, ROS1 and RET, results of a University of Colorado Cancer Center study presented at ASCO 2013 show that mutations in the gene NTRK1 cause a subset of lung cancers. "We're reconceptualizing lung cancer as many, related diseases. And we need to learn to identify and treat each individually. We can treat the forms of the disease that depend on ALK and EGFR mutations. We're getting very close to treating lung cancers that depend on ROS1 and RET...

Discussing Death With Patients The Most Stressful Part Of Oncology

Date: Jun-06-2013
A group of oncologists have revealed in a new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers that communicating about death and dying with their patients is one of the most difficult and stressful parts of their work. In the United States, 577,190 deaths from cancer occurred in 2012, according to the American Cancer Society. The online paper published ahead of print in the Journal of Oncology Practice reported that despite this important element of their work, oncologists receive little training in this area, and many do not communicate well with patients...

Thyroid Surgery And Voice Outcomes

Date: Jun-06-2013
The American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation on Tuesday published a new Clinical Practice Guideline on "Improving Voice Outcomes after Thyroid Surgery" to recognize the importance of the patient's voice and the potential impact thyroid surgery can have on it. "Thyroid surgery rates have tripled over the last three decades," said Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD, guideline chair...

Potential Biomarker Identified For Aggressive Colon Cancer

Date: Jun-06-2013
MET protein levels correlate strongly with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype, a treatment-resistant type of colorectal cancer and may be used as a surrogate biomarker, according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The study results, which compared MET protein expression with protein/gene expression of EMT markers and evaluated impact on survival, were released at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology...

Similar Brain Abnormalities Found In Dogs And Humans Affected By OCD

Date: Jun-06-2013
Another piece of the puzzle to better understand and treat obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) has fallen into place with the publication of new research that shows that the structural brain abnormalities of Doberman pinschers afflicted with canine compulsive disorder (CCD) are similar to those of humans with OCD. The research suggests that further study of anxiety disorders in dogs may help find new therapies for OCD and similar conditions in humans...

Anorexia And Bulimia May Stem From Altered Neural Circuitry

Date: Jun-06-2013
Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa - disorders characterized by extreme eating behavior and distorted body image - are among the deadliest of psychiatric disorders, with few proven effective treatments. A landmark study, with first author Tyson Oberndorfer, MD, and led by Walter H. Kaye, MD, professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, suggests that the altered function of neural circuitry contributes to restricted eating in anorexia and overeating in bulimia...

Significant Mortality Rate Among Adolescent Non-Adhering Heart Transplant Recipients

Date: Jun-06-2013
After receiving an organ transplant, patients must follow a regimented medication routine to maintain the health of their graft (transplanted organ). Failure to do so, known as non-adherence (NA), can result in life-threatening illness. NA has long been a concern among adolescent patients, but a new study from Boston Children's Hospital demonstrates the problem may be more serious than previously understood...

Pinpointing Stem Cell Lines Primed To Turn Into Liver, Pancreas And Similar Tissues

Date: Jun-06-2013
According to researchers at Boston Children's Hospital, stem cells that strongly express a gene called WNT3 are biased to develop into cells and tissues including pancreas, liver and bladder. This discovery suggests that other genes may serve as biomarkers for selecting stem cells with a preference for turning into different tissue types. Such markers would make it easier for stem cell scientists to choose the right cell line to start with when generating specific tissues for study...