ESC releases the first European Guidelines on Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI)
Sophia Antipolis, France, 22 March 2005: The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) releases the first European Guidelines on Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI), pre-published and accessible on the ESC Web Site(1). According to these Guidelines, PCI can now be regarded as the first option for a larger group of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) than before. Recent technical and...The European Society of Cardiology launches Women at Heart
Sophia Antipolis, France, 17 March 2005: The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) today launches its new initiative Women at Heart at the Spring Meeting of its 49 National Cardiac Societies. Women at Heart is aimed at medical professionals, to highlight the growing burden and under-appreciation of women's heart disease and promote improved handling of women at risk of cardiovascular disease in c...Use of potentially inappropriate medications among elderly common in some European countries
There are substantial differences between European countries in the potentially inappropriate use of medications among elderly home care patients, according to a study in the March 16 issue of JAMA....... Use of potentially inappropriate medications in elderly patients is a major health care concern, according to background information in the article. It is likely to increase the risk of adverse...European folic acid policies are not effective enough
The prevalence of neural tube defects in Europe has not declined substantially in the past decade, despite national policies of folic acid supplementation in half the countries, finds a study in this week's BMJ....... Each year, more than 4500 pregnancies in the European Union are affected by neural tube defects....... Researchers examined trends in the prevalence of neural tube defects in 16 Eur...AstraZeneca submits regulatory application in Europe for use of Atacand(R) in heart failure
Mlndal, Sweden, 7 April AstraZeneca today announced the submission of a regulatory application in the European Union (EU), as part of the Mutual Recognition Variation Procedure to obtain a new indication for Atacand (candesartan cilexetil), its angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor blocker, for use in the treatment of heart failure. The UK acts as the RMS (Reference Member State). Further filings...New European cancer figures for 2004 major efforts needed against the big four killers
There were nearly 2.9 million new cases of cancer and more than 1.7 million cancer deaths in Europe last year, according to new estimates in a report published (Thursday 17 February) in Annals of Oncology. The authors warn that the ageing of the European population means that these figures will continue to rise, even if incidence and mortality rates for specific age groups remain constant. .........Over prescribing causing high rates of antibiotic resistance in south and east Europe
Resistance to antibiotics is more common in southern and eastern Europe than in northern Europe because the regions have high rates of antibiotic use, suggests a study published in this week's issue of THE LANCET....... Herman Goossens (University of Antwerp, Belgium) and colleagues compared antibiotic use with antibiotic resistance rates in 26 European countries from the beginning of 1997 to the...Third of European cancer patients use complementary and alternative therapies
More than a third of cancer patients in Europe make use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), according to one of the largest surveys undertaken of CAM in cancer. ......In the first Europe-wide study of CAM, a team of international researchers found that its use varied from a low of just under 15% of cancer patients in Greece to a high of nearly three-quarters of patients in Italy. ......A new service from the European Patent Office
The Hague, 3 January 2005 - The European Patent Office is pleased to announce the addition to its epoline range of products and services of a new online service called Register Plus. ...... A "one-stop shop" for access to bibliographical, procedural, legal status and file information, Register Plus will make patent information in the public domain more transparent and easier to access, which in t...Radon in the home responsible for 9% of lung cancer deaths across Europe
The effects of natural radon gas escaping the earth's surface into our homes is causing 9% of all deaths from lung cancer across Europe, and smokers are most at risk, according to a paper on BMJ.com today (21 December 2004)....... Radon gas emissions contain radioactive particles which disperse naturally outdoors, but can build up in indoor environments. Most of the radon we breathe is exhaled i...European study highlights persistent 3 decade increase in childhood cancer incidence
This release is also available in <a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/staticrel.php?view=LancetSZd...">German. Research from 19 European countries in this week's issue of THE LANCET documents how childhood cancer, while still rare, has been slowly increasing over the past 3 decades....... ...Cancer is rare before age 20 years. Eva Steliarova-Foucher (International Agency for Research on Cancer, L...Satellite view highlights Europe's changing landscape
Each day new roads or buildings bury the equivalent of 240 football fields of German soil, around 120 hectares of land. This is just one example of the information available from a new virtual atlas of Europe's landscape based on satellite data. ... ...The European Environment Agency (EEA), assisted by ESA's Earth Observation Directorate, is publishing the data on 17 November. ... ..."What we are...European nations urged to ratify international treaty on tobacco control
European oncologists and cancer organizations should urge their governments to ratify an international treaty on tobacco control, the World Health Organization and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) said on Monday, 1 November 2004....... At ESMO's 29th Congress in Vienna, Austria, WHO tobacco control expert Dr. Andreas Ullrich said European countries had been too slow at ratifying t...Increased investment in radiotherapy will improve cure rates for European cancer patients
The scenarios where radiotherapy can be used for curative (and palliative) treatment of cancer have steadily increased, and radiotherapy now forms a part of the treatment of more than 50% of all cancer patients. However, in many countries, treatment capacity is exceeded and access to treatment is a major problem. This was the conclusion of three leading European radiation oncologists who were joi...Ovarian cancer rates across Europe
Europe has one of the highest incidence rates of ovarian cancer in the world, making it an important public health issue. A new large-scale study of ovarian cancer trends found that while it is declining in most northern European countries, it is increasing in a few southern and eastern European countries. The study is published October 25, 2004 in the online edition of the International Journal...ESA looking for more European women to volunteer for WISE bed-rest study in Toulouse next year
In preparation for the Women International Space Simulation for Exploration (WISE) study, which starts on 22 February next year, an official call for candidates to participate as test subjects was issued on 3 August....... Over 700 women have responded in the 10 weeks since then, demonstrating strong interest in the study among potential participants. However, most of the applications are from Fr...The 23rd Congress of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO)
From 24-28 October 2004 the 23rd International Congress of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO) will be held in the RAI Congress Centre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. More than 3,000 participants from around the world are expected to attend this bi-annual meeting of the ESTRO....... It is our pleasure to invite you to attend the official Press Conference at 12:30CET...Cancer patients in Europe unite with doctors
Cancer patients and their doctors need to form an alliance to constantly improve the quality of cancer care on an individual, national and European level, speakers will say on 30-31 October 2004 at the European Society for Medical Oncology's (ESMO) Patient Seminar in Vienna, Austria.... ..."Patients need to make themselves heard on an international level," says Heinz Ludwig, Chairman of the ESMO...Envisat Symposium day one: Steady symphony of Europe's largest satellite
The ten instruments aboard ESA's 8.2-tonne Earth Observation satellite generate a steady 140 Gigabytes worth of processed data per day, in the form of 77 separate data products concerning the state of our world's land, oceans, ice and atmosphere. ...This week's Envisat Symposium in Salzburg, Austria, is a chance for users of those products scientific researchers and value-adding service provide...Cancer research in Europe: A 'foundation' for the future
This release is also available in ...Th...Hebrew University one of 25 institutions involved in new European Vascular Genomics Network
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is one of only 25 institutions represented in the European Vascular Genomics Network (EVGN), whose operational launch was announced this week by Inserm, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research. EVGN is the first European Union-funded network in the field of cardiovascular diseases. ... ...The project is intended to integrate post-genomic res...Europe's legacy to its children - A healthier environment?
As ten new nations join the European Union, this week's Editorial welcomes next month's conference in Budapest to outline plans for improving European environmental health for children. The emphasis is on four regional priority goals: safe water and adequate sanitation; protection from injuries and adequate physical activity; clean outdoor and indoor air; and chemical-free environments. ... ...Ho...VELCADE (Bortezomib) receives European marketing authorisation
Brussels, Belgium, {27 April 2004} Ortho Biotech, the biopharmaceutical division of Janssen-Cilag, today announced that the European Commission has issued a positive decision for VELCADE, a new treatment for multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. The novel drug is indicated to treat multiple myeloma patients who have received at least two prior therapies and demonstrated disease progression...Concern for European public health as EU border extends to the east
Public-health experts writing in this week's issue of THE LANCET caution that the widening of the European Union (EU) to the east could have potentially adverse effects on public health-both for the new member countries, many of whom have poor health-care infrastructure, and for existing EU members. ... ...In May, 2004, ten new member states (Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland...MEP calls for European strategy in the fight against breast cancer
Hamburg, Germany: The conditions necessary to lead to a 25% reduction in breast cancer mortality must be in place across Europe by 2008, an MEP said today (Tuesday 16 March) at the opening of the 4th European Breast Cancer Conference. Karin Jns, the European Parliament's standing rapporteur for breast cancer, said that all European countries should introduce mammography screening for women age...ESC in partnership with EU to strive for European consensus on CVD treatment and prevention
The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has long called for concerted action on a European Union (EU) level to curb the growing epidemic of cardiovascular disease across Europe. Now the ESC is delighted to announce that the Irish Presidency of the EU has taken up the challenge by placing cardiovascular disease top of its health agenda and working with the ESC to strive for European consensus on...Media invitation - European Society of Cardiology Congress 2004
The Annual ESC Congress is Europe's largest medical meeting, receiving more than 25,000 attendees each year.... ...The ESC Congress 2004 is swiftly approaching and will be held from Saturday 28 August - Wednesday 1 September 2004 in Munich, Germany.... ...Ensure you pre-register and book your hotel accommodation as soon as possible, so that you can be sure to represent your publication at th...Unnecessary hospital stay after heart attack common in European countries
A study investigating inconsistencies in the time patients spend in hospital after heart attack is detailed in this week's issue of . Despite a decade of research suggesting that low-risk patients can be discharged from hospital after four days, many countries-especially in Europe-could be keeping patients in hospital for an unnecessary length of time.... ...Previous research has outlined how ea...New report shows stomach cancer rates declining fast in Europe
Stomach cancer rates fell by half in the European Union between 1980 and 1999 and by 45% in Eastern Europe and 40% in Russia, according to research published (Tuesday 3 February) in ......Encouragingly, the downward trend is set to continue, at least for the near future according to researchers, because the fall is seen in younger and middle aged people as well as the elderly. ......The report,...Reduced risk for developing type 2 diabetes recommended for inclusion in Xenical's European label
Roche announced today that the European Union's Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products (CPMP) has given a positive recommendation to extend the European label for its weight loss medication Xenical to include: ...... ... ... ......The decision is based on the results of the landmark XENDOS (XENical in the prevention of Diabetes in Obese Subjects) study, which showed for the first time tha...Roche files marketing application for Avastin with European health authorities
Roche today announced the submission of a Marketing Authorisation application to the European Union for Avastin (bevacizumab, rhuMAb-VEGF) as a treatment for first-line metastatic colorectal cancer in combination with chemotherapy. The application is based on data from a pivotal clinical study of over 900 patients on Avastin who experienced improved survival benefit compared to chemotherapy trea...Low infection rate in Arrow Lionheart* European trial
The results of the first study of the Arrow LionHeart*, a heart assist device conceived of and developed at Penn State College of Medicine in cooperation with Arrow International, Inc., show low incidence of infection and few device failures....... ...Results of the study, which took place in Europe from October 1999 to December 2002, were presented Sunday, Nov. 9, 2003, at the American Heart Ass...Astrazeneca receives European approval for Seroquel; in bipolar mania
Sodertalje, Sweden, 13 October 2003 - AstraZeneca announced today that it has successfully completed the Mutual Recognition Procedure (MRP) involving 14 European countries to extend the use of SEROQUEL (quetiapine) to the treatment of mania associated with bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness). SEROQUEL is also under review for bipolar mania in the United States with the FDA and in the UK...EUROCARE 3 - new European cancer survival figures
Survival figures for cancer in Europe show large differences between countries more than can reasonably be accounted for by artefact, bias or chance, according to the authors of the EUROCARE-3 study "Cancer survival in Europe at the end of the 20th century".... ...A preview of some highlights of the study, which was co-ordinated by the Epidemiology Unit of the Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, I...The European Cancer Patient Coalition - challenges for the future
The emergence of cross-Europe policies on health and related issues mean that cancer patients need a voice at European level, said a leading patient advocate at ECCO 12 The European Cancer Conference in Copenhagen today (Tuesday 23 September). But, according to Kathy Redmond, Editor, Cancer Futures, from Milan, Italy, there are many challenges to be faced in building an effective patient organ...US prostate cancer deaths down one third in men aged 5074: Europe following?
Copenhagen, Denmark: New findings presented today (Tuesday 23 September) at ECCO 12 The European Cancer Conference, show that US prostate cancer mortality rates, which had been increasing slowly during the 1970s and 1980s, suddenly started to fall rapidly during the 1990s....... Between 1990 and 2000, US prostate cancer mortality fell by one third at ages 50-74, and it fell by one quarter at ag...U.S. pedestrians, cyclists at greater danger than European counterparts
American pedestrians and cyclists beware: You are two to six times more likely to be killed on the road than your German or Dutch counterparts....... Even if Americans were to heed calls to park their cars and make their journeys on foot, they are hindered in this healthy endeavor by "a range of other public policies that make these activities inconvenient, unpleasant and above all, unsafe," acco...European study highlights frequency of medical end-of-life decisions in terminally ill pts
Authors of a study in this week's issue of THE LANCET illustrate how medical end-of-life decisions frequently precede dying in a range of European countries. ... ...There are few data about the frequency of end-of-life decisions made involving doctors and terminally ill patients. Medical decision-making for patients with life-threatening diseases entails a balanced consideration of medical, ethic...European seal plague may threaten population survival
Scientists from Gteborg University in Sweden and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) report in an upcoming issue of the journal Ecology Letters that the 2002 outbreak of phocine distemper virus, or PDV, in European harbor seals may reduce the population by more than half and that future outbreaks with similar characteristics would significantly increase the risk of population declines...European trial finds old lung cancer treatment may still be best
The first clinical trial to compare directly two of the most widely-used drugs in advanced lung cancer, cisplatinin and carboplatin (both in combination with paclitaxel) have concluded that the older drug, cisplatin, is the better treatment....... Patients given cisplatin and paclitaxel had better survival rates and their quality of life was just as good as patients receiving carboplatin and pac...