Tumor size alone not always best for gauging treatment response
...should look into evaluating biologic changes, too, rather than just anatomic changes," she said. Current guidelines require monitoring only tumor size to judge if a treatment is working, a method which, according to the study, proved to be unreliable. "Understanding this new concept of tumor response will ...Pharmaceutical marketing tactics hold little sway with prescribing physicians
...easy targets readily persuaded by salespeople, but rather are tough sells as evidenced by the minimal influence of sales activities on their prescribing behavior. According to Jacobson, the most important factor explaining the limited effect of sales representatives is that physicians know they have other ...Bulimic teens also likely to suffer from depression
...-lasting nature, Perez says, that makes dysthymia, rather than major depression, more likely to be associated with bulimia, which is characterized by unrelenting negative feelings about one's self. Bulimics, she says, tend to have chronic low self-esteem. Previous models, she notes, have proposed tha...Physicians may need to dig deeper when treating HIV-related lymphomas
...lated lymphomas. "Lymphoma is not one disease, but rather represents a group of over 30 different entities. Even lymphomas that were thought to be quite uniform and homogeneous are now recognized as being made up of different variations or sub-types. It will be important for scientists and physicians to rec...Penn epidemiological study shows difference in cardiovascular effects between Vioxx and Celebrex
... cardiovascular system should be viewed separately rather than as a single class of drugs. This study appear...ory drugs (NSAIDs), found a lower risk with NSAIDs rather than COX-2 inhibitors. The NSAIDs studied included aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin), and naxpro...Pitt research shows NASA sleep-wake scheduling guide may need to be changed
...day to the next. It favored "trickling in" changes rather gradually, using phase delays to later bedtimes (b...djust itself but only by about one hour per night rather than the two hours required by NASA's protocol. Because of that, subjects eventually experienced a m...Medical negligence system is 'secretive, unaccountable and unregulated'
...th varying levels of expertise. Damage limitation, rather than a vigorous defence through intellectual argument, is often the outcome says Mr Bishop. Litigation is expensive, but cross-examination in open court provides the only opportunity for experts to be challenged under the existing system. The public...Adults taking eplileptic medications more likely to be unemployed
...l function or having, or not having, seizures, but rather by whether or not they were taking long-term antiepileptic drug therapy," said lead researcher, Matti Sillanp of the University of Turku. Researchers revisited a group of 99 adults, originally from a group of 245 pediatric patients, 30 years after h...New research tool aids study of national well-being
...assessment of contiguous episodes over a full day, rather than a sampling of moments," they wrote. It also relies less on respondents' selective memory and provides a better picture of how people budget their time. The study also supports previous findings that money does not buy happiness, the resear...Stem cells of limited use for cardiac muscle repair
...rs repeated the experiment with whole bone marrow, rather than isolated BM-SP cells, they got identical results. They were slightly more successful with skeletal muscle. After examining 10,000 muscle fibers from each of 14 mice they found two myofibers that contained sarcoglycan. These resul...MRI-guided ultrasound therapy relieves symptoms in patients with uterine fibroids
...s was probably secondary to the underlying problem rather than a result of the treatment," he said. The success of this procedure in treating uterine fibroids might be just the beginning, said Dr. Gedroyc. "It points the way forward to the utilization of this technology in other areas such as the treatment...Virtual colonoscopy shows significant promise as colorectal cancer screening option
... allow to remain in place and undergo surveillance rather than immediate removal? How will CT colongraphy screening followed by colonoscopy for patients with polyps impact patient compliance and health-system costs? One of the largest barriers to patient compliance for colorectal cancer screening is the ...Student nurses need better understanding of poverty-stricken patients
...he poor were more likely to believe that societal, rather than individual factors accounted for the health effects of poverty. Coursework related to poverty also contributed. The study recommends that nursing students should have opportunities not only to work with those living in poverty, but also t...Holiday feasting could sabotage liposuction results
...e used as an adjunct to living a healthy lifestyle rather than as a weight loss tool," said Dr. Rohrich. "My practice turns away approximately one in five patients requesting liposuction because they are not appropriate candidates - many are 50 to 70 pounds overweight. Patients need to understand that the...Herpes virus offers new hope in curing cancer
...was exclusively conducted in isolated solid tumors rather than in neuroblastoma tumors that have metastasized, but Dr. Cripe is currently testing the concept in tumor models that have metastasized. "There are a couple of reports that indicate the herpes simplex virus is effective in treating metastatic dise...Resistin integral part of the inflammatory response
...reted by immune cells called macrophages in humans rather than fat cells, as in mice. Nevertheless, resistin is elevated in some people with diabetes and obesity. Higher levels of resistin are associated with insulin resistance. But what is the connection among inflammation, insulin resistance, and obesity?...Undertreatment spurs new arrests among drug ofenders diverted under California's Proposition 36
...lients were more likely to receive outpatient care rather than more-intensive residential care -- even when considering severity of addiction and complicating factors such as mental health problems. The highest re?arrest rate among Proposition 36 clients occurred among those reporting severe drug problems b...New research shows stomach (gastric) cancer originates from bone marrow derived stem cells
...inates from bone marrow derived stem cells (BMDC), rather than from stomach stem cells, as previously thought. The study, "Gastric Cancer Originating from Bone Marrow-Derived Cells" is published in the current issue of Science."This was an unexpected finding, which may lead to a re-evaluation of current as...Female condoms overlooked in fight against spread of HIV/AIDS
...could be applied to deter the spread of the virus, rather than advocating for female-controlled preventive m...sitioned by association with glamour and sexiness, rather than safety and protection," Kaler said. In developing countries, advocates for the female condom ...Examination of possible conflicts of interest to influence look at suspected adverse drug reactions
...ly, companies have withdrawn drugs from the market rather than participate in a re-review." The authors continue, "Europe also assesses a postmarketing fee that contributes to postmarketing safety surveillance efforts." The authors add such a system might also work in the U.S. and enhance patient safety as ...