Why Cancer in One Breast May Affect the Other
Researchers say they have found a way to better calculate the risk a woman with cancer in one breast has of developing tumors in the other breast. The chances of developing cancer in a second breast, known as contralateral breast cancer, increases once a tumor has been found in one breast. And certain factors, such as a family history of breast cancer, further increase this risk, prompting some women... Read more
Gleevec Approved for Use After Cancer Surgery
Gleevec, a “miracle drug” in curing certain types of adult leukemia, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to stop cancer growth after gastrointestinal cancer surgery. According to an FDA news release, Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) can be used after removal of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). While this is a fairly rare form of cancer (5,000 – 6,000 new cases... Read more
Steroid After Tonsillectomy Raises Bleeding Risk
Children who were given the steroid dexamethasone after a tonsillectomy had less nausea and vomiting, but they also faced an increased risk of bleeding that was significant enough to end the trial early for safety reasons, a new study shows. “The clinical implication is that children undergoing [tonsillectomy] should not receive dexamethasone prophylactically unless an adequately designed, valid... Read more
‘Fresh’ Transfusions Improve Odds for Cancer Patients After Surgery
A transfusion of fresh red blood cells — emphasis on the word “fresh” — may help cancer patients better avoid cancer recurrence and improve their odds of long-term survival, a new report suggests. The study, presented in the December issue of Anesthesiology, is based on research into the mystery of why blood transfusions during certain cancer surgeries appeared to have the opposite... Read more
Medicare wants limits for weight loss surgery
Medicare, the U.S. government’s largest payer of health care, said on Monday it does not plan to cover weight-loss surgery in diabetic patients who are not dangerously overweight, saying there is not enough evidence to show it can improve their health. Medicare and some private insurers already pay for the surgery, which ranges from $15,000 to $35,000 for more complicated gastric bypass, for... Read more
Weight loss surgery may improve IVF outcomes
Preliminary findings from patients who underwent obesity surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, at Washington University in St. Louis, indicate that this procedure used to induce weight loss may improve the ability of morbidly obese women to conceive after undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Meanwhile, a second study conducted at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, suggests... Read more