ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

Ground-breaking lung cancer breath test in clinical trial Posted: 14 Feb 2015 05:16 PM PST Medical researchers are evaluating a revolutionary device which detects lung cancer in early stages. It is hoped that the LuCID (Lung Cancer Indicator Detection) program will lead to a non-invasive method of diagnosing lung cancer in the early stages.

Twitter the right prescription for sharing health research Posted: 14 Feb 2015 03:45 PM PST Using Twitter can help physicians be better prepared to answer questions from their patients, according to new researcher.

Structure-based design used as tool for engineering deimmunized biotherapeutics Posted: 14 Feb 2015 06:24 AM PST In the first experimental use of algorithms that employ structure-based molecular modeling to optimize deimmunized drug candidates, researchers complement their prior sequence-based deimmunizing algorithms and expand the tool kit of protein engineering technologies to use in next generation drug development.

Mapping the gut microbiome to better understand its role in obesity Posted: 14 Feb 2015 06:24 AM PST Several recent science studies have claimed that the gut microbiome -- the diverse array of bacteria that live in the stomach and intestines -- may be to blame for obesity. But one expert says it is not that simple.

New weapon in war against flu pandemics and pneumonia Posted: 13 Feb 2015 01:47 PM PST Scientists have developed an antibody which boosts the survival chances for patients suffering from influenza and pneumonia. Proven effective in lab tests, the antibody is now being made suitable for use in humans. The scientists are also using the new antibody to develop a diagnostic kit which can help doctors accurately track the recovery progress of flu and pneumonia patients.

'NanoGap' for early detection of bladder and kidney cancer under development Posted: 13 Feb 2015 08:21 AM PST A new mobile device allows bladder and kidney cancer to be detected at an early stage. Thanks to this method, it is possible to read from DNA cells whether their carrier has bladder or kidney cancer.

Thames study: Rivers can be a major source antibiotic resistance Posted: 13 Feb 2015 08:21 AM PST Rivers and streams could be a major source of antibiotic resistance in the environment. A new study found that greater numbers of resistant bacteria exist close to some waste water treatment works, and that these plants are likely to be responsible for at least half of the increase observed.

Promising drug target in certain breast and ovarian cancers Posted: 13 Feb 2015 08:21 AM PST Scientists indicate that the pool of patients who can benefit from the drug olaparib is potentially much wider – and offers a ready means of identifying them.

Systems to identify treatment targets for cancer and rare diseases Posted: 13 Feb 2015 07:47 AM PST In recent months, several national initiatives for personalized medicine have been announced, including the recently launched precision medicine initiative in the US, driven by rapid advances in genomic technologies and with the promise of cheaper and better healthcare. Significant challenges remain, however, in the management and analysis of genetic information and their integration with patient data.

Patients at higher risk of second stroke identified Posted: 13 Feb 2015 07:46 AM PST Risk of recurrent stroke is higher in patients who have low blood flow to the back of the brain, a six-year, multi-center trial has found, and the condition can be visualized using specialized software that analyzes blood flow using standard MRI.

Novel strategy to prevent progression of inflammation-associated cancers Posted: 13 Feb 2015 05:15 AM PST By targeting the specific pathological function of the 'culprit' molecule rather than inhibiting its gene expression, new approach facilitates development of cancer drugs with fewer side effects.

Physician-controlled decisions in cancer care linked to lower quality rating by patients, study finds Posted: 12 Feb 2015 09:22 AM PST Patients who described physician-controlled decisions about their cancer care versus shared decision-making were less likely to report receiving excellent quality of care, according to a new study.

Genomic profiling for cancer of unknown primary site Posted: 12 Feb 2015 09:22 AM PST Genomic profiling of cancer of an unknown primary site found at least one clinically relevant genomic alteration in most of the samples tested, an indication of potential to influence and personalize therapy for this type of cancer, which responds poorly to nontargeted chemotherapy treatments, according to a new study.

Clinically inappropriate patient demands of oncologists happen infrequently Posted: 12 Feb 2015 09:22 AM PST While many physicians will cite 'demanding patients' as the reason for high medical costs due to unnecessary tests or treatments, a new study conducted at outpatient oncology centers found that only 1 percent of 5,050 patient-clinician encounters resulted in a clinically inappropriate request, of which very few were complied with by physicians, according to a new study.

Estimates of gastric, breast cancer risk in carriers of CDH1 gene mutations Posted: 12 Feb 2015 09:22 AM PST More precise estimates of age-associated risks of gastric and breast cancer were derived for carriers of the CDH1 gene mutation, a cancer predisposing gene that is abnormal in families meeting criteria for clinically defined hereditary diffuse gastric cancer, according to a new study.

Bacteria protect intestinal tumor model from being killed by immune cells Posted: 11 Feb 2015 03:30 PM PST Bacteria that are commonly found in the mouth are often abundant in patients with colon cancer, but the potential role these microbes play in tumor development has not been clear. A new study reveals that the oral pathogen Fusobacterium nucleatum protects a variety of tumor cells from being killed by immune cells. The findings could open new avenues for the treatment of cancer in human patients.