External Beam Partial Breast Irradiation Most Cost-effective Treatment

External beam partial breast irradiation (EB-PBI) is the most cost-effective method for treating postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer based on utilities, recurrence risks and costs when compared to whole breast radiotherapy (WBRT) and brachytherapy partial breast irradiation (brachy-PBI), according to a study in the June 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

Incyte Provides Update On Special Protocol Assessment For INCB18424 As A New Treatment For Myelofibrosis

Incyte Corporation (Nasdaq:INCY) announced that based on recent input from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding Incyte’s request for a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) for INCB18424 for patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF), post-polycythemia vera myelofibrosis (PPV-MF) and post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis (PET-MF), it is clear that the most appropriate single primary endpoint for Incyte’s U.S. Phase III trial is the proportion of treated patients achieving a 35% reduction in spleen volume as compared to patients receiving placebo.

Fear Of Family Reaction Is Barrier To Treatment For Depressed Teens

Although teen depression poses a widespread problem for which proven treatments exist, few depressed teens receive any care.

Why don’t they undergo treatment? The answer depends whether you ask parents or the adolescents themselves, according to a study in the June issue of the journal Medical Care.

“With teenagers, treatment decisions greatly involve other parties, especially parents. For instance, teenagers often rely on adults for transportation. Doctors need a sense not just of what the teen thinks or what the parent thinks, but what both think,” said Lisa Meredith, Ph.D., lead author of the new study.

FDA Approves Samsca For The Treatment Of Hyponatremia

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved Samsca (tolvaptan), in tablet form, for the treatment of hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is when levels of sodium in the blood are abnormally low – it is associated with dehydration.

Norman Stockbridge, M.D., Director, Division of Cardiovascular and Renal Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA, said “With the approval of Samsca, physicians will have an additional tool to treat hyponatremia.”

Cook Medical Brings Advanced Endovascular Thoracic Aneurysm Treatment To Canadians

In a move reflecting the rapid acceptance of Cook Medical’s advanced endogaft for thoracic aortic aneurysm worldwide, the company has received approval to market the Zenith TX2 TAA Endovascular Graft in Canada. Globally, the Zenith TX2 Endovascular Graft is now available in more than 60 markets, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, European Union, Australia and others internationally.

“Physicians around the world have made Cook’s Zenith AAA Endograft the world’s best-selling device of its kind, and we’re now seeing similar momentum in the growing market for endovascular treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms,” said Phil Nowell, global leader of Cook’s aortic intervention business unit.

Yale Team Identifies Key To Potential New Treatment For Allergy-Induced Asthma

In research that could lead to new asthma drugs, scientists at Yale School of Medicine, Hydra Biosciences of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the University of California, San Francisco have discovered that a protein may be a trigger of allergy-induced asthma in mice. They also demonstrated how a drug known to reduce inflammatory and neuropathic pain may also inhibit asthma symptoms in mice. Their paper is published in the May 18-22 online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Inventors Develop Novel Technique To Help Customize, Enhance The Effectiveness Of Bladder Cancer Treatment

Researchers in the University of Virginia Department of Urology have developed a novel method that could help physicians determine the best course of treatment for patients suffering from bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer is typically treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy, a treatment in which chemotherapy is administered to reduce the size of the cancer prior to surgery, with the two most commonly used chemotherapeutic regimens being M-VAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, adriamycin and cisplatin) and GemCis (gemcitabine and cisplatin). While M-VAC has long been considered the more potent regimen and is often offered as the gold standard for treatment, it is quite toxic and known to successfully treat only about 25 percent of patients who receive it. Recent studies in metastatic cancer suggest that GemCis is equally potent and may be better tolerated among patients; thus, it is commonly used in the neoadjuvant setting.

<i>H. pylori</i> treatment

Question:

I just tested positive for h. pylori antibodies and my doctor is putting me on antibiotics.

I was already taking Nexium to help with stomach symptoms, but the doctor said to stop taking it until I was done with the antibiotic treatment and then resume with the Nexium.

I am confused by this, because it seems that Nexium is sometimes used to help treat H. pylori (with other drugs). Why would it be necessary to stop taking Nexium while treating for h. pylori?

Quarter Of Stroke Patients Still Not Given Best Treatment

Despite many improvements in stroke services over the past decade, a quarter of patients in the National Sentinel Audit for Stroke 2008 were not offered the best treatment for stroke, a stay in a dedicated stroke unit.

The audit, funded by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP), was carried out on behalf of the Intercollegiate Stroke Group by the Royal College of Physicians’ Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit (CEEu), and covers 100% of eligible hospitals in England Wales and Northern Ireland. Individual hospital results will be available on the College website from 10.00 am on Thursday 23 April.

Shortage Of HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria Drugs In Ugandan District Could Lead To Treatment Interruption, Drug Resistance

A shortage of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria medications in Uganda’s northern Gulu district could cause patients to interrupt treatment and lead to drug resistance, Paul Onek, Gulu director of health services, said recently, IRIN/PlusNews reports. According to IRIN/PlusNews, inadequate management of the country’s drug supply regularly causes shortages.

More than 2,000 TB patients in the district have begun a six-month treatment regimen and about 1,300 HIV-positive people have received a monthly supply of antiretrovirals from Gulu’s largest hospital. However, Onek noted that the district has not received TB drugs since January. Angelo Ojera, HIV focal point in the district, said that some TB patients are taking expired medications and that some HIV-positive people who have malaria have had to purchase drugs from private clinics.