Excessive use of skin cancer surgery curbed with awareness effort

JAMA Dermatology Johns Hopkins Medicine Sometimes a little gentle peer persuasion goes a long way toward correcting a large problem. That’s the message from researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and seven collaborating health care organizations which report that a “Dear Colleague” performance evaluation letter successively convinced physicians nationwide to reduce the amount of tissue they … Read more

Hebrew University research finds link between smoking and poor mental health among students

Hebrew University of Jerusalem Hagai Levine (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Tatjana Gazibara (University of Belgrade), Marija Milic (University of Pristina) Hebrew University of Jerusalem For decades, doctors have warned us about the health risks of smoking. However, their warnings focused on the physical risks that cigarettes pose to our health, such as lung cancer, heart … Read more

Penn shows giving entire course of radiation treatment in less than a second is feasible

Cancer patients may one day be able to get their entire course of radiation therapy in less than a second rather than coming in for treatment over the course of several weeks, and researchers in the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania have taken the first steps toward making it a reality. In … Read more

Satellite, drone photos could help predict infections of a widespread tropical disease

Satellite images, drone photos and even Google Earth could help identify communities most at risk for getting one of the world’s worst tropical diseases. A team led by the University of Washington and Stanford University has discovered clues in the environment that help identify transmission hotspots for schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that is second only … Read more

‘MasSpec Pen’ for accurate cancer detection during surgery

A major challenge for cancer surgeons is to determine exactly where a tumor starts and where it ends. Removing too much tissue can impair normal functions, but not taking enough can mean the disease could recur. The “MasSpec Pen,” a handheld device in development, could someday enable surgeons to distinguish between cancerous and healthy tissue … Read more

Using gold to read cancer’s messages

A novel blood test that uses gold nanoparticles to detect cancer has also been shown to identify signals released by cancer cells which could result in earlier diagnosis and better treatment. New research has revealed the nanotechnology developed by University of Queensland scientists can detect and monitor extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the bloodstream. Australian Institute … Read more

Sustainable development in the era pandemic risk

The current outbreak of a novel coronavirus, originating in Hubei Province of China and closely related to SARS, is once again keeping the world on its toes. This is but the latest of a series of pandemics that have terrorised countries all around the world in recent years, including Ebola, SARS, Zika, MERS, etc. All … Read more

AI, brain scans may alter how doctors treat depression

Artificial intelligence may soon play a critical role in choosing which depression therapy is best for patients. A national trial initiated by UT Southwestern in 2011 to better understand mood disorders has produced what scientists are calling the project’s flagship finding: a computer that can accurately predict whether an antidepressant will work based on a … Read more

Human gut-in-a-dish model helps define ‘leaky gut,’ and outline a pathway to treatment

Once a vague scapegoat for a variety of ills, increasing evidence suggests a condition known as “leaky gut” – in which microbes and other molecules seep out of the intestines – may be more common, and more harmful, than previously thought. Leaky gut is most often experienced by older people, patients with cancers or other … Read more

Sepsis leading cause of death worldwide

New research published today in The Lancet has found that sepsis is responsible for the most deaths worldwide, even more than cancer or coronary disease—previously believed to be the leading causes of death globally. The study determined that, in 2017, 48.9 million cases of sepsis were diagnosed worldwide and 11 million people died of the condition. This … Read more