Patients who chose active monitoring of their localized prostate cancer have achieved the same high survival rates as those who chose radiotherapy or surgery. Researchers reported these findings on March 11, 2023 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Lead investigator Freddie Hamdy, MD, Professor of Surgery, Professor of Urology and Head of the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences at […]
Women working in healthcare who are regularly exposed to radiation from x-rays and other imaging procedures need better ionising radiation protection to help minimise their risk of developing breast cancer, argue doctors in The BMJ today. Ionising radiation is a known human carcinogen and breast tissue is highly radiation sensitive. As such, there are concerns that regular exposure to ionising radiation during image guided […]
In radiotherapy, precision in targeting tumor tissue while minimizing damage to healthy tissue is crucial. Monitoring the dose of radiation delivered and absorbed in real-time, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract, poses significant difficulty. Additionally, existing methods used for monitoring biochemical indicators such as pH and temperature are inadequate for comprehensive evaluation of radiotherapy. To address this challenge, a joint research […]
A new analysis of the carbon footprint of products used in the five most common surgical operations carried out in the NHS in England shows that 68% of carbon contributions come from single-use items, such as single-use gowns, patient drapes and instrument table drapes. Published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, the analysis highlights significant carbon contributors were […]
A new study from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden suggests that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), lithium, and clozapine may be associated with reduced suicide rates in adolescent males with severe mental illness, consistent with previous findings in adults. The study, published in Nature Communications, compared treatment and suicide rates across different regions in Sweden. Annually, there are at least 800,000 suicide deaths worldwide. […]
CAR-T cell therapy has been shown to be highly effective in treating some cancers. However, responses to this relatively new form of immunotherapy can vary, making it difficult for patients and doctors to predict cancer outcomes. Scientists have been puzzled by the range of responses. Now a new study by the German Cancer Research Centre (KDFZ), in collaboration with researchers […]
Among patients over 60 with treatment-resistant depression, adding the antipsychotic drug aripiprazole (Abilify) to their treatment appears to be a more effective strategy than switching antidepressants. Researchers reported these findings on March 3, 2023 in the New England Journal of Medicine. “Often, unless a patient responds to the first treatment prescribed for depression, physicians follow a pattern in which they […]
In his new book Primary Health Care and Population Mortality, released next week, Professor Richard Baker draws on international evidence to show how primary health care is key to the effect of health systems on population mortality and inequality in mortality. His conclusion is that it is time to think about primary health care in a new way. He explains: “It […]
Researchers report that patients who knowingly took a “sugar pill” placebo along with daily methadone treatment achieved significantly higher 90-day adherence to treatment for opioid abuse disorder than patients using only methadone. The findings were published on April 12 in JAMA Network Open. “The clinical implications of our intervention have great potential impact, as retention in treatment is a serious […]
Survey of Family Physicians Identifies Gaps in Primary Care’s Behavioral Health Integration Researchers from the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) and the University of Washington in Seattle examined the characteristics of family physicians who work collaboratively with behavioral health professionals (BHP). Prior evidence has demonstrated that integrating behavioral health into primary care can improve access to mental health care […]
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