Researchers are in the first stages of testing a new technology that may allow radiologists to detect breast tumors with improved accuracy without exposing patients... More »
The benefits and risks of breast cancer screening have often been debated by the clinical and epidemiological realms, with key arguments centering around overdiagnosis. More »
The association between breast cancer and cadmium, a heavy metal that can be found in food, cosmetics, water, and air, has been explored in several new studies with varied findings. More »
An abstract presented at the 13th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons suggests that women who are at high risk for recurrence may not need a mastectomy. More »
New data presented at the 13th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons shows radiofrequency ablation can prevent local breast cancer recurrence just as effectively as radiation therapy. Compared to radiation therapy, radiofrequency ablation showed superior cosmetic results and... More »
Digital breast tomosynthesis plus mammography provides a 40 percent reduction in patient recalls, reducing anxiety and potentially cutting cost and overall radiation dose. More »
Reviews the evidence for and against hundreds of preventive health services, recommending tests, and counseling interventions when evidence exists that it is effective.
Reviews the evidence for and against hundreds of preventive health services, recommending tests, and counseling interventions when evidence exists that it is effective.
Reviews the evidence for and against hundreds of preventive health services, recommending tests, and counseling interventions when evidence exists that it is effective.
The purpose of this prospective multicenter study was to assess one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) for intraoperative sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis detection in breastcancer patients, using final histology as the reference standard. OSNA results were also compared to intraoperative histology SLN evaluation and to standard clinicopathological risk markers. For this study, fresh SLNs were cut in four blocks, and alternate blocks were used for OSNA and histology. CK19 mRNA copy number was categorized as strongly positive, positive or negative. Positive histology was defined as presence of macrometastasis or micrometastasis. When discrepancies occurred, the entire SLNs were subjected to histological studies and the node lysates to additional molecular studies. Five hundred three SLN samples from 233 patients were studied. Mean time to evaluate two SLNs was 40 min. Sensitivity per patient was 91.4% (95% CI, 76.9-98.2%), specificity 93.3% (95% CI, 88.6-96.6%), positive
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family of receptor tyrosine kinases has been implicated in a variety of cancers. In particular, activating mutations such as the L858R point mutation in exon 21 and the small in-frame deletions in exon 19 of the EGFR tyrosine kinase domain are correlated with sensitivity to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Clinical treatment of patients is limited by the development of drug resistance resulting mainly from a gatekeeper mutation (T790M). In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of a novel, irreversible pan-HER inhibitor, HM781-36B. The results from this study show that HM781-36B is a potent inhibitor of EGFR in vitro, including the EGFR-acquired resistance mutation (T790M), as well as HER-2 and HER-4, compared with other EGFR tyrosine kinases inhibitors (erlotinib, lapatinib and BIBW2992). HM781-36B treatment of EGFR DelE746_A750-harboring erlotinib-sensitive HCC827 and EGFR
Use of menopausal hormone therapy (HT) has been associated with reduced risk of colorectal cancer; evidence for its effect on other gastrointestinal cancers is limited. We conducted a nested case-control study within a UK cohort, and meta-analyses combining our results with those from published studies. Our study included women aged 50+ in the UK General Practice Research Database (GPRD): 1,054 with oesophageal, 750 with gastric and 4,708 with colorectal cancer, and 5 age- and practice-matched controls per case. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cancer in relation to prospectively-recorded HT prescriptions were estimated by conditional logistic regression. Women prescribed HT had a reduced risk of oesophageal cancer (adjusted RR for 1+ vs. no HT prescriptions, 0.68, 95% CI 0.53-0.88; p = 0.004), gastric cancer (0.75, 0.54-1.05; p = 0.1) and colorectal cancer (0.81, 0.73-0.90; p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in cancer risk by HT type,
Estrogen signaling plays an important role in breast carcinogenesis. An increased understanding of estrogen gene targets and their effects will allow for more directed and effective therapies for individuals with breastcancer, particularly those with estrogen receptor positive tumors resistant to tamoxifen therapy. Here, we identify YPEL3 as a growth suppressive protein downregulated by estrogen in estrogen receptor positive breastcancer cell lines. Estrogen repression of YPEL3 expression was found to be independent of p53 but dependent on estrogen receptor alpha expression. Importantly, YPEL3 expression, which is induced by the removal of estrogen or treatment with tamoxifen triggers cellular senescence in MCF-7 cells while loss of YPEL3 increases the growth rate of MCF-7 cells. Taken together these findings suggest that YPEL3 may represent a potential target for directed hormonal therapy for estrogen receptor positive breastcancer patients.
Brachytherapy is a radiation treatment that uses an implanted radioactive source. In recent years, use of breast brachytherapy after lumpectomy for early breastcancer has increased substantially despite a lack of randomized trial data comparing its effectiveness with standard whole-breast irradiation (WBI). Because results of long-term randomized trials will not be reported for years, detailed analysis of clinical outcomes in a nonrandomized setting is warranted.|To compare the likelihood of breast preservation, complications, and survival for brachytherapy vs WBI among a nationwide cohort of older women with breastcancer with fee-for-service Medicare.|Retrospective population-based cohort study of 92,735 women aged 67 years or older with incident invasive breastcancer, diagnosed between 2003 and 2007 and followed up through 2008. After lumpectomy 6952 patients were treated with brachytherapy vs 85,783 with WBI.|Cumulative incidence and adjusted risk of subsequent mastectomy (an
Yes. Study can be found here http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e2838 Art Art Fougner, MD Liability Reform IS Healthcare Reform Follow @sonodoc99 on Twitter
THANKS. As usual you have information with excellent science. As I think we all know the ASCCP guidelines are great for first line and are great for the NPs and FPs doing colpos. The question posed is for those cases that then get referred to the ObGyns. THANKS again Joanne Joanne Bulley, MD, FACOG Keene, NH
This is a multipart message in MIME format. =_alternative 0004BE5888257A00 When the colpo is negative (no AWE or vascular changes), do You routinely check random biopsies, along with the ECC? Anticipating the answer is yes, and Path returns negative for SIL, keep in mind that most CIN2-3 originated in Patients with persistent HPV of 5-10 years duration. Integration of the (formerly) episomal DNA into the host genome takes time (some will
I see quite a lot of patients with ASCUS, HPV DNA (+) in whom colposcopy is negative, but who continue to come back with the same cytology. For a number of years, I'd repeat the colposcopy only to continue to have the same result. Now, I have stopped doing a second colposcopy unless the cytology is consistent with high grade disease. I have found no reason to return to the very
Physician Performance Goals Are Great, But Balance Is More Realistic Jennifer Frank, MD, May 15, 2012 Performance measurements for physicians are well-intentioned and get me to rethink how I practice. But in the end I won't make the goals, so I'll have to go with balance over perfection.
Designing the Perfect Business Card for Your Medical Practice C. Noel Henley, MD, May 11, 2012 Does your business card say anything substantive about the valuable work you do in your practice? Here’s how to re-design your next business card for maximum impact and engagement.
Registered Nurses an Ideal Fit for Primary Care Practices Audrey "Christie" McLaughlin, RN, May 10, 2012 Here are four good reasons to hire a registered nurse for your primary care practice …maybe even instead of a medical assistant.
The Five Biggest Medical Practice Marketing Mistakes James Doulgeris, May 10, 2012 There are best practices to marketing your practice, but often, success is more about knowing what not to do. Here are the five most common pitfalls …and how to avoid them.
Can You Practice Medicine and Manage Your Practice? Rosemarie Nelson, May 9, 2012 Whether you practice alone, or in a group, if you're trying to see patients in this pay-for-volume environment and also run the business of your practice, you may be missing out on important opportunities.
Researchers are in the first stages of testing a new technology that may allow radiologists to detect breast tumors with improved accuracy without exposing patients... 
