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Clinical Times: May 2009

Overall prognosis for gall-bladder cancer improving

Archives of Surgery | 26 May 2009 | Cancer

Overall prognosis for gallbladder cancer appears to be improving, although many patients still have incurable disease and poor survival rates, according to a new report. The report followed a study in which doctors identified 402 patients with gallbladder cancer at... Read more

Westernisation linked to risk of skin cancer among Asian patients

Archives of Dermatology | 26 May 2009 | Skin

Persons of Asian descent who have adopted more aspects of western culture may be more likely to engage in behaviours that increase sun exposure and risk of skin cancer, according to a new report. According to background information supplied by... Read more

Splinting can reduce the pain in base-of-thumb osteoarthritis

Annals of Internal Medicine | 26 May 2009 | Musculoskeletal

A new study has concluded that splinting could be an inexpensive and effective alternative to drug treatment for patients with base-of-thumb osteoarthritis (BTOA). According to background information supplied by the study’s researchers, the recommended treatment for BTOA include drugs and... Read more

Risk of facial fractures in motor vehicle crashes is decreasing

Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery | 26 May 2009 | Musculoskeletal

Facial fractures from motor vehicle crashes appear to be decreasing, most likely due to design improvements in newer vehicles, according to a new report. The report followed a study in which doctors in the United States analysed records from a... Read more

Breaking through to cancer pain

26 May 2009 | Cancer

At a recent Palliative Care Symposium, a number of experts in the field elaborated on the issue of breakthrough cancer pain and looked at definitions of and ways to treat it. The recent Cephalon Pharma (Ireland) Ltd Palliative Care Symposium... Read more

Anxiety disorders in women

Dr Heather Church, Registrar and Dr James V Lucey, Medical Director, St Patrick’s Hospital. | 25 May 2009 | Women's Health

Dr Heather Church and Dr James V Lucey list the main anxiety disorders in psychiatry and discuss how they affect women in terms of incidence and clinical features. Anxiety disorders are common in women and although often disabling, they are... Read more

Real and simulated acupuncture more effective than usual care for back pain

Archives of Internal Medicine | 19 May 2009 | Musculoskeletal

Three types of acupuncture therapy – an individually tailored programme, standard therapy and a simulation involving toothpicks at key acupuncture points – appear more effective than usual care for chronic low back pain, according to a new report. According to... Read more

Diet and exercise can help older, overweight cancer survivors

JAMA | 19 May 2009 | Cancer

A home-based diet and exercise programme reduced the rate of functional decline among older, overweight long-term survivors of colorectal, breast and prostate cancer, according to a new study. Researchers conducted a randomised, controlled trial that tested a home-based diet and... Read more

Pregnancy drinking advice: 'ethically dubious'

Journal of Medical Ethics | 19 May 2009 | Women's Health

Doctors’ advice on drinking during pregnancy is paternalistic and ethically dubious, according to a leading medico-legal expert. According to Colin Gavaghan, of the School of Law at the University of Glasgow, the evidence for a link between moderate to light... Read more

Proteins in prostate cancer

Greg Baxter | 18 May 2009 | Cancer

Greg Baxter reports on new research into prostate cancer, which has shown that a protein present in prostate cancer cells can inhibit the growth of tumours New research published in the American Journal of Pathology has shown that a protein... Read more

Drop in breast cancer risk follows change in hormone therapy

NEJM | 18 May 2009 | Cancer

The increased risk of breast cancer associated with the use of estrogen plus progestin declined markedly soon after discontinuation of combined hormone therapy — and was unrelated to changes in frequency of mammography, American researchers have found. According to background... Read more

Swine flu: travel restrictions 'unlikely'

BMJ Online | 18 May 2009 | Infections & Immunology

Given the widespread presence of the swine flu virus across many countries, containment is probably not feasible, and efforts need to focus increasingly on mitigation, according to a leading public health expert. Interestingly, almost all cases reported so far have... Read more

Adverse events tracked online in US

Archives of Surgery | 18 May 2009 | Musculoskeletal

A web-based reporting system may help clinicians track surgical complications and detect patterns of adverse events, identifying opportunities to improve the quality of care, according to a new US report. The report followed a study in which doctors designed a... Read more

New immunisation programme provides more protection

Dr Mary O’Meara and Dr Brenda Corcoran | 12 May 2009 | Infections & Immunology

Dr Mary O'Meara and Dr Brenda Corcoran describe the changes to the primary childhood immunisation schedule. Significant changes to the primary childhood immunisation programme were implemented in 2008 following recommendations from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). This is an... Read more

Foreign adoptees may not be vaccinated despite record evidence

*Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine | 12 May 2009 | Infections & Immunology

Children adopted from countries such as Russia, China and Guatemala may not be protected against polio, measles or other diseases despite records indicating they have been immunized, according to a new report. The report followed a study by US doctors... Read more

Scam-cell treatments?

Erica Mills | 12 May 2009 | Men's Health, Women's Health

Erica Mills reports from a recent conference that explored the divide between fact and fiction in the public's perception of stem cell research and therapies. Stem cell research is undoubtedly one of the most contentious and widely discussed subjects in... Read more

Sleep apnoea and its effects on drivers' behaviour

Dr John Garvey and Prof Walter T McNicholas | 11 May 2009 | Respiratory

Dr John Garvey and Prof Walter T McNicholas on obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, which is thought to affect at least 60,000 adults in Ireland and is thought to play a major role in causing road traffic accidents. Driving is a... Read more

Inconsistent to stop cervical screening at the age of 50

BMJ Online | 06 May 2009 | Cancer

t is not consistent to stop screening women after the age of 50 years because the risk of cervical cancer – even after several negative smear results – is similar to that at younger ages, a new study has concluded.... Read more

Some anti-clotting drugs linked to brain microbleeds in elderly

06 May 2009 | Mental Health & CNS

Individuals who take aspirin or other anti-clotting medications appear more likely to have tiny, asymptomatic areas of bleeding in the brain, according to a new Dutch study. Cerebral microbleeds – small deposits of the iron-storing protein hemosiderin in the brain... Read more

Abnormalities in brain pathways in patients with muscle disorders

Archives of Neurology | 06 May 2009 | Mental Health & CNS

Abnormalities in the fibres connecting different brain areas may contribute to muscle disorders such as writer’s cramp, according to a new study by French doctors. In the study, French doctors compared 26 right-handed patients with writer’s cramp to 26 right-handed... Read more

Endocrine therapy plus zoledronic acid for premenopausal breast cancer

NEJM | 06 May 2009 | Women's Health

The addition of zoledronic acid to adjuvant endocrine therapy can improve disease-free survival in premenopausal patients who have oestrogen-responsive early breast cancer, researchers who conducted a new Austrian study have found. In the study, which was published in the New... Read more

Mania and depression: taking a psychological approach to treatment

John O'Connor | 06 May 2009 | Mental Health & CNS

John O'Connor looks at the relationship between manic and depressive states from a psychological treatment perspective. This short article considers the relationship between depression and mania from a psychological perspective. Key to this is an idea that mania is a... Read more