Dr John B. Carrigan looks at how the development of HER2 testing has changed the treatment of breast cancer and examines potential future applications The application of the breast-cancer drug Herceptin (trastuzumab) and the testing of its target, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), were back in the news recently after a recent paper [...]
Dr Brian O’Doherty looks at the treatment of bacterial infections in the primary care setting It is currently an opportune time to talk about the use of antibiotics, what with the increased instance of respiratory tract infections. Good clinical practice and other pressures, such as financial constraints, force us to consider our role in prescribing [...]
Surgically implanted hearing aids anchored to the skull bone appear to be a durable treatment option that noticeably improves hearing among children with deafness in one ear, according to a new report. In the study, researchers reviewed the charts of 23 children and teens who were aged six to 19 years. Each child or teen [...]
Swelling commonly occurs in the corneas of mountain climbers, but does not appear to affect vision at altitudes of up to 6,300 metres according to a new report from Switzerland. The report followed a study in which doctors investigated the effects of high-altitude climbing on corneal thickness among 28 healthy volunteers climbing Mount Muztagh Ata [...]
Tinnitus does not appear to be a highly inherited condition, a Norwegian study has found. Doctors analysed data from 12,940 spouses, 27,607 parents and offspring and 11,498 siblings. Participants completed a questionnaire about tinnitus and underwent a hearing examination. A subgroup of 16,186 individuals with some hearing loss and 17,785 controls were sent a second [...]
New Australian guidelines have been released on the use of the anti-TNF agents infliximab and adalimumab to treat inflammatory bowel disease, stressing the need for a careful assessment of likely risks and benefits. The Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) reimburses treatment of patients with moderate to severe refractory inflammatory Crohn’s disease. There is convincing evidence [...]
Clinical Update: Nutrition – Crohn’s disease is an incurable chronic disease that generally affects the small intestine where the absorption of vitamins and nutrients occurs. Patients with Crohn’s disease frequently have surgery that may involve the removal of the lower part of the small intestine, which is where vitamin D tends to be maximally absorbed. [...]
Clinical Update: Nutrition – The Annals of Surgery recently published a report on research involving patients undergoing surgery for oesophageal cancer, a procedure normally associated with significant weight-loss and quality-of-life issues . The lead investigators of the study were Prof John V. Reynolds, Professor of Surgery at Trinity College Dublin and Dr Aoife Ryan, Assistant [...]
Clinical Update: Nutrition – There is no disputing that if a person has inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), there are circumstances where the patient will need nutritional support because they are malnourished. However, basic science work and many animal studies have been done and it appears that there could also be a genetic element. Trinity College [...]
Sandra Ryan reports from the Musculoskeletal Imaging Masterclass for Clinicians, where attendees heard about the latest diagnostic developments Within the last decade, ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have become established imaging techniques for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with musculoskeletal disease. The advancements in US imaging have been made possible through technological [...]
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