MRI machines may damage cochlear implants

Patients with cochlear implants may want to steer clear of certain magnetic imaging devices, such as 3T MRI machines, because the machines can demagnetize the patient?s implant, according to new research published in the December 2008 issue of Otolaryngology ? Head and Neck Surgery. A cochlear implant is an electronic device that restores partial hearing to the deaf. It is surgically implanted in the inner ear and activated by a device worn outside the ear. Unlike a hearing aid, it does not make sound louder or clearer. Instead, the device bypasses damaged parts of the auditory system and directly stimulates the nerve of hearing, allowing individuals who are profoundly hearing impaired to receive sound. It is estimated that more than 100,000 people have cochlear implants. The study, conducted by a team of German and American researchers, tested several cochlear device magnets on a 3T MRI scanner with active shielding at a variety of angles (0º, 80º, 90º, 100º, 110º, and 180º). The researchers discovered that during routine use of 3T MRI machines at angles above 80º, an unacceptable level of demagnetization was reached, causing permanent damage to devices with non-removable magnets, and creating the potential of exposing patients to undesirable magnetic forces.  More »


Exercise helps prevent age-related brain changes in older adults

Older adults who exercise regularly show increased cerebral blood flow and a greater number of small blood vessels in the brain, according to findings presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The study, conducted at the University of North Carolina (UNC) ? Chapel Hill, is the first to compare brain scans of older adults who exercise to brain scans of those who do not. ?Our results show that exercise may reduce age-related changes in brain vasculature and blood flow,? said presenter Feraz Rahman, M.S., currently a medical student at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. ?Other studies have shown that exercise prevents cognitive decline in the elderly. The blood vessel and flow differences may be one reason.? More »


PharmaCom BioVet, Inc. To Provide Novel Canine Cancer Treatment Programs To Meet Exploding Pet Care Demand

RALEIGH -- PharmaCom BioVet, Inc. is pleased to announce that their new Canine Cancer Treatment Centers will provide state-of-the-art cancer technologies to meet the growing demand for effective treatment of companion animals afflicted with lymphoma and other forms of cancer. Concurrent with human trends for increasing life spans, companion animals are also living longer. According to a recent report by Tatjana Meerman, Publisher of Packaged Facts, Rockville, Maryland, "Pets are living longer because their owners are taking better care of them, both medically and nutritionally." The report continues by stating that the ever growing bond between pet owners and their companion animals means, "...an increased willingness amo... More »


The Influence Of Statin Medications On Prostate-Specific Antigen Levels

BERKELEY -- Christopher P. Evans, M.D. reports on the following: Dr. Robert J. Hamilton and associates report statin use lowers PSA levels, and as a result may confound the detection of prostate cancer (CaP) in these patients. In this study, the investigators sought to determine the effect of statins on serum PSA levels. A retrospective study population of 1,214 men who had filled an outpatient prescription for a statin between 1990 and 2006 was identified in the Durham VA Medical Center database. Men were excluded if they had a diagnosis of CaP, underwent treatment for CaP, had a TURP or prostatitis or were treated with either dutasteride or finasteride. Pre- and post-statin initiation PSA and LDL levels were required.... More »


Clinical Study Recommends The Use Of Breast MRI For Preoperative Evaluation Of Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patients

NORTH ANDOVER -- Aurora Imaging Technology Inc. is proud to announce that the Aurora(R) Dedicated Breast MRI System was exclusively utilized in a large clinical study that demonstrated the significance of preoperative breast MRI for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, while producing no delay in treatment. The study, co-sponsored by Mercy Health Center and Breast MRI of Oklahoma LLC, was published by the American Journal of Surgery. Alan Hollingsworth, M.D., medical director and breast surgeon at Mercy Women's Center at Mercy Health Center in Oklahoma City, and his colleagues included 603 patients from March 2003 through December 2006 -- the largest single-site study of preoperative patients ever published on MRI for... More »



Ikonisys Receives FDA Clearance For Non-Invasive, HER-2 Breast Cancer Test

Ikonisys, a leading provider of next generation, non-invasive, cell-based diagnostic solutions, announced that it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its oncoFISH her2 test. oncoFISH her2 is a fully automated microscopy application for the determination of HER2 status in human breast cancer specimens processed with Abbott's PathVysion(R) HER2 DNA Probe Kit. The test runs on the company's proprietary CellOptics(R) platform, featuring the Ikoniscope(R), a proprietary high-throughput, digital microscope, and provides "walk-away" automated testing of the HER2 gene to provide an early and accurate indication for gene amplification. Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in women in the... More »


Lung Cancer Often Gets Pushed To The Back Of The Line By Misconceptions

They call it "The Invisible Cancer." It develops and grows quietly, stealthily -- invisibly -- typically causing no noticeable symptoms until it's way too late. Only about 15 percent of those who are diagnosed with the invisible cancer survive even five years. Which begs the obvious question: How can a disease that kills more than 160,000 Americans a year -- making it the deadliest of all cancers -- still be invisible? Shouldn't it be visible by now? Theoretically, yes, lung cancer -- the invisible cancer -- should be more than a mere blip on America's cancer radar. Other forms of the disease -- breast cancer for women, prostate cancer for men, just to name a couple -- tend to grab the headlines, the public sympathy and, not coinci... More »













Eye Divergence in Children Triples Risk of Mental Illness

Children whose eyes are misaligned and point outward are at significantly increased risk of developing mental illness by early adulthood, according to findings of a Mayo Clinic study published this month in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The retrospective study examined the medical records of 407 patients with strabismus (misaligned eyes) and compared them with records of children matched for age and sex but with normal eye alignment. Children with eyes that diverged (exotropia) were three times more likely to develop a psychiatric disorder than were the control subjects, while those with inward deviating eyes (esotropia) showed no increase in the incidence of mental illnesses. Brian Mohney, M.D., the Mayo Clinic pediatric ophthalmologist who led the study, says the results can help alert physicians to potential problems in their pediatric patients. More »


Urine Protein Test Detects Kidney Dysfunction in Transplant Patients

A noninvasive test that analyzes proteins in the urine can correctly identify patients whose transplanted kidneys are failing, according to a study appearing in the February 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results might allow physicians to more accurately monitor transplant patients and to fine-tune the immunosuppressive therapies prescribed to prevent kidney rejection. While kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage renal disease, more than 50 percent of transplants fail over time. This may be because of defects that arise within the kidney or because the kidney is rejected by the recipient?s immune system. As examples, patients may develop conditions called interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy or chronic antibody-mediated rejection. These two conditions can both lead to kidney dysfunction, but they have very different characteristics and outcomes. Currently, it is difficult to detect the early stages of kidney dysfunction following transplantation, and detection techniques require invasive biopsies. However, new analytical tools that screen for proteins in body fluids are becoming useful for indicating the presence of various medical conditions. Luis Quintana, MD, of Servicio de Nefrología y Trasplante Renal, Hospital Clinic, in Barcelona, Spain and his colleagues set out to see if this type of screening technique might be applied to the detection of conditions related to kidney dysfunction. More »


Do You Know You?re Having a Stroke?

A Mayo Clinic study shows a majority of stroke patients don?t think they?re having a stroke?and as a result?delay seeking treatment until their condition worsens. Researchers studied 400 patients who were diagnosed at Mayo Clinic?s emergency department with either acute ischemic stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a temporary interruption of blood flow to part of the brain. Less than half of the patients?42 percent?thought they were having a stroke. In fact, most in the study did not go to the emergency room when symptoms appeared. The median time from onset of symptoms to arrival at the hospital was over three and a half hours. Most said they thought the symptoms would simply go away. The delay in seeking medical help was the same among men and women. More »