A new scanning technique to improve radiotherapy treatment of lung cancer has been developed by a team led by Dr Gerry Hanna, and Dr Alan Hounsell, from Queen’s University.

The technique allows medical staff to identify exactly where the tumour is located, ensuring a more accurate delivery of treatment.

Dr Hanna, a Queen’s research fellow based at the Belfast City Hospital Cancer Centre is examining the new PET CT scanner which helps identify where the tumour is. This research has led to his team being awarded the St Luke’s medal in Dublin for the best radiotherapy research in Ireland.

The PET CT scan combines a CT scan and a PET scan in one scanning procedure allowing a more accurate diagnosis.

Dr Hanna explained: “Doctors need to be certain of the tumours position and size. In a PET scan a patient is injected with radiolabelled glucose which is taken up by the malignant cells. This glucose includes a molecule which emits a radioactive ray. By measuring where this is taken up we can more accurately define where the tumour is and how active that tumour is.

“The CT scan which is taken first can take up to three minutes. Then the PET part of the scan is taken which can take up to 45 minutes. The blacker the images, the greater the activity. High activity is typical of cancer.”

This is the first time a research team from Belfast has won the medal presented at the annual meeting of the Faculty of Radiologists of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Entries were submitted from across Ireland, the UK, Germany and Canada.

QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY, BELFAST
Communications Office, Lanyon North
Queen’s University
Northern Ireland
Belfast
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Obesity is a growing trend in the United States, requiring hospitals to provide medical imaging technology designed to accommodate bariatric patients without compromising diagnostic confidence or patient comfort. To accomplish this goal, Central Mississippi Medical Center (CMMC) in Jackson, Miss., a bariatric center of excellence, recently installed Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.’s Vantage TitanTM MR system. The Titan’s 71 cm aperture and large open bore enables CMMC to better serve its bariatric patient population with an MR system capable of imaging obese patients with comfort and confidence.

“Before installing the Titan, we could not accommodate many of our bariatric patients using MR and had to send them elsewhere for MR imaging,” said Donald Thomas, director, Imaging Services, Central Mississippi Medical Center. “The Titan allows us to image bariatric patients easily and comfortably without sacrificing patient comfort or exam quality. The system helps us better serve the bariatric community.”

The Titan is the first large open-bore MR system installed in the state of Mississippi. Titan’s feet-first imaging and Pianissimo™ noise-reduction technology enable bariatric and claustrophobic patients to be imaged in a relaxed setting.

In addition to general MR exams, CMMC uses Toshiba’s proprietary non-contrast MRA techniques for patients with renal insufficiencies who require MR exams. Gadolinium-based contrast agents, the most common contrast agents used for MRA, have been directly linked to nephrogenic systemic fibrosis or nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NSF/NFD), a sometimes fatal skin disease that occurs in patients with renal insufficiency. Due to the link between obesity and Type II diabetes, these non-contrast techniques are particularly beneficial for CMMC, which can now offer non-contrast MRA exams to diabetic patients and other patients with renal insufficiencies.

CMMC is also utilizing Toshiba’s Titan MR system in the evaluation of non-healing wounds in diabetic patients. Some diabetics have challenges with wounds healing properly, and infections can spread quickly, which can result in amputations. With the high image quality of the Titan, physicians at CMMC can make the correct diagnostic decision by being able to clearly visualize the bone versus the tissue, and are able to identify if the infection has spread to the bone. Physicians can therefore make a more accurate decision if amputation is necessary or if other therapies can be used.

In addition to bariatric and diabetic patient needs, CMMC also uses the Titan MR for general patient imaging, including head, neck, spine, knee and abdominal/pelvis exams.

“Central Mississippi Medical Center’s utilization of Toshiba’s Vantage Titan and proprietary non-contrast MRA techniques demonstrates the real-world effectiveness in comfortably imaging bariatric patients while eliminating the risks of gadolinium-based contrast agents,” said Doug Ryan, vice president, Marketing and Strategic Development, Toshiba. “Toshiba recognizes the challenges of imaging bariatric patients and develops imaging systems with features to more effectively serve the needs of these patients.”

For more information about Toshiba’s contrast-free techniques and contrast-free clinical images visit this link.

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Toshiba Continue reading →

Statement Attributable to Don Kiepert, President and CEO, Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc.

Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., a worldwide leader in diagnostic imaging, assures regulatory authorities, key customers and partners that they will continue to receive supply of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), the parent isotope of Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) in their TechneLite generators, during the current global isotope shortage and will continue to fulfill pre-existing standing orders and try to meet additional demands during this critical time.

Lantheus remains committed to serving the needs of patients and the nuclear medicine community, and to mitigating the effect this shortage has on nuclear imaging studies and patient care. On several past occurrences of Tc-99m generator supply issues, Lantheus faced similar challenges and was able to address supply demands. Lantheus is fully prepared for this current situation and has requested additional production of Mo-99 to ensure the company is once again well-positioned in the face of increased customer demand. Lantheus will continue to make every effort in the foreseeable future to provide supply of this medical isotope to the worldwide markets in which the company is permitted to supply until complete resolution of these shortage issues.

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Almost half of all U.S. adults and nearly two-thirds of obese adults will develop painful osteoarthritis of the knee by age 85, a study based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests.

The study also found that a person’s lifetime risk rose as their body mass index or BMI increased, with the greatest risk found in those whose weight was normal at age 18 but were overweight or obese at 45 or older.

“These results show how important weight management is for people throughout their lives,” said Dr. Joanne Jordan, principal investigator of the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project and senior study author. “Simply put, people who keep their weight within the normal range are much less likely to develop symptomatic knee osteoarthritis as they get older and thus much less likely to face the need for major surgical procedures, such as knee replacement surgery.”

The study also sends an important message to physicians, said Jordan, director of the Thurston Arthritis Research Center and professor of medicine and orthopaedics in the School of Medicine at the University. “They need to include the risk of knee osteoarthritis in the discussion when counseling patients about weight management and they need to factor that risk into their treatment plans.”

The results were published in the Sept. 15, 2008 issue of Arthritis Care & Research. Lead author of the report is Louise Murphy, Ph.D. of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Murphy led the data analysis and the CDC is the primary funder of the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project.

In the study, researchers collected and analyzed data over a 13-year period from 3,068 men and women 45 years old and older who live in Johnston County, N.C. At two separate points during the study, each participant was interviewed at home and given a clinical exam that included taking X-ray images of their knees and measuring their BMI. They were interviewed a second time two weeks after the clinical exam. In addition, researchers calculated the subjects’ BMI at age 18 based on their self report of height and weight at that age.

After all data were collected, researchers estimated the lifetime risk of symptomatic osteoarthritis in at least one knee using logistic regression models of statistical analysis. They found that the lifetime risk of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis was 44.7 percent.

There were no significant differences in risk related to a participant’s sex, race or education level. However, obese participants had a significantly higher lifetime risk, 64.5 percent compared to 34.9 percent for normal weight and 44.1 percent for overweight participants. Those with a history knee injury also had a higher risk than those without, 56.8 percent compared to 42.3 percent.

A separate analysis of BMI across the span of participants’ lives found that those who had a normal weight at age 18 and at their baseline and follow up visits had the lowest risk (29.2 percent) while those who reported a normal weight at 18 but were overweight or obese at the two later time points had the highest risk (59.9) percent.

Although the participants in this study all live in the same relatively rural county in the South, the lifetime risk of knee arthritis is likely high in the rest of the U.S. as well, the researchers wrote. They concluded that the study “underscores the need for public health weight loss and management interventions” that would help decrease the risk.

Notes:

Besides Jordan, UNC authors of the study include Todd A. Schwartz, Dr.P.H., Gary Koch, Ph.D. and William D. Kalsbeek, Ph.D., all from the UNC School of Public Health; and Jordan B. Renner, M.D., from the School of Medicine.

In addition to Murphy, study authors not at UNC include Charles G. Helmick, M.D., of the CDC; Gail Tudor, Ph.D. of Huston College in Bangor, Maine; Anca Dragomir, Ph.D., who earned her Ph.D. at UNC but now works at the National Institutes of Health; and Gheorghe Luta, Ph.D., who also earned his Ph.D. at UNC and is now at Georgetown University Medical Center.

Source:
Stephanie Crayton
University of North Carolina School of Medicine Continue reading →

Focusing on the negative effects indoor tanning can have on appearance appears to reduce indoor tanning behavior, even among young women who report that they tan to relax or alleviate seasonal mood disorders, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Young people who use tanning beds may be at risk of melanoma and other skin cancers, according to background information in the article. Interventions to reduce skin cancer risk often focus on motivational techniques to reduce tanning and other risky behaviors, such as not using sunscreen. “For example, it might be expected that a health-based intervention would work best for individuals who exhibit strong health-related motivations, while an appearance-focused intervention would be recommended for individuals primarily motivated by appearance concerns,” the authors write.

Joel Hillhouse, Ph.D., of East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, and colleagues studied 430 adult female indoor tanners on one college campus. A total of 200 were randomly assigned to receive a booklet that included information about the history and current sociocultural context of tanning, along with the potentially damaging effects of tanning on the skin. The booklet also gave recommendations for reducing indoor tanning and offered healthier options to enhance appearance, including exercise, choosing fashion that does not require a tan or using sunless tanning products. The other 230 did not receive the booklet.

All participants were assessed for seasonal affective disorder and four pathological tanning motives: the feeling that one’s tanning is out of control; evidence of tolerance to the effects of tanning; the belief that one’s natural skin tone is unattractive and unappealing; or opiate-like reactions to tanning.

Tanning frequency was re-assessed six months after distributing the booklet. Overall, the booklet reduced tanning behaviors, even for participants who reported a pathological motive for tanning. “In other words, providing young patients who tan with information on the damaging effects of tanning on their appearance is effective even if they are addicted to tanning or using it to ameliorate depression symptoms,” the authors write.

Tanners with pathological motives may also care about their appearance, the authors note. In addition, the appearance-focused booklet may have had unintended effects on non-appearance motivations. For instance, those who tan to relax or relieve stress may have become more anxious after reading about the potential harms of tanning.

“Emphasizing the appearance-damaging effects of UV light, both indoor and outdoor, to young patients who are tanning is important no matter what their pathological tanning behavior status,” the authors conclude. “Still, tailored interventions may be able to better address some individual motivations for tanning and their relation to psychopathology. The best methods for delivering these powerful messages and for matching message communication to individual preferences remain to be explored so that this promising intervention approach to skin cancer prevention can have a wider impact across varied settings.”

Arch Dermatol. 2010;146[5]:485-491.

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Seaweed extract may eventually emerge as a lymphoma treatment, according to laboratory research presented at the second AACR Dead Sea International Conference on Advances in Cancer Research: From the Laboratory to the Clinic, held here March 7-10, 2010.

Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system and is classified into Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s types, which are then further classified into B-cell and T-cell groups.

“Some forms of B-cell lymphoma are especially resistant to standard treatment and thus new therapies are needed,” said Mohammad Irhimeh, Ph.D., assistant professor of hematoncology and stem cells at the Hashemite University in Jordan. “In this study, we looked at a new treatment strategy using novel active compounds derived from a natural source seaweed.”

Seaweeds containing fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide similar to heparin in chemical structure, have been reported to have anti-tumor activity in mice and some cell lines.

For the current study, Irhimeh and colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley, and Royal Hobart Hospital in Australia treated lymphoma cell lines with a commercially available seaweed extract.

They found that the extract had an inhibitory effect on the growth of lymphoma cell lines, while leaving the control healthy cells intact. The researchers also noted a significant pattern of activity in the genes known to be linked with apoptosis, or cell death, in lymphoma.

Irhimeh said they would continue to study the mechanism of action for these biological effects and had a goal of conducting phase II or III clinical trials.

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, the AACR is the world’s oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes 30,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and nearly 90 other countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants, research fellowship and career development awards. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 16,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. The AACR publishes six major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; and Cancer Prevention Research. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Source: American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Continue reading →

MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center (LBMMC) successfully implanted a new, cutting-edge heart attack detection device in two heart attack survivors this morning. With the danger of a second heart attack occurring in the first year for 35 percent of female survivors and 20 percent of male survivors, the device is designed to monitor and analyze data about a patient’s heart, reducing the time it takes to get to the emergency room.

Long Beach Memorial is one of only 16 U.S. hospitals currently participating in the pilot study for the AngelMed Guardian device. The two patients, David Leland and Bruce Fisher, are the first west of the Mississippi to undergo the procedure.

“A second heart attack within the first year of survival is very common and unfortunately, most patients don’t go to the emergency room until three hours after symptoms start,” said John Messenger, M.D. “Alerting patients that they need immediate medical attention before it’s too late could profoundly change heart attack survival rates. Long Beach Memorial continuously looks for ways to apply innovative technologies that are focused on prevention, and the Guardian device has the potential to save many lives during a time critical emergency.”

The cardiac monitor and alert system is comprised of an internal implantable device about the size of a standard pacemaker with a lead into the heart, a pager device, and a programmer that aids physicians in evaluating heart signals. Patients wear the pager at all times and are alerted by a combination of vibration, beeps, and a flashing light to notify them to see their doctor or go immediately to the ER.

“After my first heart attack, I knew that I was extremely susceptible to another episode,” said David Leland. “I chose to participate in this trial program because I trust the physicians at Long Beach’s MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute, and truly believe that this device will give me an advantage if symptoms reoccur.”

The objective of the ALERTS Pivotal Study is to provide an assessment of the safety and effectiveness of the AngelMed Guardian System. Those who have had a heart attack in the past six months and are interested in participating in this trial, please call (877) 933-3297 or visit memorialcare/angelmed.

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Long Beach Memorial Medical Center Continue reading →

If you follow a diet rich in antioxidant vitamins and minerals your risk of developing age related macular degeneration will not be reduced, according to an article published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Age related macular degeneration is the leading cause of partial blindness in elderly people. It happens when the light sensitive cells in the macula break down progressively. The macula is located in the center of the retina at the back of the eye.

A patient with age related macular degeneration will not usually become totally blind – however, he/she will not be able to read, drive or do anything that requires sharp central vision.

The older you get the higher the risk is of developing age related macular degeneration. Smokers and/or obese people are also at higher risk.

It was suggested that vitamins C and E, various types of carotenoids, and zinc may reduce the oxidative damage to the retina. However, the evidence to show that dietary antioxidants can prevent age related macular degeneration is unclear, explained the writers.

Scientists form the Centre for Eye Researcher Australia, University of Melbourne, analyzed the evidence to determine whether dietary antioxidants or dietary supplements might prevent AMD. They looked at 11 studies which included 149,203 people – seven were prospective studies and three were randomized controlled trials. An assortment of common dietary antioxidants was investigated. All the trial participants came from well fed Western populations and were followed up, on average, for nine years.

All the 11 studies factored in for age, sex and smoking in their analyses.

The studies ranged in the types of antioxidants they investigated. However, when the researchers analyzed all the evidence it was clear that vitamins A and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, ?±- carotene, ??-carotene, ??-cryptoxanthin and lycopene have either a very slight or no effect on primary prevention of early age-related macular degeneration.

None of the three randomized trials found that antioxidant supplements might protect from early age related macular degeneration.

The researchers concluded that there is not enough evidence to support the role of dietary antioxidants, including the use of dietary antioxidant supplements, for the primary prevention of early AMD.

Jennifer Evans, International Centre for Eye Health, in an accompanying editorial, supports these findings. She added that reducing the prevalence of smoking is probably the best that can be done to reduce the risk of AMD.

“Dietary antioxidants and primary prevention of age related macular degeneration: systematic review and meta-analysis”
Elaine W-T Chong, Tien Y Wong, Andreas J Kreis, Julie A Simpson, Robyn H Guymer
BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.39350.500428.47 (published 8 October 2007)
– Click here to view abstract online

“Primary prevention of age related macular degeneration”
Jennifer Evans
BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.39351.478924.BE (published 8 October 2007)
– Click here to read first 150 words online

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Novocure announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Neurological Devices Advisory Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee voted (7 yes; 3 no; 2 abstain) that for patients with supra-tentorial glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumors that recur after maximal surgical and radiation treatments, there is reasonable assurance that the benefits of the NovoTTF-100A System (NovoTTF) outweigh its risks when administered as a monotherapy in place of standard medical therapy.

“We are pleased with the outcome of the Advisory Committee’s vote on the safety and effectiveness of NovoTTF,” said Eilon Kirson, M.D., Ph.D., and the Chief Medical Officer of Novocure.

The committee’s recommendation followed a review of data from the EF-11 Trial, a randomized phase III trial for 237 patients with glioblastoma tumors that had recurred or progressed despite previous treatments. The committee received and considered the final data from the EF-11 Trial, which updated data previously reported at the American Society for Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in June 2010. The trial demonstrated that patients treated with the NovoTTF alone achieved a comparable overall survival time to patients treated with the physician’s choice of the best chemotherapy. Patients treated with the NovoTTF also had higher rates of progression free survival at six months (PFS6) and higher tumor response rates (RR) compared to chemotherapy treated patients in the trial (PFS6 of 21 percent vs. 15 percent and RR of 14 percent vs. 10 percent). NovoTTF treated patients reported better quality of life scores and fewer side effects during the trial compared to patients treated with chemotherapy. The NovoTTF’s most commonly reported side effect was a mild-to-moderate rash beneath the electrodes.

“We look forward to working with the FDA to bring this novel, important therapy to patients as soon as possible,” said Asaf Danziger, CEO of Novocure. The FDA is currently reviewing a pre-market approval (PMA) application for the NovoTTF for this indication.

ABOUT NOVOTTF-100A

NovoTTF-100A is a portable, non-invasive medical device designed for continuous use throughout the day by the patient. TTF therapy has been shown in vitro to slow and reverse tumor cell proliferation by inhibiting mitosis, the process by which cells divide and replicate. The NovoTTF-100A device, which weighs about six pounds (three kilograms), creates a low-intensity, alternating electric field within the tumor that exerts physical forces on electrically charged cellular components, preventing the normal mitotic process and causing cancer cell death prior to division. The device is an investigational device in the US and has not been approved by the FDA for sale in the US for any use. Novocure currently has CE Mark for the NovoTTF-100A and the treatment is available to patients in Europe.

ABOUT THE ONGOING PHASE III TRIAL OF THE NOVOTTF-100A

Novocure is now sponsoring a second phase III study of TTF therapy at 26 centers in the US, Europe, and Israel. This study is designed to enroll 283 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma tumors. Patients will be randomized (2 to 1) to receive TTF therapy and temozolomide (Temodar; Merck & Co) or temozolomide alone (the current best standard of care).

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GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), announced its Signa HDe 1.5T Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system as the first medical imaging product from GE Healthcare to be recognized as an ecomagination offering after completing the company’s rigorous internal environmental and operational evaluation, recognizing it as one of the most energy efficient 1.5T MRI systems commercially available.

Ecomagination is GE’s commitment to imagine and build innovative technologies that help customers address their environmental and financial needs, such as the need for cleaner, more efficient sources of energy. The Signa HDe 1.5T was recognized as an ecomagination product on the basis of energy savings, as well as operating benefits. Compared to the average 1.5T MRI system, the GE Signa HDe 1.5T is designed to use over 20% less space, increasing siting flexibility.

By employing efficient gradients and an innovative water-cooling technology, the GE Signa HDe 1.5T uses approximately 62% less energy than GE’s previous generation MRI systems while still allowing the MRI system to achieve outstanding image quality.

“We are extremely excited and proud as an MRI business to feature the first ecomagination product for GE Healthcare,” said Jim Davis, vice president and general manager of GE Healthcare’s global MRI business. “The Signa HDe is a reflection of our commitment to produce quality, energy-efficient technologies for our customers worldwide.”

Rising energy costs and heightened concern for the environmental consequences of energy consumption make the need for high quality, efficient technology a universal concern across many industries, including healthcare.

This MRI system reduces annual electricity use by about 100,000 kWh, equivalent to a projected saving of over $10,000 per year under normal operating conditions in 2008 in the US. The electricity that a single HDe system saves on an annual basis is roughly equivalent to:

- The annual electricity consumption of 23 households in the UK
- The annual electricity consumption of about 70 urban households in China

For the 2008 Beijing Olympics Games, two Signa HDe 1.5T are installed at the Olympic Village General Hospital in Beijing, caring for more than 10,500 athletes from over 200 countries.

About GE Healthcare

GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, performance improvement, drug discovery, and biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies is helping clinicians around the world re-imagine new ways to predict, diagnose, inform, treat and monitor disease, so patients can live their lives to the fullest.

GE Healthcare’s broad range of products and services enable healthcare providers to better diagnose and treat cancer, heart disease, neurological diseases and other conditions earlier. Our vision for the future is to enable a new “early health” model of care focused on earlier diagnosis, pre-symptomatic disease detection and disease prevention. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a $17 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employs more than 46,000 people committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries.

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