Around fifty thousand people in the United States would be identified with cancer of the larynx (voice box) or cancer of the pharynx in 2010, as per estimates furnished by the Oral Cancer Foundation and over 13000 individuals dying from it. In spite of advancements in the field of medicine, the number of throat cancer cases continues to be steadfast, according to the initiator of the Oral Cancer Foundation, Mr. Brian Hill. Factually he adds that there has been a sharp rise in throat cancer cases in the past ten years. Here is the additional info on the same. Throat Cancer Types The key types of throat cancer are oropharyngeal and laryngeal cancer. Laryngeal cancer or cancer of the larynx afflicts the voice box and widespread among the smoker community. Oropharyngeal cancer develops in the region  [...]

Detection of malignant melanoma, the highly grave form of skin cancer would shortly be swifter and simpler with all due credit to the noble efforts put forth by the study investigators from the Missouri Univ. of Science and Technology. The study backed by the NIH, lately garnered a patent labelled ‘Automatic Detection of Critical Dermoscopy Features for Malignant Melanoma Diagnosis’. The exclusive rights are applicable to a technique for computer-assisted examination of pictures of skin lesions for detecting cancer. Melanoma is curable in case its diagnosis is done in its earlier staging. Researcher Doctor Randy Moss, Prof. of electrical & computer engineering from Missouri Univ. stated that at present the data acquired from a photographic image of skin lesions could be processed within  [...]

Michael Douglas would be facing chemotherapy sessions spanning for duo months after physicians detected tumor presence in his throat region. The sixty-five year old Oscar-winner, Douglas would be undergoing 8-week long sessions of chemotherapy plus radiotherapy. Douglas’s physicians anticipate him to completely recover, as per information provided to the famed People magazine. Married to Catherine Zeta-Jones, Douglas is quite positive about ably tiding though the disease. A spokesperson for the Wall Street star did not corroborate the form of cancer he had, when it was identified or when therapy commences. He additionally turned down any queries for answering Michael’s smoking past. Larynx cancers are generally linked to binge drinking and smoking. Chemotherapy is mostly employed  [...]

Several earlier researches have noted links between HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and a boost in lung, ovarian and breast cancers. Lately, a long-standing trial printed in the medical journal ‘Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention’ appears to add up to the surmounting evidence about HRT prescribed to women for combating bothersome menopausal symptoms. Hormone replacement therapy has been extensively employed on women experiencing menopause till the release of the milestone WHI (Women Health Initiative) trial during 2002 after a large-scaled study which noted the usage of hormone replacement therapy can raise the likelihood of developing cancers afflicting the breasts and ovaries. It was additionally proven that hormone replacement therapy could augment risk of suffering from  [...]

A new-fangled test for oral cancer diagnosis which dentists could carry out by the basic use of a brush for cell collection from the mouth of patients is set to be created by the joint collaboration of investigators from the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Univ. of Sheffield. The global study group has been granted two million dollars by the United States NIH for developing the diagnosis test that can offer a precise detection of dubious oral cancer lesions in below twenty minutes. The present method employed for detecting oral cancer in suspicious lesions involve the use of scalpels for performing biopsies and off-location lab testing that could become time-consuming. The novel test would entail removal of cells using a brush that are then placed on a chip which is  [...]

Could a price label be placed on the lives of prostate cancer patients? With the arrival of the innovatory Provenge cancer vaccine therapy, that label has been placed at around 23000 dollars/month of life added – aggregating to 93000 dollars for a therapy extending life, by an average of 4 months. By existent sky-rocketing healthcare expenses, the almost 6-digit expenses for Provenge has evoked queries amongst several health care professionals, however for males who have gained from this path-breaking novel treatment, it definitely is money well-spent. Patients who have been given Provenge during the 2007 scientific studies have shown great improvement with steady drop in the PSA level (test for gauging prostate cancer existence). Disparate to side-effect eliciting radiation therapy sessions,  [...]

Hologic has lately made an announcement that its Selenia Dimensions three dimensional mammography tomosynthesis system would be reassessed by the FDA. The piece of equipment is capable of taking several low-energy X-ray images from varying viewpoints and reconstructing a three-dimensional (3D) imagery of the breast. Hologic’s device is obtainable in major areas across the globe, however the Radiological Devices Panel of the FDA is due to convene in September for discussing the system. Hologic’s white paper has explained in detail regarding breast tomosynthesis that involves the following steps: Breast compression in a benchmark manner and with the breast held in a fixed position, X-ray tube rotation is done above a restricted angular scope. A sequence of less dosage exposures are done  [...]

ExacTrac Infrared Monitoring device is the exciting new innovation by BrainLAB which is an adjunct tool to existent therapy machines to monitor patient positions during radiation therapy sessions. CBCT (Cone Beam CT) is the commonly employed device in several cancer care facilities for patient set-up; but is incapable of tracking the patient’s positioning alterations which could take place at the time of radiotherapy. The ExacTrac Infrared Monitoring device could be mounted on the ceiling and helps in tracking a patient’s positions all through therapy delivery thus offering doctors greater self-confidence for targeted radiation therapy. An infinitesimal budge from the preliminary patient set-up could have a damaging effect on healthy tissues adjoining the tumor. The ExacTrac technology  [...]

A group of investigators at the Wake Forest Univ. Baptist Medical Center lately made an announcement that they have made noteworthy improvement in an investigational cancer treatment called LITT (laser-induced thermal therapy). The LITT treatment involves introduction of nanoparticles to the region surrounding the tumor after which laser treatment is employed for heating these nanoparticles and destroying the cancer-ridden tissues. Study investigators from Wake Forest fine-tuned the therapy by employing iron-comprising MWCNTs (multi-walled carbon nanotubes – strands of hollow carbon which are ten thousand fold finer in comparison to a hair in humans) that could be traced inside the body of a patient via the usage of Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), thus facilitating improved precision delivery  [...]

A research presentation put forth during the fifty-second yearly conference of AAPM (Association of Physicists in Medicine) shows that kids with brain cancer undergoing radiation therapy (X-ray beams focused for killing malignant cells and shrivelling tumors) might be benefited by a technology termed as ‘IMAT’ or intensity modulated arc therapy. Intensity modulated arc therapy method is reliant on novel attributes of the newest generation of X-ray treatment device which provide X ray sources in continually rotating varied directions encircling the patient at the time of therapy. This technique helps to increase directions from which the X-ray beams are coming from. The research that was carried out by physical scientists from the St. Jude Children’s Hospital located in Memphis Tennessee  [...]