A high-powered beam of ultrasound can destroy prostate cancer without causing the serious side effects that plague other treatments, according to new research.
The highly significant trial shows it is possible to obliterate tumour cells without damaging the delicate surrounding tissues, including the nerves that are critical for male sexual function. Conventional surgery or radiotherapy leaves half of men impotent and a fifth incontinent.
The side effects are so common that many men with slow-growing tumours are advised not to have treatment. But doctors in London and Basingstoke used an experimental procedure called High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (Hifu) to destroy tumours in what they called the 'male lumpectomy'.
There was no incision, so there was no recovery time. I walked out of hospital the same day. It was far less trouble than having a tooth pulled. I have not had any pain anywhere. None of the 41 men had incontinence, and only 10% had impotence, according to results in the journal Lancet Oncology.
Dr Hashim Ahmed of University College London Hospital said: 'Our results are very encouraging. 'We're optimistic that men diagnosed with prostate cancer may soon be able to undergo a day case surgical procedure, which can be safely repeated once or twice, to treat their condition with very few side effects.
'That could mean a significant improvement in their quality of life.'
The doctors used high resolution MRI scans of the men's prostates to map the precise location of the tumours. They then used Hifu machines to focus ultrasound waves onto an area the size of a grain of rice.
This heats the cells to 100 degrees, killing the cells without affecting nearby tissues. Doctors say men opting for traditional treatments only have a 50% chance of good cancer control without side effects. Richard Williams had Hifu for two pea-size tumours.
He left hospital the same day and experienced no side effects. He told Sky News: 'There was no incision, so there was no recovery time. I walked out of hospital the same day. 'It was far less trouble than having a tooth pulled. I have not had any pain anywhere.'
source: http://www.skynews.com.au/world/article.aspx?id=740490&vId=3193873&cId=World
Showing posts with label Medical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Medical. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Ultrasound helps catch cancer in higher-risk women: US study
Adding an ultrasound to annual mammograms for women at higher-than-average breast cancer risk helps catch more early-stage tumors but increases the chance that healthy women will get follow-up biopsies unnecessarily, according to a US study.
For most women who fit into an "intermediate-risk" category, including those with very dense breasts, or who have a family member with breast cancer, the extra chance of false positives and more testing is probably worth it, said lead author Wendie Berg, from Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh.
That's because along with those women's higher chances of getting cancer, mammograms may not work as well on women with denser breasts, for example.
"The vast majority... of women who are well aware of these risks would still gladly choose to have the ultrasound, knowing that it increases the chance of finding cancer if it's present and finding it early," Berg said of the study, which appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Recommendations from cancer and radiology organizations call for women who are at high risk of cancer, including those with BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, to get magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in addition to annual mammography.
But guidelines haven't specified whether extra tests are also the best option for those in the intermediate-risk category, which may include up to 30 percent of women.
Berg said that adding annual MRIs for these women isn't such a practical or cost-effective option, and many people feel claustrophobic during the procedure or just don't like it. So she and her colleagues wanted to see if ultrasounds, which are less bothersome and less expensive, might be an alternative addition to mammography.
Their study involved about 2,700 women seen at 21 different sites. More than half of those women had a history of breast cancer themselves—also classified as intermediate risk.
Every year for three years, women had both a mammogram and an ultrasound to check for signs of cancer. Finally, the researchers offered participants one MRI as a final check.
Over the study period, there were 111 new cases of breast cancer, 59 of which were picked up during mammography. Another 32 tumors that weren't spotted on mammograms were found with ultrasound, 30 of which were invasive cancers.
Out of 612 women who opted for an MRI, nine more cancers that hadn't shown up on other screening tests were detected. Eleven cancers were diagnosed at some point during the study through means other than screening.
Despite catching the additional cancers, there were downsides to the extra tests. One out of every 20 women had to have a breast biopsy because of ultrasound results, though only a small fraction of those ended up having cancer.
"We are always in a quandary because we don't know what to do with these intermediate-risk patients," said Regina Hooley, who studies breast cancer screening at the Yale School of Medicine but wasn't involved with the study.
"MRI is costly and it's invasive. I think (ultrasound) is actually a very, very good alternative for these patients and I would probably recommend that they just get ultrasound."
But Susan Roth, a radiologist from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, said the rate of false positives with ultrasound was concerning.
"The more tests you add, we'll find more cancers, and they're real. The question is, what are we willing to pay for that, in terms of the downsides and the dollars?" she said.
For women at normal risk of breast cancer, the government-backed US Preventive Services Task Force says evidence supports mammograms only, done every other year between age 50 and 74. –Reuters
source: gmanetwork.com
For most women who fit into an "intermediate-risk" category, including those with very dense breasts, or who have a family member with breast cancer, the extra chance of false positives and more testing is probably worth it, said lead author Wendie Berg, from Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh.
That's because along with those women's higher chances of getting cancer, mammograms may not work as well on women with denser breasts, for example.
"The vast majority... of women who are well aware of these risks would still gladly choose to have the ultrasound, knowing that it increases the chance of finding cancer if it's present and finding it early," Berg said of the study, which appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Recommendations from cancer and radiology organizations call for women who are at high risk of cancer, including those with BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, to get magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in addition to annual mammography.
But guidelines haven't specified whether extra tests are also the best option for those in the intermediate-risk category, which may include up to 30 percent of women.
Berg said that adding annual MRIs for these women isn't such a practical or cost-effective option, and many people feel claustrophobic during the procedure or just don't like it. So she and her colleagues wanted to see if ultrasounds, which are less bothersome and less expensive, might be an alternative addition to mammography.
Their study involved about 2,700 women seen at 21 different sites. More than half of those women had a history of breast cancer themselves—also classified as intermediate risk.
Every year for three years, women had both a mammogram and an ultrasound to check for signs of cancer. Finally, the researchers offered participants one MRI as a final check.
Over the study period, there were 111 new cases of breast cancer, 59 of which were picked up during mammography. Another 32 tumors that weren't spotted on mammograms were found with ultrasound, 30 of which were invasive cancers.
Out of 612 women who opted for an MRI, nine more cancers that hadn't shown up on other screening tests were detected. Eleven cancers were diagnosed at some point during the study through means other than screening.
Despite catching the additional cancers, there were downsides to the extra tests. One out of every 20 women had to have a breast biopsy because of ultrasound results, though only a small fraction of those ended up having cancer.
"We are always in a quandary because we don't know what to do with these intermediate-risk patients," said Regina Hooley, who studies breast cancer screening at the Yale School of Medicine but wasn't involved with the study.
"MRI is costly and it's invasive. I think (ultrasound) is actually a very, very good alternative for these patients and I would probably recommend that they just get ultrasound."
But Susan Roth, a radiologist from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, said the rate of false positives with ultrasound was concerning.
"The more tests you add, we'll find more cancers, and they're real. The question is, what are we willing to pay for that, in terms of the downsides and the dollars?" she said.
For women at normal risk of breast cancer, the government-backed US Preventive Services Task Force says evidence supports mammograms only, done every other year between age 50 and 74. –Reuters
source: gmanetwork.com
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Dr. Vicki on Fractional CO2 and V-Beam Laser System
MANILA, Philippines - Highly anxious over your acne scars? This issue will be tackled by cosmetic surgeon Dr. Vicki Belo in tomorrow’s episode of ABS-CBN’s Salamat Dok at 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. She will discuss Fractional CO2, a collagen for a tighter and smoother skin tone.
Can’t seem to get rid of keloids and hypertrophic scars? Dr. Belo has the solution in Fractional CO2 that flattens and improves appearance of scars and via V-Beam, a laser that specifically targets redness.
Feeling hopeless those stretch marks are permanent? Dr. Vicki also discusses Fractional needling, a procedure that makes use of a special device which mechanically induces wound healing and collagen remodeling. A special growth factor serum is applied to the area to improve the appearance of stretch marks.
Salamat Dok provides information on medical concerns, with free on-air consultation with the guest physician. Every third Sunday of the month, Dr. Vicki guests in the program to discuss the newest procedures being offered by the Belo Medical Group. Bernadette Sembrano hosts.
article source: philstar.com
Sunday, March 11, 2012
St. Luke's conducts revolutionary TAVI heart treatment
MANILA, Philippines - Patients affected with severely blocked aortic valves of the heart or severe aortic stenosis may now consider a new treatment option in the Philippines — the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI). It was introduced first in the country by the leading heart specialists of St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City just last month.
TAVI is a minimally invasive procedure which does not involve the use of a heart lung machine nor large chest incisions.
It is ideal for the elderly, those who are at high risk of death or complications following open surgical valve replacement, or those who are not candidates for open surgery due to multiple medical problems.
TAVI is considered a revolutionary and transformational procedure by the international medical community.
The first and only TAVI procedure in the country was led by Dr. Fabio Enrique Posas, a highly experienced interventional cardiologist, with Dr. Estanislaode Castro, a leading cardiothoracic surgeon, and proctored by TAVI specialist Dr. Eberhard Grube of Stanford University School of Medicine and Medizinische Klinik.
The successful operation was performed by the cardiology and surgical team of St. Luke’s which included Drs. Ofelia Najos Valencia, a cardio imaging expert and the team’s cardiac imaging head; Dahlia Estrera, cardiovascular anesthesiologist; Ferdinand Alzate, interventional cardiologist; and Donald Cristobal, cardiac imaging.
The patient, an 87-year-old female, underwent the successful one and a half-hour procedure. She was discharged on a significantly improved condition barely a week after receiving the valve implant.
Unlike traditional open heart surgery, TAVI uses a small incision at the groin and can be done while the heart is pumping.
More recently, the procedure has been done without surgical cuts or fully percutaneously and under sedation. The tissue valve or bioprosthetic is positioned and deployed using a catheter inserted through the groin arteries and positioned at the aortic valve area under x-ray guidance.
This allows the patients to experience less physical stress or trauma and less pain. It also minimizes risk of infection and enables faster ambulation and recovery.
“With this technology, you can treat very sick patients in a less invasive way,” said Dr. Eberhard Grube. “I think it’s wonderful that the Philippines is now open to field this procedure. Given the high profile and high quality of work demonstrated by the medical team, the hospital facilities and its personnel, we are now ready to extend this technology to local patients who require it,” he said.
TAVI was only previously offered by leading institutions in the United States, Europe and highly selected centers in the Asia-Pacific region. St. Luke’s landmark TAVI procedure proves that advanced and high-quality medical care is right at every Filipino’s doorstep.
“Through this successful TAVI procedure, we have shown that this technology can be safely performed in the Philippines, by Filipino physicians — people don’t have to fly out of the country in order to access these technologies for their health care,” said Posas, the lead interventional cardiologist during the operation.
He acknowledged the value of new treatments to high-risk patients like the elderly and those unable to endure open heart surgery. He emphasized that TAVI can prolong and enhance patients’ lives and he hopes that more physicians who care for such patients will recognize TAVI as a life-saving procedure which minimizes patient discomfort and which can be performed rapidly and efficiently.
Dr. Nick Cruz, director of St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City’s Heart Institute, said breakthrough procedures like TAVI is advantageous to all Filipinos and that this kind of medical innovation benefits not only the hospital but the country as well.
For more information on the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), contact the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City at 789-7700 ext. 3025.
source: philstar.com
TAVI is a minimally invasive procedure which does not involve the use of a heart lung machine nor large chest incisions.
It is ideal for the elderly, those who are at high risk of death or complications following open surgical valve replacement, or those who are not candidates for open surgery due to multiple medical problems.
TAVI is considered a revolutionary and transformational procedure by the international medical community.
The first and only TAVI procedure in the country was led by Dr. Fabio Enrique Posas, a highly experienced interventional cardiologist, with Dr. Estanislaode Castro, a leading cardiothoracic surgeon, and proctored by TAVI specialist Dr. Eberhard Grube of Stanford University School of Medicine and Medizinische Klinik.
The successful operation was performed by the cardiology and surgical team of St. Luke’s which included Drs. Ofelia Najos Valencia, a cardio imaging expert and the team’s cardiac imaging head; Dahlia Estrera, cardiovascular anesthesiologist; Ferdinand Alzate, interventional cardiologist; and Donald Cristobal, cardiac imaging.
The patient, an 87-year-old female, underwent the successful one and a half-hour procedure. She was discharged on a significantly improved condition barely a week after receiving the valve implant.
Unlike traditional open heart surgery, TAVI uses a small incision at the groin and can be done while the heart is pumping.
More recently, the procedure has been done without surgical cuts or fully percutaneously and under sedation. The tissue valve or bioprosthetic is positioned and deployed using a catheter inserted through the groin arteries and positioned at the aortic valve area under x-ray guidance.
This allows the patients to experience less physical stress or trauma and less pain. It also minimizes risk of infection and enables faster ambulation and recovery.
“With this technology, you can treat very sick patients in a less invasive way,” said Dr. Eberhard Grube. “I think it’s wonderful that the Philippines is now open to field this procedure. Given the high profile and high quality of work demonstrated by the medical team, the hospital facilities and its personnel, we are now ready to extend this technology to local patients who require it,” he said.
TAVI was only previously offered by leading institutions in the United States, Europe and highly selected centers in the Asia-Pacific region. St. Luke’s landmark TAVI procedure proves that advanced and high-quality medical care is right at every Filipino’s doorstep.
“Through this successful TAVI procedure, we have shown that this technology can be safely performed in the Philippines, by Filipino physicians — people don’t have to fly out of the country in order to access these technologies for their health care,” said Posas, the lead interventional cardiologist during the operation.
He acknowledged the value of new treatments to high-risk patients like the elderly and those unable to endure open heart surgery. He emphasized that TAVI can prolong and enhance patients’ lives and he hopes that more physicians who care for such patients will recognize TAVI as a life-saving procedure which minimizes patient discomfort and which can be performed rapidly and efficiently.
Dr. Nick Cruz, director of St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City’s Heart Institute, said breakthrough procedures like TAVI is advantageous to all Filipinos and that this kind of medical innovation benefits not only the hospital but the country as well.
For more information on the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), contact the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City at 789-7700 ext. 3025.
source: philstar.com
Monday, February 20, 2012
Medicare supplement plans the best help in better medical coverage
As it is commonly known the Medicare insurance plans helps us to pay up the cost for our medical costs. But along with that it should also be kept in mind that the Original Medicare plans do not cover up all the costs for your medical bills. It should always be remembered that different parts of Medicare plans helps to cover specific services if you meet certain conditions. Therefore to bridge this gap between the original Medicare policy coverage there is the need of having a Medicare Supplement Plan to get total medical coverage. Because of this very reason these Medicare Supplement Plans are also known as the Medigap policies.
The most notable fact about the Medicare supplement plans is that these plans are sold by the private health insurance companies only. Since 1992 there are at most twelve Medicare Supplement Plans to be sold in the market ranging from A through L. All of these plans have their own set of advantages and each one of them differ from one another. But almost all of these plans offer the basic benefits of plans A and B. As Medicare plans A and B are considered as the basic plans the benefits of these plans are included in almost every Medicare Supplement insurance plans.
The most important thing is that these days there is an enormous rise in the health care costs. And to cope up with these costs there is the need of having some Medicare policy as nobody can say when they have to take medical aid and have to pay of the bills. Therefore it is always a smart idea to be well prepared to face such a situation. And as only an Original Medicare plan cannot help you much in this respect therefore it is better to have a Medicare Supplement Plan along with it so that the may not arise any problem in the midterm. However, the best policy to have a Medicare Supplement Plan is to get enrolled for it within thirty days of having your original Medicare plan. In this way you can get additional benefits in cost reduction of the initial premium.
However, before getting enrolled for a Medigap policy it is better if you seek the help of some insurance agent so that he can help you in choosing the best plan for yourself. It should be remembered that you should always make an honest choice for getting enrolled for a Medicare plan. And by seeking the help of some insurance agent for choosing your Medicare supplement plan is always an honest decision as they can better guide you through the various plans and the premium charges charged by different companies. Go through the offer documents of all the Medigap policies before making your choice as there are some plans which though seem to be less beneficial can actually save you a lot of money in the form of deductibles. Therefore you need to be quite careful in making your choice of the Medigap plan that you are going to purchase.
For the best choice of Medicare Supplemental Insurance it is better to have Medicare Supplement Comparison among the several Medicare Supplement Insurance Companies.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com
The most notable fact about the Medicare supplement plans is that these plans are sold by the private health insurance companies only. Since 1992 there are at most twelve Medicare Supplement Plans to be sold in the market ranging from A through L. All of these plans have their own set of advantages and each one of them differ from one another. But almost all of these plans offer the basic benefits of plans A and B. As Medicare plans A and B are considered as the basic plans the benefits of these plans are included in almost every Medicare Supplement insurance plans.
The most important thing is that these days there is an enormous rise in the health care costs. And to cope up with these costs there is the need of having some Medicare policy as nobody can say when they have to take medical aid and have to pay of the bills. Therefore it is always a smart idea to be well prepared to face such a situation. And as only an Original Medicare plan cannot help you much in this respect therefore it is better to have a Medicare Supplement Plan along with it so that the may not arise any problem in the midterm. However, the best policy to have a Medicare Supplement Plan is to get enrolled for it within thirty days of having your original Medicare plan. In this way you can get additional benefits in cost reduction of the initial premium.
However, before getting enrolled for a Medigap policy it is better if you seek the help of some insurance agent so that he can help you in choosing the best plan for yourself. It should be remembered that you should always make an honest choice for getting enrolled for a Medicare plan. And by seeking the help of some insurance agent for choosing your Medicare supplement plan is always an honest decision as they can better guide you through the various plans and the premium charges charged by different companies. Go through the offer documents of all the Medigap policies before making your choice as there are some plans which though seem to be less beneficial can actually save you a lot of money in the form of deductibles. Therefore you need to be quite careful in making your choice of the Medigap plan that you are going to purchase.
For the best choice of Medicare Supplemental Insurance it is better to have Medicare Supplement Comparison among the several Medicare Supplement Insurance Companies.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com
Monday, January 16, 2012
Beyond cosmetic treatments or plastic surgery, a healing of the soul
Arianne Vasquez, medical director of Aesthetic Science Clinic, walks her talk. Before she underwent breast augmentation, she meditated, cleansed her chakras or energy centers, and performed inner dancing, the use of movement to release blocked energies and to harness inner power.
During post-surgery, there was the initial discomfort of having foreign bodies in the chest. Her anxiety was heightened with thoughts about surgical complications. Thus, two of her reiki healer-friends healed her through long distance. She then felt a deep sense of calm and returned to work in five days.
Aesthetic Science clinic espouses a holistic approach to cosmetic enhancement as it offers life coaching and reiki healing. Although cosmetic dermatology and plastic surgery can beautify a person, it can’t take take away the bitterness or the harshness of the soul. Hence, the need for complementary treatments.
“Some clients want a change not just on the outside but also on the inside,” says Vasquez. The clinic offers life coaching to help them deal with deep-seated issues that brought them to the clinic in the first place.
Many patients, mostly women, want a boob job, a nose lift or eyebag removal because of low self-esteem born out relationship problems. However, they have unrealistic expectations about the surgical results.
“Surgery is not the cure-all. On the other hand, some patients talk about their problems while others remain silent.”
Stress
Vasquez added that undergoing major and minor surgery can still pose stress.
“Even if the patients come out beautiful or sexy, it will not ease their burden.”
Life coaching or counseling can help women realize that self-esteem is not based on looks alone but on their qualities.
For people with weight issues, doctors recommend diet and exercise before undergoing liposuction or non-invasive body contouring treatments for best results. Jason Peñaranda, the wellness doctor, specializes in detox and digestive cleansing.
JASON Peñaranda
“Some people have a hard time losing weight. The liver doesn’t function properly because of the fats in it,” says Vasquez. Some are advised to detox first, to cleanse the body off bad oils and residues from synthetic medicine.
With obese patients, life coaching can help identify emotional issues that spurred the weight problems.
“The approach is holistic because you’re not just working on the body but also the soul,” says Vasquez.
Peñaranda pointed out that after liposuction or completing their non-invasive body contouring treatments, patients come to him for diet and lifestyle change so that excess weight doesn’t creep back. While other doctors treat weight loss from a physiological viewpoint, he dwells more into attitude in order to affect transformation. Instead of making a restricted diet plan that tends to make patients feel miserable, he suggests adapting new habits and using food as medicine.
Peñaranda underscores the importance of keeping the digestive system in order so that nutrients could be easily assimilated.
Ancient art
Although most people visit the Aesthetic Science to improve their looks, some also come for reiki healing to boost their energy, both psychic and physical. Reiki is an ancient Japanese healing art wherein the healer goes through a meditative space to harness the Source and uses the palms to diagnose and balance the energies.
Vasquez also practices reiki healing with her crystals. Some of the cases range from severe allergies to victim complex. She meditates, puts the crystals on the patient’s energy centers and lays her hands. She stays longer in the weak areas to neutralize the imbalances. The healing takes place on the level of vibrations or frequencies.
Peñaranda explains that the healer is merely a channel of the cosmic energy.
HEALING with crystals
“Supposing your energy is off. It needs another energy to put restore it,” he says. He likens the patient-healer dynamic to the child and adult.
“If you’re sick, your energy is like the kid who bikes in an erratic direction. It needs the assistance of an adult to make the child bike straight. Reiki provides the conduit for correcting an aberrant frequency.”
Says Vasquez, “From my experience, reiki lowers the blood pressure, relieves stress and provides some mental clarity. For post surgery, it speeds up the recovery. We had a patient who had gastric pains. In the process, she started crying as emotional issues came out. It taught me a lesson that you have to address the whole being.”
Although there is still resistance to alternative modalities, Vasquez observes people are slowly opening up to this new alternative. “They say there’s an evolution or a shift consciousness as the Mayan calendar ends,” she says.
Aesthetic Science is at Jupiter Place Bldg., Jupiter St., Bel-Air, Makati, tel. 8993643 and 0908-9967376; and Kennedy Center Prime St.t, Madrigal Business Park, Ayala Alabang, tel. 8098021, 3833488, 0916-3412464.
source: http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/31387/beyond-cosmetic-treatments-or-plastic-surgery-a-healing-of-the-soul
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