New ablation technique holds promise for liver cancer patients

When standard treatment doesn't work or isn't possible

2013-04-18

(Press-News.org) A new minimally invasive tumor ablation technique is providing hope for liver cancer patients who can't undergo surgery or thermal ablation, a study shows. The study of 22 patients at the Universitatsklinikum Regensberg in Regensberg, Germany, found that irreversible electroporation (IRE) successfully destroyed tumor tissue in 70% of these patients. These patients were not responsive to conventional therapy or their tumor was in a location that was not suitable for standard treatment, said Dr. Philipp Wiggermann, lead author of the study. "If one considers that IRE was really the only option for these patients, the results are very promising," he said. There were two major complications in the study, but neither of them was life-threatening, said Dr. Wiggermann. One patient suffered partial thrombosis of the left portal vein. "It is not clear that the IRE procedure caused the partial thrombosis, but since it appeared after the ablation treatment, it was considered as a therapy-associated side effect," he said. There was accidental injury to another patient's gallbladder during the ablation treatment. "Accidental injury to surrounding organs is a risk of all percutaneous ablation techniques. Treatment of liver tumors is especially difficult due to the respiratory movement of the diaphragm leading to continuous shifting of the organ position," said Dr. Wiggermann. IRE disrupts the cell membrane and results in cell death. It is currently undergoing clinical investigation for treatment of malignant liver and lung lesions, Dr. Wiggermann said. Dr. Wiggermann's study will be presented April 18 at the ARRS Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. ### END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Demanding physical work associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease

2013-04-18

Rome, 18 April 2013. Two studies presented at this year's EuroPRevent 2013 congress suggest that demanding physical work has a detrimental effect on an individual's risk of coronary heart disease. The first was a case-control study described by Dr Demosthenes Panagiotakos, Associate Professor of Biostatistics-Epidemiology at Harokopio University, Athens, which evaluated occupation in 250 consecutive patients with a first stroke, 250 with a first acute coronary event and 500 equally matched controls.(1) Overall, when assessed on a 9-unit scale (1 = physically demanding ...

Mental vulnerability associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease

2013-04-18

Rome, 18 April 2013. People deemed to be "mentally vulnerable" are at a significantly increased risk of both fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease, according to results of a large population study from Denmark. The details of the study were presented today at the EuroPRevent 2013 congress in Rome. (1) The study's first author, Dr Anders Borglykke from the Research Centre for Prevention and Health  at Glostrup University Hospital, Denmark, explained that psychosocial factors and personality traits have been consistently associated with cardiovascular disease ...

Long-term exposure to fine particles of traffic pollution increases risk of heart disease

2013-04-18

Rome, 18 April 2013. The association between road traffic and heart disease has been suggested in several studies. In 2012 a large prospective cohort study from Denmark showed that traffic noise was significantly associated with risk of heart attack - for every 10 decibel increase in noise exposure (either at the time of the attack or over the five years preceding it) there was a 12% increased risk.(1) Now, a new study presented at the EuroPRevent 2013 congress in Rome shows that long-term exposure to fine particle matter (PM) air pollution in part derived from traffic ...

Despite superbug crisis, progress in antibiotic development 'alarmingly elusive'

2013-04-18

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2013 – Despite the desperate need for new antibiotics to combat increasingly deadly resistant bacteria, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved only one new systemic antibiotic since the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) launched its 10 x '20 Initiative in 2010 — and that drug was approved two and a half years ago. In a new report, published online today in Clinical Infectious Diseases, IDSA identified only seven new drugs in development for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacilli ...

Screening breast ultrasound detects cancers missed on mammography in women with dense breasts

2013-04-18

Screening breast ultrasound performed after mammography on women with greater than 50% breast density detects an additional 3.4 cancers or high risk lesions per one thousand woman screened, a detection rate just under that of screening mammography alone for women with less dense breasts, a new study shows. Screening mammography detects 4-5 cancers per thousand women screened. The study, conducted in conjunction with seven Connecticut radiology practices, included 19,745 women who had dense breasts and "normal" mammograms. Sixty-seven cancers were found, said Dr. Sarah ...

Fascinating rhythm: The brain's 'slow waves'

2013-04-18

New findings clarify where and how the brain's "slow waves" originate. These rhythmic signal pulses, which sweep through the brain during deep sleep at the rate of about one cycle per second, are assumed to play a role in processes such as consolidation of memory. For the first time, researchers have shown conclusively that slow waves start in the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for cognitive functions. They also found that such a wave can be set in motion by a tiny cluster of neurons. "The brain is a rhythm machine, producing all kinds of rhythms all ...

California real estate disputes: Partition in kind vs. partition by sale

2013-04-18

California real estate disputes: Partition in kind vs. partition by sale Article provided by Law Offices of H. Michael Soroy Visit us at http://www.soroy.com/ When co-owners of real estate disagree about how to use and maintain their shared property, it sometimes becomes necessary to settle the dispute by requesting that the court sever the co-ownership in a process known as partition. In California, a co-owner of property typically may initiate a partition action at any time. Partition in kind One way that the courts may resolve a partition action in California ...

SCOTUS holds narcotic dogs can provide cause to search vehicle

2013-04-18

SCOTUS holds narcotic dogs can provide cause to search vehicle Article provided by Traffic Ticket Pros Visit us at http://www.trafficticketpros.com The Supreme Court of the United States, or SCOTUS, recently reviewed a case involving the use of a drug sniffing dog. The case, out of Florida, focused specifically on whether a narcotic dog's alert can be used to provide probable cause for the search of a vehicle. The answer: yes. The case, Florida v. Harris, looked more specifically into what factors were needed to establish the reliability of a narcotics dog. In ...

Doctor charged as head of oxycodone ring

2013-04-18

Doctor charged as head of oxycodone ring Article provided by Watson Law Visit us at http://www.watsonlawpeoria.com An investigation in New York has led to the arrest of a doctor as the head of a major oxycodone trafficking scheme. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Dr. Hector Castro, his office manager, Patricia Valera and several others were in charge of a ring responsible for the distribution of approximately half a million oxycodone pills worth at least $10 million. Castro became a person of interest in 2011, after New Jersey authorities discovered ...

Dog sniff search ruled unconstitutional

2013-04-18

Dog sniff search ruled unconstitutional Article provided by Watson Law Visit us at http://www.watsonlawpeoria.com The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that law enforcement officers may not bring drug sniffing dogs onto a suspect's property to search for evidence without first getting a warrant. The Court's 5-4 decision in Florida v. Jardines is likely to impact the way that police officers conduct investigations of possible crimes involving drugs. Facts of Jardines On the morning of December 5, 2006, Miami police officers set up a surveillance operation outside ...

Researchers at Case Western Reserve, University Hospitals to begin clinical testing with new, less-invasive technology to screen for esophageal precancer

New ablation technique holds promise for liver cancer patients

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: