Health Research for Senior Citizens

Combined treatment extends life expectancy for lung cancer patients
By combining radiation and thermal ablation for treatment of lung cancer, patients lived longer and had fewer recurrences.

Gene screen for breast cancer better than pathologist's 'eye'
Johns Hopkins scientists have found that a method they developed to screen body fluids for certain kinds of cells and some of their genetic blueprint is twice as accurate at spotting breast cancer cells as a pathologist's view with a microscope.

Moderate exercise improves survival rates for colon cancer survivors
People who have been treated for colon cancer can substantially reduce the risk that the disease will return and improve their overall chance of survival by engaging in regular exercise.

Obesity in prostate cancer patients predicts cancer recurrence and progression
Obesity in a patient is an independent predictor of whether localized prostate cancer will progress following radiotherapy treatment, say researchers at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

New combination therapy after surgery improves survival for pancreatic cancer patients
Adding the cancer-fighting drug gemcitabine to standard therapy after surgery significantly improves survival for patients with the most common form of pancreatic cancer.

Clot-busting drug helps revive cardiac arrest patients
Using a "clot buster" drug normally reserved for treating patients during a heart attack, emergency room doctors were able to double the number of patients who could be revived from cardiac arrest.

Cancer worries continue long after treatment ends
The doctor may give the cancer patient a clean bill of health, but worries about recurrences, lingering effects from treatment, a second cancer and a shortened life plague the thoughts of approximately one-third of long-term, older-adult cancer survivors.

Combination therapy shows promising results in patients with advanced lung cancer
An early phase study pairing an experimental targeted therapy with a common anti-inflammatory produced promising results in patients with advanced lung cancer.

Worsening anemia signals poorer outcomes in men treated for advanced prostate cancer

Even a little cooling helps after cardiac arrest

Diabetes research at UH 'crystalizes' with major finding
University of Houston researchers have made a major discovery in diabetes research and diagnosis, finding a new mechanism for the formation of insulin crystals in the pancreas.

Arthritis drug might reduce fatigue in cancer patients
Researchers here have found evidence that combining a drug typically used to treat rheumatoid arthritis with chemotherapy might help reduce fatigue and muscle wasting that often afflicts cancer patients.

Researchers learn more about ways to regenerate the ear's hearing cells
MGH researchers have made important progress in their ongoing effort to regenerate the inner ear's hair cells, which convert sound vibrations to nerve impulses.

Stem cell study for patients with heart attack damage seeks to regenerate heart muscle
Rush cardiologists are hoping that transplanted stem cells can regenerate damaged heart muscle in those who experience a first heart attack.

Researchers look to the brain to explain gender differences in sleep apnea
4/4/06 - The neural pathways between two areas of the brain that control the tongue -- and their interactions with each other -- may explain why more men suffer sleep apnea than women.