ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• High concordance between EGFR mutations from circulating-free tumor DNA and tumor tissue in non-small cell lung cancer
• Novel oncogenic RET mutation found in small cell lung cancer
• Deletion predicts survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer
• Study of self-awareness in MS has implications for rehabilitation
• Cognitive-behavioral coping skills training has positive effects on rheumatoid arthritis
• New enzyme targets for selective cancer therapies
• Many in U.S. lack knowledge about Ebola, its transmission, poll finds
• Losing weight lowers health care costs for adults with type 2 diabetes
• Sequence of rare kidney cancer reveals unique alterations involving telomerase
• Mouse model for epilepsy, Alzheimer's gives window into working brain
• Steep decline in tooth loss, increase in socioeconomic disparities found by study
• Mindfulness-based depression therapy reduces health care visits
• Gender inequalities in health: A matter of policies
• Newly patented device could signal best bet for treatment of stroke patients
• Physician turnover remains high as more physicians retire
• New hope in fight against muscular dystrophy
• When it comes to raising vitamin D levels, anesthesiologists advise: Don't be wimpy!
• Early to mid-life obesity linked to heightened risk of dementia in later life

High concordance between EGFR mutations from circulating-free tumor DNA and tumor tissue in non-small cell lung cancer Posted: 23 Aug 2014 06:43 AM PDT Epidermal growth factor receptor mutations found in the circulating free tumor DNA from the plasma of advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients correlates well with the epidermal growth factor receptor mutations from patient-matched tumor tissue DNA, researchers report.

Novel oncogenic RET mutation found in small cell lung cancer Posted: 23 Aug 2014 06:43 AM PDT For the first time, an oncogenic somatic mutation at amino acid 918 in the rearranged during transfection protein has been identified in small cell lung cancer tumors and enforced expression of this mutation within small cell lung cancer tumor cell lines produced increased intracellular signaling and cell growth.

Deletion predicts survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer Posted: 23 Aug 2014 06:43 AM PDT Bcl-2-like protein 11 deletion in advanced non-small cell lung cancer is associated with shorter progression free survival in epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor or chemotherapy treated Asian patients. Also, Bcl-2-like protein 11 deletion independently predicts overall survival of advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Study of self-awareness in MS has implications for rehabilitation Posted: 23 Aug 2014 06:43 AM PDT Persons with MS may be able to improve their self-awareness through task-oriented cognitive rehabilitation, a study shows. Self-awareness is one's ability to recognize cognitive problems caused by brain injury. This is the first study of self-awareness in MS that includes assessment of online awareness, as well as metacognitive awareness.

Cognitive-behavioral coping skills training has positive effects on rheumatoid arthritis Posted: 23 Aug 2014 06:42 AM PDT Two psychological interventions have been separately and in combination been studied to determine their effectiveness in offering relief to RA patients. Cognitive-behavioral coping skills training trains patients in various cognitive and behavioral techniques or skills to enhance their ability to cope with pain and improve their behavioral and psychological functioning.

New enzyme targets for selective cancer therapies Posted: 22 Aug 2014 10:29 AM PDT Compounds that target brain cancer have been recently developed by researchers. The team synthesized a first-of-its-kind inhibitor that prevents the activity of an enzyme called neuraminidase. Although flu viruses use enzymes with the same mechanism as part of the process of infection, human cells use their own forms of the enzyme in many biological processes.

Many in U.S. lack knowledge about Ebola, its transmission, poll finds Posted: 22 Aug 2014 06:42 AM PDT Although the Centers for Disease and Prevention reports no known cases of Ebola transmission in the U.S., a poll shows that four in 10 adults in the U.S. are concerned that there will be a large outbreak in the country, and one-quarter are concerned that they or someone in their immediate family may get sick with Ebola over the next year.

Losing weight lowers health care costs for adults with type 2 diabetes Posted: 21 Aug 2014 12:35 PM PDT Overweight individuals with diabetes who lose weight by dieting and increasing their physical activity can reduce their health care costs by an average of more than $500 per year, according to a new study. "Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that is affecting more and more adults, increasing their health care needs and costs," one author said. "This study shows that by losing weight and being physically active, individuals can reduce these costs."

Sequence of rare kidney cancer reveals unique alterations involving telomerase Posted: 21 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT Clues about genetic alterations that may contribute to a rare form of kidney cancer have been discovered by an international scientific collaboration of researchers, providing new insights not only into this rare cancer but other types as well.

Mouse model for epilepsy, Alzheimer's gives window into working brain Posted: 21 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT A genetically engineered line of mice has been developed that is expected to open the door to new research on epilepsy, Alzheimer's and other diseases. The mice carry a protein marker, which changes in degree of fluorescence in response to different calcium levels. This will allow many cell types, including cells called astrocytes and microglia, to be studied in a new way.

Steep decline in tooth loss, increase in socioeconomic disparities found by study Posted: 21 Aug 2014 08:58 AM PDT Edentulism (tooth loss) has been the focus of a recent study, which traced it over the last hundred years. The project's report highlights the numbers of people losing teeth and requiring dentures. The single most influential determinant of the decline was the passing of generations born before the 1940s, whose rate of edentulism incidence far exceeded later cohorts. High income households experienced a greater relative decline, although a smaller absolute decline, than low income households.

Mindfulness-based depression therapy reduces health care visits Posted: 21 Aug 2014 08:58 AM PDT A mindfulness-based therapy for depression has the added benefit of reducing health-care visits among patients who often see their family doctors, according to a new study. The research showed that frequent health service users who received mindfulness-based cognitive therapy showed a significant reduction in non-mental health care visits over a one-year period, compared with those who received other types of group therapy.

Gender inequalities in health: A matter of policies Posted: 21 Aug 2014 08:57 AM PDT A new study of the European project SOPHIE has evaluated the relationship between the type of family policies and gender inequalities in health in Europe. The results show that countries with traditional family policies (central and southern Europe) and countries with contradictory policies (Eastern Europe), present higher inequalities in self-perceived health, i.e. women reported poorer health than men. Health inequalities are especially remarkable in Southern Europe countries, where women present a 27% higher risk of having poor health compared to men.

Newly patented device could signal best bet for treatment of stroke patients Posted: 21 Aug 2014 08:56 AM PDT A new device could soon be available to treat stroke more effectively. The ClotBust ER® fits on the head like a halo and delivers therapy to quickly bust clots that cause stroke. The ClotBust ER® has 16 transducers scattered around the inside -- designed to line up with the thin points in the skull: the temples and the foramen magnum in the base of the skull.

Physician turnover remains high as more physicians retire Posted: 21 Aug 2014 08:56 AM PDT Physician turnover continues at the highest rate since the first year data was collected in 2005 for the second year in a row. Medical groups reported an average turnover rate of 6.8 percent in 2013, unchanged from 2012, according to a retention survey.

New hope in fight against muscular dystrophy Posted: 21 Aug 2014 07:21 AM PDT Hope for those who suffer from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, an incurable, debilitating disease that cuts young lives short, can be gained by new research. Duchenne muscular dystrophy results from a lack, or impaired function, of the protein dystrophin, a major component of muscles. Dystrophin plays a significant role in, among other things, cardiovascular functioning.

When it comes to raising vitamin D levels, anesthesiologists advise: Don't be wimpy! Posted: 21 Aug 2014 07:15 AM PDT Enough observational studies -— it's time for doctors to recommend steps to raise their patients' vitamin D levels. That's the message in a provocative editorial by anesthesiologists. There's already enough evidence to justify increasing vitamin D levels to improve health, according to the opinion piece.

Early to mid-life obesity linked to heightened risk of dementia in later life Posted: 21 Aug 2014 06:06 AM PDT Obesity is linked to a heightened risk of dementia in later life, reveals an observational study. But the age at which a person is obese seems to be a key factor, the findings show, with an apparent tripling in risk for people in their 30s. Estimates suggest that almost 66 million people around the globe will have dementia by 2030, with the numbers predicted to top 115 million by 2050.

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