Soft drink consumption may increase risk of pancreatic cancer

Author: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Submitted: March 01, 2010. Updated: February 28, 2010.
Category: Endocrinology | Family Medicine | Gastroenterology | Internal Medicine | Nutrition | Oncology | Pathology

Consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly two-fold compared with individuals who did not consume soft drinks, according to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Massive Recall of Tylenol in USA, UAE and Fiji

Author: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Submitted: January 16, 2010. Updated: January 16, 2010.
Category: Family Medicine | Internal Medicine | Neurology | Orthopedics | Pharmacy | Rheumatology | Surgery | Anesthesiology & Pain

Johnson and Johnson is extending the voluntary recall of certain lots of OTC products in the Americas, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Fiji. This includes Tylenol, Motrin and St. Joseph’s aspirin (FULL RECALLED PRODUCT LIST BELOW). The company… Read more... (Comments: 0)

DNA methylation signatures identify biologically distinct subtypes in acute myeloid leukemia

Author: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Submitted: January 07, 2010. Updated: January 07, 2010.
Category: Hematology | Oncology | Research

A tumor’s genetic profile is often useful when diagnosing and deciding on treatment for certain cancers, but inexplicably, genetically similar leukemias in different patients do not always respond well to the same therapy. Weill Cornell Medical… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Rituximab drastically reduces efficacy of H1N1 vaccine in rheumatoid patients

Author: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Submitted: January 07, 2010. Updated: January 07, 2010.
Category: Family Medicine | Infections | Internal Medicine | Immunology | Preventive Medicine | Oncology | Pharmacy | Pulmonology | Rheumatology

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are partially protected by the influenza vaccine 6-10 months after treatment with rituximab. Researchers determined that while the flu vaccine is safe, it is ineffective for RA patients in the first 6 months following… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Airport whole body scanners and radiation exposure - ACR statement

Author: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Submitted: January 07, 2010. Updated: January 07, 2010.
Category: Family Medicine | Internal Medicine | Preventive Medicine | Oncology | Radiology

Amid concerns regarding terrorists targeting airliners using weapons less detectable by traditional means, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is ramping up deployment of whole body scanners at security checkpoints in U.S. airports. These… Read more... (Comments: 0)

New SBI and ACR recommendations - breast cancer screening should begin at age 40

Author: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Submitted: January 04, 2010. Updated: January 04, 2010.
Category: Family Medicine | Geriatrics | Gynecology | Internal Medicine | Preventive Medicine | Oncology | Radiology | Surgery

The new recommendations from the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) on breast cancer screening, published in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology, state that breast cancer screening… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Further restrictions on resident duty hours to reduce fatigue and ensure patient safety

Author: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Submitted: January 04, 2010. Updated: January 04, 2010.
Category: Internal Medicine | Medical Students | Radiology

At the request of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce as part of an investigation into preventable medical errors, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has issued a report recommending further restrictions regarding duty hours for resident physicians… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Study links restless leg syndrome with erectile dysfunction in older men

Author: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Submitted: January 03, 2010. Updated: January 03, 2010.
Category: Family Medicine | Neurology | Psychiatry | Reproductive Medicine

A study in the Jan. 1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that erectile dysfunction was more common in older men with restless leg syndrome (RLS) than in those without RLS, and the magnitude of this association increased with a higher frequency of RLS… Read more... (Comments: 2)

Four drug adjuvant chemotherapy with capecitabine improves breast cancer survival

Author: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Submitted: January 03, 2010. Updated: January 03, 2010.
Category: Oncology | Pharmacy

Joensuu et al published an interesting study¹ in which they randomized 1500 women with axillary node-positive or high-risk node-negative breast cancer, in an open-label trial, to either three cycles of capecitabine and docetaxel followed… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Artificial arteries - nanotechnology trial one step closer, gets funding

Author: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Submitted: January 03, 2010. Updated: January 02, 2010.
Category: Cardiology | Family Medicine | Internal Medicine | Critical Care | Surgery

An expert team at the Royal Free has received £500,000 to take their invention of an artificial artery from the laboratory to human trials within the next year.

The grant from the Wellcome Trust means the team, led by George Hamilton, Professor… Read more... (Comments: 0)