Automated blood-cell analyzers. Can you count on them to count well?

Author: M. Aroon Kamath, M.D.
Submitted: January 19, 2011. Updated: January 24, 2011.
Category: Family Medicine | Hematology | Internal Medicine | Critical Care | Emergency Medicine | Medical Students | Nursing | Oncology | Pathology

The Coulter principle

The Coulter principle states that particles pulled through an orifice together with an electric current, produce a change in electrical impedance that is proportional to the size of the particle traversing the orifice.… Read more... (Comments: 1)

The Wrongly Famous in Medical History

Author: M. Aroon Kamath, M.D.
Submitted: September 17, 2010. Updated: October 07, 2010.
Category: Cardiology | Family Medicine | Internal Medicine | Medical Students | Organ Transplants | Neurology | Nursing | Oncology | Orthopedics | Pathology | Surgery

In medical history, there have been instances wherein, one gained “name” and “fame” for “describing” a particular condition or “performing” a procedure, when in fact, someone else had already described or performed that procedure. Some… Read more... (Comments: 3)

Chemotherapy and cardiac toxicity - the lesser of two evils

Author: John Kenyon, CNA
Submitted: September 15, 2010. Updated: October 07, 2010.
Category: Cardiology | Family Medicine | Hematology | Internal Medicine | Medical Students | Preventive Medicine | Oncology | Pathology | Pharmacy | Radiology | Research

One of the most dreaded side effects of certain chemotherapy agents is their effect on the heart. The paradox comes from the fact that these drugs, while only a handful, are among the few chemotherapy agents with a substantial survival benefit. In… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Are the ligaments of Berry the only reason why the thyroid moves up with deglutition?

Author: M. Aroon Kamath, M.D.
Submitted: August 24, 2010. Updated: August 24, 2010.
Category: Endocrinology | Family Medicine | Internal Medicine | Medical Students | Oncology | Pathology | Radiology | Research | Surgery

As medical students, we could not have dared to appear for the final year undergraduate examination without knowing why the thyroid gland moves up with deglutition and the central role played by the “ligaments of Berry” in this context.

The… Read more... (Comments: 1)

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)

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)

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)