Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pathology for March 2015. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Exogenous Progesterone Increases Nuchal Translucency
TUESDAY, March 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Exogenous progesterone seems to increase nuchal translucency (NT), according to a study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Arsenic Metabolism Linked to Diabetes Incidence
TUESDAY, March 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Arsenic metabolism is prospectively associated with diabetes incidence, according to a study published in the April issue of Diabetes Care.
Small, Steady Decline in Cancer Rates in U.S. Over Past Decade
TUESDAY, March 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — America is making slow but steady progress against cancer, with a continuing decline in cancer deaths, according to a new report published online March 30 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The report was coauthored by experts from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, the American Cancer Society, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
New Breast CA Subtype Data Could Improve Risk Stratification
TUESDAY, March 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Classifying breast cancers according to tumor subtypes could help improve treatment of the disease, according to a new statement from four major medical groups focused on the disease. The report was published online March 30 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
2015 Match Sees High Proportion of Unmatched Seniors
MONDAY, March 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — About 6.1 percent of U.S. allopathic medical school seniors in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) were not placed into first-year residency positions, with a higher percentage of unmatched seniors than in 2014, according to a report published by the American Medical Association.
H. Pylori May Impact Severity of Psoriasis
MONDAY, March 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection may affect the severity of psoriasis, according to a study published online March 23 in the International Journal of Dermatology.
Diabetes May Predispose to More Advanced Breast Cancer
FRIDAY, March 27, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Women with diabetes may have an increased risk of being diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, according to a new study published online March 17 in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.
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Laparoscopic Tops Abdominal Hysterectomy for Fibroid Tumors
FRIDAY, March 27, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Laparoscopic hysterectomy with morcellation is associated with better outcomes than abdominal hysterectomy for women with presumed fibroid tumors, according to research published online March 24 in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Less Aggressive Guidelines Issued for Pancreatic Cysts
FRIDAY, March 27, 2015 (HealthDay News) — New, less aggressive guidelines have been developed for management of pancreatic cysts. The guidelines were published in the April issue of Gastroenterology.
Physicians Should Be Aware of Signs of Burnout
THURSDAY, March 26, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Burnout can be prevented if physicians are aware of the warning signs, according to an article published by the American Medical Association.
Greater Use of Antibiotics Tied to Higher Odds of Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Repeated use of certain antibiotics may increase a person’s risk for type 2 diabetes, new research suggests. The study was published online March 24 in the European Journal of Endocrinology.
FDA Approves New Treatment for Anthrax
WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Anthrasil, Anthrax Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human), has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat patients with inhalational anthrax in combination with appropriate antibacterial drugs.
Experimental Ebola Vaccine Shows Potential
WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An experimental Ebola vaccine shows promise in an early clinical trial, but requires much more testing, according to a study published online March 24 in The Lancet.
PTEN Regulation of Insulin Resistance Is Sex Specific
MONDAY, March 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Skeletal muscle phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) regulates insulin resistance in a sex-specific manner, according to a study published online March 17 in Scientific Reports.
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New Urine Biomarkers Identified for Renal Cell Carcinoma
MONDAY, March 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Urine aquaporin-1 (AQP1) and perilipin-2 (PLIN2) seem to have utility as biomarkers for diagnosing malignant clear cell or papillary renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in a screening paradigm, according to a study published online March 19 in JAMA Oncology.
α-Tocopherol Disappearance Depends on Lipids
MONDAY, March 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Plasma α-tocopherol disappearance rates depend on lipid concentrations, not on age or sex, according to a study published online March 4 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Valacyclovir Cuts Viral Load in HIV-1+/HSV-2 Seronegative
FRIDAY, March 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The prodrug valacyclovir (valACV) reduces viral load in HIV-1 infected herpes simplex virus (HSV)-2-seronegative patients, according to a study published online March 3 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Assisted Reproductive Technology Linked to Autism
THURSDAY, March 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is associated with increased incidence of autism, according to a study published online March 19 in the American Journal of Public Health.
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C-Reactive Protein Independent Prognostic Marker in Melanoma
WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are an independent prognostic marker in melanoma, according to a study published online March 16 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Study Examines Age, Sex, APOE ε4 Effects in Adults
WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Male sex is associated with worse memory and adjusted hippocampal volume (HVa) across the adult life span, according to a study published online March 16 in JAMA Neurology.
Interventions Up Blood Culture Ordering in Pediatric Pneumonia
WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Interventions can increase blood culture ordering in children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), with no effect on length of stay (LOS), according to a study published online March 16 in Pediatrics.
WBC, Neutrophil Counts Predict Stroke Risk in Older Asian Men
WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Higher total white blood cell (WBC) and neutrophil counts are independent predictors of stroke in older Japanese-American men, according to a study published online March 4 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Accuracy High for Pathologists Interpreting Breast Biopsy
TUESDAY, March 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Individual pathologists’ interpretations of a single breast biopsy slide generally concur with expert consensus-derived reference diagnoses, according to a study published in the March 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Genetic Variation Impacts Aspirin/NSAID Link to CRC Risk
TUESDAY, March 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified which confer differential benefit for aspirin and/or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use in relation to colorectal cancer risk, according to a study published in the March 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Culture-Based Screening Algorithm Cuts TB in Immigrants
TUESDAY, March 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Implementation of a culture-based screening algorithm in 2007 reduced the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) among immigrants and refugees bound for the United States, according to a study published in the March 17 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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More Than 16 Million Americans Have Gained Coverage Under ACA
TUESDAY, March 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The Obama Administration reported Monday the largest drop in the number of Americans without health insurance since the Johnson administration expanded health coverage through Medicare and Medicaid 50 years ago.
Gender-Specific Variation in Medical Specialties
MONDAY, March 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medical specialties vary by gender, with obstetrics/gynecology and pediatrics dominated by female residents and specialties such as surgery, emergency medicine, and anesthesiology dominated by males, according to a report published by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
HHS Wants to Help Restore Joy of Medicine
FRIDAY, March 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is listening to physicians and wants to address the regulatory burdens they face, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Frequency of Germline TP53 Mutations ID’d in Early-Onset CRC
FRIDAY, March 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with early-onset colorectal cancer, germline TP53 mutations occur at a frequency of 1.3 percent, according to a study published online March 12 in JAMA Oncology.
Coalition Calls for Increased Colorectal Cancer Screening
FRIDAY, March 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Boosting older adults’ colorectal cancer screening rates to 80 percent by 2018 would lead to 21,000 fewer deaths from the cancer each year in the United States by 2030, according to research published March 12 in Cancer.
Getting Heard May Be Key to Getting New Job
FRIDAY, March 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Your voice may be the key to landing a new job, researchers report in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science.
HealthDay/Harris Poll: More Americans in Favor of Vaccination
THURSDAY, March 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In the wake of the measles outbreak that has generated headlines for months, more Americans now say they have positive feelings toward childhood vaccinations, according to a new HealthDay/Harris Poll.
FDA Updates Recs for Cleaning of Reusable Med Devices
THURSDAY, March 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued final recommendations for the cleaning and sterilization of medical devices used in invasive procedures. The updated rules, first proposed in 2011, were released in response to last month’s reports of seven serious infections and two deaths at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, which were caused by contaminated duodenoscopes.
H7N9 Influenza Virus Spreading Across China
THURSDAY, March 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Avian flu (H7N9 influenza) is gaining strength in China and has the potential to emerge as a life-threatening virus for humans across the globe, a new report suggests. The study was published in the March 11 issue of Nature.
Health Officials Warn of Blinding Cases of Syphilis on West Coast
THURSDAY, March 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Health care providers on the West Coast need to look out for syphilis that can cause blindness, public health officials say.
Health Highlights: March 11, 2015
Poll: Majority of Americans Interested in Genetic Testing
THURSDAY, March 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A majority of Americans taking part in a new poll said they’d be interested in genetic testing to see if they or their children are at risk for serious illnesses. The findings were published online March 6 in Public Health Genomics.
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Clinical Trial Data Often Not Reported in Timely Manner
THURSDAY, March 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Researchers are not promptly reporting the results of clinical trials to ClinicalTrials.gov, according to an article published in the March 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Physicians Should Plan Exit Strategy in Advance
WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Physicians should begin planning their exit strategy three to five years in advance, according to the American Medical Association.
CVD Risk Up With Androgen Deprivation Tx in Prostate Cancer
WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For men with prostate cancer (PCa), the risk for incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increased with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), according to a study published online March 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Persistent EHR Nonadoption Could Mean Lower Payment
WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Persistent nonadopters of electronic health records (EHRs) tend to be older, and are employed in smaller practices, according to a letter published in the March 3 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Frustrated by Regulations, Doctors Increasingly Miserable
WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The nationwide Physician Misery Index is 3.7 out of 5, with the vast majority of physicians reporting that the business and regulation of health care has worsened the practice of medicine, according to a report published by Geneia.
Study Explores In Vivo Role of Ubiquinone in Mouse Model
WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Ubiquinone (UQ) does not act as an antioxidant in vivo, and partial restoration of UQ levels and mitochondrial function can reverse severe disease phenotypes and shortened lifespan, according to an experimental study published online March 6 in Nature Communications.
HSV-2 Vaccine Shows Promise in Experimental Research
TUESDAY, March 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A new study in mice hints at the success of a vaccine against the herpes simplex virus. The research was published online March 9 in eLife.
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No Link Found Between Vitamin D Level and Fatal Prostate Cancer
TUESDAY, March 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Neither circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels nor common variations in vitamin D pathway genes appear to be associated with risk of fatal prostate cancer, according to research published online March 2 in Cancer.
AAMC: Significant Shortfall of Physicians Projected for 2025
TUESDAY, March 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The expected shortfall of physicians is projected to reach about 46,000 to 90,000 by 2025, according to a study conducted by IHS Inc. for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
Family Hx of Prostate CA May Increase Risk of Breast CA Too
MONDAY, March 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A family history of prostate cancer may be tied to a woman’s risk of breast cancer, according to a new study published online March 9 in Cancer.
FDA Approves Cresemba for Serious Fungal Infections
MONDAY, March 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Cresemba (isavuconazonium sulfate) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat invasive aspergillosis and invasive mucormycosis, the agency said Friday in a news release.
Paternal, Maternal Depression May Up Asthma Risk for Baby
MONDAY, March 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A child may face an increased risk of asthma if the child’s mother or father experienced depression during the pregnancy or if the mother took an older antidepressant to treat her condition, new research suggests. The study findings were published online March 9 in Pediatrics.
Changes Being Made to Med School Applicant Assessment
FRIDAY, March 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In accordance with the changes in graduate medical education to better prepare doctors for a changing health care system, changes are being made to medical school applicant evaluation, according to an article published Feb. 19 by the American Medical Association (AMA).
National Hospital Rating Systems Rarely in Agreement
FRIDAY, March 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — National hospital rating systems are rarely in agreement, according to a study published in the March issue of Health Affairs.
Confidence Gap Between Male and Female Med Students
FRIDAY, March 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Female medical students perform at the same or higher level as men, but they lack confidence compared with men, according to a letter published in the March 3 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Two Cases Shed Light on Rare Algae-Related Wound Infection
THURSDAY, March 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The cases of two men who got injured while participating in freshwater activities in Missouri and Texas are giving insight into a freshwater algae that can infect wounds. Reporting in the March 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, the researchers say it’s the first time that the algae — a species common in rivers and lakes called Desmodesmus armatus — has been conclusively linked to wound infections.
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Post-Occupational Exposure Ebola Vaccination Shows Promise
THURSDAY, March 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An experimental Ebola vaccine may have prevented the disease in a doctor who was at high risk of infection, according to a new report. The findings were published online March 5 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Gout May Be Protective Against Alzheimer’s Disease
THURSDAY, March 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Gout — or the high uric acid levels that drive the condition — may shield against dementia, according to research published online March 4 in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
FDA Launches First App to Identify Drug Shortages
THURSDAY, March 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A mobile phone application (app) has been released to identify current drug shortages, resolved shortages, or discontinuations of drug products, according to a press release published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Vaccine May Provide Some Protection From Hepatitis E
THURSDAY, March 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A vaccine for hepatitis E provides protection from the virus for at least 4.5 years, according to new research. The report was published in the March 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Rush University Adds Patient Scores to Doctor Profiles
WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Rush University Medical Center’s website has started adding the results of patient surveys to individual physician profiles, according to a report published by the medical center.
Correlated Spectroscopy IDs Changes in BRCA1/2 Carriers
WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Use of localized correlated spectroscopy (COSY) shows significant changes in women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, according to a study published online March 3 in Radiology.
HPV-16 Tied to Improved Survival in Advanced Esophageal Cancer
WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with advanced-stage esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 infection is associated with improved survival and treatment response, according to a study published online Feb. 24 in the Journal of Digestive Diseases.
CDC: Heroin Overdose Mortality Nearly Tripled 2010 to 2013
WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The age-adjusted rate for deaths involving opioid analgesics has leveled in recent years; however, the rate for deaths involving heroin has almost tripled since 2010, U.S. health officials reported Wednesday.
Study Challenges Management of Benign Thyroid Nodules
TUESDAY, March 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Benign thyroid nodules are common, and research suggests they don’t need to be monitored as closely as current guidelines recommend. The findings were published in the March 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Resistance to Common Antimicrobials Increasing
TUESDAY, March 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Resistance to commonly used antimicrobials is increasing in Salmonella and Campylobacter, according to a report published Feb. 26 by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
U.S. Nurse Who Contracted Ebola Sues Employer
MONDAY, March 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An American nurse who contracted Ebola is suing her employer.
Health Highlights: March 2, 2015
Hospital Design Has Little Effect on Patient Satisfaction
MONDAY, March 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Hospital design has little effect on patient satisfaction, according to a study published online Feb. 5 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Cannabis Linked to Increased Risk of Cerebrovascular Events
MONDAY, March 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Cannabis seems to be linked to cerebrovascular events, according to research published online Feb. 19 in Stroke.
L858R Mutation in Circulating Free DNA Is Prognostic in NSCLC
MONDAY, March 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, the L858R mutation in circulating free DNA (cfDNA) seems to be a prognostic marker, according to a study published online Feb. 26 in JAMA Oncology.
High Prevalence of HCV in Baby Boomers Presenting to ER
MONDAY, March 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of unrecognized chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is high among baby boomers presenting to the emergency department, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in Hepatology.
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