Conscientious objection in medicine should not be tolerated

A doctor's conscience should not be allowed to interfere with medical care, argues an ethics expert in this week's BMJ. more  

Researchers break chain of biochemical events that brain cancer cells use to evade therapy

In their quest to find and exploit vulnerabilities in the natural armor that protects malignant brain tumors from destruction, researchers have found a way to decrease the cell's resistance to therapies that are designed to trigger cell death. The findings resulted from laboratory experiments conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and are based on the manipulation of a series of intricate biochemical events taking place within brain tumor cells. more

Study shows minimally invasive lung surgery has low risk with same results as open surgery

In the largest published study of its kind, with 1,100 patient cases reviewed, a minimally invasive surgical procedure for lung cancer has been shown to be as effective as open surgery with a low risk of complications and high survival rates when performed by experienced thoracic surgeons. more  

Unique vascular dysfunction in women's heart disease described in major journal supplement

Although ischemic heart disease – the reduction of blood flow that can lead to heart attacks – is often considered a "man's disease," it takes the lives of more women than men each year. In fact, in 2000, about 60,000 more women than men died from cardiovascular disease. more

Research helps explain why anti-obesity cortisol reducing supplements do not work 

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have revealed that the cortisol/obesity connection, touted by many weight-loss supplement marketers, may be even more tenuous than first thought. The research also highlights the complexities of the body's weight regulation system and is published in the current edition of The Journal of Clinical Investigation. more

Hepatitis C recurs rapidly after liver transplant  

When a diseased liver is removed from a patient with Hepatitis C (HCV), serum viral levels plummet. However, after receiving a healthy liver transplant, virus levels rebound and can surpass pre-transplant levels within a few days, according to a new study published in the February 2006 issue of Liver Transplantation, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) and the International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS). more

Minimally invasive procedure OK for wide range of aorta problems, study shows

Tens of thousands of Americans live with a ticking time bomb in their chests. Now, a new University of Michigan study demonstrates that many of them may not need surgery in order to defuse it. more