New gene linked to breast cancer risk
August 14th 2014Mutations in the PALB2 gene may be associated with a significant increase in the risk of breast cancer, according to a recent study in The New England Journal of Medicine. PALB2 binds to BRCA2-a gene that confers increased lifetime risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer-and likely permits its stable nuclear localization and accumulation.
Do hysterectomy patients fare better with high-volume surgeons?
August 7th 2014A single-institution retrospective study published in JSLS, The Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons suggests that operative times may be shorter and blood loss lower when hysterectomy is done by high-volume surgeons.
Could hormonal contraceptives increase risk of gestational diabetes?
July 31st 2014A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study of data from a single state suggests that there may be a connection between use of hormonal contraceptives prior to pregnancy and increased risk of developing gestational diabetes (GDM).
CDC reports teen HPV vaccination coverage still low
July 31st 2014Rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in adolescents remain low, 8 years after the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended routine use of the vaccine in girls aged 11 to 12 years, according to a recent report in the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
New light on prevalence of uterine cancer in morcellation cases
July 31st 2014An analysis of minimally invasive hysterectomies performed at multiple institutions over a 7-year period shows that one in every 368 women who underwent morcellation had uterine cancer. According to the investigators, the study also reveals an association between advanced age and increasing prevalence of underlying cancer and endometrial hyperplasia in these patients.