Researchers have discovered that the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) together in patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) carries a high diagnostic value, according to a study published in the Journal of Oncology. The combination of imaging methods yields high sensitivity and specificity for CCA and can thus be highly valuable for…
Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, one of the most common clinical manifestations of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), worsens overall survival (OS) in GIST patients, compared to non-bleeding patients, according to a systematic literature review published in Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment. They also discovered the following 5 factors as significant in impacting the risk of GI…
Mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation disorders (FAODs) are a group of approximately 20 inherited diseases resulting from genetic mutations that codify enzymes or proteins involved in mitochondrial β-oxidation and fatty acid transport. FAODs have a combined incidence of about 1:9000 and are fairly common inborn errors of metabolism. When glycogen is absent, FAO becomes a vital…
Researchers have discovered that serum thrombospondin-2 (THBS2) can combine with carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 to serve as a potential biomarker combination for distal cholangiocarcinoma (dCCA) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), according to a study published in Clinical and Transatlantic Oncology. The most important clinical implication of this study is that THBS2 can be used with CA…
Researchers have discovered that surgical resection with negative margins increases long-term survival in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA )patients, according to a study published in The American Surgeon. They also discovered that the presenting size of the tumor and pathological stage play a significant role in predicting survival rates post-surgery, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and surgical…
A hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS) is intrathecal immunoglobulin (Ig) M synthesis (ITMS) due to the chronic activation of the immune system. Researchers discovered that ITMS is useful as a predictor of aggressive MS in patients with a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), according to a study published in Neurology & Neuroinflammation. In addition, researchers also…
The COVID-19 pandemic, which first swept across the world in a matter of weeks in early 2020, sparked panic and the enactment of strict public health measures that had been unheard of for decades. The initial response to the pandemic was largely borne out of a fear of the unknown. Little was known about the…
Researchers have discovered that quantitative computed tomography (CT) texture analysis is a promising and noninvasive method for the classification of gastric tumors and prediction of gastric adenocarcinoma differentiation, according to a study published in the Japanese Journal of Radiology. Gastric tumors, such as gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), are routinely diagnosed using endoscopic biopsy, an invasive…
Physicians who are used to treating rare diseases often find themselves at a crossroads between the routine administration of established medications based on existing limitations, and the exciting prospect of new and effective medications backed by the latest research. The great difficulty with rare diseases, as we all know, is the lack of funding needed…
A pilot randomized crossover study has found that there was no difference in the safety and efficacy between clinical and home infusions of natalizumab in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia. Natalizumab is an intravenous infusion commonly administered under physician supervision in patients with relapsing-remitting…
