The examination of clinical, technical, managerial and financial components of healthcare delivery to the non hospital-bound asthmatic and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) patient will be the topic of Stevens Institute of Technology’s next healthcare roundtable, to be held today Wednesday, October 31, 2007, from 3-5 p.m. in Room 122 of The Babbio Center (located on 6th and River Streets in Hoboken, NJ). [click link for full article]

By the end of this year, more than 17 million women in this country will get a mammogram.* It’s proven to be one of the most effective ways to screen for breast cancer. But some women are now going high-tech with their exams - even getting MRIs to look for signs of cancer. So how do you know which test is best for you? A recent study sheds some new light on the issue. It was back in 1969 that the first modern mammogram was performed. [click link for full article]

No relationship was found between vitamin D levels and the overall risk of dying from cancer, according to a study published online October 30 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. However, higher vitamin D levels were associated with a decreased risk of colorectal cancer death.Several epidemiological studies have supported the hypothesis that that vitamin D can reduce cancer mortality by decreasing cancer incidence or improving survival. [click link for full article]

If you’re getting together with family this holiday season, you might want to spend some time talking about your medical history. Experts say by looking into your past, you might learn something about the risks you face in the future. If you do have that conversation with your family, be sure to talk to everyone. Your risks of certain cancers might come from some pretty unlikely people. [click link for full article]

Treatment with a derivative of vitamin A called retinoic acid was associated with reduced lung cell growth in a group of former heavy smokers, according to a study published online October 30 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.Former smokers remain at elevated risk for lung cancer. According to one hypothesis, lung cells that were damaged during years of smoking may continue to grow and evolve into cancer even after that person has quit smoking. [click link for full article]

You might be one of the millions of Americans who snuffs out their last cigarette on November 15th for the 31st Great American Smokeout. By doing that, you could cut your risk of getting lung cancer. But it might surprise you to know that 1 out of 5 women diagnosed with lung cancer has never smoked.* Now, doctors are starting to see their disease in a different light. 48 year old Melissa Carper is happiest baking cookies with her grandchildren. [click link for full article]

Healthcare providers have observed it for years — patients who appear to have a better quality of life while battling their cancer live longer. Now, a prospective, multi-institutional study examining the quality of life of patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung backs that observation. In fact, quality of life is so important, it out-weighs other classic predictors of survival. [click link for full article]

There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to weight loss through exercise, says Queensland University of Technology behavioural scientist Neil King.Dr Neil King, from QUT’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, is the lead author of a study conducted in collaboration with the University of Leeds in the UK, which has been published in the latest edition of the International Journal of Obesity. [click link for full article]

Millions of men who suffer from sleep apnea may sacrifice a good night’s sleep because they don’t know where to get treatment, don’t realize relief is available, or are too embarrassed to get help. However, comfort may be as close as their local plastic surgeon’s office. [click link for full article]

From the moment they begin to speak, any proud parent will tell you that they hang on every word their baby says. What if those first few words are hard to come by? Or worse, what if they are consistently hard to understand? It might just be a normal phase as your baby learns to talk. But it could be a sign of something more serious - a growing problem known as childhood apraxia of speech. 3 year old Molly Stevens chats away while she plays. [click link for full article]