Survival rate

Cervical Cancer Studies Outline Innovative Treatment Options For Patients In 2024

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 15, 2024

Research highlights the critical link between HPV (human papillomavirus) and cervical cancer, with the virus responsible for the majority of cases.

Key Points: 
  • Research highlights the critical link between HPV (human papillomavirus) and cervical cancer, with the virus responsible for the majority of cases.
  • Regular cervical cancer screening is essential for those aged 21 to 65, incorporating HPV testing followed by further assessments for those with positive results.
  • In evaluating treatment efficacy for stage IB2 to IIB cervical carcinoma, a 12-year study involving 626 patients compared neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery (NACT-S) with concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).
  • Cervical Cancer Awareness Month is a crucial time to raise public awareness about cervical cancer and the importance of early detection and treatment.

Getlabs to Add GRAIL's GalleriⓇ Multi-Cancer Early Detection Test to Suite of At-Home Diagnostic Services

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 15, 2024

MIAMI, Feb. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Getlabs , the nationwide leader for at-home diagnostics, today announced that it will be adding GRAIL's GalleriⓇ multi-cancer early detection test to its list of test offerings.

Key Points: 
  • MIAMI, Feb. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Getlabs , the nationwide leader for at-home diagnostics, today announced that it will be adding GRAIL's GalleriⓇ multi-cancer early detection test to its list of test offerings.
  • The Galleri test is a significant advancement in multi-cancer early detection screening.
  • "By leveraging our expertise in at-home diagnostic collections, we can greatly expand access to critical cancer screening services.
  • Our partnership with GRAIL represents a step forward in saving lives through early cancer detection."

Men become less fertile with age, but the same isn’t true for all animals – new study

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 14, 2024

But our recent study, which analysed data from 157 animal species, found that male reproductive ageing seems to be a lot less common in other male animals.

Key Points: 
  • But our recent study, which analysed data from 157 animal species, found that male reproductive ageing seems to be a lot less common in other male animals.
  • With fertility in men declining worldwide, understanding ageing of sperm in other animals could give new insights into our own fertility.

Humans versus other animals

  • This recent, rapid extension in our longevity might be one reason why humans reproductively age at faster rates than other animals.
  • Animals might also face greater evolutionary pressure to maximise their reproductive potential at all ages, because most animals reproduce throughout their lives.
  • But this isn’t the case for humans.

Females versus males

  • Despite the fact human females live longer than males, they tend to become infertile earlier than men, and go through menopause.
  • In some species, including humans, where females help raise their grand-offspring (such as humans and whales), females live much beyond the age of reproduction.
  • Sperm are continuously produced in males, but eggs in many species, including humans, are produced early in the life of females.
  • For instance, in many mammals, males, but not females, disperse away from the family group when they mature.

Patterns of reproductive ageing in animals

  • We found invertebrates such as crustacea and insects have some of the slowest rates of reproductive ageing, compared to lab rodents who had some of the fastest rates.
  • In animals such as lab rodents, who have some genetic lines selected for accelerated ageing, reproductive ageing was universal across ejaculate traits.
  • This suggests that a lot of the variation in male reproductive ageing between different species could be due to their environment.

Reproductive ageing

  • Reproductive ageing occurs because as individuals grow older, their sperm and eggs accumulate damage.
  • There are however, opposing forces that determine whether old individuals will leave more copies of their genes to successive lineages compared to young animals, and reproductive ageing is only one process determining this.
  • But by looking at other species to investigate the drivers of reproductive ageing, we can understand and perhaps even seek to alleviate our own reproductive decline with age.


Krish Sanghvi receives funding from Society for the study of evolution (Rosemary grant award). Irem Sepil receives funding from the Royal Society, BBSRC and Wellcome Trust. Regina Vega-Trejo receives funding from Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

A new emergency procedure for cardiac arrests aims to save more lives – here’s how it works

Retrieved on: 
Sunday, February 11, 2024

Known as “double sequential external defibrillation” (DSED), it will change initial emergency response strategies and potentially improve survival rates for some patients.

Key Points: 
  • Known as “double sequential external defibrillation” (DSED), it will change initial emergency response strategies and potentially improve survival rates for some patients.
  • Surviving cardiac arrest hinges crucially on effective resuscitation.
  • But if normal electrical rhythms are disrupted, heartbeats can become unco-ordinated and ineffective, or cease entirely, leading to cardiac arrest.

Using two defibrillators

  • A heart expert explains

    DSED is a novel method that provides rapid sequential shocks to the heart using two defibrillators.

  • A single operator activates the defibrillators in sequence, with one hand moving from the first to the second.
  • It delivers more total energy to the heart, travelling along a different pathway closer to the heart’s left ventricle.

Evidence of success

  • Read more:
    Arrested development: Can we improve cardiac arrest survival in hospitals?
  • Though the existing evidence for DSED is compelling, until recently it was based on theory and a small number of potentially biased observational studies.
  • It provides confidence that survival improvements were due to the defibrillation approach and not regional differences in resources and training.
  • A cardiologist explains how they interact with the electrical system of the heart

    The study also corroborates and builds on existing theoretical and clinical scientific evidence.

Training and implementation

  • Although the evidence is still emerging, implementation of DSED by emergency services in New Zealand has implications beyond the care of patients nationally.
  • Here's why they should learn CPR and basic life support

    Before using DSED, emergency medical personnel undergo mandatory education, simulation and training.

  • As part of the implementation, the St John ambulance service will perform case reviews in addition to wider monitoring to ensure patient safety is prioritised.


Vinuli Withanarachchie is a Clinical Research Assistant at Hato Hone St John. Bridget Dicker is Head of Clinical Audit and Research at Hato Hone St John. She is a member of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation Basic Life Support (BLS) Task Force. Sarah Maessen is a Clinical Research Fellow at Hato Hone St John.

This is how tobacco damages our cells

Retrieved on: 
Friday, February 9, 2024

With the countless studies available today on the effects of tobacco use, we should have no trouble convincing ourselves and others of how harmful it is.

Key Points: 
  • With the countless studies available today on the effects of tobacco use, we should have no trouble convincing ourselves and others of how harmful it is.
  • The cells that make up our tissues, organs and body systems are sensitive to the effects of external toxic agents, many of which can be found in tobacco.
  • Many smokers not only accept this, but also ignore the serious danger it poses to the people around them.

Initial effects in the mouth and pharynx

  • When tobacco smoke enters our body, the first cells to receive it are in the mouth, nose and throat.
  • These effects on the immune system are also linked to a higher likelihood of developing cancer.
  • We also cannot forget that tobacco smoke robs us of our sense of taste and smell, leaving an almost continuous bitter taste in the mouth.

Lung damage

  • Furthermore, due to the direct damage caused by tobacco on the tissue that maintains the structure of the lungs, the bronchi and bronchioles become blocked, generating symptoms similar to suffocation.
  • As if that were not enough, people with COPD are also more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, and lung cancer.

Black tar and macrophages

  • We can cast our minds back to the previous image of my father’s pipe, black and sticky with tar.
  • It so happens that the lungs are rich in macrophages – special cells that play a key role in our immune systems by reacting to attacks, producing inflammatory responses.
  • These cells end up ingesting the tar from tobacco, and they eventually die loaded with this substance which builds up and gives a smoker’s lungs their characteristic blackened appearance.

Nicotine’s effects on neurons: dependence and addiction

  • As with any other compound that stimulates neurotransmitter receptors, permanent stimulation desensitises neurons.
  • This means that the neurons reduce the number of receptors, or change their sensitivity to the stimulant.
  • This desensitisation process can lead not only to nicotine dependence, but also to other diseases such as memory loss.


Guillermo López Lluch is a member of the Spanish Society of Cell Biology, the Spanish Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology, the Society for Free Radical Research and the International Coenzyme Q10 Association. The research carried out by the author is financed by public funds from the Spanish Government or the Autonomous Government of Andalusia.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and TelevisaUnivision score big with first Spanish language charity spot for St. Jude to air during Sunday’s big game

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 8, 2024

Key Points: 
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240208345952/en/
    The ad, which will air in Spanish on Univision, is the network’s first charity advertising spot during Sunday’s big game.
  • St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
  • Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness.
  • Support the St. Jude mission by donating at stjude.org , liking St. Jude on Facebook , following St. Jude on, Instagram , LinkedIn and TikTok , and subscribing to its YouTube channel.

Korea University Researchers Unveil Benefits of Perioperative Radiotherapy for Treating Liver Cancer with High Recurrence Risk

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 7, 2024

SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- More than two-thirds of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), who receive surgical interventions, experience recurrence owing to lack of an established perioperative treatment. Now, researchers from Korea University have performed a meta-analysis to examine the oncological benefits of administering radiotherapy before or after surgery. The findings suggest that perioperative radiotherapy decreases the chances of recurrence in patients, improving their survival rate.

Key Points: 
  • Researchers have found that radiotherapy during liver cancer surgery reduces chances of recurrence and boosts survival for high-risk patients.
  • Now, researchers from Korea University have performed a meta-analysis to examine the oncological benefits of administering radiotherapy before or after surgery.
  • The findings suggest that perioperative radiotherapy decreases the chances of recurrence in patients, improving their survival rate.
  • This emphasizes the need for an adjuvant treatment like radiotherapy along with surgery for treating HCC patients with a high risk of recurrence.

MiNK Therapeutics' AgenT-797 Shows Promising Results in the Treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Distress, Published in Nature Communications

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 6, 2024

These findings show that agenT-797 holds significant promise in improving patient survival and reducing secondary infections, all while maintaining a favorable safety profile.

Key Points: 
  • These findings show that agenT-797 holds significant promise in improving patient survival and reducing secondary infections, all while maintaining a favorable safety profile.
  • ARDS is a life-threatening, rapidly progressive form of respiratory failure, associated with approximately 40% mortality.
  • These data stand in stark contrast compared to 10% survival rate in the in-hospital control group at the same time.
  • The company plans to further advance agenT-797 in patients with viral ARDS through an externally funded, large platform trial.”
    The publication is available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-44905-z .

BridgeBio Pharma Announces U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Acceptance of New Drug Application (NDA) for Acoramidis for the Treatment of Patients with Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM)

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 5, 2024

PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBIO) (“BridgeBio” or the “Company”), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on genetic diseases and cancers, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing the Company’s New Drug Application (NDA) for acoramidis, an investigational drug for the treatment of ATTR-CM. The application was based on positive results from ATTRibute-CM, the Company’s Phase 3 study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acoramidis, an investigational, next-generation, orally-administered, highly potent, small molecule stabilizer of transthyretin (TTR). The FDA has set an action date of November 29, 2024 under the PDUFA. The FDA also notified the Company that it is not currently planning to hold an advisory committee meeting to discuss the application.

Key Points: 
  • The FDA has set an action date of November 29, 2024 under the PDUFA.
  • The FDA also notified the Company that it is not currently planning to hold an advisory committee meeting to discuss the application.
  • There is a need for more treatment options that can help fill the significant unmet need that exists for patients today.
  • The Company also received acceptance of its Marketing Authorization Application with the European Medicines Agency and is preparing for additional global regulatory submissions.

Tony Romo to be honored with 2024 Pat Summerall Award during Super Bowl LVIII week, Legends for Charity® dinner benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 30, 2024

(Photo: Business Wire)

Key Points: 
  • (Photo: Business Wire)
    The coveted Pat Summerall Award will be presented to Romo in celebration of his successes in the NFL and throughout his broadcasting career with CBS Sports.
  • “I am incredibly honored to receive this award named for the legendary Pat Summerall,” said Romo.
  • Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness.
  • Support the St. Jude mission by donating at stjude.org , liking St. Jude on Facebook , following St. Jude on X , Instagram , LinkedIn and TikTok , and subscribing to its YouTube channel.