According to preliminary data from a multi-institution Phase III trial intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) achieved similar clinical outcomes and offered significant patient benefits when compared to traditional intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) as part of chemoradiation treatment for patients with oropharyngeal (head and neck) cancer.
Read more …Proton therapy demonstrates advantages in Phase III head and neck cancer trial
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has shown promise as a treatment for some symptoms of Parkinson s disease (PD). However, not all symptoms improve equally well with DBS. A better understanding of how different sites of electrical stimulation impact the wide range of motor symptoms associated with PD could help fine-tune treatment. By studying PD patients at five different centers treated with DBS, investigators created an atlas that mapped four major symptoms of PD onto different regions of the brain. Based on these findings, the team created an algorithm capable of generating personalized, symptom-specific DBS treatment plans, which they preliminarily tested in five patients.
Read more …New deep brain stimulation algorithm may help personalize Parkinson's disease treatment
Driven by an older, more diverse population, along with a significant increase in risk factors including high blood pressure and obesity, total costs related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) conditions are likely to triple by 2050, according to recent projections. At least 6 in 10 U.S. adults (61%), more than 184 million people, are expected to have some type of CVD within the next 30 years, reflecting a disease prevalence that will have a $1.8 trillion price tag in direct and indirect costs.
Read more …Population shifts, risk factors may triple U.S. cardiovascular disease costs by 2050