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NEWS, PUBLICATIONS, AND RELATED STORIES Wall Street Journal -- Nov. 19, 2009 Sandhya Pruthi, M.D., director of Mayo Clinic Breast Clinic, Rochester, Minn., answers questions related to these new guidelines. View Related  UPI -- Nov. 16, 2009 Refers to the Special Report on Cancer Prevention in the November issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource View Related  A diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus can be concerning because it increases the risk of developing esophageal cancer. View Related  Discovery's Edge - Mayo Clinic's Research Publication Zebrafish make an ideal model organism for genetic and developmental studies. A molecular biologist at Mayo is not only using the fish to investigate new treatments for cancer and nicotine addiction, but also as the foundation of a paradigm to get students excited about science. View Related  Researchers say this method is more accurate in predicting risk for an individual than the Gail model. View Abstract      Offering cancer patients in Florida and the Southeast access to investigational therapies through rigorously monitored clinical trials "The cancer field is rapidly moving to use of these new agents as a way to improve upon the success we have seen with more traditional therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation," says says Michael Menefee, M.D., who heads the Phase I Clinical Trial Program in Oncology at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville. View Related   Medical Edge Newspaper I recently read about a stool test that can detect colon cancer without a colonoscopy. Is it just as effective as a colonoscopy, and if so, when will this be an option for everyone? View Related   Mayo Clinic Cancer Center receives an additional five years of National Cancer Institute (NCI) funding and re-designation as a comprehensive cancer center.    Multi-center study co-authored by Mayo Clinic reveals promising treatment Dysplastic, or pre-cancerous lesions, can lead to esophageal cancer. Radiofrequency ablation is a procedure that uses high-intensity radio waves to zap the lesions. View Related   Most people associate colorectal cancer screening with invasive colonoscopy, but previous Mayo Clinic research has shown that stool DNA testing can identify both early-stage colorectal cancer and precancerous polyps. View Related            Medical Edge Newspaper I have the BRCA1 mutation ("breast cancer gene"), which I know increases my risk of getting breast cancer as well as ovarian cancer. A gynecologist recommends I have my ovaries removed as soon as I'm done having children, but another doctor suggests waiting until I'm closer to 40 (I'm 32 now). Are there pros and cons of each option, or is one doctor right? View Related Arizona News: Mayo Clinic to do one-day 'virtual' colonoscopy and complete colonoscopy if needed. Regular screening is the most powerful weapon available for preventing colon cancer. View Related   Ablation technique shown effective for patients with high and low-grade dysplasia   Medical Edge Newspaper In my 20s and early 30s I was a pack-a-day smoker who tried frequently to quit the habit. For the past 13 years I have smoked only periodically — about six days a year (when getting together with college friends). On those days I smoke about two packs a day. What is the risk to my health posed by those six days of heavy smoking? Can you tell me if the cancer and COPD risks are similar to those of a daily smoker? View Related       Medical Edge Newspaper I recently heard in the news about a new breast cancer detection method that, according to the report, is really promising. Is this going to replace the mammogram? View Related Presented at the annual San Antonio Breast Cancer symposium. "Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women age 25 to 49, and these young patients also have worse overall survival and increased risk of cancer coming back compared to older women, so it is important that we try to understand how the cancer develops and the measures that help prevent it," says the study's lead investigator, Karthik Ghosh, M.D. View Related  Medical Edge Newspaper I hear a lot lately about smoking bans in cities or counties across the country. Is there any proof that these bans make a difference in the health of these communities? View Related    Event: Rochester, Minn. Sporting state-of-the-art interactive media, the Center for Tobacco-Free Living presents a smart, modern way to help patients, family and health care professionals clear the air. View Related  William C. Rupp, M.D., has been appointed CEO for the Florida campus effective Nov. 21, Mayo Clinic announced today. Rupp currently leads quality projects for Luther Midelfort, part of Mayo Health System, as well as Mayo Clinic.  The Gail model calculates probabilities that a woman will develop invasive breast cancer during the next five years, and by age 90. "We found that, for the group of women with atypia, the model predicted significantly fewer invasive breast cancers than were actually observed," says Shane Pankratz, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic statistician and a lead investigator in the study. "We also observed that the model was not able to reliably identify the women who were actually at higher risk of developing breast cancer." View Abstract       Study at Mayo Clinic confirms that CT Colonography could serve as screening option "We hope that this additional, less-invasive option for cancer screening will lead more people to get screened and will ultimately result in fewer deaths from colorectal cancer," says C. Daniel Johnson, M.D., principal investigator of the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) National CT Colonography Trial and chair of the Department of Radiology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. View Related           Potentially, this vaccine could be used as a complementary tool with tamoxifen, a widely used estrogen therapy used as a temporary post-treatment approach to prevent the return of tumors. Breast cancer is second only to lung cancer as a killer of women. In 1998-2002, according to the American Cancer Society, 95 percent of new cases and 97 percent of deaths occurred in women 40 and older in the United States. However, early diagnosis and treatment have led to increasing survival rates in the last 25 years. There are more than two million breast cancer survivors in the United States today. Breast cancer is second only to lung cancer as a killer of women. In 1998-2002, according to the American Cancer Society, 95 percent of new cases and 97 percent of deaths occurred in women 40 and older in the United States. However, early diagnosis and treatment have led to increasing survival rates in the last 25 years. There are more than two million breast cancer survivors in the United States today. View Related    Medical Edge Newspaper I am 52. I had a total hysterectomy and cervix removal at age 38. Do I still need to get a pelvic exam and Pap smear? I get a 50/50 answer from peers and medical personnel. Which is it and why? View Related   Medical Edge Newspaper What do I need to know about sunscreen? And is it okay to use on my kids? View Related     Medical Edge Newspaper Dear Mayo Clinic: I've been reading that people shouldn't get CT scans unless they're necessary. How do I know if it's necessary? And how real are the risks of cancer from a CT scan? View Related   What if you could prevent Barrett's esophagus or stop its progression to esophageal cancer? And, while you were working on that, what if you could develop therapies that replace the standard treatment with a much less debilitating treatment than removal of the esophagus? View Related   CT colonography, also known as virtual colonoscopy, underwent rigorous studies at Mayo Clinic for more than 10 years, while the stool DNA test was conceived and developed by Mayo Clinic researchers. View Related Agreement strengthens relationship and spawns new scientific collaborations "TGen takes seriously our commitment to work toward helping patients with cancer and other disorders. This announcement is another mechanism allowing TGen and Mayo faculty to work bi-directionally in a more seamless fashion," said Jeffrey Trent, Ph.D., TGen's president and scientific director. View Related  Using two different endoscopes together is better than using one to stage lung cancer, and is also much more precise and less invasive than the surgical method now most commonly used. "Both scopes together found more malignant lymph nodes than did the use of a single endoscope," says the study's lead investigator, Michael Wallace, M.D., M.P.H., Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. "Doing both procedures at once takes little time, requires only a mild sedative, and patients go home the same day." View Abstract Sound waves may help early detection of heart failure caused by Trastuzumab "Breast cancer is the second most common form of cancer in women, and the leading cause of death," says Bijoy K. Khandheria, M.D., chair, Mayo Clinic Cardiovascular Services, researcher and co-investigator of the study. "Anticancer drugs like Trastuzumab have substantial benefits, but in some patients the anticancer drug cross-reacts with the heart muscle. Therefore, methods to detect and halt heart muscle damage is therefore urgently required." View Abstract  Discovery's Edge "When we examined human breast tissue we were blown away by how dramatic and obvious the centrosome abnormalities were in the tumors," says Jeffrey Salisbury, Ph.D. "And that was literally on day one." View Related   Study's authors recruit patients for a clinical trail, another step in this ongoing research "We are now quite convinced that in most patients with pancreatic cancer the diabetes is caused by the cancer and not the other way around," says Suresh Chari, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and the study's lead author. "Our next step is to identify a biomarker for pancreatic cancer-induced diabetes in order to screen patients with new-onset diabetes for early pancreatic cancer and provide surgical treatment as quickly as possible." View Abstract   Medical Edge Television Every day up to two-thousand women have hysterectomies. Many of these women also choose to have their ovaries taken out at the same time to remove their risk of ovarian cancer. But for younger women who are not at high risk for ovarian cancer, doctors at Mayo Clinic are saying, "not so fast." Two studies show that keeping your ovaries until after menopause may protect you from memory problems and Parkinson's disease. Read Script    Mayo Clinic Rochester "For many people, the beginning of a new year represents a good time to take steps toward quitting smoking," says Christi Patten, Ph.D., the Mayo Clinic clinical psychologist leading this study. "Research has shown that positive support and encouragement from someone who cares about a smoker can be effective in helping that person to quit. This study is designed to identify the best ways to teach support people how to help." View Related  News from Jacksonville, Fla. Several programs exist nationally to provide free breast cancer screening mammograms to underserved women, but there is no unified system for providing diagnostic services when abnormalities on the mammograms are detected. Mayo Clinic has been working on some options. View Related    Medical Edge Newspaper Endometrial cancer is the fourth most common cancer in American women after breast, lung and colon cancers. When discovered early, endometrial cancer usually can be successfully treated. View Related   Presented at the 2007 meeting of the Radiological Society of North America "Cancer patients are living longer and we need to be able to manage their pain over a long period of time," says Matthew Callstrom, M.D., Ph.D., a radiologist at Mayo Clinic View Related        Up to 30 percent of patients with colon and rectal cancer may develop a bowel obstruction View Related        "We hope to find more effective nonhormonal options to assist women, and flaxseed looks promising," says Sandhya Pruthi, M.D., Mayo Clinic breast health specialist and the study's primary investigator. Dr. Pruthi's team chose to research flaxseed because it is a phytoestrogen (plant-based estrogen source). Flaxseed contains lignans and omega-3 fatty acids. Lignans are antioxidants with weak estrogen-emulating characteristics, and have some anti-cancer effects. Flaxseed also appears to have anti-estrogen properties and has been shown in some recent research trials to decrease breast cancer risk. View Related   Medical Edge Radio For information on tobacco research and cessation treatment at Mayo Clinic, visit the Nicotine Dependence Center Web site at http://ndc.mayo.edu. Read Script   Until now there were no strongly-predictive molecules for prostate cancer. "This discovery will allow physicians to individualize treatment and observation plans for prostate cancer patients," says Timothy Roth, M.D., a Mayo Clinic urology resident and lead author of the study. "Being able to tell a patient his specific risk after surgery, and perhaps even prior to surgery, will be a huge step forward." View Abstract   Highly effective translational research collaboration continues Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is a national recognition of excellence in education, research and treatment of cancer. The lymphoma SPORE is one of six SPORE cancer research programs at Mayo's locations in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. Mayo Clinic also has been awarded SPORE grants in brain, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer, and shares a SPORE for myeloma. View Related      $7.5 million Department of Defense award ramps up ASU, Mayo Clinic collaboration to develop cancer vaccine "I am thrilled that this is going forward, and am also pleased to see this important project launching our joint efforts in the Mayo Clinic/ASU Center for Cancer-related Convergence, Cooperation and Collaboration (MAC5)," says Laurence Miller, M.D., director of research at Mayo Clinic Arizona. View Related    Women with at least three sites of cellular atypia in breast tissue are nearly eight times more likely than average women to develop breast cancer, according to findings of a Mayo Clinic Cancer Center led study of women with atypical hyperplasia. "With the ability to stratify the risk of breast cancer in women with atypia, we can have more informed discussions with our patients regarding their personal risk," says Amy Degnim, M.D., a Mayo Clinic surgeon and study author. "This will help us to have individualized discussions regarding how aggressively to pursue risk-reduction treatments." View Abstract  Radiology researchers at Mayo Clinic have invented a diagnostic imaging tool with remarkable capabilities. It's called Magnetic Resonance Elastography or MRE. MRE can measure elasticity - detecting abnormal hardening of liver tissue - sparing some patients the need for a biopsy and allowing physicians to begin intervention aimed at treating their disease before it progresses to cause irreversible damage. View Related     Mayo Clinic Cancer Center had researchers from many disciplines presenting more than 60 oral abstracts and dozens of posters, also educational sessions and other special events throughout the 2007 ASCO program, June 1-5. View Related   The National Institutes of Health chose Mayo Clinic as one of the first 12 institutions to receive Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) in October 2006. "There are two objects in medical education: to heal the sick and advance the science." - Dr. Charles H. Mayo  Yuan-Ping Pang, Ph.D. established the Computer-Aided Molecular Design Laboratory (CAMDL) to learn more about how biological systems function and to establish models that could lead to new treatments for infectious diseases and cancer. View Related  Osteoporosis was not even considered a disease before Mayo Clinic's 1980s groundbreaking epidemiology studies. Funded by a $1.2 million per year NIH Program Project grant, the osteoporosis research team is also taking their research to the genetic and molecular levels to study the physiology of bone metabolism in an aging population. Their studies investigate the TGF-beta-Inducible Early Gene (TIEG) gene's role in bone and skeletal disorders such as osteoporosis and breast cancer metastasis to the bone. View Related    Mayo Clinic leads multi-center study of 100 patients First author of the study, Virender K. Sharma, M.D., gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, is encouraged by the results, calling the study "a very important milestone in the advancement of this ablative technology for our patients with Barrett's esophagus." View Related  Special Event: May 14-17, 2007 -- Phoenix, Ariz. "Every day, thousands of children and adults with leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases are looking for a donor for a marrow or cord blood transplant," says Jay Maningo-Salinas, R.N., manager of the Apheresis Program at Mayo Clinic. "For a chance to survive, these patients need healthy marrow or blood cells to help their bodies make new, healthy blood cells either from a donor within their family or an unrelated donor from the National Marrow Donor Program Registry." View Related  Special Event: April 28, 2007, Rochester, Minn. Understanding the health risks and becoming educated about the issues surrounding prostate cancer can empower individuals to make decisions that may affect their quality of life and the potential outcome of the disease. View Related  Research Lost in Hurricane Katrina. Researchers Return to Mayo to Start Again Cancer vaccines are still considered experimental and so far, research results have been mixed. New studies, such as this, demonstrate that researchers are closing in on designing viable cancer vaccines, the investigators say. View Abstract     Publication: Mayo Clinic Proceedings -- April 2007 Critical to the clinical management of a patient with malignant melanoma is an understanding of its natural history. As with most malignant disorders, prognosis is highly dependent on the clinical stage (extent of tumor burden) at the time of diagnosis. The patient’s clinical stage at diagnosis dictates selection of therapy. We review the state of the art in melanoma staging, prognosis, and therapy. View Related  Patients with a PSA doubling time of less than three months after therapy are at imminent risk of death from prostate cancer. View Abstract    Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- Apr. 1, 2007 Results of a Prospective Phase III North Central Cancer Treatment Group Clinical Trial View Related  A redesign of the primary care practice to enable appointment secretaries to schedule preventive services was a key to the program's success. "Not everyone needs to see a doctor every year, but they still should get the appropriate preventive care and screenings," explains Robert Stroebel, M.D., chair, Division of Primary Care Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic and the study's senior author. "We were pleasantly surprised at how much we could increase mammography percentages through this new system." View Abstract   Publication: Journal of Supportive Oncology -- March 2007 North Central Cancer Treatment Group in conjunction with Mayo Clinic Cancer Center View Related    Publication: Mayo Clinic Proceedings -- March 2007 Mammography added little information to the initial patient evaluation. Breast cancer may be suspected by the presence of a dominant mass. Gynecomastia can be predicted on the basis of the patient's symptoms or preexisting condition. Patients with suspicious findings on examination warrant appropriate clinical management regardless of mammographic findings. Mammography in men may be of benefit only for image guidance of percutaneous biopsy of a suspicious mass. View Related  Publication: Mayo Clinic Proceedings -- March 2007 In the first part of this 2-part review, we discuss epidemiology, risk factors, screening, prevention, and diagnosis of malignant melanoma. Part 2 (which will appear in the April 2007 issue) will review melanoma staging, prognosis, and treatment. View Related   Death Rates for Smokers Remain the Same Despite Early Diagnosis An international study looking at computed tomography (CT) to screen current or former smokers for lung cancer found that the screening did not reduce death. Researchers from Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, along with the Instituto Tumori, Milan, Italy; and Memorial Sloan-Kettering and Moffitt Cancer Centers collaborated to report the findings, which are published in the Mar. 7, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). View Related  Medical Edge Newspaper Readers: A cancer diagnosis is frightening. But the number of cancer survivors continues to grow, thanks to new and improved treatments and earlier diagnosis. More than 10 million Americans with a history of cancer were alive in January 2002. One in every six people over age 65 has survived cancer. It's encouraging to look at the progress... View Related   A Mayo Clinic review and analysis of existing lung cancer studies shows that this technology has not yet surpassed the accuracy of conventional methods used to assess survival in lung cancer patients. "Growing evidence suggests that gene-based prediction is not stable and little is known about the prediction power of a gene expression profile as compared to well-known clinical and pathologic predictors," according to Ping Yang, M.D., Ph.D. View Abstract  Two major research organizations in the Phoenix area have announced they will collaborate on an ambitious goal: creating a vaccine to prevent the development of cancer. This project is the first initiative undertaken under an umbrella partnership called the Mayo Clinic/ASU Center for Cancer-related Convergence, Cooperation and Collaboration (MAC5). View Related      Medical Edge Newspaper Column DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My 23-year-old daughter has had a Pap test that demonstrated abnormal cells. She was diagnosed with dysplasia, caused by HPV. Is this a serious condition? What tests, studies, diagnoses or medications should we be asking about at our next doctor's appointment? -- Chicago View Related    Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- Jan. 20, 2007 North Central Cancer Treatment Group View Related   Medical Edge Newspaper Column Dear Mayo Clinic: We hear about lung cancer prevalence more and more, but we also hear of people surviving with surgery. What types of surgical options are available for lung cancer patients? -- Illinois View Related   Intent on incorporating the patient's voice into cancer research and care, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center investigators have sought out the best practices, promising techniques and novel applications for quality of life (QOL) assessment. "We expect that QOL assessments will someday become as routine as having your blood pressure checked," says Dr. Jeff Sloan. "After all, if the best interests of the patient are what we seek, incorporating their needs into regular care is imperative." View Abstract     Medical Edge Newspaper Column DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Which is better for detecting lung cancer -- X-ray or CT scan? Are too many X-rays or scans detrimental to your health? If you're at high risk for lung cancer, how often should you get a scan? -- Bainbridge Island, Wash. View Related Many men have breast symptoms, including enlarged or painful breast tissue, but the majority do not need a mammogram, say researchers from Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. "In the vast majority of cases, a mammogram is not necessary for confirming a diagnosis of gynecomastia. Breast cancer is rare and most often easily detected on physical examination," says Dr. Hines. "The bottom line is that most men don't need a mammogram, and that is good news for them." View Abstract  A New Gamma Camera Technique for the Detection of Small Breast Tumors A diagnostic device that resembles a mammography unit can detect breast tumors as tiny as one-fifth of an inch in diameter, which may make it a valuable complementary imaging technique to mammography, say researchers at Mayo Clinic, who helped develop the technology along with industry collaborators Gamma Medica and GE Healthcare. View Related   Publication: Mayo Clinic Proceedings -- Dec. 2006 Optimism was associated with a higher QOL in survivors of thyroid cancer compared with survivors of head and neck cancer. After adjusting for age, sex, and disease stage, optimism was not associated with QOL for survivors of head and neck cancer. Optimism was more associated with the mental rather than physical QOL subscales. View Related  Mayo Clinic announced in December 2006 that it has developed a new medical device that will help patients control their breathing (respiratory motion) when undergoing computed tomographic (CT) fluoroscopy-guided biopsies. The Interactive Breath hold Control allows radiologists to perform biopsies on smaller and more difficult to access nodules during a 30- to 45-minute CT-guided procedure. The patient can return home the same day with nothing more than a Band-aid. In the past, difficult lung biopsies would require a surgical procedure resulting in a two- to four-day stay in the hospital. View Related  Mayo Clinic's ability to find and diagnose breast cancer has increased with the addition of two new digital mammography machines, the most cutting-edge screening and detection technology available for some women. An advance in the field of screening and diagnosing breast cancer, digital mammograms are proving to have their niche. "A large trial published in 2005 found digital mammograms have increased accuracy in three categories of patients," says Elizabeth DePeri, M.D., a radiologist in Mayo's Breast Clinic. View Related  You're at the doctor's office and he or she tells you there's a tiny spot in your lung. It could be cancer. To find out, your options have been to wait and see if it grows or go to surgery for a biopsy. Now there's another option. Medical Edge Television Read Script  Custom-fitting a Drug for a Child with Leukemia Some 20 years ago, Mayo Clinic researcher Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., and colleagues made a groundbreaking discovery: They determined why a dose of a drug that could produce astonishing cures in a lethal childhood cancer sometimes also could produce side effects that killed children. The reason behind this strikingly individual response to a drug was found in the genes. With this profound insight into the role that a patient's genetic make-up plays in how the patient responds to a drug, the new field of pharmacogenomic medicine was born. It continues to grow today—Mayo Clinic research leading the way discovering new treatment applications that range from depression, to breast cancer, to chemical dependency. View Related  Seeking to prevent cancer using anti-inflammatory medication "While searching for the cure is important, even more so is finding effective ways to prevent cancer," says Paul Limburg, M.D., M.P.H., Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and lead researcher on the colon cancer prevention study. "We have observed that some of the same biological processes that cause inflammation may also be involved in developing cancer, so the next step was to see if drugs that prevent inflammation also serve to lessen the risk of cancer." View Related The collaboration will allow Mayo Clinic and Colorado State to combine expertise in comparative oncology and new treatments for disease. The goal of this collaboration is to bring new diagnostic tests specifically related to cancer and infectious diseases to help us advance biomedical research and bring new diagnostics and therapeutics to patients," says Ronald J. Marler, D.V.M, Ph.D., and associate director for Research/Research Alliances at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. View Related    The study will test whether the drug Chantix (varenicline) helps smokers who have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) stop smoking. View Related  Mayo Clinic Cancer Center's Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for prostate cancer research has been renewed for an additional five years. SPORE grants are highly competitive awards given to institutions on the cutting edge of translational research in specific types of cancer. View Related  Creators of Successful Youth Smoking Prevention Campaign truth® and World-Renowned Health Care Organization Join Forces to Help Smokers Quit The American Legacy Foundation® and Mayo Clinic announced today their first collaboration together, to marry the expertise of the Mayo Clinic's Nicotine Dependence Center and the American Legacy Foundation's public health and marketing acumen to help smokers who want to quit to be successful. View Related   Publication: Cancer -- Oct. 15, 2006 The key to long-range improvement in cancer morbidity and mortality in American Indian/Alaska Native communities lies in building infrastructure to support strong partnerships that enable culturally appropriate, community-based participatory research. View Related Advancing Understanding and Building Collaboration is the theme of the third annual Spit Tobacco Summit, Oct. 16-17, 2006, sponsored by Mayo Clinic. Smokeless tobacco in the United States includes moist snuff and chewing tobacco. According to recent data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an estimated 7.1 million individuals in the United States report past-month use of smokeless tobacco. Use is most prevalent in the Native American and Alaska Native communities. View Related  This annual education event brings cutting-edge research and the clinicians and scientists who study it to those who are interested in women's cancers. View Related Mayo Awarded $72 Million for Clinical and Translational Research "The Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Research will coordinate the efforts of our outstanding clinical research education and training programs, our world-class scientists and clinical research investigators, and the vast resources of Mayo Clinic to speed the process of turning our research discoveries into the medications and treatments our patients need and expect," says Robert Rizza, M.D., Mayo Clinic's director for research and the director of the new center. View Related  The Clinical Research Training Program provides a formal education in all aspects of clinical research, including grant-writing, legal and ethical issues, statistics, epidemiology and study design and protocols. "I realized how exciting research can be, and how exciting it is to advance the science." Jon Ebbert, M.D. View Related  Pill camera a breakthrough in non-invasive diagnosis of digestive disorders Called video capsule endoscopy, Mayo Clinic in Arizona was one of only three centers in the U.S. to begin doing the procedure in 2001, very shortly after it was approved by the FDA. View Related   The investigators found that anesthesia administered by direct infiltration of the prostate apex and the surrounding rectal tissues may provide better pain control during a prostate biopsy than other anesthetic methods. "The prostate biopsy likely will never be a completely painless procedure, but it should be tolerable," says Dr. Ashley. "Patients should request that anesthetic be used at the time of a biopsy, and pain control should be the standard of care in a urologist's office. It does not take much time, and patients do benefit from this simple procedure to make the biopsy more tolerable. Patients should also be aware that different prostate locations biopsied are associated with more pain, and this may never be completely overcome by anesthetic. However, a complete and thorough sampling of the prostate gland is necessary to give the most accurate diagnosis to the patient." View Related  "These findings reopen the debate about preventive removal of the ovaries for younger women," says Bobbie Gostout, M.D., Mayo Clinic gynecologic surgeon. Death rates rise when women under 45 years old undergo bilateral ovariectomy -- surgical removal of both ovaries -- and do not receive proper hormone replacement therapy, according to a new Mayo Clinic study to be published in the October 1, 2006, issue of The Lancet Oncology. View Abstract   Medical Edge Newspaper READERS: Before you head outdoors, slather on the sunscreen. The average adult requires one ounce of sunscreen -- two tablespoons' worth -- for full body coverage. Apply 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every one to two hours while outdoors.  Medical Edge Newspaper DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have read some articles about a new method for detecting early skin cancer. It's called SolarScan, and it was developed in Australia. Is anyone in the United States using it? -- St. Louis Park, Minn. View Related   Medical Edge Newspaper DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Is there any connection between esophageal cancer and diet soda? View Related Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- Aug. 1, 2006 A companion study to the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group study MA.17 View Related  Medical Edge Television Doctors at Mayo Clinic did a study to find out if giving women information before they have a mammogram makes a difference in their experience. Read Script   Medical Edge Newspaper DEAR MAYO CLINIC: A friend of mine recently had a colonoscopy. His doctor found, and zapped, 12 polyps in his colon -- all of them small and, as it turned out, benign. An earlier procedure, done six years ago, found none. What could explain the big change and what, if anything, should he do to prevent any further polyp formation, which can be a precursor to colon cancer? View Related  Researchers Note First-Ever Criteria for Distinguishing Sun Damage from Early Melanoma, Providing Guidelines to Lessen Removal of Healthy Tissue A Mayo Clinic physician and colleagues have defined the normal number of melanocytes that are present in Caucasians' sun-exposed skin. Until now, there has not been a criterion to distinguish sun damage from early (in situ) melanoma. Results of the study, which shed light on this undefined area in skin cancer, are available in the July issue of Archives of Dermatology. View Abstract  Medical Edge Newspaper DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Smoking causes so many health problems that usually occur later in life. But because this habit is most often formed early in life, it's clear that targeting adolescents and young adults is the way to go. Are any cessation methods particularly effective for these groups? View Related   "This collaboration will enable us to work with the Indian Health Service to address health care-related needs specific to Native Americans, ranging from developing research initiatives to address unique problems, to finding ways to improve access to medi View Related    Medical Edge Newspaper READERS: The statistics on skin cancer should make you grab the sunscreen and a hat before you head outdoors, or perhaps cancel that appointment at the tanning salon. Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers the facts about the prevalence of skin cancer... View Related  Medical Edge Television One in eight. Those are the odds that your mom, sister, wife or friend has of getting breast cancer in her lifetime. The risk goes way up if you have one of two known breast cancer genes. Read Script  Medical Edge Television Occasional heartburn is usually nothing to worry about. But if heartburn hits two or more times a week, you may be at risk of developing a condition called Barrett's esophagus that increases your risk of cancer. Read Script   Medical Edge Newspaper DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have been experiencing changes in my left breast, some pain and thickening that is new. My mammogram was normal. I told my gynecologist about my situation. She said any irregularity is not normal, and I should see a surgeon. What does breast asymmetry like this mean, especially when the mammogram is normal? Should I seek further opinions? -- Lisle, Ill. View Related  The Inaugural Run of the Nation's Only Marathon Designed to Raise Funds to Fight Breast Cancer will be held in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. February 2008. "Mayo Clinic is pleased to be a part of the 26.2 with Donna and we're excited about the national awareness and funds this marathon will raise to help us in the fight against breast cancer," said Dr. Edith Perez, professor of medicine with the Mayo Clinic. Each year approximately 200,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer, and the disease causes about 40,000 deaths annually. Mayo Clinic is leading the fight against breast cancer with researchers like Dr. Perez, author of a clinical trial that produced what is arguably the most significant breakthrough in breast cancer in 30 years. The trial resulted in a 52 percent decrease in the recurrence of breast cancer in those participating. View Related  Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- June 20, 2006 North Central Cancer Treatment Group clinical trial View Related In helping young investigators, Mayo Clinic again is connecting all the dots -- leading back to the same point, the same mission, ongoing and yet unchanged for over a century: the needs of the patient come first. New, young investigators are critical to biomedical research. Their fresh ideas, innovativeness, and enthusiasm are necessary for scientific progress. Yet the steps from a junior research position toward a self-sufficient laboratory can be difficult. Mayo Clinic is dedicated to fostering future, investigators. Here we look at two of them and what Mayo is doing to help. View Related  Medical Edge Newspaper DEAR MAYO CLINIC: One of my parents died of colon cancer and I know that I should get a colonoscopy. The problem is that I can't fast for 24 hours because of other health problems. Are there any other screening options I could pursue? -- Fort Wayne, Ind. View Related  Publication: Mayo Clinic Proceedings -- June 2006 The results suggest that providing women scheduled for screening mammograms with physician-approved educational material before their appointment significantly increases knowledge about screening mammography, risks and benefits, and possible follow-up. View Related  Medical Edge Newspapaer DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Can you provide an update on the recent breast cancer prevention research that was in the news? -- Thornhill, Ontario, Canada View Related  In scientific literature, epidemiologic studies have linked reduced rates of certain cancers to cultures in Asia where green tea is a popular drink. Legend has it that the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung discovered tea around 2737 B.C.E. He was known as the Divine Healer, and that title is almost all one needs to know about why legends, right or wrong, persist. Green tea has come down through the ages, trailing behind it mythic tales of health benefits from "cheering the heart" to reducing inflammation, from improving bladder function to treating tumors. View Related  Robert B. Diasio, M.D., has been appointed Mayo Clinic Cancer Center Director, succeeding Franklyn Prendergast, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Diasio, who will be based at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, will also direct cancer center activities at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. View Related  The study also found that in one-half of the diabetic patients, their new-onset diabetes predated clinical diagnosis of cancer by more than six months, giving researchers one more clue for earlier detection of pancreatic cancer. "Past studies have shown an association between recent diagnoses of diabetes and pancreatic cancer," says Suresh Chari, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and lead author of this study. "Our goal with this study was to establish a timeline for the progression of pancreatic cancer, especially in relation to the development of new-onset diabetes." View Related  "Once Barrett's esophagus is diagnosed, patients have a 30- to 125-fold increased risk of developing esophageal cancer." View Related  The incidence of melanoma, the most serious and deadly type of skin cancer, is increasing. In the United States, the lifetime risk of developing melanoma is now about one in 70. It used to be less than one in 100. View Related Your bout with cancer -- or maybe a battle royal -- is over. You beat the disease, withstood the treatment. You're a survivor. But after treatment, many women find themselves dealing with emotional fallout -- fear of recurrence, depression, body changes, loneliness, and changing relationships -- to name a few. View Related    Medical Edge Newspaper First, a cancer diagnosis. Then, worries about possible side effects from the treatment -- the nausea and vomiting you've heard about from others who have been treated for cancer. This article explores some of the options available for dealing with the side effects of treatment. View Related  The first radiation therapy and respiratory care baccalaureate classes of Mayo School of Health Sciences and the University of Minnesota will be conferred on Friday, May 12, 2006, at Mayo Clinic. View Related  Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR) Released: Osteoporosis Drug Raloxifene Shown to be as Effective as Tamoxifen in Preventing Invasive Breast Cancer "The initial results from the STAR trial are truly exciting for the future of breast cancer prevention," said Sandhya Pruthi, M.D. the principal investigator at Mayo Clinic Rochester and director of the Mayo Breast Diagnostic Clinic. View Related  Risk is especially increased if a woman has her ovaries removed at a young age. "Like any medical or surgical decision, there is a trade between risk and benefit," says Dr. Rocca. "Our findings are important for situations where the removal of the ovaries is elective -- that is, conducted to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer." View Related One in five Americans will develop skin cancer. Your chances of getting skin cancer double if you have had five or more sunburns. Generally, your risk of developing skin cancer increases as you age because the effects of sun damage accumulate over time. Until recently, the more treatable non-melanoma skin cancers were considered a problem for people over age 50. However, the occurrence of these cancers in younger adults has increased sharply. View Related  Identifying alterations in DNA methylation may also be useful in determining cancer progression Researchers at Mayo Clinic have narrowed the search for effective prostate cancer biomarkers (genetic variations that point to a specific disease or condition), identifying changes in the expression of genes of the whole genome closely correlated to prostate cancer development and progression. They also showed that DNA hypermethylation (DNA modification without changing sequence) plays a significant role in these processes. Results of their study were published in the Feb. 15, 2006, issue of Clinical Cancer Research. View Abstract  Mayo Clinic broke ground this morning for a new building to house advanced imaging research. Mayo received a gift of $7 million from The Opus Group to support construction of the facility. "Much of medicine in the future will depend heavily on noninvasive imaging techniques," says Denis Cortese, M.D., CEO of Mayo Clinic. "We are grateful for this generous gift from Opus, which will help us expand both our diagnostic and treatment capabilities through the findings of this research. Applying basic science research findings to patient care is what we do best, and we look for this activity to keep Mayo Clinic on the cutting edge of imaging." View Related  Renal cell carcinoma is one of most dangerous forms of kidney cancer. An interdisciplinary team of Mayo Clinic investigators and Mayo's Comprehensive Cancer Center are pursuing improved treatments by pooling data and expertise with support from Florida. "With this approach, we can halt the disease and begin to cure kidney cancer." John Copland, M.D. View Related In terms of a medical diagnosis, nothing is more devastating than hearing the "C" word - cancer. But now, ASU and Mayo Clinic are hoping that five different C's will become the best arsenal against the big C. The organizations have teamed up to introduce a new research entity called MAC5. MAC5 is short for the Mayo Clinic - ASU Center for Cancer-related Convergence, Cooperation and Collaboration. View Related  City of Rochester employees have a chance to participate in one of the first efforts in the state to further the goals of the Minnesota Cancer Plan, published in 2005. "Colorectal cancer is preventable if people get screened and have appropriate follow-up," says Paul Limburg, M.D., M.P.H., Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and lead investigator of the study. "We hope to build an education and prevention model here in Rochester that will be useful for communities throughout the state and beyond." View Related  "Most patients who get invasive esophagus cancer will die. Its one of the more lethal cancers," says Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist Dr. Herbert Wolfsen. "But in its precancerous phase, or the high-grade dysplasia phase, it's highly treatable." Barrett's esophagus is a premalignant condition that leads to esophageal cancer in some people. The new minimally invasive treatment is an outpatient procedure that takes about 30 minutes. View Related  A first step toward creating anti-tumor drug, Mayo has found a therapeutic gold compound to block cancer-promoting signals between key proteins involved in the development of non-small cell lung cancer. The Mayo Clinic report describing these findings appears in the Feb. 1, 2006, edition of Cancer Research. In it, the Mayo team provides the first laboratory evidence supporting the concept of blocking "oncogenic" -- cancer promoting -- communication between a specific cellular protein known as Protein Kinase C iota (PKC1) and a second protein, Par6, that relays oncogenic signals from PKC1. View Abstract   Medical Edge Television Ten years ago, 48,000 women -- mothers, wives, sisters -- died every year from breast cancer. Today, that number has dropped to 40,000. But it's still too high. That's why many women who are at high risk of getting breast cancer choose genetic testing. Read Script  Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- Dec. 20, 2005 Results of a pooled analysis from the North Central Cancer Treatment Group View Related  Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- Dec. 1, 2005 Individual patient data from 20,898 patients on 18 randomized trials: North Central Cancer Treatment Group View Related                                  Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology -- June 15, 2004 North Central Cancer Treatment Group with National Cancer Institute of Canada View Related                       |
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