INDIA NEWS
Feb 16-29, 2024 - Vol 4, Issue 14
HEALTH
First endo-robotic surgery performed Study decodes how childhood at Kochi hospital on 75-yr-old woman trauma affects brain
Kochi, Feb 6 (IANS) Doctors at the VPS Lakeshore hospital here successfully conducted the first ever endo-robotic surgery on a 75-year-old woman. Robotic technology can play a significant role in reducing the morbidity of head and neck surgery. However, robots cannot be used for cancer below the voice box, because the robotic arms cannot reach below it. But the doctors at the hospital came up with a new surgical method to solve this problem. Endo-robotic surgery is the name
of the procedure in which the lower part of the head and neck cancer reaching the food pipe is removed using a combination of endoscopic surgery and robotic surgery.
The part of the cancer that the robot couldn't reach within the food pipe was incised using a gastro endoscope, while the upper part was approached from the oral cavity using robotic surgery.
The woman was diagnosed with cancer in the beginning of the food pipe (post-cricoid region). Initially, she took radiation treatment, but the cancer did not respond.
The whole cancer-affected area was removed en bloc and intra operative pathology reports were used to confirm the completeness of cancer removal.
Subsequently, a comprehensive examination revealed no signs of the disease elsewhere in the body. Typically, surgical removal of the voice box and food pipe is the course of action in this condition, followed by the reconstruction of the food passage using tissue from other parts of the body. This surgery is known to pose significant challenges to the patient, including loss of the natural ability to speak and eat.
Post-surgery, the defect of surgery was reconstructed using tissue from the inner part of the cheek with the help of the robot. This was also a novel approach to reconstruct such defects. The hospital informed that the patient is currently recovering, having regained the ability to talk and drink water. The doctors are optimistic that with some more days of rehabilitation, the woman will be able to eat more comfortably.
Improving fitness may lower risk of prostate cancer by 35%: Study
London, Feb 4 (IANS) Increasing annual cardiorespiratory fitness by three per cent or more might lower the risk of developing prostate cancer by 35 per cent, suggests a new study. The findings, published in the journal British Journal of Sports Medicine, prompted the researchers to conclude that men should be encouraged to improve their level of fitness to help lower their chances of getting the disease. In the study, the researchers collected data on physical activity, lifestyle, perceived health, body mass, and height measurements,
and the results of at least two cardiorespiratory fitness tests, which were measured by peddling on a stationary cycle, for 57,652 men out of a total of 181,673.
for potentially influential factors, including age, education level, year of test, weight (BMI), and smoking status," the researchers said.
The men completed at least two fitness tests to determine how much oxygen they used during vigorous exercise; more oxygen equalled better fitness.
"When participants were grouped according to whether their cardiorespiratory fitness had increased, remained stable, or had fallen, those whose fitness had improved by 3 per cent or more a year were 35 per cent less likely to develop prostate cancer than those whose fitness had declined, after accounting for potentially influential factors," they added.
The findings were compared to those of men who later developed the disease. During an average period of nearly 7 years, 592 men (1 per cent of the total sample) were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 46 (0.08 per cent) died of their disease, the study mentioned. "An annual percentage increase in absolute cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with a two per cent lower risk of prostate cancer, but not death, after accounting
The researchers highlighted that this is an observational study, and as such, can’t establish causal factors, added to which genetic factors have a major role in both a person’s cardiorespiratory fitness and cancer risk.
Everyday household items behind rising cancer cases, say experts
New Delhi, Feb 4 (IANS) Everyday items used in households such as plastic bottles, tea bags; beauty products, and e-cigarettes and hookahs are contributing to the escalating danger of cancer, warned health experts on World Cancer Day on Sunday.
reaching over 35 million cases annually.
World Cancer Day is observed on February 4 each year. The theme this year is ‘Close the Care Gap'.
According to Dr J.B. Sharma, Senior Consultant in Medical Oncology at Action Cancer Hospital, several commonly used items at home are potentially increasing the risk of cancer.
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization's cancer agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), in a stark warning said that new cancer diagnosis is projected to skyrocket by 77 per cent by 2050,
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The agency attributed the alarming to a combination of lifestyle and environmental factors, with tobacco, alcohol, obesity, and air pollution identified as the key culprits.
"Plastic bottles used for drinking water may contain microplastics, and the habit of drinking hot tea from plastic bags or using
white-coloured mayonnaise in food items can introduce harmful chemicals, such as epichlorohydrin, into the body, raising the likelihood of cancer," he told IANS. Moreover, modern technologies, while making life easier, pose risks. Using plastic utensils in ovens or consuming food cooked in non-stick cookware can expose individuals to harmful chemicals like endocrine-disrupting agents, potentially leading to cancer. Awareness of these factors is crucial in mitigating the risk and promoting a healthier lifestyle,
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those under age 18 who have experienced abuse will likely struggle with emotions, empathy and understanding their bodies.
London, Feb 6 (IANS) Researchers have found how childhood trauma affects brain development and rewires vital pathways, a finding that may pave the way for treatments. The team from University of Essex in the UK uncovered a disruption in neural networks involved in self-focus and problem-solving. The findings, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, suggests that
Difficulties in school caused by memory, hard mental tasks and decision making may also emerge. "Currently, science-based treatments for childhood trauma primarily focus on addressing the fearful thoughts and avoidance of trauma triggers. This is a very important part of trauma treatment. However, our study has revealed that we are only treating one part of the problem," said Dr. Megan Klabunde at the varsity-s Department of Psychology.
255 test tube babies in Lucknow come together for a meet Lucknow, Feb 5 (IANS) It was a unique get together on Sunday at a local hospital here. The "guests" were all test tube babies, born through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) technique. The test tube baby meet was attended by 255 children born through IVF, including Lucknow's first IVF baby, Prarthna, who is now a young adult who gave birth to Pavani normally two years ago. Dr Gita Khanna, veteran IVF expert and director of Ajanta Hospital said: “With treatment becoming affordable, a large number of working women from the middle class are now
opting for freezing of their eggs for future delivery. This allows them to experience the joy of motherhood at their convenience and this is fast becoming a popular trend.” “Earlier we used to get one or two such cases but now their number is in the hundreds and rising,” said Dr Khanna, insisting that gone are the days when egg freezing for future delivery was restricted to celebrities and affluent class. Dr Khanna, who named of both Prarthana and Pavani, said that they are an inspiration for all would-be IVF parents.
Preservatives used in food have unexpected effects on gut microbiome: Study San Francisco, Feb 3 (IANS) Researchers have found that common preservatives used in food have unexpected effects on the gut microbiome, a new study has shown. An investigation into a common preservative used to kill pathogens in food revealed that it also has an impact on beneficial bacteria, threatening the healthy balance of the gut microbiome, according to the study published in the journal ACS Chemical Biology. Food manufacturers often add preservatives to food products to keep them fresh. The primary purpose of these preservatives is to kill microbes that could break down and otherwise spoil the food. Bacteria create chemicals called bacteriocins to kill microbial competitors. These chemicals can serve as natural preservatives by killing potentially dangerous pathogens in food. Lanthipeptides, a class of bacteriocins with especially potent antimicrobial properties,
are widely used by the food industry and have become known as "lantibiotics", the study said. Scientists from the University of Chicago found that one of the most common classes of lantibiotics has potent effects both against pathogens and against the commensal gut bacteria that keep us healthy. Nisin is a popular lantibiotic that is found in a variety of foods from beer to sausage to cheese and dipping sauces. It is produced by bacteria that live in the mammary glands of cows, but microbes in the human gut produce similar lantibiotics too, the researchers explained. "Nisin is, in essence, an antibiotic that has been added to our food for a long time, but how it might impact our gut microbes is not well studied," said Zhenrun 'Jerry' Zhang, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar. "Even though it might be very effective in preventing food contamination, it might also have a greater impact on our human gut microbes," he added.
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