Diagnostic Imaging Not Yet Enough for Biopsy-Free Radical Prostatectomy
While prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-PET may improve diagnostic accuracy in suspected prostate cancer, it may not be accurate enough to skip the biopsy when considering radical prostatectomy. In a retrospective review of 89 men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), PSMA-PET prior to biopsy had a false-positive rate of 30%, with subsequent needle biopsy revealing negative […]
Two Approaches for Infected Necrotizing Pancreatitis Go Head-to-Head
Upfront endoscopic necrosectomy may be suitable for certain patients with confirmed or suspected infected necrotizing pancreatitis, results of a small randomized trial suggested. In 70 patients undergoing drainage with endoscopic transluminal stenting, upfront necrosectomy immediately afterward led to fewer subsequent interventions to achieve treatment success compared with when this procedure was reserved for stubborn cases […]
High-fat diets alter gut bacteria, boosting colorectal cancer risk in mice
The prevalence of colorectal cancer in people under the age of 50 has risen in recent decades. One suspected reason: the increasing rate of obesity and high-fat diets. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute and UC San Diego have discovered how high-fat diets can change gut bacteria and alter digestive molecules called bile acids that […]
Small Gains in Cardiorespiratory Fitness Track With Improved Longevity
As previously suspected, changes in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) were associated with reciprocal changes in mortality risk independent of other comorbidities or initial fitness status, a large observational study found. People who had serial exercise treadmill test assessments, with a median 6 years between initial and final tests, showed that changes in aerobic capacity over time […]
Paramagnetic Rim Lesions Highly Specific in MS Diagnosis
The presence of paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs) on MRI was highly specific for multiple sclerosis (MS) in people suspected to have the disease, a prospective multicenter study showed. Based on 2017 McDonald criteria for MS diagnosis, the presence of one or more PRLs showed 88% specificity (95% CI 79-98%), 80% sensitivity (95% CI 68-91%), and […]
Can Education Tackle Poor Antibiotic Prescribing in Nursing Homes?
An educational intervention to cut inappropriate antibiotic use for suspected urinary tract infections (UTIs) and lower respiratory tract infections among nursing home residents with advanced dementia had a limited impact in a cluster randomized trial. The multicomponent TRAIN-AD intervention reduced such prescribing by 33% per person-year compared with usual care (adjusted marginal rate difference −0.27, […]