Diacor News and Opinion

Researchers, who have published their investigation in the American Cancer Society's journal Cancer, have found a correlation between people who have bitewing exams (an exam that holds a piece of x-ray film held by a tab in between the teeth) on a yearly or more frequent basis are 1.4 to 1.9 times as likely to develop meningioma, the most commonly diagnosed brain tumor in the US. There is also an increased risk with panorex exams (an exam taken outside of the mouth that show all of the teeth on one film). Those who received those exams when they were younger than ten years old had a 4.9 times increased risk of developing cancer, and those who received them on a yearly or more basis had a three times as likely chance of developing meningioma. To view the full article, please click here.

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found that an antibody blocks a protein known as CD 47. This protein sends off signals to the body's immune system telling it to pass it by when the macrophages and other cells that eat invaders come by. CD 47 is found in cancer cells, which is why the body's immune system does not fight cancer cells itself. In mice, this treatment significantly reduced the tumors ability to spread and made the tumors shrink and in some cases disappear within weeks of starting treatment. To visit the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences website and read the full article, please click here.

In a statement from the White House, President Barack Obama has encouraged women and men to talk to their doctors about breast cancer, and to avoid risk factors for the disease such as diet and maintaining a healthy weight. President Obama offers his support to those diagnosed with this devastating disease. To view the complete release, please click here. To visit the National Cancer Institute's website, please click here.

Diacor will be attending Harvard Medical School's 7th Annual Brachytherapy Review, held at the Hilton Back Bay in Boston, Massachusetts.  The Review is held for radiation oncologists, medical physicists, nurses, and physicians who are interested in brachytherapy. Diacor will have information on the  Zephyr hdr on display, so feel free to stop by and view our product!

 

Diacor has recently added LACO as a new distributor for the US Area. LACO has over 65 years of experience selling and servicing radiation therapy centers.  LACO is headquartered in Chesterland, OH.  We look forward to working with Amy Lantz and her team!

For a list of Diacor distributors, please click here.

Diacor will be attending the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), held this year in Miami Florida, October 2-6. More than 11,000 attendees are expected, including oncologists, oncology nurses, radiation therapists, biologists, and other cancer researchers. We will be there displaying both the Zephyr xl and the Zephyr hdr, so please stop by and take a look at our products. We hope to see you there!

For more information about ASTRO, please click here.

 

The U.S. News and World Report has recently released their rankings of the United States' top hospitals. The hospitals had to meet any of the following criteria: Be a teaching hospital, be associated with a medical school, have at least 200 beds, or have at least 100 beds plus four or more of eight key medical technologies (such as PET/CT Scanners). The hospitals were then ranked by specialty, with 50 being chosen for honors. 17 hospitals then made the honor roll, for being ranked at or near the top in at least 6 specialties. To see this year's rankings, please visit http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings.

In a recent analysis performed by Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), the findings were that medical devices made up only a small portion of the total US Healthcare expenditures. The 21 year analysis shows that total medical device spending went from an already small 5.3% of the total US Healthcare expenditures, to only 5.9% of the total expenses. To see the full report, please visit advamed.org.

In the spirit of the first day of summer, the American Institute of Cancer Research has released their tips for healthy grilling. Suggestions include grilling chicken and fish instead of red meat, and partially pre-cooking your food. For more information, please visit aicr.org.

A survey conducted by Jackson Health Care of data from the American Medical Association and Medical Group Management Association revealed that approximately 8 percent of the U.S.' health care costs are spent on physician's salaries. Of the $2.5 trillion spent in 2009, physician's salaries accounted for $216 billion of that money. Look to Diacor's blog for more health care news.