Scientists learn what women know, and don’t know, about breast density and cancer risk

In a new qualitative study, a team of scientists at Dartmouth and Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s Norris Cotton Cancer Center and the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium led by Karen Schifferdecker, PhD, MPH, and Anna Tosteson, ScD, sought to explore women’s knowledge and perceptions of breast density and experiences of breast cancer screening across three states with and without notification laws.

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New treatment strategy may thwart deadly brain tumours

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are important medications that boost the immune system’s response against certain cancers; however, they tend to be ineffective against glioblastoma, the most deadly primary brain tumour in adults. New research in mice led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the University of Florida reveals a promising strategy that makes glioblastoma susceptible to these medications.

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The Nuts and Bolts of an Inpatient Cardio-Oncology Consult Team

Cancer therapies can affect the whole cardiovascular system, but these cardiotoxic effects are generally reported as changes in left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction. The most common cardiovascular adverse effects are LV dysfunction and heart failure (HF). Other adverse effects include hypertension, acute coronary syndromes, thromboembolic events, rhythm disturbances, and valvular and/or pericardial disease. Hence, prediction, early recognition, and timely management of cardiovascular complications in patients with cancer are gaining importance. This need gave birth to the concept of interdisciplinary cardiology-oncology (cardio-oncology) care delivered through teams of cardiologists, oncologists, and hematologists.

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