New ACS Report: Breast Cancer Mortality Continues Three Decade Decline Overall, but Steeper Increases in Incidence for Women <50 & Asian American, Pacific Islanders of all Ages

The American Cancer Society (ACS) today released Breast Cancer Statistics, 2024, the organization’s biennial update on breast cancer occurrence and trends in the United States. The new report finds breast cancer mortality rates overall have dropped by 44% since 1989, averting approximately 517,900 breast cancer deaths. However, not all women have benefited from this progress, notably American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) women, whose rates have remained unchanged over the past three decades

Mental health and chronic diabetes complications strongly linked both ways, study finds

When a person has chronic diabetes complications – such as heart attack, stroke and nerve damage – they are more likely to have a mental health disorder, and vice versa, according to a study. Researchers say the findings highlight a need for clinicians to actively screen for mental health disorders in patients with diabetes in addition to screening for chronic complications, which is the recommended standard of care in diabetes.

University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center and AstraZeneca Partner to Enhance Community-Based Lung Cancer Screening and Detection for Marylanders at High Risk

With only a small percentage of Marylanders at high risk for lung cancer getting the recommended annual screening, the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC) today launched a new statewide effort to increase annual screenings.

Rapid rise seen in mental health diagnosis and care during and after pregnancy

Mental health issues during pregnancy or the first year of parenthood have a much greater chance of getting detected and treated now than just over a decade ago, a trio of new studies suggests. But the rise in diagnosis and care hasn’t happened equally across different groups and states.

Study Detects Cognitive Changes in Older Drivers Using In-vehicle Sensors

Continuous, unobtrusive sensors and related monitoring devices are installed in older drivers’ vehicles to detect changes in highly complex activities over time. A driver facing camera, forward facing camera, and telematics unit provide video in real-time to enable researchers to analyze abnormal driving such as getting lost, reaction time and braking patterns as well as travel patterns such as miles driven, miles during the night and daytime, and driving in severe weather. Detecting changes in behavior could generate early warning signs of possible changes in cognition.

UNC Lineberger named as a national research hub for NIH cancer screening study

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center has been selected as one of nine national research sites for the National Cancer Institute’s newly launched Cancer Screening Research Network, which will evaluate promising and emerging cancer screening technologies.

SLAS Life Sciences and Technology Awards Announced

Science and technology awards were announced during the SLAS2024 International Conference and Exhibition, the annual flagship event of the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening, which attracted a record-setting 7500 attendees and 400 exhibitors. Each year SLAS recognizes several exceptional presenters and exhibitors who represent the best of the Society’s programs and mission.

Recovery Checkups in Primary Care Settings Linked to Increased Substance Use Treatment and Reduced Alcohol and Cannabis Use in Patients with Complex Needs

Highly vulnerable patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) or substance use disorder (SUD) who received regular assessments after their initial intervention had substantially better outcomes a year later than those who did not receive the same follow-up, according to a new study. Fewer than one in ten people with SUD receive any form of treatment in a given year; among those who do, relapse and treatment reentry are common. A Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) protocol is intended to facilitate treatment referrals, especially among patients with more severe SUDs, but research has shown it to be relatively ineffective in that regard. Adding a Recovery Management Checkup (RMC) intervention can improve treatment rates; RMC conceptualizes AUD and SUD as chronic conditions requiring longer-term monitoring via regular check-ins, early re-intervention in cases of relapse, and treatment retention strategies. For the study in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Resear

Few children – especially those with safety-net insurance – get vision checked at checkups

Less than a third of children have gotten their vision checked in the past year at their regular primary care clinic, a new study finds. Rates of eyesight screening in kids vary widely by insurance status.

Susan G. Komen® Comments on Draft Recommendations to Begin Breast Cancer Screening at Age 40

Susan G. Komen is pleased to see that the USPSTF has taken into account more recent scientific-based evidence and believes women of average risk should begin breast cancer screening at age 40. However, Komen believes screening should be done every year to catch cancer as early as possible when outcomes are generally better and treatment costs less.

Laboratory Automation and Life Sciences Research Conference Open to Media Registration: February 26-March 1, 2023 in San Diego

The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) invites members of the press, science journalists and trade press to attend the SLAS2023 International Conference and Exhibition, the society’s annual flagship conference.

American Society of Nephrology Statement on U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Draft Research Plan on Screening for Kidney Diseases

The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) is encouraged by the recent U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) announcement to solicit comment on USPSTF’s draft research plan on screening for kidney diseases. This development follows more than a decade of advocacy in support of more kidney health screening by ASN and other stakeholders dedicated to intervening earlier to slow or stop the progression of kidney diseases.

“Gowajee” — a Thai Speech-Recognition AI from Chula

An engineering professor from Chula has designed “Gowajee”, a Thai-language speech recognition AI capable of delivering speech-to-text/ text-to-speech with the accuracy of a native speaker while keeping users’ data secure. Having been rolled out in call centers, and depression patients screening process, Gowajee is set to be adapted to many other functions.

Some Younger Kids May Need Screening for Anxiety in Primary Care

Some children aged 7 years and younger may benefit from screening for anxiety in primary care, according to an editorial published in JAMA by John Walkup, MD, Chair of Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and colleagues. The authors respond to the US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation that children be screened for anxiety at 8-18 years of age.

‘Placenta-on-a-chip’ Mimics Malaria-infected Nutrient Exchange between Mother-Fetus

Combining microbiology with engineering technologies, this novel 3D model uses a single microfluidic chip to study the complicated processes that take place in malaria-infected placenta as well as other placenta-related diseases and pathologies. The technology supports formation of microengineered placental barriers and mimics blood circulations, which provides alternative approaches for testing and screening.

JMIR Nursing | Using a Decision Aid to Support Shared Prenatal Screening Decision Making

JMIR Publications recently published “Web-Based Training for Nurses on Using a Decision Aid to Support Shared Decision-making About Prenatal Screening: Parallel Controlled Trial” in JMIR Nursing which reported that in this study, these authors aimed to assess the impact of a shared decision-making (SDM) training program on nurses’ intention to use a decision aid with pregnant women deciding on prenatal screening for Down syndrome.

Eligible younger U.S. adults less likely to meet recommended colorectal cancer screening guidelines and face greater disparities

Younger adults living in the U.S. are less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer than older U.S. adults, despite now being eligible under new screening guidelines, and face greater disparities than older U.S. adults who are eligible for screening, according to research from UTHealth Houston.

Chronic Kidney Disease is Curable if Detected Early – Chula’s User-friendly CKD Screening Strips with Results in 15 minutes!

A Chula research team has developed a screening strip kit to detect the early stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) that’s easy to use, yields quick results, increasing the chance of being cured for patients, and helping to cut over 10 billion baht of the ever-increasing annual healthcare costs for CKD patients. The CKD screening strip kits are expected to be released early next year.

SLAS Discovery’s July Special Edition “Drug Discovery Targeting COVID-19” Now Available

The July edition of SLAS Discovery is a Special Edition featuring the cover article, “Development of a High-Throughput Screening Assay to Identify Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 Guanine-N7-Methyltransferase Using RapidFire Mass Spectrometry” by Lesley-Anne Pearson, Charlotte J. Green, Ph.D., De Lin, Ph.D., Alain-Pierre Petit, Ph.D., David W. Gray, Ph.D., Victoria H. Cowling, Ph.D., and Euan A. F. Fordyce, Ph.D., (Drug Discovery Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK).

Study shows sharp decline in cancer screenings and diagnoses during the first COVID-19 surge

In one of the first studies to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer diagnoses, researchers at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center document a substantial decline in cancer and precancer diagnoses at the Northeast’s largest health care system during the first peak of the pandemic because of a drop in the number of cancer screening tests performed.

Primary Care in a Pandemic: Spotting Mental Health Needs and More

The number of people dealing with mental distress caused by enduring months of pandemic, economic disruption and political turmoil is rising fast. And America’s primary care clinics are the front line for many of those mental health concerns. A new online toolkit aims to help primary care clinics cope with this influx, and draw from the expertise of mental health specialists and researchers.

Critical Transition Theory Shows Flickering in Heart Before Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation ranks among the most common heart conditions, and episodes are difficult to predict. Researchers have proposed a way to define cardiac state and have studied the dynamics before the cardiac rhythm changes from normal sinus to AF rhythm and vice versa. The work, appearing in Chaos and based on critical transition theory, looks to provide an early warning for those with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with potential implications for future wearable devices.

FDA Approves First At-Home Saliva Collection Test for Coronavirus

Rutgers’ RUCDR Infinite Biologics received an amended emergency use authorization from the FDA late Thursday for the first SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus test that will allow people to collect their own saliva at home and send to a lab for results. The decision follows the FDA’s recent emergency approval to RUCDR Infinite Biologics for the first saliva-based test, which involves health care workers collecting saliva from individuals at testing sites.