Volume 27 • No. 1
School of Medicine launches new institute to study stem cell, cancer biology
Stanford, Packard hospitals and SEIU agree on new contract
Clinical trial studies vastly shorter radiation time for breast cancer treatment
For 3 decades, radiation oncologist has played leading role in field's evolution
Access to Stanford physicians fast-tracked with IMPACT
New procedure aims to boost proper use of observation status
Community physicians respond to changes in appointment, promotion criteria
Below are selected highlights of recent medical research
conducted at Stanford Medical Center.
Detailed news releases are available on the Internet at
http://mednews.stanford.edu
CURRENT SINUS INFECTIONS. For patients who continue getting recurrent sinus infections even after surgery, the use of nebulized antibiotics inhaled through the nostrils presents a promising alternative to oral antibiotics, according to research led by Winston Vaughan, assistant professor of surgery, and published in the December issue of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. Of the 42 patients studied - all adults who had one or more sinus surgeries - 76 percent reported "significant improvement" in symptoms such as headache and congestion, confirmed through physical exams and sinus endoscopies. Significantly, patients who benefited from the treatment remained infection-free for an average of 17 weeks, compared with six weeks when using oral antibiotics.
COX-2 INHIBITORS. Researchers at Stanford reported in the November 2002 issue of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research that selective COX-2 inhibitors interfere with the healing process following a bone fracture or cementless joint implant surgery. The findings by Stuart Goodman, professor of orthopedic surgery and lead author of the study, and colleagues suggest that patients who regularly take COX-2 inhibitors should switch to a different medication following a fracture or implant surgery. Scientists confirmed years ago that nonspecific NSAIDS impede bone growth and healing, but the Stanford study is among the first to show that COX-2 inhibitors have the same effect.
STOMACH CANCER. A single gene may make the difference between surviving stomach cancer or not, according to research led by Samuel So, associate professor of surgery. The research, published in the Dec. 10 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, describes the discovery of a gene that produces less protein in the gastric tumors of those patients who die early from stomach cancer Ð information that could someday lead to improved diagnosis and treatment. The study showed that 60 percent of the patients who made large amounts of the protein, called PLA2G2A, survived five years after their diagnosis, compared with 20 percent of those who produced lower levels of the protein.
