(November 9, 2009 - Insidermedicine)

From San Diego - According to research presented at the American College of Chest Physicians meeting, the risk of hospitalization for COPD patients may be dependent on the type of bronchodilator they use. Researchers examined the cases of over 50, 000 COPD patients, dividing the patients into five different treatment groups. Results showed that  monotherapy with tiotropium had the lowest amount of hospitalizations.

From Toronto - Women who have dense breasts and breast cancer may be at higher risk of recurrence, according to a report published in the journal Cancer. Researchers reviewed over 335 breast cancer patients, all of whom had their breast density assessed before undergoing breast conserving surgery. Results showed that women with high breast density had 6 times the recurrence rate after undergoing surgery.

And finally, from Chicago - According to a report presented at the meeting for the American Society of Radiation Oncology, prostate cancer patients who have early rising PSA levels after radiation therapy are at increased risk of  mortality. Researchers examined records on over 6000 prostate cancer patients treated with radiation therapy. Survival rates after 5 years were 20% lower for patients who had biochemical failure within 18 months of treatment as opposed to those whose PSA failure occurred after 18 months.