Lowering Costs, Waiting Times For Colonoscopies
Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, leading to over 50,000 fatalities every year. But it can be prevented with early screening using a procedure called a colonoscopy. Now researchers from North Carolina State University, Mayo Clinic and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMass) have created a tool to help colonoscopy facilities operate more efficiently, ultimately lowering costs and leading to shorter waiting times for patients.
The researchers have created a computer model that “helps people who manage colonoscopy facilities, such as hospitals and clinics, find the best combination of physicians, staff, rooms and equipment needed to cater to the number of patients they can expect,” says Bjorn Berg, lead author of the paper outlining the new tool and a Ph.D. student in the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering at NC State. The model can also be used to determine the optimum number of patients a facility can see in any given day. Read more
High-sensitivity Bone Marrow Aspiration Technology Enhances Leukemia Cell Detection
Scientists have created a viable technology to improve the detection of leukemia cells in bone marrow.
Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) enhanced the ability to rapidly quantify the amount of nanoparticle bound tumor cells in a sample at least 10 fold, and increased sensitivity of minimal residual disease measurements. Results of this proof-of-concept study are published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
“This promises to significantly enhance the detection for residual disease in leukemia and other cancers,” said lead scientist Richard S. Larson, M.D., Ph.D., vice president for translation research at the University of New Mexico Health Science Center. “Coupling nanotechnology can be employed in common techniques to enhance its utility.” Read more