Is vitamin D deficiency linked with infertility?
August 21st 2014A prospective Italian study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism suggests that low levels of vitamin D [25(OH)D] may contribute to infertility. The finding, which the authors acknowledge does not confirm causality, could point to possible therapeutic benefits of the vitamin in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).
New gene linked to breast cancer risk
August 14th 2014Mutations in the PALB2 gene may be associated with a significant increase in the risk of breast cancer, according to a recent study in The New England Journal of Medicine. PALB2 binds to BRCA2-a gene that confers increased lifetime risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer-and likely permits its stable nuclear localization and accumulation.
Do hysterectomy patients fare better with high-volume surgeons?
August 7th 2014A single-institution retrospective study published in JSLS, The Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons suggests that operative times may be shorter and blood loss lower when hysterectomy is done by high-volume surgeons.