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While it has long been recognized that drugs that block the cancer-promoting activity of estrogen reduce risk of developing new breast cancers, a new computer modeling study led by researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and colleagues showed that these treatments could also reduce the risk of dying from the disease in women who are at high risk.

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In a study using a first-of-its kind mouse model of aging that mimics breast cancer development in estrogen receptor-positive post-menopausal women, investigators at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and colleagues have determined that over-expression, or switching on of the Esr1 gene, could lead to elevated risk of developing estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer in older women.

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A guided mindfulness-based stress reduction program was as effective as use of the gold-standard drug -- the common antidepressant drug escitalopram -- for patients with anxiety disorders, according to results of a first-of-its-kind, randomized clinical trial led by researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center.

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A clinical trial led by clinicians at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center showed a remarkable 20 percent advantage in the two-year overall survival rate for people with advanced melanoma who first received immunotherapy (72 percent survival rate) versus those who initially got targeted therapies (52 percent survival rate). Progression-free survival, where the cancer is stable or improving, was also trending in favor of those who started on immunotherapy.

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A two-pronged approach to imaging breast density in mice, developed by researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, resulted in better detection of changes in breast tissue, including spotting early signs of cancer. The researchers hope that this approach will be translated from mice and improve breast imaging for people; it may also help with prognosis of disease as density can be linked to specific patterns of mammary gland growth, including signs of cancer development.

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The National Science Foundation has awarded Georgetown University $12.5 million to lead a global team of scientists in establishing a collaborative institute designed to advance research and education around viral emergence -- the process of viruses jumping from animals to humans.

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The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has awarded a Georgetown University Medical Center research team led by Dan Merenstein, MD, professor of family medicine at Georgetown’s School of Medicine, $23.6 million in research funding to study treatments for acute rhinosinusitis.

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Telling a child about their mother’s risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer does not adversely influence the offspring’s lifestyle or quality of life in the long term, according to a new study led by researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

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The news out of Uvalde, Texas, where an 18-year-old man gunned down 19 innocent children and two adults and left several critically injured at an elementary school, has left many parents and caregivers wondering how to talk to their children about their safety.

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As the earth’s climate continues to warm, researchers predict wild animals will be forced to relocate their habitats – likely to regions with large human populations – dramatically increasing the risk of a viral jump to humans that could lead to the next pandemic.

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More people with advanced melanoma survive for two years or more when they receive a combination of two immunotherapy drugs given before a combination of two targeted therapies, if needed, compared to people who start treatment with targeted therapies.

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In an unexpected discovery, Georgetown University Medical Center researchers have identified what appears to be a significant vascular defect in patients with moderately severe Parkinson’s disease. The finding could help explain an earlier outcome of the same study, in which the drug nilotinib was able to halt motor and non-motor (cognition and quality of life) decline in the long term.

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A survey of dentists in the United States finds that an overwhelming majority of those who responded believe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-acetaminophen combinations are as effective or more effective in managing dental pain as opioids; however, almost half say they still prescribe opioids.

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If Black women begin mammography screening every other year starting at age 40, breast cancer deaths could be reduced by 57 percent compared to starting screening 10 years later — as is currently recommended by some organizations — according to analyses conducted by a modeling team that is part of the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET), funded by the National Cancer Institute.

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A phase II, randomized clinical trial found that the optimal period for intensive rehabilitation of arm and hand use after a stroke should begin 60 to 90 days after the event. The study, conducted by Georgetown University and MedStar National Rehabilitation Network (NRH) researchers, published September 20, 2021, in PNAS.