New for kidney cancer: robotic surgery

Surgery to remove a kidney tumor is no longer a hands-on operation. Sam Bhayani, a urologic surgeon at the school of Medicine, has pioneered robotic surgery for kidney cancer. Instead of standing for hours with his arms raised above the patient, Bhayani sits at a nearby computer console to maneuver joystick-like controls that guide robotic scalpels, scissors and high-resolution cameras.

Park receives Society of Neurological Surgeons’ highest honor

ParkT.S. Park, the chief of pediatric neurosurgery at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Shi Hui Huang Professor of Neurological Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received the H. Richard Winn, M.D., Prize, the highest honor of the Society of Neurological Surgeons. The international award recognizes a neurosurgeon for outstanding research in the neurosciences that impacts clinical practice.

DeBaun named Ferring Family Chair in Pediatric Cancer and Related Disorders

DeBaunMichael DeBaun has been named the Ferring Family Chair in Pediatric Cancer and Related Disorders at the School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. The endowed chair was established by John and Alison Ferring of St. Louis. DeBaun is professor of pediatrics, of biostatistics and of neurology at the School of Medicine and a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Bear Cub grants awarded

Washington University has awarded four Bear Cub Fund grants totaling $150,000 to support innovative research projects that could be attractive for licensing by commercial entities or serve as the foundation for a start-up company.

Certain anticancer agents could be harmful to patients with heart disease

A set of promising new anticancer agents could have unforeseen risks in individuals with heart disease, suggests research at the School of Medicine. The anticancer drugs — which go by the strange name of hedgehog antagonists — interfere with a biochemical process that promotes growth in some cancer cells. But the researchers showed that interfering with this biochemical process in mice with heart disease led to further deterioration of cardiac function and ultimately death.

Allergy expert has advice for flood victims

As if the emotional and financial impact of flood damage isn’t bad enough, floodwaters can also bring health problems. H. James Wedner, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the School of Medicine, says after the water recedes, damp homes and businesses are fertile grounds for mold growth, which can cause allergic reactions and asthmatic symptoms in sensitive people.
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