Patients can now know whether they have treatment-resistant prostate cancer from a simple blood test—giving clinicians additional time to administer alternative therapies. The promising finding is a result of a new study co-authored by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) researcher Dr. Alexander Wyatt.
“This research lets us know if a patient is unlikely to respond to some of the most common treatments for prostate cancer.”
With sexual harassment and bullying dominating headlines, many people may be wondering what interventions the public would support to prevent immoral and harmful behaviours. Answering this question is the subject of a recent study led by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher Peter Reiner.
BC has the highest rate of caesarean births in Canada. Here, 34 per cent of babies are delivered by C-section versus the national average of 28 per cent. To put those percentages in context, the World Health Organization says an ideal C-section rate is between 10 and 15 per cent. When it comes to repeat C-sections, BC rates are also very high, and rising, even though vaginal birth after C-section (VBAC) is considered safer for both mom and baby in low-risk pregnancies.
Q: Is there a ground zero for burns in the house?
A: Without a doubt, it’s the kitchen. Most household burns happen here. The majority are minor blister burns but we also see serious scald burns from hot liquids and oils. These deep burns require skin grafts and a long, painful healing process.
Genome Canada has awarded $9.7 million to a project co-led by researchers at Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) that could change the face of transplant care. The funding will support a groundbreaking study—co-led by Dr. Paul Keown and Dr. Stirling Bryan from University of British Columbia, Dr. Ruth Sapir-Pichhadze from McGill University and Dr. Timothy Caulfield from University of Alberta—that aims to increase kidney transplant success rates by 50 per cent and save around $1-billion in health care costs over the next 15 years.
It is no secret that many Canadians have a hard time finding a family doctor or are on long waitlists to see a paediatrician, obstetrician or gynaecologist. This comes despite the fact that the number of primary care physicians in Canada has been on the rise since 1986—a conundrum that is addressed in a new study led by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher, Lindsay Hedden.
A new product developed in BC by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) scientist Dr. Aziz Ghahary may solve the painful health burden of slow healing wounds. These wounds include pressure ulcers (or bedsores), large burns, and diabetic sores. They are very costly to treat. In BC alone, the cost of treating pressure ulcers in spinal cord patients is about $50 million per year. Pressure ulcers come from hours spent immobile in wheelchairs or in bed. Circulation becomes cut off, tissue is destroyed, and the resulting wounds are deep and painful.
Vancouver, BC – For years, researchers have investigated approaches to prevent cancer-causing cells from multiplying in the body. Now, Vancouver Prostate Centre (VPC) scientist Dr. Christopher Ong and colleagues have discovered a critical gene that drives cancer growth. From this discovery, they developed a new protein-based medication that prevents unhealthy cell growth that leads to prostate cancer, and potentially other cancers.
