Electronic cigarettes are devices designed to deliver nicotine or other substances to a user in the form of a vapor.  Typically, they are made up of a rechargeable, battery-operated heating element, a replaceable cartridge that may contain nicotine or other chemicals, and an atomizer that, when heated, converts the contents of the cartridge into a vapor which can be inhaled.   These products often are made to look like cigarettes, cigars, or pipes and are often marketed as a substitute for these items.

When the Food and Drug Administration allowed silicone gel-filled breast implants back on the market in November 2006, the agency required the manufacturers to conduct follow-up studies to learn more about the long-term performance and safety of the devices. on June 22, 2011, the FDA released a report that includes preliminary safety data from these studies, as well as other safety information from recent scientific publications and adverse events reported to FDA.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a new genetic test that will help health care professionals determine if women with breast cancer are HER2-positive and, therefore, candidates for Herceptin (trastuzumab), a commonly used breast cancer treatment.

The test, called Inform Dual ISH, allows for measurement of the number of copies of the HER2 gene in tumor tissue. The HER2 gene is located on chromosome 17 in human cells. An excessive amount of the protein produced by the gene is found in some types of cancer cells, including breast cancer cells.

You care about your health and you try to keep up on the latest research.  But you don’t know the difference between the endometrium and the cervix?   Or how about aneuploid and diploid?   A new educational resource is now at your finger tips called Repropedia.   Repropedia is a free web based dictionary of scientific terms used in reproductive and women’s health research.   Created by the Center for Reproductive Sciences at Northwestern University, Repropedia defines complex terms in easy to understand language. Just click on the word above or check it out HERE.