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Important medical achievements in 2015
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Over the past year, medicine has achieved significant results in the fight against a number of serious diseases.
Jer Groopman, a cancer specialist, noted that he daily reviews more than 10 medical publications that describe clinical studies, discoveries by scientists, and specific patient cases. The scientist is also interested in articles on biology and medicine that are not directly or indirectly related to cancer and the treatment of cancer patients, which, in the professor’s opinion, can change not only existing practices, but also influence the course of doctors’ thoughts, and the information received can alleviate the condition in a certain situation.
Based on his research, Dr. Groopman compiled a list of the most significant advances in science and medicine over the past year.
Among the main breakthroughs, the specialist notes cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In Sweden, a group of specialists' studies have shown that in the case of a massive heart attack, before the ambulance arrives, it is necessary to provide the victim with first aid - indirect heart massage and artificial respiration, in this case 10% of patients survive, if resuscitation measures were not provided in a timely manner, the survival rate drops to 4.
In June last year, the Institute of Medicine proposed creating special training courses that would help anyone who wanted to learn cardiopulmonary techniques. The institute also proposed using special smartphone apps that would notify others about the need to provide assistance.
Another remarkable achievement in medicine, according to Groopman, is the reduction in the spread of HIV.
Jean-Michel Molin dared to conduct a daring experiment in one of the hospitals, during which he and his colleagues studied the effect of antiviral drugs.
The experiment involved 400 people, two groups had to take pills before or after unprotected sex. Less than a year later, the first group, who took placebo pills, recorded 14 new cases of infection, while the second group had only 2.
This research is of great importance for medicine and will help in developing methods to contain the spread of HIV infection on the planet.
The field of cancer research is no exception. Among the most common types of cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukemia can be distinguished, which is characterized by slow development in the initial stages, but then the disease progresses rapidly, and eventually the person dies of exhaustion. Traditionally, lymphocytic leukemia is treated with the strongest chemicals that kill cancer cells, in particular, chlorambucil is used, but the effect of the drug is limited and all achieved improvements usually disappear within 10-12 months.
Over the past 10 years, experts have been working in this direction and studying the process by which cells receive signals and have come to the conclusion that cancer therapy will be less toxic if we influence the molecules through which cells “communicate.”
An article appeared in one of the scientific publications at the end of last year, which described the results of clinical trials of a new drug. The researchers used ibrutinib, a substance that affects the molecules that transmit cellular signals, and as a result of the treatment, patients experienced a stable remission. The effect of the drug persisted even after the trials were over.
In cancer treatment, the main problem in developing an effective treatment is the multi-channel communication of cancer cells - even if one channel is blocked, the cells use another to transmit signals, as a result the disease continues to progress.
Disruption of intracellular connections can significantly improve the condition of patients, as in the case of ibrutinib.
Groopman was particularly fascinated by the placebo effect, which he was able to experience first-hand. The professor had long suffered from back pain due to failed back surgery syndrome. Contact with rehabilitation specialists, before physical therapy, helped Groopman to alleviate some of the pain.
Dr. Ted Kaptchuk's group has cleared up the situation with placebo drugs. The researchers said that people may have a genetic predisposition to be more or less affected by such drugs. Placebos are prescribed to patients with incurable diseases, but according to Kaptchuk and his colleagues, the effectiveness of the "dummy" pill increases several times if a trusting relationship is established between the patient and the doctor.
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