In 2023, scientists and researchers conducted many interesting studies and made many discoveries, which will create new prospects for the treatment of a number of diseases.

NEWS.am Medicine presents below the top four medical discoveries made last year.

New treatment for prostate cancer in men

Ultrasound and other "focal" treatment of prostate cancer gives new hope to men suffering from this disease. A very interesting and promising TULSA-Pro treatment method involves the destruction of cancerous tissue inside the prostate using ultrasound heating.

This outpatient procedure was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in 2019. But last year, research showed just how effective it is.

The new study found that 96% of middle-aged and older men with average- or low-risk prostate cancer who were treated with TULSA-Pro experienced a 75% or greater reduction in PSA levels within one year. And 25% developed problems with erectile dysfunction and 11% with urinary incontinence.

By comparison, 25-33% of men who undergo standard surgery or radiation therapy have prostate cancer return.

Improving screening for large breast cancer

The risk of cancer in large breasts is four times higher because the large tissue has more cells that can become abnormal, and women with large breasts may have higher levels of estrogen, which can also increase the risk of cancer. However, routine mammography can miss 40-60% of large breast cancers.

A 3D whole-breast ultrasound called SoftVue recently received premarket approval from the FDA as an additional screening method for large breast cancers.

With a full 3D breast ultrasound system, the new technology creates a 360-degree image that provides a more complete picture of the tissue without compression or radiation.

Clinical data have shown that the SoftVue scanning combined with conventional mammography helps detect 20% more cancers than mammography alone and reduces false positives.

Continuous monitoring of glucose levels for patients with diabetes

In 2023, understanding of the effectiveness and utility of continuous blood glucose monitoring in patients with diabetes increased, and US Medicare began to cover for continuous glucose monitors (CGM).

At one time, these devices were mainly used as part of the treatment of insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes. But now it has become clear how important they are for people with type 2 diabetes, who usually take oral medications and may also use injectable medications if needed, sometimes along with insulin.

Compared to finger-stick blood sugar testing, CGM devices help middle-aged and older people better monitor their blood sugar levels and thus avoid many complications, according to the study.

New way to bust blood clots

Pulmonary embolism is the third leading cause of cardiovascular death in the United States, after heart attack and stroke. Every year, 350,000 people are hospitalized with this problem, and 100,000 of them die.

The Bashir Endovascular Catheter is a device that is inserted through blood vessels into the lungs, makes holes in the clot to allow blood flow, and injects medicine to dissolve the clot.

The Bashir and Bashir S-B Endovascular catheters were approved by the FDA in 2023 for the treatment of pulmonary embolism.