A year ago, a group of cancer patients at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian told their exercise physiologist, Christine Grimaldi, that they wanted to dance in a hip-hop style. Soon after, Cancer Dancers was born.

What may be the first international medical education course on the advanced minimally invasive technique called NOTES -- natural-orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery -- was presented by the surgeons who helped pioneer the revolutionary technique, which allows for minimally invasive surgical access to internal organs through existing body openings.

A leading authority on neurological disorders of consciousness, Dr. Nicholas Schiff of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City has received a prestigious Research Award for Innovation in Neuroscience from the Society for Neuroscience, the world's largest organization of physicians and scientists who study the brain and nervous system.

Two reports from physician-scientists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center shed new light on male infertility. A first report shows that a common cause of male infertility -- varicoceles, or varicose veins in the scrotum -- also results in a depletion of testosterone. In a second related finding, researchers demonstrate that once a common, simple surgery is used to treat varicoceles and thereby restore fertility, testosterone levels are also improved.

As reported recently in the journal Hepatology, WIN-R, a multicenter study of over 5,000 patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) showed treatment with weight-based REBETOL® (ribavirin, USP) (RBV) in combination with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) alfa-2b achieved significantly higher rates of sustained virologic response (SVR) and lower relapse rates compared to combination therapy using a flat dose of RBV 800 mg/day. Superior response was found particularly in patients with the most difficult-to-treat form of the disease, genotype 1 HCV. Efficacy was consistent across all weight groups.

Women who get hot flashes have higher blood pressure than those who don't, according to a new study led by Weill Cornell Medical College. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease -- the latter being responsible for half of all deaths among American women 50 and older.

Smaller-framed women reap significant health and quality-of-life benefits from breast reductions that involve the removal of under 500 grams of tissue per breast, according to a first-of-its-kind study from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and the New York University School of Medicine.

On Sunday, January 7, Dr. Herbert Pardes, President and Chief Executive Officer of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital was featured on the front page of the New York Times Business Section. The article highlights the impact of Dr. Pardes' leadership in the success of the 1998 merger and his focus on patient-centered care.