September 27, 2011
Cancer cost ‘crisis’ warning from oncologists
The cost of treating cancer in the developed world is spiralling and is “heading towards a crisis”, an international team of researchers says. (BBC News)
Monthly Archives: September 2011
September 27, 2011
Getting Big Pharma to Treat Childhood Cancers
At age five, some kids have won pee-wee sports championships or perhaps a class spelling bee, but for Luke Fochtman of Okemos, Mich., his fifth birthday marked his victory over a much larger foe — in a life-or-death battle with … Read More
September 26, 2011
AP IMPACT: Drug shortages endanger patients, disrupt hospital operations, raise cost of care
A drug for dangerously high blood pressure, normally priced at $25.90 per dose, offered to hospitals for $1,200. Fifteen deaths in 15 months blamed on shortages of life-saving medications. (Washington Post)
September 26, 2011
Doctors to debate restricting fertility treatments for obese women
Obese women should shed weight before seeking in vitro fertilization treatment, say fertility experts, who this week, begin discussions on whether to keep such women from receiving the fertility treatments. (Vancouver Sun)
September 26, 2011
Hospitals refuse to tell parents sex of their unborn babies… because ‘staff don’t have time’
Maternity units are refusing to tell parents the gender of their unborn babies with some experts claiming it is an attempt to stamp out the practice of selective abortion. (Daily Mail)
September 26, 2011
Cosmetic surgery clients can pay extra to store their cells
Scientists hope the fat taken from flabby thighs and stomachs could one day be used to save lives and to protect from a host of conditions such as cancer and heart disease. (Telegraph)
September 26, 2011
Doctor decries in-vitro fertilization legacy of ‘sick babies’
As he was about to head across Toronto for a national gathering of reproductive-medicine specialists Wednesday, Dr. John Barrett received a sobering reminder of Canada’s “epidemic†of multiple births, fuelled largely by those same fertility physicians. (National Post)
September 26, 2011
Surgeons Object to New CDC Organ-Screening Guidelines
New guidelines for stricter testing of organ donors are raising concerns among transplant surgeons, who fear they may limit availability of organs. (Wall Street Journal)
September 23, 2011
Even brief explanations help patients make better medication decisions
Patients can choose safer, more effective medications if they are told about a drug’s harms and benefits and they understand that newer doesn’t always mean better when it comes to prescription drugs, a study says. (American Medical News)
September 23, 2011
Double whammy gene therapy clears HIV from body
A person with HIV who didn’t take antiretroviral drugs for three months remained free of the virus, thanks to a groundbreaking gene therapy. The success raises the prospect of keeping HIV in check permanently without antiretrovirals. (New Scientist)
September 23, 2011
In development: a vaccine for acne
First it was smallpox. Then polio. Now science has another of humanity’s scourges in its sights: acne. (New Scientist)
September 23, 2011
Miracle vs. medicine: When faith puts care at risk
Salem, Ore., pediatrician James Lace, MD, will never forget the severely asthmatic patient who could scarcely speak a sentence without gasping for air. (American Medical News)
September 23, 2011
US Permanently Bans Patents for Human Embryos
The United States has mandated a permanent ban in issuing patents on human embryos. President Barack Obama signed the prohibition into law Sept. 16 as part of a patent reform measure titled the “America Invents Act.” (Christian Post)
September 23, 2011
China ‘Stem Cell Therapies’ Offer Heartbreak for Many
Chinese hotel manager Hong Chun had trouble using chopsticks after a minor stroke and sought treatment at a large Shanghai hospital where doctors injected what they said were donor stem cells into his spinal cord and buttocks, according to his … Read More
September 23, 2011
CDC Moves to Make Organ Transplantation Safer
More thorough donor screening and more advanced organ testing to help protect transplant patients from infectious diseases are recommended in a draft of an updated organ transplant guideline released Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (US … Read More
September 22, 2011
China and India Making Inroads in Biotech Drugs
Chinese and Indian drug makers have taken over much of the global trade in medicines and now manufacture more than 80 percent of the active ingredients in drugs sold worldwide. But they had never been able to copy the complex … Read More
September 22, 2011
Obama Administration Removes Doctor Disciplinary Files From the Web
Three journalism organizations on Thursday protested to the Obama administration a decision to pull a database of physician discipline and malpractice actions off the Web. (New York Times)
September 22, 2011
UK medics lead Europe’s first embryonic stem cell trial
Doctors at Moorfields Eye hospital in London have been given the go-ahead to carry out Europe’s first clinical trial using human embryonic stem cells. (BBC News)
September 22, 2011
World leaders pledge to prevent millions of deaths from cancer, heart disease and diabetes
World leaders have pledged to take wide-ranging action to prevent millions of deaths from cancer, diabetes, and heart and lung disease by tackling the key causes — smoking, excessive drinking, lack of exercise and unhealthy diets dominated by fast food. … Read More
September 22, 2011
Young adults with health insurance up by about a million; Obama’s big 2010 overhaul credited
At least one part of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul has proven popular. With the economy sputtering, the number of young adults covered by health insurance grew by about a million as families flocked to take advantage of a … Read More
September 22, 2011
Asthma inhalers being phased out over environmental worries
People with asthma are being asked to go green. As part of the federal government’s continuing effort to protect the Earth’s atmosphere, asthma patients who rely on over-the-counter inhalers will be required to switch to prescription-only alternatives. (CBS News)
September 21, 2011
New Issue of The New England Journal of Medicine is Now Available
The New England Journal of Medicine (Volume 365, Issue 21, September 15, 2011) is now available on-line and by subscription only. Articles include: “Genomic Medicine: Genomics, Health Care, and Society” by K.L. Hudson, available on-line.
September 21, 2011
Face transplants starting to gain acceptance
Facial transplantation once spawned science fiction-fed visions of cosmetic surgery run amok but is becoming more common as many fears about the operation prove unfounded. (American Medical News)
September 21, 2011
Researcher Discovers New Type Of Spinal Cord Stem Cell
A group led by a University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health scientist has discovered a type of spinal cord cell that could function as a stem cell, with the ability to regenerate portions of the central nervous system … Read More
September 21, 2011
Safeguards Needed To Prevent Alzheimer’s Discrimination
The changing tide of Alzheimer’s diagnosis presents new challenges to the public, physicians and lawmakers: if you could find out your Alzheimer’s risk, would you want to know? (Medical News Today)
