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Considering
Longer Chemotherapy
July 21, 2009 (New York Times)
The newest prognosis for cancer may be longer chemotherapy. Doctors
and pharmaceutical companies are moving toward treating cancer patients
with drugs continuously, even when they may not urgently need them.
That would be a departure from the common practice of stopping treatment
when the cancer is under control and resuming it only if the cancer
worsens.
Weighing School Backpacks
July 20, 2009 (New York Times)
Last year, my daughter’s school backpack got so heavy, she would
sometimes just drag it behind her rather than hoist it onto her
shoulders. Backpacks with wheels are too bulky for her locker, so
next year I’m thinking about buying an extra set of textbooks to
keep at home.
Learning of Risk of
Alzheimer’s Seems to Do No Harm
July 16, 2009 (New York Times)
A genetic test that can find an increased
risk of Alzheimer’s disease does no psychological harm to people
who take it, even if they test positive for a risky gene, a new
study find
Cancer and Supplements:
What Vitamins, Herbs, and Botanicals Can (and Can't) Do
July 14, 2009 (HealthDay News)
5 reasons there aren't a lot of answers—and 4 things you can do
until there are
In Summertime, the Livin'
Can Be Buggy
June 23, 2009 (HealthDay News)
Physicians group offers advice on tick and mosquito bites. It's
nearly summer, which means millions of Americans will be picnicking
in grassy fields and camping in the woods.
Protein In Urine May Lead to
Test for Appendicitis
June 23, 2009 (Reuters)
A protein in urine could be used as a simple way to diagnose appendicitis,
the most common emergency in childhood, U.S. researchers said on
Tuesday.
When No News Is Bad
News
June 22, 2009 (The New York Times)
Most people assume their doctor will call them if they get a bad
test result. But new research shows that doctors frequently fail
to inform patients about abnormal test results.
At the Bridge Table,
Clues to a Lucid Old Age
May 22, 2009 (New York Times)
The ladies in the card room are playing bridge, and
at their age the game is no hobby. It is a way of life, a daily
comfort and challenge, the last communal campfire before all goes
dark. “We play for blood,” says Ruth Cummins, 92, before taking
a sip of Red Bull at a recent game.
High-SPF Sunscreens: Are They
Better? WebMD discusses the pros and cons of high-SPF sunscreens.
May 22, 2009 (WebMD)
If you’ve shopped for sunscreen lately, you have
probably noticed the proliferation of products with ever-higher
sun protection factor (SPF) ratings. Just a few years ago, it was
hard to find a sunscreen claiming an SPF higher than 45. These days,
the shelves are lined with products from companies such as Banana
Boat, Coppertone, and Aveeno touting SPF ratings of 70+, 80, and
90+.
Advanced Prostate Cancer
Deadlier in Younger Men
May 22, 2009 (HealthDay News)
Patients under 44 were three times more likely to
die, study finds. Younger men diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer
don't live as long as older men facing the same diagnosis, a new
study finds.
Seasonal Allergy Symptoms:
6 Ways to Prevent or Treat Them
May 1, 2009 (U.S. News & World
Report)
If allergy symptoms are bothering you, these allergy treatments
and prevention strategies may help. Spring is the time of year when
many people complain about seasonal allergy symptoms such as runny
noses, congestion, rashes, itchy and watery eyes, sneezing, coughing—and
just generally feeling miserable. About 16.9 million Americans had
allergies in 2007, and there were 12.2 million doctor's office visits
for allergies in 2006, according to the National Center for Health
Statistics.
Secondhand Smoke Quickly
Affects Blood Vessels
April 17, 2009 (HealthDay News)
As little as 10 minutes of exposure changes cardiovascular function,
researchers say. Cardiovascular function can be affected by as little
as 10 minutes exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke and other air
pollutants such as wood smoke and smoke from cooking oil, say U.S.
researchers.
Survey Reveals Unfounded
Fears About Organ Donation, US
April 17, 2009 (Medical News Today)
A recent online survey of over 5,000 America adults found that
misconceptions about the organ donation process are the most likely
reasons for the gap between the number of people who would like
to be donors and the number who actually register.
Zen and the Art of Coping
With Alzheimer's
April 02, 2009 (The New York Times)
The number of Alzheimer's patients is expected to increase dramatically
in coming years, straining the health care system. Scientists have
not discovered the cause nor devised effective treatments. Even
diagnosis is difficult. In the absence of therapies, attention has
turned to teaching the skills necessary to cope with demented patients.
FDA Greenlights
New Drug for Advanced Kidney Cancer
March 31, 2009 (American Cancer
Society)
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has approved everolimus, made by Novartis and marketed as Afinitor,
for the treatment of advanced kidney cancer, or renal cell carcinoma.
Colon Cancer:
Signs, Symptoms, and Screening
March 19, 2009 (American Cancer
Society)
Regular screening is the best way to find
colon cancer early. Some screening tests may even be able to prevent
colorectal cancer entirely, by finding certain types of polyps in
the colon that could become cancerous.
But when should you start?
7 Tips on Fighting Off a Cold
- Want to Raise Your Immunity? Start by Getting More Sleep
March 19, 2009 (U.S. News and
World Report)
True, the common cold is highly contagious—spurred
by more than 100 viruses that are spread when inhaled or picked
up from tainted surfaces and rubbed into an eye or the mouth or
a nostril. But beyond frequent hand washing, there are a number
of ways that people can raise their immunity
Early-Stage Multiple
Sclerosis Reversed By Stem Cell Transplant
March 19, 2009 (Medical News Today)
Researchers from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine
appear to have reversed the neurological dysfunction of early-stage
multiple sclerosis patients by transplanting their own immune stem
cells into their bodies and thereby "resetting" their
immune systems.
Freezing Kidney Cancers Shows
Promise - Study found noninvasive technique eradicated smaller tumors
March 13, 2009 (HealthDay News)
Most kidney cancer tumors can be eradicated using a noninvasive
freezing technique that eliminates the need for surgery, a pair
of studies from Johns Hopkins Hospital suggests.
Heart Disease Tied to Depression,
Anger Chronic Anger, Hostility,
or Major Depression May Increase Likelihood of Heart Disease, New
Studies Show
March 9, 2009 (WebMD Health News)
Depression, anger, and hostility may be
red flags of heightened heart disease risk, even if you don't have
heart disease right now. That news comes from two studies published
in the March 17 edition of the Journal of the American College of
Cardiology.
Calcium Linked to Lower
Colon Cancer Risk, Study Finds
February 25, 2009 (The New York
Times)
A huge study of nearly half a million
people found that older men and women who consumed large amounts
of dairy foods and calcium were at reduced risk of developing digestive
cancers, especially colorectal cancer. The findings have reignited
a long-simmering debate over calcium’s potential to fight colon
cancer.
The Anxiety of the Biopsy
February 24, 2009 (The New York
Times)
Waiting days for the results of a breast
biopsy appears to affect stress hormone levels just as much as finding
out you have cancer does, a new study shows.
Experts Promote Baldness
Drug for Prostate Cancer
February 24, 2009 (Reuters)
Millions of healthy men 55 and older should
consider taking finasteride, a drug used to treat prostate enlargement
symptoms and baldness, to prevent prostate cancer, two top U.S.
medical groups said on Tuesday.
CT Heart Scan Risks: 7 Better
Ways to Screen for Heart Disease
February 3, 2009 (U.S. News and
World Report)
The high-tech imaging test poses radiation
risks, so what should you do to determine your chances of having
a heart attack? When it comes to determining whether you need to
worry about heart disease, you probably take certain assumptions
for granted. If you have high cholesterol, a nasty smoking habit,
and hypertension, your heart is a ticking time bomb; if you have
none of those risk factors, you don't need to worry. Unfortunately,
it's not that simple.
12 Health Risks of Aging That
Baby Boomers Can Avoid
January 28, 2009 (U.S. News and
World Report)
Diet and exercise can go a long way toward
keeping you young. Baby boomers would like to believe that terms
like "over the hill" will never apply to them. And they
could, in fact, be right. While there's no stopping time, there's
plenty you can do to foil the aging process. "We now have a
much greater understanding of aging mechanisms," says Dean
Ornish, professor of medicine at the University of California-San
Francisco, "to the extent that we know which changes help you
live longer but, more important, age better."
The Power of Berries
January 22, 2009 (The New York
Times)
Several studies show that people who eat
diets high in fruits and vegetables have lower cancer rates. Now
a large body of research suggests that berries may be among the
most potent cancer-fighting fruits.
FDA Approves
New Drug for Advanced Prostate Cancer
January 13, 2009 (American Cancer
Society)
The US Food and Drug Administration recently
approved a new drug for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.
Degarelix, an injectable drug manufactured by Ferring Pharmaceuticals
and still awaiting a trade name before it can hit the market, belongs
to class of drugs known as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
receptor antagonists. These drugs block the body’s production of
testosterone, which slows prostate cancer growth.
6 Serious Medical Symptoms.
January 1, 2009 (WebMD)
Some medical symptoms are warnings that
you need immediate care. Learn to recognize these six. That new
symptom is troubling: the inexplicable swelling in your calf or
the blood in your urine. Could it be serious or even life-threatening?
Preventing Breast Cancer 101
January 1, 2009 (U.S.News &
World Report)
A growing number of programs teach young
girls the real risks and how to lower them. You'd think that breast
cancer would be the farthest thing from a 14-year-old's mind. But
nearly as soon as they grow breasts, many girls begin to fear the
worst.
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