Medical News

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Preliminary Results from Study of 12 Ovarian Cancer Patients Offers Clues for New Gene Therapy Treatment.

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Eight medical researchers at the University of Alabama-Birmingham Use Gene Therapy to Destroy Malignant Cells Found in Cervical and Ovarian Cancers.

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Effort to Enhance the Effectiveness of Chemotherapy for Persistent Ovarian Cancer lead by Robert A. Bayer, MD, from the Loyola University Medical Center, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center. Study of 100 Women Reveals That Patients with High Dose Chemotherapy with a Bone Marrow or Blood Cell Transplant May Respond Best to Drug Treatments.

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Retrospective Analysis of 145 Breast Cancer Survivors from Across the Nation Finds Beneficial Hormone Replacement Therapy Does Not Activate Tumor Growth.

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HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala today announced the appointment of John M. Eisenberg, M.D., M.B.A., as Administrator of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR).

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Henry Ford Health System surgeons are offering women with breast cancer a new surgical procedure that not only leaves women with less pain than traditional methods but also helps doctors determine, more accurately, if the breast cancer has spread.

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NEW YORK, NY- Researchers at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, in collaboration with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, have identified a new tumor suppressor gene, known as P-TEN, involved in a large percentage of brain, breast, and prostate cancers. The newly discovered tumor suppressor gene is one of more than a dozen known to be involved in a large variety of cancers. The discovery could lead to better tests for early detection and more effective treatments. The finding is reported in the March 28 issue of the journal, Science. Embargoed 3-27-97 4 p.m.

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Overweight cats are more likely to suffer diabetes, lameness and non-allergic skin conditions, according to a Cornell University veterinary study that followed obese felines for four years. About 25 percent of 2,000 cats in the study were overweight when the study began, and some didn't survive for the follow-up.

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Long-term exposure to certain metals, such as copper and manganese, as well as certain combinations of metals, may increase the risk of Parkinson's disease, according to a study by researchers at Henry Ford Hospital. The study is published in this month's issue of Neurology.

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Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) President John Cordaro today urged a federal advisory board to support a White House Conference on human nutrition research focusing on prevention and consumer education.

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The American Psychiatric Association announces the April 1, 1997, release of Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Schizophrenia, the seventh in the APA series of practice guidelines for mental illnesses and substance use disorders. EMBARGOED UNTIL APRIL 1, 1997

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A breathable liquid for treating children in acute respiratory distress is undergoing clinical trials Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. The liquid, called perflubron, is administered to the lungs with a conventional respirator.

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) works to improve the quality of health care, reduce costs, and broaden access to essential services. Here are some of the findings described in the most recent issue of AHCPR's Research Activities.

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The American College of Radiology today strongly endorsed the American Cancer Society's recommendation that women aged 40-49 receive screening mammography every year rather than every 1-2 years.

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The conflict between professionalism and profit in health care today needs to be addressed by creating a new national agency, according to an article in this week's issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Embargoed Tuesday, March 25, 1997

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Despite the high degree of transfusion safety in the United States today, a measurable percentage of blood donors still hold back reporting risk factors at the time of donation, according to an article in this week's issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Embargoed Tuesday, March 25, 1997

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People who want to donate a kidney to a loved one can now do it with less pain, a shorter hospital stay and a much faster recovery. Surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center have made that possible by using a laparoscopic technique to remove the kidney instead of making a large incision. EMBARGOED UNTIL: March 24, 1997

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A research team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has, for the first time, documented differences in medical expenses for children whose mothers smoke compared to those whose mothers don't. EMBARGOED UNTIL 5 p.m., CST, SUNDAY, MARCH 23

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The American Academy of Pediatrics today called for monies resulting from a recent legal settlement by a tobacco company to be rolled into state Medicaid programs that benefit children and other victims of tobacco use.

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Studies covering topics ranging from screening mammography for women 40-49 to the best ways to evaluate infants for suspected child abuse will be presented at the American Roentgen Ray Society Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held in Boston, MA, May 4-9 at the Sheraton Boston Hotel and Towers.

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Activated air bags can inflict severe eye injuries, including blindness, even in minor car accidents, a small-scale study shows.

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Endocrinologists have learned how estrogen helps maintain pregnancy and stimulates the process of fetal maturation. Estrogen helps prevent miscarriage by regulating the production of another hormone, progesterone, and jumpstarts the fetal maturation process by activating fetal production of cortisol, a steroid hormone vital for maturation of lungs and other organs. Embargoed until 3-22-97

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Summary of articles in AMA's archives journals.

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Job opportunities in the health care industry are growing, especially for nurses and pharmacists with advanced degrees. By the start of the next century, the number of jobs for nurses with advanced degrees will be twice the supply. "This is only one of the indications ã although it may be the most startling ã that the health care industry offers promising futures in a variety of fields," says Sandra Irvin, assistant head of student affairs in the Purdue University School of Nursing.

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Biomedical engineers have built a prototype drug pump the size of a contact lens, a miniature, closed-loop implant that could monitor its own flow rate to ensure a steady stream of medicine.

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Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center and University Hospital in Utrecht, the Netherlands have identified a genetic pathway that may play a role in the development of as many as 90 percent of all colon cancers.

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Johns Hopkins researchers have identified a protein that helps biochemical "ears" on the surface of brain cells line up close to the areas where nearby brain cells "speak."

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Results of a nationwide survey of physicians and genetic counselors conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions show that most patients who underwent genetic testing for a gene linked with colon cancer did not receive adequate genetic counseling or give their written informed consent for the test.

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TYLENOL(R), the world's leading over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever, has launched a new site (www.Tylenol.com) on the Internet where consumers and healthcare professionals can find important information about the proper use of OTC pain medications, common illnesses, pain management and self-care.

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On March 24-26, 1997, the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, and in collaboration with other organizations, will host a conference on emerging foodborne pathogens. The conference will take place at the Radisson Plaza Hotel, Mark Center, in Alexandria, Virginia.

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Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Medical School and the National Institutes of Health have determined the three-dimensional structure of the "catalytic core," or main power center, of adenylyl cyclase. Adenylyl cyclase is a key player in the system that receives messages from outside cells and sends them repackaged to cell centers involved in any number of activities.

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The world's leading asthma research and treatment center and an Arizona health resort known as a worldwide leader in healthy living awareness and education are teaming to offer a week-long Adult Asthma Week from Sunday, Oct. 26-Sunday, Nov. 2.

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DETROIT -- We've all heard that anger can kill. Yet for cardiac patients, perhaps denial of anger is even more deadly. Denial of anger emerged as a stronger predictor for death and other cardiac incidents, such as new heart attacks or additional cardiac procedures, than traditional cardiac risk factors, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study conducted by Mark Ketterer, Ph.D.

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The microbe that causes cholera has revealed the underlying mechanism for a promising new technology for oral delivery of drugs not normally absorbed through the intestines, such as insulin and immunoglobulins. Embargoed for release March 19, 1997

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APA Announces Legal Actions To Protect Patients: 1)Challenges managed care profiteering by joining as plaintiff in antitrust lawsuit filed in New York State; 2)Seeks to protect patients from discrimination under the Americans With Disabilities Act; 3) Financial support of class action lawsuits against Blue Cross Companies reviews of medical necessity of treatment decisions; 4) Proactive litigation strategy and fund; 5) Further information about these suits

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A researcher at the University of Iowa College of Medicine has discovered a technique that may open new doors for prostate cancer therapy. Dr. Timothy Ratliff, UI professor of urology, says a virus called canarypox has the potential to be used as a means of transporting genes that stimulate anti-tumor activity into prostate cancer cells. Ratliff's research appears in the March 19 issue of Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

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The following stories appear in the American Thoracic Society (ATS) March journals: 1- pulmonary problems greater in low income individuals; 2- moderate levels of air pollution can cause respiratory problems in children; 3- how cigarette smoke inhalation stimulates bone marrow. EMBARGOED: Mar. 20, 1997, 6:00 p.m.

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Cornell fiber scientist C.C. Chu is editor of new text, "Wound Closure Biomaterials and Devices." The book provides comprehensive information on state-of-the-art, innovative biomaterials, devices and techniques used in wound closure.

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Media representatives are invited to attend the American Academy of Neurology's 49th Annual Meeting April 12-19 in Boston, MA. Studies presented at the meeting include: 1) Extensive Decongestant Use Linked to Stroke; 2) Gene Affects Risk of Alzheimer's Disease Differently Among Races Please note individual embargo dates.

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1) Relationship Between Symptoms of Depression in Older Patients and Health Status; 2) ACP Prostate Cancer Screening Recommendations; 3) ACP Position Paper: Inner-City Health Care; 4) ACP Annual Session March 22-24, 1997, Pennsylvania Convention Center. Info: (215) 351-2655.

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Johns Hopkins scientists may have identified how oxidants can worsen cancerous cell growth and how antioxidants can suppress it. Antioxidants have long been thought to fight cancer; the current findings give insight into how the protection may occur and how it may be harnessed for anti-cancer therapies.

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Being the first kid on your block to own a reptile may be cool, but its also a health risk, according to a study in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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Children and adults are more likely to be overweight and obese than they were 20 years ago, according to a recent study in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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Parents who store gasoline in safety cans rather than the more popular rectangular metal gasoline cans may prevent burn deaths and injuries to young children, according to a study on the electronic version of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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Women who receive epidurals to ease labor pains may be increasing discomfort for their newborns, according to a study published in this months Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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Over a seven-year period, there was a 44 percent increase in recurrent ear infections among preschool children, according to a study published on the electronic version of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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Northwestern University Medical School researchers have launched a study to determine the effectiveness of melatonin to relieve insomnia in the initial weeks of ProzacÆ therapy. They believe the hormone melatonin may not only improve sleep but also diminish depression that has been exacerbated by sleep deprivation.

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New technology has enabled physiologists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine to visualize the organization of intracellular calcium stored in the reticulum of cells. They also have located sodium pumps with a high affinity for the hormone ouabain next to the reticulum, where they play a vital role in controlling the storage and release of calcium. Findings could lead to new and better therapies for hypertension, heart failure, stroke.

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AIDS patients facing blindness from a virus infection may respond to the drug cidofovir, according to results of a multicenter study led by a Johns Hopkins researcher.

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Washington, D.C., March 5, 1997 -- The most comprehensive survey of current state tobacco control laws ever compiled shows that in 1996, states all across the nation moved aggressively to reduce tobacco use, particularly among children. This action came in the form of new laws, regulations and ballot initiatives. States raised their tobacco excise taxes, increased penalties for illegal sales of tobacco products to minors and sought to make tobacco companies more accountable for their actions.