Medical News - November 24, 2006

Laura Bush Discusses Her Skin Cancer
San Francisco Chronicle
First lady Laura Bush says she first thought a sore on her right shin that turned out to be skin cancer was an insect bite. "Actually it never occurred to me to make it public," she told Bob Shieffer on CBS "Face the Nation" aired Sunday.


Olive oil 'can cut cancer risk'
BBC News
Adding plenty of olive oil to a diet could help protect against cell damage that can lead to cancer, experts say. A study of 182 European men found those who had 25 millilitres of olive oil per day had reduced levels of a substance which indicates cell ...


Health Highlights: Dec. 23, 2006
Forbes
Signs of elevated blood pressure in African Americans can be evident as early as age 10, according to new research from the Medical College of Georgia.


NIH researcher is ordered to forfeit Pfizer payments
Los Angeles Times
The scientist, who pleaded guilty to conflict of interest, gets two years' probation and community service. By David Willman, Times Staff Writer.


Psychological Approach Helps Back Pain
WebMD
By Salynn Boyles. Dec. 22, 2006 -- Most people suffer from low back painback pain at some point in their lives, but people with long-lasting pain often get little relief from the most widely recommended treatments.


New scan spots dementia
Health24.com
A new imaging technique could make it possible for doctors to detect Alzheimer's disease in the brain before extensive damage has taken place, researchers report.

Medical Headlines - December 21, 2006

Teens Getting High on Medicine as Abuse of Illegal Drugs Falls
Bloomberg
By Robert Schmidt. Dec. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Use of illegal drugs by teenagers fell slightly over the past year as adolescents took prescription drugs and over-the-counter cough medicines to get high, a US government-funded study showed.


Flu 'could wipe out 62 million'
BBC News
The 1918 pandemic claimed 50 million lives, and experts in The Lancet predict the toll today would be higher than this, despite medical advances.


Brain Scan May Detect Alzheimer's
FOX News
By Salynn Boyles. A newly identified imaging compound that shows how Alzheimer?s disease ravages the brain could lead to better tools to diagnose the disease and better ways to evaluate new treatments.


Biomarkers Little Help for Heart Attacks
ABC News
There may be nothing better than basic risk factors to predict a patient's chance of suffering a heart attack, says new research.


Fish oil gives babies head start: study
The Age
Toddlers born to women who consume fish oil during pregnancy know more words and longer phrases than other children, a study has found.


Botox Soothes Writer's Cramp
Forbes
THURSDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Already hailed for its wrinkling-erasing properties, Botox is now being touted as an effective treatment for writer's cramp, too.

What is mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. According to the National Cancer Institute (www.cancer.gov), working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos. Asbestos has been mined and used commercially since the late 1800s. Its use greatly increased during World War II. Since the early 1940s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos dust. Initially, the risks associated with asbestos exposure were not known. However, an increased risk of developing mesothelioma was later found among shipyard workers, people who work in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople. Today, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace. People who work with asbestos wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure.

The risk of asbestos-related disease increases with heavier exposure to asbestos and longer exposure time. However, some individuals with only brief exposures have developed mesothelioma. On the other hand, not all workers who are heavily exposed develop asbestos-related diseases.

There is some evidence that family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos-related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers. To reduce the chance of exposing family members to asbestos fibers, asbestos workers are usually required to shower and change their clothing before leaving the workplace.

Mesothelioma in the news:

Nine-Year Mesothelioma Survivor Inspires Patients
PR Web (press release), WA - Nov 15, 2006
Nine year mesothelioma survivor Paul Kraus is scheduled to provide another inspiring teleconference to mesothelioma patients and their families on December 14 ...

Thompsons DWP mesothelioma consultation response
SourceWire (press release), UK - Nov 29, 2006
... asbestos litigation team. We pursue several hundred cases each year on behalf of mesothelioma victims and their families. The firm ...

Medical Headlines - December 7, 2006

Drug-Coated Stents Don't Boost Death Risk, US Advisers Say
Washington Post 
By Amanda Gardner. THURSDAY, Dec. 7 (HealthDay News) -- A US Food and Drug Administration advisory committee said Thursday that drug-coated stents -- tiny mesh tubes used to prop open blocked arteries that ...


Trans fat banned in New Yorkers' attack on porkers
Sydney Morning Herald - Dec 6, 2006
H Kenneth Woods, chef and owner of Sylvia's restaurant, cooks southern fried chicken using a soy bean oil that doesn't contain trans fats in New York's Harlem neighbourhood.


After 21 years, scientists say: mobiles don't cause cancer
Times Online - Dec 5, 2006
Mobile phones have no effect at all on the risk of cancer, the largest and longest-running investigation yet conducted has found. A study that has followed 420,000 mobile phone users in Denmark, for up to ...


Teen girls should scale back their weigh-ins
MSNBC - 6 hours ago
Dec. 4: The hamburger giant is offering advice and exercise gear, but is the new move legitimate or just for publicity. "One the Money's" Larry Kudlow speaks with two experts.


Smokers risk osteoarthritis: study
CBC British Columbia 
Men who smoke have a higher risk of arthritis in the knee, showing faster loss of cartilage than non-smokers, a new study suggests.


Medicare Issues Getting Much Attention in Closing Days of Congress
SeniorJournal.com - Dec 6, 2006
December 6, 2006 - The final days of this Congress are seeing considerable focus on Medicare issues. A group of senators have asked Health & Human Services to make diabetes screening and prevention a "top priority" for Medicare.