Amenorrhea common after Hodgkin’s treatment
|
|
Most women stop having their menstrual period, a condition called amenorrhea, after undergoing chemotherapy for advanced-stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL), cancer specialists report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Study author Dr. Karolin Behringer told Reuters Health that doctors need to talk to patients about “late toxicities, especially infertility,” of chemotherapy and radiation therapy before treatment is initiated. Late toxicities or complications are side effects from chemotherapy or radiation therapy that occur long after the treatment ends. Among these, infertility for women is a major concern.
World health experts outline bird flu strategy
|
|
International health experts on Wednesday agreed to the outlines of a global strategy to tackle the spread of bird flu that the World Bank has estimated would cost up to $1 billion over three years.
Wrapping up three days of talks, World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Lee Jong-Wook said the strategy covered minimising the virus threat at source in animals and humans, strengthening early warning systems, strengthening veterinary services, improving countries’ pandemic preparedness, making access to anti-viral drugs fairer and more research into pandemic vaccines.
Bird flu may cut energy demand
|
|
Bird flu may reduce world energy demand should it evolve into a form that is easily transmitted among humans, possibly by more than a million barrels per day, Goldman Sachs said in a report.
“Should the flu mutate into a true global pandemic, the economic implications would be profound, potentially reducing energy demand by well over one million barrels per day,” the U.S. investment bank said.
Fertility after prostate “seed” therapy possible
|
|
Contrary to popular belief, men with prostate cancer who have tiny radioactive seeds implanted in the prostate to destroy the cancer, a treatment called brachytherapy, are not always rendered infertile, according to the results of small case series.
Prostate brachytherapy has become a very popular way to treat prostate cancer that has not spread to other organs. While it is still a preferred treatment for older men, increasingly many younger men are now being treated with this approach.
Cannabis-Based Drug Relieves Arthritis Pain
|
|
An oral spray containing marijuana extracts has offered pain relief to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, according to British researchers. The patients did not have the typical highs achieved by smoking marijuana.
Called Sativex, the agent was tested in a five-week randomized, placebo-controlled trial that the investigators said was the first formal study using cannabis-based medications to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Women refuse follow-up tests for breast cancer
|
|
In a study of women with breast cancer, Kaiser Permanente researchers and others examined characteristics of women who refused recommended follow-up testing after a positive breast cancer screening test, or a visit to a medical provider for breast cancer symptoms.
Those refusing were more likely to be 75 or older and have six or more children. The study appears in the Nov. 8, 2005 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
More dead birds in Malaysia raises bird flu alarm
|
|
Concern has been raised in Malaysia after a second flock of pigeons was found dead in the country’s northwest.
According to reports health officials are worried following the deaths of more than 11 wild pigeons in Sungai Petani, and they are carrying out tests for bird flu.
Colon cancer screening unlikely to save money
|
|
While preventing thousands of deaths annually, recommended colorectal cancer screening could increase health expenditures in the US by nearly $3 billion annually, according to a new report.
“Screening can decrease colorectal cancer mortality,” Dr. Uri Ladabaum from University of California, San Francisco, California told Reuters Health. “Physicians should encourage patients to consider being screened.”
One in five Americans has or is at serious risk for developing diabetes
|
|
At least one in five Americans has or is at serious risk for developing diabetes, meaning millions are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, key health organizations are warning.
New figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have caused serious concern among leading health groups, including the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC), and the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP). The groups are collaborating during November—American Diabetes Month—to emphasize the link between diabetes and related cardiovascular complications.
Vitamin strategy may curb risk of second stroke
|
|
A high-dose vitamin supplement may help reduce the risk of a second stroke, as well as death and cardiac events, according to a study published in the journal Stroke this month. The supplement consisted of vitamins B9 (folate), B6, and B12, which are known to reduce blood levels of homocysteine—an amino acid linked to heart disease.
In a previous report from the Vitamin Intervention for Stroke Prevention (VISP) study group, the combined vitamin therapy did not reduce recurrent stroke and cardiac events, but it turned out that the trial included patients who were not likely to benefit from the treatment.
Roche restricts Tamiflu sales in China
|
|
Swiss drug maker Roche Holding AG has stopped selling its bird flu drug Tamiflu in China and is instead sending all supplies to the health ministry.
The move follows similar temporary suspensions by Roche of Tamiflu supplies to pharmacies in the United States, Canada and Hong Kong to head off hoarding by consumers worried about the spread of bird flu as the world heads into the start of the influenza season.
UK mother challenges child abortion rules
|
|
A British mother launched a legal test case on Tuesday to challenge the “horrifying” practice of young girls having abortions without their parents’ knowledge.
Susan Axon, 50, from Manchester, is contesting a law that allows girls under 16 to receive advice on abortion and sexual health in confidence.
Lose Weight Prevent Diabetes
|
|
A few months ago (March 2005), the American Diabetes Association announced the findings of the comprehensive Diabetes Prevention Program. The DPP was conducted at over 25 medical centers nationwide and involved thousands of participants who volunteered to have their habits monitored and to follow dietary and exercise recommendations. All participants had been diagnosed with ‘pre-diabetes’, a condition where the blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet in diabetic ranges. Untreated, more than half of those people diagnosed with pre-diabetes will develop full-blown type 2 diabetes within a decade.
For the study, the participants were divided into two groups. One half were given dietary recommendations. The other half got the same dietary recommendations, plus the recommendation to exercise at least 30 minutes daily, five times a week.
Ritalin May Ease Hyperactivity In Autism-Related Disorders
|
|
Ritalin (methylphenidate), long an approach to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, may be effective for treating hyperactivity in autism and related pervasive developmental disorders, according to investigators here.
Nearly 50% of children with pervasive developmental disorders and hyperactivity responded to the drug, but the magnitude of the response was less than that seen with children with ADHD, reported investigator David J. Posey, M.D., of the Indiana University School of Medicine here, and colleagues in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
Women and Men Get to the Joke Differently
|
|
Men and women process Blondie and Dagwood differently, just as they do with Charlie Brown and Lucy. Beetle Bailey too.
MRI scanning of men and women shows that their brains process cartoons slightly differently—especially when the joke is funny. But the differences don’t show up in behavior. Both sexes find pretty much the same things funny and, for a given joke, tend to give it an equivalent humor rating.
