Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles
Stretch Mark Remedies

Cerebral Palsy Improves After Bone Marrow Stem Cell Procedure
Dr. David Steenblock of Mission Viejo, California, a pioneer in clinical applications of stem cells, is pleased to report the results of a 16 year old girl who suffered from cerebral palsy. The patient had right side paralysis and spasticity since birth. The procedure consisted of removing 300 milliliters of bone marrow from her hip and giving it back to her intravenously. Five hours after the raw bone marrow infusion, E.H. was able to move her right toe for the first time in her life. That evening, she was able to walk, stepping heel to toe on her right foot. By the next day, she was able to straighten out and use her right arm and wrist for the first time. Within three weeks, she was also able to move her fingers on her right hand and hold a cup for the first time.
generic viagra online
Obama Interviews Appeals Court Judge Wood For Supreme Court Nomination
President Obama on Wednesday held a private meeting with Appeals Court Judge Diane Wood to discuss her possible nomination to the Supreme Court, the New York Times reports. The meeting is thought to be Obama"s first one-on-one interview with a potential candidate to replace retiring Justice David Souter. A White House official said that other possible nominees will be interviewed. According to the Times, White House aides expect an announcement no earlier than next week (Zeleny, New York Times, 5/21). According to the AP/Google.com, Wood was in Washington, D.C., to attend a Georgetown University Law Center conference on the importance of judicial independence. Wood declined to comment on the meeting with Obama or the Supreme Court vacancy. Solicitor General Elena Kagan, another possible candidate, also attended the conference, where she delivered the keynote address (Sherman, AP/Google.com, 5/20). Kagan in her speech paid tribute to former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O"Connor, who was being honored at the conference, and discussed the independence of the Office of the Solicitor General. According to the Washington Post, conservative groups already are criticizing Wood and Kagan, as well as potential candidates Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D). The Post reports that Wood "is held in high esteem in liberal legal circles in Chicago for serving as an intellectual counterpart to the circuit"s star conservative judges." The Post reports that Obama has solicited the opinions from senators of both political parties, including every member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Robert Gibbs, Obama"s press secretary, said that Obama is "very active" in the decision-making process and that the nomination process is "something that he"s quite familiar with" (Barnes/Murray, Washington Post, 5/21).
News of the day
Reports From The White House And Kaiser Family Foundation Address Health Care Disparities
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and White House Health Czar Nancy Ann DeParle held a discussion of minority health issues at the White House yesterday, where Sebelius "said the Obama administration is committed to addressing the "alarming disparity in the delivery of quality health care"," which she said was necessary to lower costs, the Associated Press reports. The White House also "issued a summary report on minority health care showing that African-Americans are seven times more likely as whites to have HIV/AIDS, that blacks and Hispanics have diabetes rates nearly twice as high as whites, and that black men are 50 percent more likely than whites to have prostate cancer" (Evans, 6/9).
Health Insurance

Media Coverage Generates 47% Increase In Melanoma Diagnoses

Media coverage of skin cancer advice and sun awareness campaigns may have generated a 47 percent increase in diagnoses of melanoma in just one year, according to research due to be released at the British Association of Dermatologists" Annual Conference next week. A team of dermatologists in Portsmouth examined data about referrals to their hospital dermatology department for suspected skin cancers, and correlated this with the numbers of tumours that were subsequently confirmed as skin cancers. They then investigated press reports from the same time periods and surveyed local GPs to try to explain their observations. Skin cancer increase The researchers found that since 2000, summer referrals between April and September are on average 41 percent higher than during the preceding winter months (October to March). The largest increase was in summer 2008, when referrals were 64 percent higher than the preceding winter and 41 percent higher than summer 2007. Local cancer network data from 2007 and 2008 showed a similar rise across the region, excluding the possibility that this particular dermatology department was seeing a disproportionate number of referrals compared to other clinics. However, it was not just referrals that increased but also actual diagnoses of skin cancers. Pathology data comparing the year October to September 2006/7 to 2007/08 confirms an increase of 47 percent for melanomas (the least common but most dangerous type of skin cancer) and 15 percent for squamous cell carcinomas (the second most dangerous type of skin cancer) diagnosed by the dermatology department. Media reports The team then searched selected national and local media for coverage relating to skin cancer during the same time frame. In summer 2008, 10 articles were identified locally, featuring six personal accounts from case studies. In contrast, the team could find no local reports about skin cancer in 2007. The team also identified an increase in national media reports on skin cancer in 2008 compared to 2007. A survey of local GPs revealed that 93 percent felt they were seeing more patients concerned about skin cancer than five years ago, with just over half (53 percent) noticing a specific increase in 2008. A third of the GPs said that patients concerns were specifically prompted by media coverage in 2008 and a third felt that the 2008 media coverage had increased referrals from within their practice. Nina Goad of the British Association of Dermatologists said: "In recent years a number of charities have been working hard to raise awareness of skin cancer. The national Sun Awareness campaign in particular focuses on early detection of skin cancer, teaching people how to check their skin and what signs to look out for. In 2008, the campaign received its highest level of media coverage to date, and it is so encouraging to think this might be making a difference and contributing to a 48 percent increase in melanoma diagnoses. "We know that charities working to promote sun safety messages have helped to teach people about skin cancer prevention, such as wearing sunscreen, so it"s great to know that our media work around checking the skin are also proving successful in picking up skin cancers that might otherwise have gone undiagnosed. "The fact that it is not just referrals that have increased, but also actual diagnosed cases of skin cancers, shows that media work is not just driving people to see their doctors unnecessarily - it is helping to detect skin cancers that if left undiagnosed could in fact kill people. Early diagnosis is crucial with melanoma, and this proves how helpful the media have been to our campaign." Dr Ann Lonsdale-Eccles, dermatologist at Portsmouth Hospitals Trust and one of the study"s authors, said: "Our results confirm an increase in urgent skin cancer referrals over the last eight years. We found marked seasonal variation which has been attributed in part to targeted public awareness campaigns in spring. We observed a particularly large increase in referrals and confirmed cancers in 2008, which we feel may be related to increased media reports at that time." Notes If using this study, please ensure you mention that the study was released at the British Association of Dermatologists" Annual Conference. The conference will be held at the Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre, Glasgow from July 7th to 10th 2009, and is attended by UK and worldwide dermatologists and dermatology nurses. Two-week wait skin cancer referrals - referral patterns, cancer incidence and the media Ann Lonsdale-Eccles1, Jan Croker1, Chris Slade2, Steve Traer1, Jonathan Hayes1, Rachel Humphries1, Gemma Rainger1, Dierdre McCormick1, Stephen Keohane1 1Portsmouth Hospitals Trust, Portsmouth, United Kingdom, 2Hampshire Primary Care Trust, Eastleigh, United Kingdom British Association of Dermatologists


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009