Four out of five U.S. cancer doctors encountered shortages of essential drugs between March and September of 2012, which affected the quality of care they provided and increased treatment costs, new research shows. The survey of 250 cancer doctors across the United States reveals a medical community grappling with ongoing shortages of needed medications, said lead author Dr. Keerthi Gogineni, …
Lessons from a diagnosis of skin cancer
by J. Leonard Lichtenfeld I have been diagnosed with skin cancer. There really isn’t much special about that, since it is a distinction I share with over 2 million Americans who have a skin cancer removed every year. Fortunately, for most, it is a cancer that is not of particular concern since most can be removed. But even those “simple” …
A nano ray of hope for breast cancer patients
Amy Fernandes IIT-B prof finds way to reduce drugs toxicity. Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie’s recent double mastectomy may have intensified the debate on breast cancer, but the number of women affected by it only continues to rise. One of the many causes of fatality is the high toxicity of the treatment and the current disability of affected cells to absorb …
Take a pill, log in online automatically
The password, as we know it, isn’t the most effective or user-friendly way to secure our information. Not only are the good ones tough to create and remember, but there’s not all that much preventing an eager hacker from finding clever ways of getting around them. As a result, there’s a lot of brain juice being poured trying to figure …
High Doses of Common Painkillers May Raise Risk for Heart Trouble
From Drugs.com People who take high doses of common painkillers known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) face a greater risk for heart problems, a new analysis shows. Although NSAIDs are used around the world to help people with inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, a review of nearly 650 randomized trials found that taking either 2,400 milligrams (mg) of ibuprofen …
Get healthy for a better night’s sleep
by WRIGHT, JASON ASHLEY Kendra Wright-Smith is an insomniac. “I’ve battled it since college,” she said. Usually, it lasts three to four days, occasionally five. “I have to have someone drive me to work when it happens,” she said. “It’s too dangerous to drive tired.” At one point when she was so sleep-deprived, Smith caught herself once having a conversation …
Kids Poisoned by Medical Marijuana, Study Finds
Legalizing marijuana may have unintended consequences. Since medical marijuana was legalized in Colorado, more than a dozen young children have been unintentionally poisoned with the drug, researchers report. About half the cases resulted from kids eating marijuana-laced cookies, brownies, sodas or candy. In many cases, the marijuana came from their grandparents’ stash, the investigators said. “We are seeing increases in …
Doctor/patient communication: Who’s doing the talking?
by ANDREW M. SEAMAN NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – There’s room – and need – for improvement in the discussions between doctor and patient that go into medical decision-making, according to research out on Monday. In four studies and a commentary published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the authors look at various aspects of doctors’ dialogue with patients about prognoses, options …
Details vary, but story the same for most domestic violence victims
From the thetimes-tribune.com By Katie Sullivan (Staff Writer) Danielle’s face was gone. Authorities identified her body by the rose tattoo on her ankle and the personalized gold necklace with her name on it they found next to her body. Danielle Gangemi’s live-in boyfriend beat her, then shot her in the head with a 12-gauge shotgun before killing himself. Danielle’s mother, …
Prominent Research Physician Points to Cures As Key to Holding down Medical Costs
WESTFIELD, N.J., May 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Stephen L. DeFelice , M.D., Founder and Chairman of FIM, The Foundation for Innovation in Medicine, released a new video criticizing mainstream health care cost projections of Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare, among others, because they omit the discovery of cures. He cites a boom in technology, including gene modification and new organ growth …