October 9th, 2010 by GarySchwitzer in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Quackery Exposed
Tags: Breast Cancer Screening, Breast Health, Chicago Tribune, Disease Mongering, Gary Schwitzer, HealthNewsReview.org, Irresponsible Medical Marketing, Luring Patients, Lynne Hildreth, Mammogram Parties, Misleading Patients, Moffitt Cancer Center, Preventive Health, Preventive Medicine, Preventive Screening, Responsible Reporting, Sound Health Journalism, Unnecessary Medical Tests, Women's Health, Women's Oncology
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The Chicago Tribune reports on mammogram marketing tactics being used across the U.S. — some of it apparently to “woo women back to the imaging room” after confusion over conflicting advice about breast cancer screening.
Yes, the tactics include “mammogram parties” offering chocolate fondue, massages, beauty consultations, wine, cheese, roses, and weekend-getaway spa packages. But there’s another side to this, the Tribune reports:
Simply inviting women to “mammogram parties,” could send the wrong message, said Lynne Hildreth, department administrator of women’s oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. …”Mammograms are a medical test, and to treat it like a haircut overlooks that there are very real risks,” said Hildreth. “It’s not the same risk as getting hit by a car, but there’s a real risk of getting a false positive, which means a biopsy work-up, time off work, sleepless nights waiting for test results and a nagging in the back of the mind that never goes away. If we put a woman through that with no medical basis, it’s irresponsible.
*This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog*
October 8th, 2010 by Bryan Vartabedian, M.D. in Better Health Network, Medblogger Shout Outs, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: 33 Charts, Breaking Oncology News, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Chemotherapy, Childhood Cancers, Children's Health, Children's Hospital Blogs, Children's Oncology Group, Cinchcast, COG, CureSearch, Dr. Bryan Vartabedian, Dr. Katherine Matthay, Facebook, Healthcare Social Media Camp, Hematology, Medical Blogosphere, NEJM, Neuroblastoma, New England Journal of Medicine, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Pediatric Medicine, Pediatric Oncology, Press Release, Social Media In Medicine, Twitter, UCSF, University of California-San Francisco
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I [recently] received a press release from a friend in the Bay Area. Investigators at UCSF have published a study in the New England Journal of Medicine showing that less chemotherapy can be effective at treating some childhood cancers.
The paper was the result of an eight-year clinical study in children with neuroblastoma. In this particular population, researchers were able to reduce chemotherapy exposure by 40 percent while maintaining a 90 percent survival rate. You can read about it here.
The press release sparked a brief email exchange between me and my friend: Who might be interested in writing about this study and is there any way to get it to spread? What would make it sticky in the eyes of the public?
Here are a few ideas:
Figure out who cares. Sure it’s niche news, but there are people who would think this is pretty darn important. Think organizations centered on parents of children with cancer, adult survivors of childhood cancer, pediatric hematology-oncology physicians, pediatricians and allied professionals in pediatric medicine like nurse practitioners and hematology-oncology nurses. Networks form around these groups. Find them and seed them.
Make a video. Offer powerful, visual content beyond a press release. A four-minute clip with the principal investigator, Dr. Matthay, would be simple and offer dimension to what is now something restricted to print. The Mayo Clinic has done this really well. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at 33 Charts*
October 8th, 2010 by Toni Brayer, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Research
Tags: Absorption, Anti-depressant, Anti-Viral Effects, Biochemistry, Brain Health, Canada, Cancer-Fighting Effects, Cardiology, Cardiovascular Health, Dietary Supplements, Dietetics, Dr. Fereidoon Shahidi, Dr. Toni Brayer, EGCG, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Everything Health, Green Tea, Green Tea-Omega 3 Combo, Health Health, Memorial University, Neurology, Newfoundland, Omega-3 Fatty Acids
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We have know for some time that there are health benefits from drinking green tea. Research also shows that Omega 3 fatty acids have beneficial effects on a number of organs in the body, including the cardiovascular system, the brain, and even depression.
Dr. Fereidoon Shahidi, research professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Memorial University in Newfoundland, Canada, is hoping to show that green tea polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), may also prevent colon cancer and even have anti-viral effects when combined with certain Omega 3 fatty acids.
“We know from experience that green tea is not well absorbed by the body,” Dr. Shahidi said. “Our premise was to see if by adding something to it that has its own benefits, like Omega 3 fatty acids, we might get an entity that would have improved properties in terms of its absorption and health benefits,” he said. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth*
October 8th, 2010 by DrWes in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Accelerated Heart Rate, Acute Myocardial Infarction, Cardiac Arrhythmia, Cardiology, Circulation, Dr. Wes Fisher, Exhaustion, Healthy Relationship, ICD, ICD Shocks, Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator, Intercourse, Regular Physical Exertion, Sexual Activity, Sexual Health, Shortness of Breath
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Have a defibrillator and feel like getting frisky? For the first time that I can recall, there’s a very helpful article published in Circulation addresses the concerns of implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) patients and sexual activity. There’s all kinds of helpful tidbits, like this one:
A study of 1,774 patients who had experienced an acute myocardial infarction showed that sexual activity was a likely contributor in fewer than 1 percent of cases. In fact, regular physical exertion, such as that associated with sexual activity, was associated with a decreased risk of cardiac events in patients.
Now that’s helpful!
Recall that defibrillators are designed to detect rapid, potentially life-threatening arrhythmias. Most of the time, sexual activity does not lead to heart rates at a level that ICD’s would consider elevated during intercourse. (This, of course is patient specific). While your doctor can tell you the rate cut-off at which your ICD might possibly fire, watching your heart rate rise with a monitor during those moments might be a bit of a, shall we say, turn-off. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
October 8th, 2010 by RyanDuBosar in Better Health Network, Humor, News, Quackery Exposed, Research
Tags: Boost in Energy Level, Caffeine, CareerBuilder, Coffee, Coffee-Fueled Careers, Dunkin' Donuts, Energetic, Energy Drinks, General Medicine, Lack of Concentration, Less Productive, Medical Humor, National Coffee Day 2010, Nurses And Doctors, Productivity, Stimulant
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Nurses and doctors depend on coffee to perform their jobs the most of any profession, reports a survey.
Nurses ranked first and doctors second when asked if they needed coffee to get through their day. The rest of the coffee-fueled careers were a mixed bag of white collar and blue collar positions. Among other findings:
— 48 percent of those in the Northeast said they were less productive without coffee, compared to 34 percent of Midwesterners.
— 40 percent of those aged 18 to 24 said they can’t concentrate as well without coffee.
— 37 percent said they drink two or more cups a day.
NOTE: The study was funded by CareerBuilder and Dunkin’ Donuts.
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
