ACOG Updates Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines

November 20, 2009 — The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has revised its cervical cancer screening recommendations: the organization now recommends that women begin screening at the age of 21 and receive screening at less frequent intervals. These recommendations will be published in the December 2009 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

New Velcade®-melphalan Transplant Regimen for Multiple Myeloma

November 20, 2009 — Researchers from France have reported encouraging results with adding Velcade® (bortezomib) to high-dose melphalan followed by autologus stem cell infusion for initial treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. The details of this Phase II study appeared in an early online publication in Blood on November 2, 2009.

Folic Acid May Be Beneficial in Patients with Recurrent Colorectal Adenoma Who Are Folate Deficient

November 20, 2009 — Researchers affiliated with the Health Professional Follow-Up Study and the Nurses’ Health Study have reported that folic acid supplementation in patients with recurrent colorectal adenoma was not protective or harmful in most patients. However, patients who were folate deficient had a significant 39% decrease in adenoma recurrence. The details of this study appeared in an early online publication on October 28, 2009 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Prospective Study Confirms that MRI Detects More Breast Cancers in High-risk Women

November 20, 2009 — Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have reported that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is superior to digital mammography or ultrasound for the detection of breast cancer in high-risk women. The details of this study appeared in an early online publication in the Journal of Clinical Oncology on November 2, 2009.

Patterns of Use of Erythropoiesis-stimulating Agents in Medicare Population Reported

November 19, 2009 — Researchers from Columbia Medical Center have reported that by 2002, 45.9% of Medicare recipients with common cancers were treated with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) such a Procrit® (epoetin alfa) and Aranesp® (darbepoietin). The details of this study appeared in an early online publication in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute on November 10, 2009.

The Incidence of Smoking-related Bladder Cancer May Be Increasing

November 19, 2009 — Researchers from the National Cancer Institute and Dartmouth Medical School have reported that the risk of developing smoking-related bladder cancer has increased in New Hampshire over the risk observed in the 1990s. The details of this study appeared in the November 18, 2009 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 Increase Risk of Cancer in Patients with Heart Disease

November 19, 2009 — Researchers from Norway have reported that folic acid and B12 supplements in patients with ischemic heart disease increase the risk of cancer and all-cause mortality. The details of this study appeared in the November 18, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Society.

Health issues in middle age can lead to dementia

November 19, 2009 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who smoke or who have high blood pressure or diabetes in middle age are more likely to develop dementia, a new study has found.

Intravesical Taxotere® Maintenance Therapy May Improve Treatment of Superficial Bladder Cancer Refractory to BCG

November 18, 2009 — Researchers from Columbia University have reported that induction and maintenance therapy with intravesical Taxotere® (docetaxel) is well tolerated and effective for treatment of patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer who are refractory to Bacilli Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy. The details of this study were reported in the October 2009 issue of British Journal of Urology International.

Physical Activity May Reduce Risk of Developing Prostate Cancer

November 18, 2009 — Researchers from U.S. and European medical centers have reported that not sitting during work, occupational activity, walking, and biking can reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. The details of this study were published early online on October 27, 2009 in the British Journal of Cancer.

HHS says U.S. policy on mammograms unchanged

November 18, 2009 — CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. health officials on Wednesday distanced themselves from controversial new breast cancer screening guidelines that recommend against routine mammograms for healthy women in their 40s and said federal policy on screening mammograms has not changed.

The depressed are more apt to get opioids for pain

November 18, 2009 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who suffer from depression are much more likely to be prescribed powerful opioid painkillers like morphine and codeine and to stay on the drugs long-term, new research shows.

Pertuzumab plus Gemzar® Active in Platinum-resistant Ovarian Cancer

November 18, 2009 — Researchers involved in an international randomized trial have reported that pertuzumab may add to the activity of Gemzar® (gemcitabine) for the treatment of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. The details of this study appeared in an early online publication in the Journal of Clinical Oncology on November 9, 2009.

Folic acid supplements may raise cancer risk: study

November 18, 2009 — CHICAGO (Reuters) - Heart patients in Norway -- where unlike many countries foods are not enriched with folic acid -- were more likely to die from cancer if they took folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements compared with those who did not take them, Norwegian researchers said on Tuesday.

New U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations on Breast Cancer Screening

November 17, 2009 — The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has released new guidelines for breast cancer screening that increase the interval between screenings for most women. The details of these new guidelines were published in the November 17, 2009 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine and received prominent first page review in the November 17, 2009 issue of the New York Times.