Miscellaneous News

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Call to bring cancer genomics from the lab bench into large-scale clinical trials

Professor Patrick Johnston is one of a number of pioneering scientists exploring how intimate genetic knowledge from individual tumours could help doctors predict which treatments will benefit their patients best. Major trials of this approach – which has shown considerable success in the lab – are needed to test its full predictive potential.

24 May 2004

Cancer Research UK's views on national bowel screening programme

The Government needs to resolve a number of issues to ensure the health service can cope with a national bowel screening programme, a leading Cancer Research UK scientist will tell conference delegates today (Tuesday).

24 May 2004

Reversing medical brain drain in New Zealand

A University of Otago fellowship is helping to reverse the brain drain by offering incentives to attract medical graduates back to New Zealand following postgraduate overseas study.

24 May 2004

New AMA guide - Adults Only Vaccination: A Step-by-Step Guide

New for physicians is “Adults Only Vaccination: A Step-by-Step Guide," a comprehensive resource by the Immunization Action Coalition that covers all aspects of a vaccination program – from assessing vaccine indications and contraindications to determining billing codes.

24 May 2004

Statewide education organizations weigh-in on Medicaid lawsuit against ODJFS

The Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA), the Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) and the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) issued a statement this week in support of the lawsuit filed by the Delaware County MR/DD Board last month against the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS).

24 May 2004

Cosmetic surgery reality shows send a dangerous message to viewers

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (www.baaps.org.uk) today announced the growing trend in cosmetic surgery reality shows, such as MTV`s I Want a Famous Face, sends a dangerous message to viewers, encouraging people to seek plastic surgery for the wrong reasons.

24 May 2004

Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights files complaints against air filtration companies

Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights (ANR), a national public health advocacy organization, filed complaints on May 20th with the New York Consumer Protection Board and the New York Attorney General's Office, claiming that two air filtration companies, FailSafe Air Safety Systems (http://www.fasscorp.com) and Airistar Technologies, LLC (http://www.airistar.net) are engaging in false advertising by misrepresenting the ability of their products to reduce health risks caused by secondhand tobacco smoke.

24 May 2004

UnitedHealth Group announces formation of new European health care company

UnitedHealth Group have announced that it has established a new European company, led by a British management team, to serve European public health systems.

23 May 2004

Canadian healthcare policy under the microscope

Healthcare policies and programs come and go. Yet the professionals who design the medical services we use are rarely mentioned in the general healthcare debates. That's about to change.

23 May 2004

Writers, scientists, ethicists and medical practitioners explore our obsession with physical perfection

In the fourth edition of Griffith REVIEW: Making Perfect Bodies some of Australia’s leading writers, scientists, ethicists and medical practitioners explore our relentless obsession with physical perfection.

23 May 2004

Increases in co-payments may reduce the use of medications

Significant increases in co-payments may reduce the use of medications and raise concern about adverse health consequences, according to a study published in the May 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

22 May 2004

WHO to tackle heart disease, diabetes, cancers, road safety as well as diseases

The World Health Assembly, the supreme decision-making body of the World Health Organization, has raised global public health to a new level, by resolving to take more action to prevent death and illness resulting from heart disease, diabetes, cancers, road safety, and lack of access to health services as well as from diseases spread by viruses, bacteria and other dangerous microbes.

22 May 2004

World health officials adopt global health strategy

The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health was today endorsed by Member States at their annual Health Assembly in Geneva. The strategy addresses two of the major risk factors responsible for the heavy and growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which now account for some 60% of global deaths and almost half (47%) of the global burden of disease. NCDs include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers and obesity-related conditions.

22 May 2004

FDA issues gastrointestinal illness alert regarding raw basil in Texas and Illinois

The FDA is issuing an alert to consumers that two outbreak clusters of a gastrointestinal illness known as cyclosporiasis may be associated with raw basil and mesculin/spring mix salad served in Texas and Illinois. The agency is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and other health authorities to determine the cause and scope of the problem.

21 May 2004

Nicotine remains one of the most addictive drugs ever used

Nicotine-the main ingredient in tobacco products-remains one of the most addictive drugs ever used. Still, nearly 72 million people have used nicotine in the United States, according to the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

21 May 2004

Health Canada to tackle human health impacts of air pollution

Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew today announced the Government of Canada is allocating $1 million over the next year to fund cutting-edge research on the human health impacts of air pollution in support of the Georgia Basin/Puget Sound International Airshed Strategy, one of three pilot projects under the Canada-United States Border Air Quality Strategy.

20 May 2004

Nearly a quarter of all violent crimes are committed by people who seriously misuse alcohol or drugs

Nearly a quarter (23%) of all violent crimes are committed by people who seriously misuse alcohol or drugs, finds a study from Sweden in this week's BMJ.

20 May 2004

20 percent of all black men born from 1965 through 1969 had served time in prison

Being jailed in federal or state prisons has become so common today that more young black men in the United States have done time than have served in the military or earned a college degree, according to new study.

20 May 2004

Craig Fuller of NACDS testifies on Medicare-approved drug discount card program

Today, Craig Fuller, president and CEO of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health on the Medicare prescription discount cards, the important role of pharmacies and lessons learned from the first two weeks of the Medicare-approved drug discount card program.

20 May 2004

No justification for claims that cleaning and hygiene contribute to an increase in allergies

A landmark report by the London-based International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene (IFH) on the so-called hygiene hypothesis finds "no justification" for claims that cleaning and hygiene contribute to an increase in allergies.

20 May 2004