Women with HIV may not have a high risk of cervical cancer: study

Monday, 23 July, HealthDay News)--Infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS--did not appear to increase the risk of cervical cancer, a new survey showed.

The researchers looked at more than 400 HIV infected women and nearly 300 HIV-free women, all of whom had normal Pap test and a negative result for tumors cause of human papillomavirus DNA in the beginning of the study. Know that some types of the human papilloma virus (HPV) causes cervical cancer.

After five years of follow-up, the risk of precancerous cervical diseases was similarly low for both groups of women. None of the women developed cancer of the cervix, Dr. Howard Strickler and colleagues at Albert Einstein College of medicine at Yeshiva University in New York said in a press release.

The study was scheduled to present a briefing Sunday at the International AIDS Conference in Washington, the District of Colombia and appears in the July 25 issue of the journal of the American Medical Association.

The results show that the five-year risk of cervical cancer in HIV-infected women who have normal Pap smear and HPV tumour without causing a risk similar to HIV-free women, researchers say.

"Current investigation underscores the potential for a new era of molecular testing--including HPV, as well as other biomarkers--to improve cervical cancer screening in HIV-infected women," in conclusion, the authors of the study.

--Robert Preidt Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Source: Journal of the American Medical Association, press release, July 22, 2012

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Examples of medical marketing for the week: full body skin cancer scans, robotic hysterectomy

Both of these were sent to me by journalists:

An email pitch letter from a medical group:

Medical Office has First Full Body Scanner to Protect Against Skin Cancer

Dear xxxxx,

We thought that this might make for a very interesting and informative article. With the approach of summer break, this is a time when most people head outdoors. It’s important for people to remember to protect their families against one of the most common forms of cancer today: skin cancer. Current statistics show that 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.

—- uses the latest technology to detect and protect against skin cancer. They are the only practice in central (could be any state) to offer this system which creates a digital map of the entire body.

Now let’s look at the evidence:  The US Preventive Services Task Force states that “the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of using a whole-body skin examination by a primary care clinician or patient skin self-examination for the early detection of cutaneous melanoma, basal cell cancer, or squamous cell skin cancer in the adult general population.”

The other example came from a journalist who wrote, “Doesn’t it seem particularly exploitative to use a 26-year-old woman’s hysterectomy for this?” The news release/pitch:

Surgeons at xxx Health Center have completed the first robot-assisted surgery in xxxx County.

The first patient was 26-year-old xxx, who underwent a robot-assisted hysterectomy April 13.

Hysterectomies and other gynecological procedures are the first of many robot-assisted surgical procedures that will be offered at xxx.

“We are proud to offer the most high-tech, minimally invasive treatment options available anywhere right here at xxx. Now our patients can benefit from the latest surgical technologies without leaving home,” says (the) president of xxx Health Center.

For advertising disguised as news, see this puff piece in the business section of The Tennessean online, “daVinci robot works miracles.” 

Addendum 5 hours later:  The Nashville Scene website reports, “Tennessean Farms Out Health Section to Hospital Flacks.“  And Paul Raeburn of the Knight Science Journalism Tracker writes:

“The changes come as the Tennessean institutes a paywall for many of its stories. (Newspaper management) said that because of the paywall, “The Tennessean will continue its mission of serving Middle Tennesseans for years to come.”

With regard to some things, maybe. But not with regard to health news. The paper has already failed in that mission.”

Finally, for absurdity in robot hype, see a Seattle doc’s You Tube video of how he used a robotic surgical system to fold a paper airplane – and see how the blogger known as The Skeptical Scalpel grounds that hype.

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Timing is Everything with Breast Cancer

Click Here!

Good Laboratory Practices for Biochemical Genetic Testing and Newborn Screening for Inherited Metabolic Disorders
CE Available
This report provides recommendations for good laboratory practices for biochemical genetic testing and newborn screening for inherited metabolic disorders. The recommended practices address the benefits of using a quality management system approach, factors to consider before introducing new tests, establishment and verification of test performance specifications, the total laboratory testing process, confidentiality of patient information and test results, and personnel qualifications and responsibilities for laboratory testing for inherited metabolic diseases. These recommendations are intended for laboratories that perform biochemical genetic testing to improve the quality of laboratory services and for newborn screening laboratories to ensure the quality of laboratory practices for inherited metabolic disorders. These recommendations also are intended as a resource for medical and public health professionals who evaluate laboratory practices, for users of laboratory services to facilitate their collaboration with newborn screening systems and use of biochemical genetic tests, and for standard-setting organizations and professional societies in developing future laboratory quality standards and practice recommendations.

Off to Beijing for National Cancer Institute workshop for Chinese journalists

photo by Jorge Lascar on Flickr

The website will be on hold over the next week, as I’m traveling to Beijing to help lead a workshop for Chinese journalists hosted by the National Cancer Institute and the Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

This will be the third international journalism workshop I’ve done with the National Cancer Institute – with several more on the horizon within the next year.

We are gratified to see the global reach of efforts like ours – built on the pioneering work done by an Australian team that founded the first Media Doctor site two years before we got started.  Now, as the yellow stars on the map below show, such projects have sprung up around the world.  And the invitations for talks and workshops, like the upcoming one in Beijing, continue to come in.

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Cancer screening programs: the accounts of every woman

Cancer screening programs: the accounts of every womanMinistry of Health to pay for certain tests to detect breast cancer and / or cervical cancer, which can not afford these services. Most patients do not have cancer. For those few who, finding cancer early could save their lives. By signing this form means that you want to participate in cancer screening programs: All expenses of the woman. Will the next year, you will be contacted to be re-examined the leading provider of health care. Each http://www.medi-cal.ca.govyear, you must sign a consent form to participate. You can stop the program at any time.To participate, you must provide your name, address, date of birth, income, and some medical history. You must provide this information or not allowed to participate. It will ask for information such as social security number (if any), but should not be shown. The program has the right to collect and store information collected from you in this program in California law, taxes, and Section 30461.6, 42 USC 1501 and 45 CFR 160-164. All information will be protected as specified in the notice about cancer screening privacy policy, that authorization is given. Health and primary caregiver to give you the results that way. Health and primary caregiver to keep your medical records in a file and send medical records to find the section for use in cancer, and payment transactions in the areas of health, research, and in some cases to coordinate treatment. And you can share information with other programs of the Ministry of Health and other government agencies.The supplier may also share personal information with other health professionals to help you obtain the recommended services. We may disclose information when required by law, for purposes of workers' compensation. You have the right to inspect or obtain copies of records maintained by the Department of Cancer found that relates to your health, as specified in the notice of privacy.Your name will not be used in a report to the public. This may be a common name and date of birth, address, social security number with other providers in the program in order to avoid duplication of records.You will receive a copy of this consent to keep. Please talk to your primary health care if you have any questions.I gave (print) the information is accurate and complete and consent to participate in the Department of Public breast and / or detection of cervical cancer and screening program. I also agree to allow the use of personal data and medical, as described above. I understand that by signing this form, I consent to participate in the program during the year and participate in the program next year, I have to sign a new consent.Date of signatureI received a copy of the policy of cancer detection observed Privacy section.Date of signatureComplete only if the witness is required: I have read the information contained in this form, so that the patient mentioned above. I think the best of my knowledge and belief that the patient understands the information is ready to join the program and agree to the terms of this statement.Date of signatureCancer detection, MS 7203, PO Box 997377, Sacramento, CA 95899-7377(916) 449-5300 - (916) 449-5310 faxWebsite: www.cdph.ca.govCDPH 8478 (11/2011) in English / approval ...