Big heads up for people taking meds to treat their IBS.
On March 30 the makers of Tegaserod (Zelnorm) pulled the drug offf the market. It was the only approved drug for irritable bowel syndrome (constipation).
This follows analysis of 29 placebo-controlled, short-term trials. Those studies found a small but statistically significant increase in ischemic events, including angina and stroke: 13 such events, including one death in more than 11,600 patients versus one event among a placebo group.
If you're taking Zelnorm talk with your doctor about a new treatment plan.
Zelnorm is manufactured by Novartis.
For more information on IBS go to www.ccfa.org
Friday, March 30
Thursday, March 29
Obesity and Prostate Cancer
An oversize waistline could be a bad prescription for men diagnosed with prostate cancer.
A new study finds biopsies may underestimate the severity of prostate cancer in obese men. The researchers say it's difficult to diagnose prostate cancer in obese men because they have lower levels of PSA. Add to that their larger prostates and it makes it more likely a biopsy will miss the disease. The researchers say, the latest findings suggest they could be missing even more 'high grade' disease in obese men.
To adjust for this, the researchers suggest taking more biopsy cores.
Just one more reason to reorient your eating and exercise habits.
btw: the study was funded by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, the NIH, the Georgia cancer coalition and the American Urological Association Foundation.
A new study finds biopsies may underestimate the severity of prostate cancer in obese men. The researchers say it's difficult to diagnose prostate cancer in obese men because they have lower levels of PSA. Add to that their larger prostates and it makes it more likely a biopsy will miss the disease. The researchers say, the latest findings suggest they could be missing even more 'high grade' disease in obese men.
To adjust for this, the researchers suggest taking more biopsy cores.
Just one more reason to reorient your eating and exercise habits.
btw: the study was funded by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, the NIH, the Georgia cancer coalition and the American Urological Association Foundation.
Wednesday, March 28
MRI and Breast Cancer Detection
Big doings for women worried about breast cancer. Based on a couple of new studies the American Cancer Society has given its seal of approval to using MRI for certain women. These are the women who have a gene that raises their breast cancer risk .. brca 1 and brca 2, have a family history of breast cancer, have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer or those who've had radiation treatment to the chest area for a disease like hodgkins.
Okay, but what about the rest of us .. what about women with dense breasts for whom mammography is often not definitive? Well, the problem with saying okay to everyone, says the folks at the American Cancer Society, is that MRI is so detailed it can see problems where none exist - false positive is the term. That would mean so many more women would need to undergo biopsies to rule out cancer. That's both difficult for women and expensive.
Right now it looks like most insurers will cover the MRI for the high risk women. Only time will tell if screening that group proves so effective at saving lives and therefore saving money, that the decision to broaden the MRI scope occurs. In the meantime, if you think there's a problem that mammography or ultra sound is not finding, talk with your doctor - mri remains an option .. but one you may end up paying for.
Okay, but what about the rest of us .. what about women with dense breasts for whom mammography is often not definitive? Well, the problem with saying okay to everyone, says the folks at the American Cancer Society, is that MRI is so detailed it can see problems where none exist - false positive is the term. That would mean so many more women would need to undergo biopsies to rule out cancer. That's both difficult for women and expensive.
Right now it looks like most insurers will cover the MRI for the high risk women. Only time will tell if screening that group proves so effective at saving lives and therefore saving money, that the decision to broaden the MRI scope occurs. In the meantime, if you think there's a problem that mammography or ultra sound is not finding, talk with your doctor - mri remains an option .. but one you may end up paying for.
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