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FDA Approves New Vaccine to Prevent Cervical Cancer
Cancer prevention took a giant step forward with the recent FDA approval of Gardasil®, a vaccine developed by Merck to prevent cervical cancer, precancerous genital lesions and genital warts caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). The vaccine effectively prevents four types of HPV, including the two forms responsible for as much as 70 percent of cervical cancer.
BY JO LYNN CURRY |
Program for Underserved Women Seeks to Reduce Deaths from Breast Cancer
A little-known Alabama program for providing mammography services to underserved women recently received a big boost from the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Princeton Baptist Medical Center was awarded $92,000 to disseminate information to physicians and the public about the Alabama Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (ABCCEDP), sponsored by the Alabama Department of Public Health, with the goal of lowering Alabama's breast cancer rate.
BY JO LYNN CURRY |
Kidney Cancer Drug Shows Promise for Lung Cancer
A drug already approved for the treatment of kidney cancer shows promise for the treatment of some lung cancers, too. That's according to research presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting held in Atlanta this past June.
BY SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
M.D. Anderson Researchers Reveal New Clue to Cell Death
Any cancer researcher will tell you that cancer cells are frustratingly difficult to kill, and scientists at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center may have pinpointed one reason why.
The lead author of a new study, published in the June 30 issue of the journal Cell, is Dean G. Tang, PhD, associate professor in the M.D. Anderson Department of Carcinogensis.
BY SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy Celebrates $14 Million in Research Grants … So Far
When physicians and medical researchers see the acronym ACGT, they think "adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine," the string of four nucleotides that constitute DNA. That's why Edward Netter gets such a kick out of the name he came up with for the organization he founded with his wife, Barbara, in 2001 — the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT®).
BY SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
ASCO Meeting Showcases Hopeful Cancer Research
A study regarding the effectiveness of a kidney cancer drug against lung cancer was just one of many findings revealed at the June annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Atlanta. Kidney cancer patients heard some good news as well.
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Advances in Treating Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States. An estimated 23,300 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed this year, and as many as 13,900 women will die of the disease. Few symptoms surface in the early onset of ovarian cancer and there's no widely available screening test. As a result, most patients present with advanced disease.
BY JO LYNN CURRY |
Computers, Wireless Devices Create a Revolution
Less than a generation ago, the term "medical records" referred to those ceiling-high stacks of manila file folders that every clinic kept in a room somewhere — the folders with the mysterious grid of multicolored labels on their edges, resembling a scaled-down version of DNA encoding.
BY DALE SHORT |
New Computer Hub Consolidates Multiple Surgical Tools
"I've only got two hands" is a time-honored plea from someone trying to juggle more tasks than they can handle. But even when multiple sets of hands are available, as in a well-staffed operating room, the advances in electrically powered surgical devices seem to have outpaced the limitations of their users' basic anatomy.
BY DALE SHORT |
Energy Crises and Disasters Spur a Rethinking of Hospital Backup Systems
In the Midwest, a searing summer heat wave caused blackouts in Missouri. In Florida, officials wonder when the next big series of hurricanes will crisscross the state. In New Orleans, officials are far from clearing up all the damage from Hurricane Katrina a year after the devastating storm hit the coast.
BY JOHN CARROLL |
Countering Misconceptions of Bipolar Disorder
Mental illness is a medical illness, like high blood pressure or heart disease, but mental illness is often misunderstood by people, even by some physicians.
One of the more severe mental illnesses, bipolar disorder or manic depression, affects about 2.3 million adult Americans, or about 1 percent of the population. It is one of the more misunderstood of mental disorders.
BY ANN B. DEBELLIS |
Vagus Nerve Stimulation
For almost a decade, patients suffering from some forms of epilepsy have received the benefit of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy. In July 2005, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the device for the most severe cases of treatment-resistant depression.
BY CINDY SANDERS |
Saving the Mental Health of the Elderly
As America's senior citizens age, their need for healthcare resources increases, including the need for mental health services. The over-65 population in the United States is expected to double to 15 million by 2030 and will comprise about 20 percent of the population. In 2000, Alabama residents 65 and older numbered about 580,000 and by 2025 that number is projected to be near 1 million, according to the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama.
BY ANN B. DEBELLIS |
Fight Over Specialty Hospitals Continues
For Cirrus Health in Dallas, a three-year federal moratorium directed at specialty hospitals has given them time to work on some long-range planning.
"To be honest," says Cirrus spokesperson Tracy Edwards, "we've been laying the foundation for physician-owned hospitals during the moratorium. With it ending, of course, it just opens up the opportunities."
BY JOHN CARROLL |
Physician Spotlight: Dr. Nicole Massie
The story of Dr. Nicole Massie's life reads much like a Frank Capra 1930s movie. It's the classic American success story, complete with immigrant parents who, although sometimes working multiple jobs, put family above all. The daughter follows their example, fulfilling their fondest dreams.
BY JEAN M. MCLEAN |
Certificate of Need: A Tale of Two States
In Alabama, a former governor has just been convicted of selling a seat on the state Certificate of Need Review Board in exchange for donations. Meanwhile, Louisiana, which dropped its CON program two decades ago after its governor was accused of selling hospital permits, finished up a legislative session that did little to advance healthcare reform in the state, including a failed bill that would have set up a CON review process in the rebuilding of New Orleans' hospitals.
BY DEBORAH LOCKRIDGE |
INFUSE® Bone Graft Stimulates Bone Healing in Tibia Fractures, Spinal Fusion
A new bone graft, INFUSE®, by Medtronic, uses recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) to stimulate bone growth, eliminating the need to harvest patient bone and improving the success of spinal fusion surgery.
Local orthopedic surgeon Matthew Berchuck, MD, has been using INFUSE since it was FDA-approved two years ago.
BY MARTI WEBB SLAY |
JCMS Fosters Relationships by Meeting Needs
Physicians are constantly meeting the needs of others. But on occasion, physicians find themselves in need, particularly when it comes to matters of practice management, legal arrangements, financial planning or information services. For local physicians, help can be found nearby at the Jefferson County Medical Society (JCMS).
BY JUNE MATHEWS |
Retirement Plan Options for Physician Practices
For many physicians, participating in a tax-qualified retirement plan is the single most important factor in achieving their retirement objectives. Yet, while most physicians participate in some form of retirement program, many fail to optimize funding opportunities.
Jack Levy |
Data Storage and Recovery Plans
Nearly a million residents of the Gulf Coast region hit by Hurricane Katrina late last August were forced to evacuate their homes. In addition to losing shelter, most lost access to medical records and billing data destroyed by the storm and flooding that followed.
John Gray |
NPI 101 for Healthcare Providers
In less than a year, National Provider Identifiers (NPIs) will be used to identify healthcare providers in standard healthcare transactions. Outlined below is a series of questions and answers summarizing recent guidance prepared by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on NPIs and the NPI application process.
Jennifer L. Griffin |
Clinical Trials Begin for Testing Safety of HIV Prevention Gel
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) are beginning a clinical trial to assess the safety of a vaginal gel containing the HIV drug tenofovir, designed to protect against HIV and sexually transmitted infections. They are seeking healthy woman between the ages of 19-50 to participate in the clinical trial. Those interested in participating should call 205-996-6126 for more information.
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Schwebel Wins Routh Early Career Award
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) psychologist David Schwebel, PhD, has won the Routh Early Career Award in Pediatric Psychology, presented by the Society of Pediatric Psychology (SPP).
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Allemand Joines ART Program
Michael C. Allemand, MD is the newest member of the ART Program, joining in July of 2006. He is an active candidate for Board Certification in Obstetrics and Gynecology, having completed his fellowship in June of 2006.
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Dickerson Named Board President for USLCA
Glenda Dickerson, Lactation Services Manager at Brookwood Women's Medical Center, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the United States Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA) by the International Lactation consultants Association (ILCA) task force.
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