MedWire (7/29, Albert) reported that infection "with type beta or gamma human papillomavirus (HPV) increases the risk for recurrent squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)," according to a study published online in the British Journal of Dermatology. Among "107 patients with a prior SCC or basal cell carcinoma (BCC)," researchers "found that patients with seropositivity to various beta or gamma HPV subtypes at baseline were significantly more likely to develop subsequent SCC's at five years than those without HPV at baseline."
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In "Personal Health," the New York Times (D7, Brody, Subscription Publication) reports that some mysterious summertime rashes may "result from a photosensitivity reaction, a combination of the sun's UVA radiation and exposure to a drug, perfume or another substance." Some "commonly used drugs can cause such a reaction, including antibiotics like the tetracyclines (doxycycline is one), ciprofloxacin, and the sulfa drugs," along with "the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide; and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen and naproxen." Some sunscreens containing "benzophenones, the retinoids used to treat acne and sun-induced wrinkles, and fragrances like musk and coumarins" may also cause photosensitivity reactions.
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The Wall Street Journal (7/21, Stovall, Subscription Publication) reports, reports that for every four inches above five feet a woman is, she has a 16% increase risk of developing cancer, according to a study in The Lancet Oncology Bloomberg News (7/21, Mead) reports that the researchers "studied more than 1 million women in the UK who reported an average height of 161 centimeters to the state-run National Health Service between 1996 and 2001." They found more than "97,000 incidents of cancer by June 2008"; and every "10 centimeters of height translated to an 17-percent increase for incidents of breast cancer, which comprised more than a third of all the observed malignancies." BBC News (7/21, Gallagher) reports that the researchers found that the tallest women in the group, those "over 5ft 9in, were 37% more likely to have developed a tumour than those in the shortest group, under 5ft." They study authors linked 10 cancers to height: "colon, rectal, malignant melanoma, breast, endometrial (uterus), ovarian, kidney, lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukaemia." Although the study looked "only at women, the researchers said the height link was also present in men."
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Medscape (7/18, Kling) reported, "Among Latinos in the United States, the relationships between acculturation and sun-safe behaviors are mediated by education level, health-related social networks, and perceived health status," according to a study published in the July issue of the Archives of Dermatology. Researchers arrived at that conclusion after analyzing "data from the National Cancer Institute's 2005 Health Information National Trends Survey, focusing on 496 respondents who self-identified as Latino." Medscape also pointed out that "sun-safe behaviors are an important health factor for Latinos, who develop melanoma at a rate of 4.5 per 100,000, which represents a 28.6% increase since 1992." Reuters (7/19, Pittman) also covers the story.
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On the front of its Science Times section, the New York Times (7/12, D1, Span, Subscription Publication) reports, "A combination of factors has dissuaded many physicians' offices and clinics from carrying Zostavax," the vaccine for shingles. At the same time, "its manufacturer, Merck, has been unable to produce sufficient quantities to meet even modest demand." As a result, "intermittent shortages that last months have kept the company from consistently marketing the vaccine and have forestalled public health campaigns that could have built awareness of the need for it." The article quoted epidemiologist Rafael Harpaz, MD, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as saying, "There hasn't been a single year since the vaccine was licensed in 2006 that there's been no problem with supply." Accordingly, only about 10% of people 60 years of age and older have received a shingles vaccination. The New York Times (7/11, Span, Subscription Publication) "The New Old Age" blog pointed out that the "Food and Drug Administration has since approved Zostavax for people aged 50 to 59." However, "the vaccine remains hard to find, cumbersome to get reimbursed for, and not nearly as widely used as researchers had hoped."
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The Star-Ledger (7/19, Livio) reports that "even high-risk patients have a better chance of beating skin cancer the sooner they see a dermatologist. While the researchers noted many people know enough about the dangers of skin cancer to check their skin periodically, physicians are much better at noticing subtle changes." HealthDay (7/18, Dallas) reported, "Melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer, can be found by patients themselves, but new research reveals that self-detection is not as effective as screenings performed by doctors," according to a study published online July 18 in the Archives of Dermatology. For the study, researchers "found that in addition to higher rates of physician-detected melanomas, doctors also are more likely to detect thinner lesions, or cancers in the earliest stages." MedPage Today (7/18, Bankhead) reported that, in a review identifying 527 melanomas detected in 394 patients over the course of a decade, "dermatologists identified 76% of more than 500 primary melanomas, including 84% of lesions in established patients." Notably, "dermatologists detected almost 80% of in-situ lesions, and the clinician-identified lesions were 40% thinner than patient-detected melanomas." Nevertheless, the study authors emphasized that self-examination by patients is critical to diagnosing melanomas early. They concluded that "educating patients on recognizing melanoma signs and symptoms by performing skin self-examination can have a notable impact on early diagnosis of melanoma."
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Reuters (7/7, Kelland) reports that, according to a study published in Science Translational Medicine, researchers have found a molecule in the body, CXCL5, which controls sensitivity to pain from UVB irradiation. The molecule may help them develop new treatments to treat pain in other conditions, according to the researchers. The USA Today (7/6, Lebowitz) "Science Fair" blog reported CXCL5 "recruits immune cells to human flesh exposed to ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays, swelling the skin and triggering pain and tenderness." The researchers "exposed numerous samples of human and rat skin to different types of solar waves." After looking at the skin samples under a microscope, the researchers "observed a variety of proteins in the damaged tissue, including large quantities of CXCL5. Such abundance of the protein is what causes the skin tissue to redden and blister when in the presence the sun's harmful rays." Also covering the story were, on its website, ABC News (7/6, Moisse), the Wall Street Journal (7/6, Hobson, Subscription Publication) "Health Blog," the UK's Telegraph (7/7, Collins), BBC News (7/6) and WebMD (7/6, Warner).
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Bloomberg News (6/25, Ostrow) reported, "Vitamin D may help prevent those at risk for diabetes from developing the disease, giving doctors and patients a potential tool against the condition," according to research presented at the American Diabetes Association's annual meeting. In a study involving "2,039 people with higher-than-normal blood sugar levels, a condition called prediabetes," researchers found that "patients with the highest amounts of vitamin D in their body were about 25 percent less likely than those with the lowest amounts to develop type 2 diabetes." The study's lead author theorized that "vitamin D might play a role in diabetes by improving insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity," Medscape (6/25, Hitt) reported. Vitamin D May Be Linked To Reduced Heart Risks In Men. Reuters (6/25, Norton) reported that, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, males who take in recommended amounts of vitamin D may have a lower risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke compared to those who take in little vitamin D. Investigators looked at data on approximately 119,000 adults for about 20 years. They found that males who took in 600 IU or more daily were 16 percent less likely to experience stroke or heart problems compared to males who took in less than 100 IU daily.
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Medscape (7/5, Mulcahy) reported that although Vitamin D and calcium do not reduce the overall rate of melanoma or nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in post-menopausal women, a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that, in women with "history of NMSC, calcium plus vitamin D supplementation reduced subsequent melanoma risk, suggesting a potential role for the supplements in this high-risk subgroup." The authors note that 176 cases of melanoma developed in the participants, and conclude that larger studies are necessary for similarly rare cancers. Medscape notes that the study "used 400 IU of Vitamin D, which is lower than the daily recommended amount of 600 IU. The next trial may use up to 4000 IU, which is the limit suggested by the Institute of Medicine."
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Reuters (6/27, Pittman) reported that taking a vitamin D and calcium supplement may help some women reduce their risk for developing melanoma, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Researchers analyzed medical data from roughly 36,000 women between the age 50 and 79, were randomized to either take both calcium (1,000 mg) and vitamin D3 (400 IUs) supplements or placebo, daily for seven years. The study team found that women who previously had non-melanoma skin cancer were less likely to get melanoma, if they were in the calcium and vitamin D group. HealthDay (6/27, Reinberg) reported that the women taking the supplements who had had previous non-melanoma skin cancer reduced their risk of developing melanoma "by 57 percent," compared with women taking the placebo supplements. The study's lead author "speculated that cancer cells lurking in the skin of women who have had a previous skin cancer may be waiting to develop into melanoma. 'But if they take calcium and vitamin D that reduces the risk of developing an actual tumor,' she said." Although the US Institute of Medicine "recommends 600 IU of vitamin D" daily, the findings indicated that as little as 400 IU "may be protective," she added.
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Bloomberg News (6/23, Peterson) reports Fibrocell Science won Food and Drug Administration "approval for an injectible wrinkle treatment that uses a patient's own cells to restore elasticity to the skin." The treatment, called laViv (azfibrocel-T), "will be Fibrocell's initial marketed product and the first wrinkle smoother made from a patient's cells." The New York Times (6/22, Pollack) "Prescriptions" blog reported the treatment "involves taking a sample of skin cells called fibroblasts, which make collagen, from behind the person's ear." Next, the "sample is sent to the company's laboratory, where the fibroblasts are multiplied in cell culture, a process that takes 11 to 22 weeks." Finally, "the cells are then sent back to the doctor, who injects them into the smile lines, (or frown lines), which are technically known as nasolabial folds." AFP (6/23) reports, "Fibrocell said the FDA approval came after two phase III randomized, double blind trials of 421 patients who received either laViv or a placebo in three treatments about five weeks apart." AFP reports, "In one study, 57 percent of patients on laViv saw an improvement compared to 30 percent who received the placebo treatment, according to a summary of the research published by the New York Times. In the other, 45 percent of patients receiving laViv thought they looked better afterward, compared to 18 percent in the control group." Medscape (6/22, Brooks) also covered the story.
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The Washington Post (6/21, Tamura) reports, "Men had 1.2 million cosmetic procedures last year, up two percent from 2009, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons." Psychologist Ann Kearney-Cooke, PhD, of the Cincinnati Psychotherapy Institute, explained that "society is much more image-conscious, and male patients from their mid-30s through their 60s say looks are important to both social and professional success," particularly in a tight and highly competitive job market.
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MedPage Today (6/20, Bankhead) reported, "Crow's feet responded significantly better to treatment with abobotulinumtoxinA (Dysport) than with onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox)," according to an article published online June 20 in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery. In a study of 90 patients, 77 of which were women, doctors "and patients alike rated the cosmetic results of Dysport superior to those of the comparator (P=0.01, P=0.03, respectively)." What's more, "patients favored the Dysport-treated side of the face by a 2:1 margin during the 30-day split-face trial." HealthDay (6/20, Mozes) reported that Allergan, the maker of Botox, "issued a statement Monday that challenged the findings on several grounds, which included the small size of the study, the short length of the trial and, most importantly, the dosing ratio the researchers used when deciding how much of each product to use on the patients' faces." Dermatologist Doris Day, MD, of New York City's Lenox Hill Hospital, who was not involved in the study, "also cautioned that the attempt to analytically stack two 'very similar' drugs against one another can pose difficulties." She pointed out, however, that "both drugs are FDA-approved and have good safety track records to date."
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HealthDay (6/16, Dallas) reported that the roots of gray hair "may lie in a particular type of communication between hair follicles and melanocyte stem cells, the cells that make and store the pigments in skin and hair," according to a lab study published in the journal Cell. Using mouse models, the researchers determined that the "lack of Wnt activation in melanocyte stem cells leads to de-pigmented, or gray hair." They also found that "abnormal Wnt signaling in hair follicle stem cells prevents hair re-growth."
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The UK's Daily Mail (6/14, Hagan) reported that, according to research published in the Annals of Surgery, "a revolutionary type of wound dressing could reduce scars caused by surgery. The dressing, made from a form of silicone, is stretched over the wound and left in place for up to eight weeks. It works by reducing the tension on the skin that leads to scarring." Researchers from Stanford University have tested the dressing in pigs and "on a group of nine women who had undergone tummy-tuck surgery, a procedure which normally leaves scars that are both wide and thick." Wounds treated with the new dressing showed considerably less scarring, the study authors reported.
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In the Huffington Post (6/14), Glenn D. Braunstein, MD, chairman of the Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai, wrote, "There were 114,900 new cases of melanoma diagnosed nationwide last year, with almost 8,700 of those fatal, reports the Skin Cancer Foundation." But, "when the disease is caught in its earliest stages (Stage IA), the outlook is good, with 97 percent or so of patients surviving after five years and 95 percent surviving after 10 years." Unfortunately, "advanced melanoma (Stage IV) that has spread through the body leaves far fewer survivors, with less than 20 percent surviving after five years and 15 percent after 10 years." For that reason, people should not only use sunscreen, avoid tanning, and undergo regular skin examinations, but should also familiarize themselves with the ABCDEs of melanoma: asymmetry, border, color, diameter, and evolving.
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The Los Angeles Times (6/13, Stein) "Booster Shots" blog reported that although many parents "nix the idea of getting a pet when their children are young for fear of kicking off an allergic response," researchers found that having a "dog or cat in the house" may actually provide a protective effect, according to a study in the journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy. Researchers followed 565 children "from birth until age 18," paying particular interest to "pet exposure in the first year of life, and at other stages throughout childhood and adolescence." They also looked at the number of years in which children "lived with a pet that stayed indoors at least half the day," as well as the parents' allergy history; and whether the child was delivered "via C-section or vaginally." According to HealthDay (6/13, Gordon), the investigators found that the first year of life "appears to offer the greatest" protection: Living with a "dog before age one year was associated with about half the risk of developing a dog allergy in boys," and exposure to cats "before turning one was associated with about a 48 percent reduction in risk for girls and boys."
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The CBS Evening News (6/13, story 6, 2:25, Pelley) reported, "Today researchers at the National Institutes of Health are reporting an important new clue as to why some of us age more rapidly than others." CBS (Andrews) added that research by NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins "on why these children [with progeria] age so rapidly is revealing the genetic root of why aging happens at all. Children like Zach are born with an excess of the cell-destroying protein called progerin. Dr. Collins learned we all have small amounts of progerin and progerin has an on switch." NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins was shown saying, "We've learned what the signal is that turns that on in you and me." Andrews continued, "Dr. Collins believes anti-aging therapies will be possible one day," adding "The discovery is changing the way many scientists view the very biology of how we get old." A text version of this segment is available on the network's website. WebMD (6/13, Doheny) reported that Collins said, "We have learned something fundamental about the way your cells and mine are programmed to have a limited life span," adding, "It looks like it is not just a passive process." The new research, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, examined "the interaction between the mutant protein known as progerin and telomeres." The researchers found "found that the same mechanism or pathways may help explain both the rare condition and normal aging." The Wall Street Journal (6/13, Marcus) "Health Blog" reported that while aging appears to be an active process, with progerin making sure old cells die, it still isn't known how the telomeres signal progerin production, how such signals could be stopped, and if stopping them would have negative side effects, such as cancer. Reuters (6/14, Steenhuysen) also covers this story.
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The New York Times (6/14, D5, O'Connor, Subscription Publication) "Really?" column takes on the claim that oxybenzone, "a chemical in sunscreen, absorbed through the skin, may be even more hazardous than the sun's rays." A study in rats concluded that animals consuming large doses of the substance developed side effects, such as abnormal growth of the uterus. However, "in March, researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York published an independent report examining all the evidence on the subject and concluded that the alarming findings from early animal studies relied on unrealistic dosages" that human beings would never encounter while using sunscreen. The column concludes, "Exposure to oxybenzone, through normal sunscreen use, is safe, studies find."
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MedWire (6/10, Guy) reported that, according to a study published online in the British Journal of Dermatology, "patients with cancer have a worse prognosis -- indicated by a greater cancer-specific and overall mortality excess -- if they have previously had psoriasis, compared with those who have not had the skin condition." After comparing "cancer-specific and overall mortality rates in a cohort of 1,746 previously psoriatic cancer patients and 1,011,757 cancer patients without psoriasis," researchers found "for all cancers, there was a significant survival disparity between those with previous psoriasis and those without, with a 1.27- and 1.26- fold increased risk among the former group for overall and cancer-specific mortality, respectively, during the study period."
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