Skin & Allergy News articles from July 2008

Skin & Allergy News archives from July 2008

Study hikes risk of cancer from AKs.(News)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] KYOTO, JAPAN -- Clinically diagnosed actinic keratoses progress to squamous cell carcinoma at a far greater rate than previously estimated, according to the first large study to examine the issue in 2 decades. ...

Ustekinumab for psoriasis wins backing of panel: but more long-term safety data are needed.(News)
July 1, 2008... SILVER SPRING, MD. -- An expert panel has unanimously recommended that ustekinumab, a novel human monoclonal antibody, should be approved for treating adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, but the panelists agreed that more safety...

Pediatric safety of TNF blockers draws concern.(News)
July 1, 2008... Physicians involved in the treatment of psoriasis are divided over a Food and Drug Administration committee recommendation that etanercept be approved for use in children. Hari Sachs, medical officer for the FDA's Pediatric and Maternal...

Cephalexin of little use in CA-MRSA.(News)
July 1, 2008... HONOLULU -- For community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections of the face, cephalexin should rarely be the antibiotic of choice, according to a decision analysis performed by researchers at the University of...

2008 areas of dermatology interest.(VITAL SIGNS)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... 2008 Areas of Dermatology Interest General dermatology 67% Dermatologic surgery 10% Psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis 8% Cosmetic dermatology 6% Pediatric dermatology 4% Acne ...

New polyomavirus found in merkel cell tumors.(News)
July 1, 2008... A Previously unknown strain of polyomavirus was present in 80% of the Merkel cell tumors examined in one study and appears to contribute to their development. Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) is the fifth polyomavirus to be discovered, and...

Boxed warning added to foot/leg ulcer gel.(News)
July 1, 2008... Information about the increased risk of cancer-related deaths in patients who have used three or more tubes of becaplermin is now included in a boxed warning on the label of the diabetic foot and leg ulcer treatment. In early June, the...

Melanoma drug's benefit better without previous Tx.(News)
July 1, 2008... Clinical data for the metastatic melanoma agent elesclomol have shown a statistically significant advance in progression-free survival among patients treated with elesclomol and paclitaxel who have not previously received chemotherapy. The...

Axitinib found active against advanced melanoma.(News)
July 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- The investigational oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor axitinib produced a 19% objective response rate and one durable complete response in a phase II study of 32 patients with advanced metastatic melanoma. Interestingly, the median...

Melanoma survival worse with ganglioside vaccine, trial halted.(News)
July 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- An adjuvant vaccine targeted against a ganglioside overexpressed on most melanoma cells did not improve distant metastasis-free survival, and may have been detrimental to overall survival, according to a final report on a failed...

Best practices in: newer topical retinoid therapies for the treatment of acne.
July 1, 2008... Acne is the most common skin disorder in the US, affecting approximately 40 to 50 million people. (1) Each year, as many as 6 million acne-related office visits are made to physicians who treat the disorder. (2) Although acne is rarely...

Pregnancy Risks of CellCept, Myfortic raise alert.(News)
July 1, 2008... An alert about reports of birth defects and spontaneous abortions associated with first-trimester exposure to two immunosuppressants approved to prevent organ transplant rejection was issued by the Food and Drug Administration in late May. ...

FDA eyes changes to pregnancy drug label info.(News)
July 1, 2008... The system that uses letters of the alphabet to categorize drugs' pregnancy and lactation risks will be eliminated and replaced by a more consistent format designed to be more comprehensive and useful to health care professionals and patients...

Verbatim.(News)
July 1, 2008... 'One minute you've got a patient with ulcers between the toes, the next you're sticking a hemostat up their foot draining pus... and then you're doing a below-the-knee amputation.' Dr. David Greenhalgh, on small diabetic foot burns, p. 50

President signs genetic nondiscrimination act.(News)
July 1, 2008... Patients will soon be able to undergo genetic testing without fear of discrimination from either their health insurers or their employers, thanks to a new law signed by President Bush. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (H.R....

Ready or not, NPI-only policy is implemented.(News)
July 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Medicare has stopped accepting claims that contain outdated provider identifying numbers, even if the claims also include a National Provider Identifier, despite concerns voiced by physician groups that many are still not ready....

Yulex patient examination glove.(New & Approved)
July 1, 2008... (Yulex Corporation) Guayule latex rubber gloves, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in April. Guayule latex is a new form of natural rubber latex derived from the guayule bush, a desert plant native to the southwestern United...

NovoSeven RT.(New & Approved)
July 1, 2008... (Coagulation Factor VIIa [Recombinant], Novo Nordisk A/S) A new formulation of recombinant factor VIIa that can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 years, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in May for the same indications as...

New psoriasis guidelines emphasize biologics.(News)
July 1, 2008... The American Academy of Dermatology has released its latest guidelines on the management of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, reflecting the latest evidence-based data from high-quality studies. The guidelines focus in particular on the...

I've got needs!(Under My Skin)
July 1, 2008... On Wednesday, little Esmeralda's eczema took a turn for the worse. "It's infected," I told her mother, "so I'm prescribing this antibiotic syrup and topical cream. Here is my private extension. I need you to call me first thing Friday morning...

Do high-deductible plans coupled with HSAs promote underinsurance? The sick and poor are left underinsured.(POINT/COUNTERPOINT)
July 1, 2008... Consumer-directed health care (CDH) is premised on the odd idea that Americans are too well insured. In policy wonks' dreams CDH couples high-deductible insurance policies with health savings accounts (HSAs) that patients can use to pay the...

Do high-deductible plans coupled with HSAs promote underinsurance? Consumer-directed care cuts bureaucracy.(POINT/COUNTERPOINT)
July 1, 2008... In fact, high-deductible plans solve the problems of "underinsurance" and "overinsurance" and lead to "just-right insurance." Most economists recognize that excessive reliance on third-party payment is the source of many of our problems in...

Why health reform won't happen.(Guest Editorial)
July 1, 2008... Although I am a strong and consistent supporter of health care reform, I may have become a bit jaded from the unsuccessful efforts I've witnessed over the past 20 years. To address this subject coherently, we must begin by explaining what...

ID signature nevi during exam to reduce biopsies.(Cutaneous Oncology)
July 1, 2008... NEW ORLEANS -- Although the concept of checking the skin for melanoma may be to "find the ugly duckling," the first challenge is to identify the signature nevus in order to determine the patient's particular phenotype, said Dr. Jean Bolognia....

Ipilimumab side effects not quelled by GI drug.(Cutaneous Oncology)
July 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- The investigational agent ipilirnumab showed activity against all stages of advanced metastatic melanoma, but was also associated with colitis and diarrhea that were not controlled by oral prophylaxis with the anti-inflammatory...

Nevi do not develop into melanoma, expert suggests.(Cutaneous Oncology)
July 1, 2008... WILLIAMSBURG, VA. -- Although large numbers of nevi--especially dysplastic nevi--are clearly associated with an increased melanoma risk, the lesions themselves do not appear to become cancerous, Dr. Terry L. Barrett said at the annual meeting...

Dysplastic nevi may be linked to neonatal jaundice therapy.(Cutaneous Oncology)
July 1, 2008... KYOTO, JAPAN -- Blue-light phototherapy for neonatal jaundice could promote development of dysplastic nevi, Dr. Zsanett Csoma asserted at an international investigative dermatology meeting. His latest contribution to the controversial issue...

Prebiopsy photos help prevent wrong-site surgery.(Cutaneous Oncology)
July 1, 2008... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Photographing cutaneous lesions before biopsy can help prevent wrong-site surgery when the lesions prove to be malignant and patients must undergo Mohs excision of the remaining tumor, according to an observational study of...

Nicks, annotations also reduce chance for error during Mohs.(Cutaneous Oncology)
July 1, 2008... WILLIAMSBURG, VA. -- Consistent application of tissue nicks and annotated tissue transfer cards can significantly reduce the chance of error in Mohs surgery. "Recurrence after Mohs surgery is very low, only 1%-2% at most, but when we look...

Prophylactic antibiotics before surgery unnecessary in most.(Cutaneous Oncology)
July 1, 2008... WILLIAMSBURG, VA. -- Patients with prosthetic cardiac valves and recently implanted joint prostheses are among the few who should receive prophylactic antibiotics before surgical procedures, according to a dermatologic surgeon. Prosthetic...

Cetuximab found to yield complete SCC response.(Cutaneous Oncology)
July 1, 2008... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- The epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor cetuximab alone has been found to produce complete response in patients with advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. "To date, there have been no trials using the...

Limit sentinel node biopsy to SCC patients at highest risk.(Cutaneous Oncology)
July 1, 2008... WILLIAMSBURG, VA. -- Sentinel lymph node biopsy should be reserved only for squamous cell carcinoma patients whose primary tumors have a high-risk profile, according to Dr. Merrick Ross. "Clearly, the routine use of sentinel node biopsy is...

Skin cancer risks tracked for immunosuppressant regimens.(Cutaneous Oncology)
July 1, 2008... KYOTO, JAPAN -- Mycophenolate mofetil-based chronic immunosuppression is associated with a markedly lower risk of skin cancer during the first decade post kidney transplant, compared with alternative regimens aimed at preventing graft...

Adenosquamous carcinoma is aggressive, easily missed.(Cutaneous Oncology)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Adenosquamous carcinoma is an often misdiagnosed and more aggressive type of skin cancer that requires close follow-up for possible recurrences, according to a review that identified 27 patients...

When all else fails, consider capecitabine for SCC.(Cutaneous Oncology)
July 1, 2008... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Capecitabine, an oral prodrug of 5-fluorouracil, can be used to control advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the skin when conventional treatment options have run out, according to the results of two studies involving a total...

Bleomycin as second line therapy clears cancerous lesions.(Cutaneous Oncology)
July 1, 2008... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- If there was an award given for "oldies but goodies" in the dermatologic armamentarium, Dr. Haines Ely would surely nominate bleomycin, a medication he has long relied upon for difficult squamous and Merkel cell lesions....

SCC 250 times more likely in transplant patients.(Cutaneous Oncology)
July 1, 2008... WILLIAMSBURG, VA. -- More than half of patients who undergo organ transplantation will develop a skin cancer, often within the first 5 years after surgery, according to Dr. Henry Randle. Most of the cancers associated with transplant...

Tremelimumab doesn't live up to standard chemo.(Cutaneous Oncology)
July 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- Add tremelimumab monotherapy to the list of treatments that showed potential for improving metastatic melanoma survival but have failed thus far to live up to their promise, investigators reported at the annual meeting of the...

High-dose interferon to treat melanoma offers no benefit.(Cutaneous Oncology)
July 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- The Sunbelt melanoma study did not meet its primary end point of showing a benefit of high-dose interferon in melanoma patients with a single positive sentinel lymph node, reported the principal investigator at the annual meeting of...

Mistimed vaccines add to suboptimal protection.(Infectious Diseases)
July 1, 2008... Compliance with immunization recommendations goes beyond missed doses--administration of vaccines before the recommended age and/or too close together may add to suboptimal coverage, according to Elizabeth T. Luman, Ph.D., and her associates....

Family history may predict herpes zoster risk.(Infectious Diseases)
July 1, 2008... The risk of developing herpes zoster appears to be strongly associated with a family history of the disorder, researchers said in a study published in the Archives of Dermatology. If further studies confirm this link, people whose family...

Community-acquired MRSA skin infections rising.(Infectious Diseases)
July 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO -- While almost unheard of 10 years ago, community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has now become the single biggest cause of skin infections in the United States, Dr. Greg Moran said at the 12th...

Cellulitis outcome best in hospital-admitted kids.(Infectious Diseases)
July 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO -- Children who present to the emergency department with cellulitis may be better served by admittance to the hospital than by receiving short-term intravenous antibiotics in the ED. In a retrospective review, children who...

Device uses light, vacuum to improve acne lesions.(Aesthetic Dermatology)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] KISSIMMEE, FLA. -- Photopneumatic therapy is highly effective and nearly painless for the treatment of acne vulgaris, according to Dr. Michael Gold. The recently approved Aesthera PPx laser system--which combines...

Pigmentary disorder Tx tips for east Asian skin.(Aesthetic Dermatology)
July 1, 2008... KISSIMMEZ, FLA. -- Dermal and epidermal pigmentary disorders in East Asian patients can be treated successfully in many cases without causing postinflammatory hyperpigmentation by carefully combining topical bleaching agents with either a...

Adverse events noted with polyalkylimide fillers.(Aesthetic Dermatology)
July 1, 2008... Polyalkylimide dermal fillers can produce delayed adverse immune effects, including chronic inflammatory and granulomatous reactions, investigators reported in the Archives of Dermatology. This is the first report of histologic granulomas...

Gold.(Cosmeceutical Critique)
July 1, 2008... For many centuries, gold has symbolized wealth and prosperity. Highly valued since prehistoric times, gold is described in Egyptian hieroglyphs from as early as 2600 Be, and is frequently mentioned in the Bible, being one of the three gifts...

Silverlon dressing found more effective, but costly.(Wound Healing)
July 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- Skin graft donor site wounds treated with Silverlon dressing healed significantly faster than those treated with standard Xeroform gauze, albeit at a greater cost to the pocketbook. Silverlon (Argentum Medical, LLC), a...

Thrombolytic therapy saves frostbitten limbs.(Wound Healing)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Thrombolytic therapy has resulted in limb salvage among 18 patients with severe frostbite treated at one Minnesota hospital in the last few years. Thrombolytic therapy has been available for management of frostbite for 10...

Mafenide tied to fungal infections in burn patients.(Wound Healing)
July 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- The use of topical mafenide acetate on burn wounds was associated with a higher incidence of fungal infection than was silver sulfadiazine in a retrospective analysis of 111 patients. The chart review was initiated after...

Small diabetic foot burns turn into big challenges.(Wound Healing)
July 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- Patients with diabetes have an increased risk for foot burns, and once a burn occurs the morbidity and mortality are quite high, Dr. David Greenhalgh said at the annual meeting of the American Burn Association. A patient might...

Versajet reduces blood loss during burn excision.(Wound Healing)
July 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- Use of the Versajet Hydrosurgery system was associated with less blood loss and a larger area of excision than was the Goulian-Weck knife in a retrospective study of 50 patients with burn wounds. The average estimated blood loss...

Minocycline joins list of lupus-inducing drugs.(Autoimmunity/Connective Tissue)
July 1, 2008... NEW YORK -- The contemporary use of minocycline for acne and hydralazine for heart failure is expanding the spectrum of drug-induced lupus, and physicians need to be aware of this, as well as other types of drug-induced lupus. ...

Bullous pemphigoid managed with methotrexate.(Autoimmunity/Connective Tissue)
July 1, 2008... Low-dose methotrexate combined with topical betamethasone dipropionate was a sale and effective treatment for bullous pemphigoid in a retrospective study conducted by Dr. Petra Kjellman and colleagues. For the past 50 years, glucocorticoids...

Bullous pemphigoid and pemphigus vulgaris rates climbing in U.K.(Autoimmunity/Connective Tissue)
July 1, 2008... KYOTO, JAPAN -- The annual incidence of both bullous pemphigoid and pemphigus vulgaris has climbed steadily over the past decade in the United Kingdom for reasons unknown, according to a study of more than 1,000 patients. The mortality...

Autoantibodies for bullous pemphigoid found in unaffected.(Autoimmunity/Connective Tissue)
July 1, 2008... KYOTO, JAPAN -- More than 7% of individuals without any form of autoimmune disease possess elevated serum bullous pemphigoid 180 and/or BP230 autoantibodies on the commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, according to testing...

Vitamin D, estrogen may be key to new SLE Tx.(Autoimmunity/Connective Tissue)
July 1, 2008... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- Vitamin D and estrogen may provide the basis for a new generation of nonimmunosuppressive therapies for systemic lupus erythematosus, Dr. Betty Diamond predicted at a symposium sponsored by the American College of...

Autoimmune testing helps guide urticaria Tx.(Autoimmunity/Connective Tissue)
July 1, 2008... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Autoimmune testing may not be perfectly sensitive, but it can help to guide therapeutic decisions regarding patients with severe, recalcitrant chronic idiopathic urticaria. By simple definition, chronic idiopathic...

Advisers agree on certainty of health reform.(Practice Trends)
July 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- The nation's health care system will be overhauled in a substantive fashion in the early days of the next administration, promised advisers to the presidential candidates at a forum sponsored by the journal Health Affairs. ...

New PQRI melanoma measures.(Policy & Practice)
July 1, 2008... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is seeking voluntary submission of data on 11 new measures under the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI), including three new measures related to melanoma. The measures have been adopted...

Allergan seeks eyelash drug OK.(Policy & Practice)
July 1, 2008... Allergan Inc. reported early last month that it is seeking Food and Drug Administration approval for its drug bimatoprost, to stimulate eyelash growth. Bimatoprost is the active ingredient in Lumigan, the company's glaucoma drug and a synthetic...

FDA accepts Reloxin application.(Policy & Practice)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Medicis and Ipsen announced that the FDA has accepted their application for approval of Reloxin (type A botulinum toxin). Reloxin is already approved in 23 countries, and Ipsen is seeking approval in additional markets. Medicis is paying Ipsen...

MDs mum on trial participation.(Policy & Practice)(Survey)
July 1, 2008... Nearly 95% of Americans in a recent survey said that their physicians have never spoken to them about participating in a medical research study. The survey results, released by the Society for Women's Health Research, also found that less than...

Report casts doubt on IT savings.(Policy & Practice)(information technology)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Health information technology, when coupled with other reforms, can help reduce health spending in certain settings, according to a report from the Congressional Budget Office. However, the adoption of health IT alone will not produce...

Consumer reports to grade hospitals.(Policy & Practice)
July 1, 2008... Consumer Reports has begun grading hospitals and plans to eventually add ratings for other health care providers. The ratings, which include nearly 3,000 hospitals, are available at www.con sumerreportshealth.org. The online tool allows...

Employee lawsuit coverage.(Managing Your Dermatology Practice)
July 1, 2008... Most physicians have a feeling that they carry too much insurance and that most of their policies are too expensive. The policies you should have and how much they should cost will be covered in next month's column, but no matter what is in...

Physician suicide prevention begins in med school.(Practice Trends)
July 1, 2008... Each day in the United States, roughly one doctor dies by suicide. Studies over the past 4 decades have confirmed that physicians--especially women physicians--die by suicide more frequently than people in other professions or those in the...

CMS seeks to end health plan marketing abuse.(Practice Trends)
July 1, 2008... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, seeking to curtail marketing abuses within Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, has proposed new regulations that would prohibit such tactics as door-to-door marketing...

FDA launches drug-safety surveillance system.(Practice Trends)
July 1, 2008... The Food and Drug Administration has developed a new national electronic surveillance system that will allow it to search and analyze claims data and other clinical databases for possible postmarket adverse events for drugs and medical devices....

Bioterrorism, vaccine-related events still a threat; dermatologists should be aware of risk factors for vaccine reactions, one of which is skin disorders.(Practice Trends)
July 1, 2008... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Despite the grateful lull that has followed Sept. 11 and the anthrax scare in 2001, bioterrorism remains a very real threat, according to a Food and Drug Administration counter-terrorism official. Dr. Boris Lushniak,...

Medicine's best kept 'secret'.(The Rest of Your Life)
July 1, 2008... Dr. Marc F. Stern says he feels safer as an internist working in correctional settings than he did in his previous career working for the Veterans Affairs health system. In that setting, he said, one patient pulled a machete on him in the...

Diagnosis: congenital annular erythema.(Case of the Month)
July 1, 2008... Congenital annular erythema occurs rarely: Only three reports involving six individuals with the familial version of this autosomal dominant disorder have been reported in the literature. Patients with the disorder are otherwise healthy,...

Senators consider AMA program.
July 1, 2008... without the American Medical Association program that allows physicians to opt out of having their prescribing data sold to pharmaceutical companies, physicians would have no influence on how their data are used by sales representatives, the...

Eye treatment night cream.(Products)
July 1, 2008... TNS Night Eye Repair improves the appearance of the skin around the eyes. The cream contains antioxidants, peptides, hyaluronic acid, and high concentrations of Vitamins A, C, and E. It increases the skin's firmness and elasticity, improves the...

High-performance bandage.(Products)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... The KytoStat bandage is made from the same materials used in battlefield medicine by the U.S. Army. The bandage measures 1 inch by 4 inches and includes chitosan, a product derived from shrimp shells that is designed to stop bleeding quickly...

Lip soother.(Products)
July 1, 2008... Nutritic Lips is an intense lip treatment designed for severely dry and fragile lips. The product contains natural fatty acids to nourish and protect lips while reducing lip sensitivity, tingling, thinness, and chapping. Additional ceramide 5...

In-office aesthetic medical program.(Products)
July 1, 2008... Solana MD is a turnkey consulting services package designed to help physicians in crease income by expanding their portfolio of aesthetic medical services. It gives physicians comprehensive guidance and coaching on the development,...

Body shaper.(Products)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... The SmoothShapes system uses a proprietary technology known as Photomology to treat cellulite. The technique combines a 915-nm laser and 650-nm light source with a massage device that has a vacuum function and contoured rollers to change the...

Foot emollient.(Products)
July 1, 2008... The Theraplex FT exfoliating emollient is designed to treat severely cracked and calloused feet while exfoliating dead skin cells. The formula includes activated hydrosilicone to deliver penetrating skin protection and prevent moisture loss...

Clinical characteristics of a topical azole antimycotic: implications related to antifungal and anti-inflammatory activities: highlights from a Presentation at the 32nd Hawaii Dermatology Seminar[TM] Waikoloa, Hawaii, March 1-March 7, 2008.(CLINICAL UPDATE)
July 1, 2008... Introduction Superficial fungal infections are estimated to affect up to 20% of people in the United States. (1) These infections ate most frequently caused by dermatophytes and yeasts. In the United States, Trichophyton rubrum and...

The advanced art of facial fillers.
July 1, 2008... Increasing numbers of patients are becoming aware of and are seeking treatment with nonsurgical options for facial correction and rejuvenation of aging skin. Nonsurgical options are overwhelmingly the most commonly used modalities. For example,...