Women's Health Weekly articles from June 2002

Women's Health Weekly archives from June 2002

Low-grade cervical lesions likely to regress spontaneously in adolescent women.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... 2002 JUN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Low-grade dysplasia found on Pap smears is likely to regress spontaneously in adolescent women, a University of California San Francisco (UCSF) study shows Teenage and young adult women who develop...

Exposure to antidepressant associated with a high rate of neonatal complications.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... 2002 JUN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children (HSC) have concluded that exposure during pregnancy to paroxetine (Paxil), a drug commonly used to treat depression, panic, and obsessive-compulsive...

Moderate consumption of alcohol beneficial on insulin and triglyceride levels in nondiabetic women.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... 2002 JUN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nondiabetic postmenopausal women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol can reduce insulin concentrations and improve insulin sensitivity, according to an article in the Journal of the American Medical...

Habitual tea drinking may have beneficial effect on bone mineral density.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... 2002 JUN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Drinking tea on a regular basis for 10 or more years may have beneficial effects on bone density, according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Chih-Hsing Wu, MD and Chih-Jen Chang, MD...

Women at highest risk less likely to be screened than those at lower risk.(ovarian cancer)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... 2002 JUN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Women at highest risk for ovarian cancer receive less screening and report less worry about getting the disease than women with a lower yet somewhat elevated risk, according to researchers at the Fred...

Quest Diagnosis offers gene-based cancer tests for bladder and breast cancer.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... 2002 JUN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Quest Diagnostics, Inc., (DGX) has begun offering Abbott Laboratories' Vysis UroVysion DNA Probe Assay, a noninvasive method for monitoring the recurrence of bladder cancer in patients previously...

First birth control patch now available by prescription.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... 2002 JUN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The pill that changed women's lives is now available in the form of a once-a-week birth control patch. Ortho Evra (norelgestromin/ethinyl estradiol transdermal system), the first birth control patch...

TriPath, DRG to begin customer evaluations of a soft disposable vaginal speculum.(TriPath Imaging Inc., Doctors Research Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... 2002 JUN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- TriPath Imaging, Inc., (TPTH) announced that it has entered into an agreement with Doctors Research Group, Inc (DRG) to conduct a series of customer evaluations on a soft vaginal speculum (SoftSpec)....

Lamivudine can heighten transplacental zidovudine toxicity.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... 2002 JUN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - The antiretroviral agent lamivudine may increase the toxicity of zidovudine when the two drugs are used to prevent peripartum transmission of HIV, researchers...

Costs delay health care for women.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... 2002 JUN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A third of women have health conditions that require continual treatment, yet nearly a quarter of women said they delayed or went without health care in the past year because they couldn't afford it, a...

Three international patents issued.(Antex Biologics Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... 2002 JUN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Antex Biologics, Inc., (ANX) announced that it has been issued three new patents, increasing the company's total intellectual property portfolio to 101 issued patents. The company also has 339 pending...

Nation's obstetrical care endangered by growing liability insurance crisis.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... 2002 JUN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alarmed by a recurring medical liability insurance crisis - the third in three decades - the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) at a press conference has issued a national "Red...

Herbs go under the microscope.(for perimenopause and menopause symptoms)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... 2002 JUN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- As baby-boomers grow older, more and more women are entering perimenopause and menopause and interest in treatment options, especially natural treatment options, for menopause symptoms is increasing....

Vitamin K-2 prevents bone loss in women with cirrhosis.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Women diagnosed with cirrhosis may be able to avoid bone loss by taking vitamin K-2 supplements, doctors say. A report issued by physicians at Osaka City...

Women with type 1 diabetes experience higher rate of sexual problems.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Women with type 1 diabetes experience a higher degree of sexual dysfunction than do women without diabetes, researchers in Belgium report. ...

New therapy trials show dramatic results.
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Patients of Kimberly Blackwell, MD, jokingly call their treatment table the "booby Jacuzzi." The name may be a bit crass, but then a close brush with mortality entitles these women to call the...

Lower-dose estrogen replacement therapy effective in increasing bone mineral density.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hormone replacement therapy using lower than commonly prescribed doses of estrogens, or estrogens combined with a progestin, effectively increases bone density for women in the early years after...

Study offers new insight into menstrual headaches.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Estrogen fluctuations may turn on and off genes that control pain and blood vessels, according to results of recent research that sheds new light on the cause of menstrual migraines. These findings may...

Inpatient, outpatient treatment show comparable long-term outcomes.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Women with mild-to-moderate pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) - a leading cause of infertility - who are treated as outpatients have recovery and reproductive outcomes similar to those for women...

Docetaxel improves survival and reduces risk of relapse.(breast cancer treatment)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Women with early stage breast cancer treated with a docetaxel-based regimen after surgery had 32% less chance of their cancer returning than women receiving one of the most effective adjuvant - or...

Ovary removal may prevent cancer.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Women likely to get breast cancer because of a genetic defect may lower their risk substantially by having their ovaries removed, two studies show. The genes, called BRCA, increase the risk of both...

Prolactin proactive in promoting breast cancer.(hormone prolactin may encourage the growth and spread of breast cancer)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In the pursuit of novel cancer therapies, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine describe new mechanisms by which the hormone prolactin induces the growth and spread of breast...

Biosyn announces positive results for trials of microbicide gel.(Savvy contraceptive)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Biosyn, Inc. announced at the Microbicides 2002 Conference in Antwerp, Belgium, successful results of two clinical studies for Savvy (C31G intravaginal gel), currently in development as a contraceptive...

Digene Corp. narrows loss in third quarter.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Digene Corp. (DIGE) reported revenues for the third quarter increased 58% to $14.2 million compared with $9.0 million reported for last year's third quarter. Net loss, excluding a one-time charge,...

Female Health Company reports second quarter results.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Female Health Company (FHCO) reported net revenues of $2,260,298 and net loss attributable to common stockholders of $14,471 ($0.00 per diluted share) for the 3 months ended March 31, 2002 compared...

Howtek reports Q1 2002 financial results, update on merger plans.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Howtek, Inc., (HOWT) announced a net loss of $521,122 for the first quarter of 2002, on sales of $775,633, compared with a net loss of $639,591 on sales of $1,513,604 during the first quarter of 2001....

Data shows new pain relief treatment effectively reduces pain, narcotic use, costs.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Results from a new study of women who underwent an abdominal hysterectomy showed that 43% of patients using the narcotic-free ON-Q Post-operative Pain Relief System did not need the usual...

FDA approves Bravelle - a human-derived follicle-stimulating hormone.(Food and Drug Administration)(Ferring Pharmaceuticals)(infertility treatment)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ferring Pharmaceuticals, a world leader in naturally occurring protein hormones, announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market Bravelle...

Labor after previous cesarean increases risk of perinatal death.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The risk of perinatal death is increased for babies whose mothers have vaginal deliveries after a previous cesarean birth, compared with those who have a planned repeat cesarean delivery, according to...

Study finds inherited genetic factor may not extend ovarian cancer patient's survival.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A University of Iowa (UI) Health Care investigation has found that, contrary to some reports, women with inherited ovarian cancer may not have a better survival prognosis than women with ovarian cancer...

Metformin curtails gestational onset of diabetes among women with PCOS.(polycystic ovary syndrome (Stein-Leventhal syndrome))(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Roxanne Nelson, staff medical writer - Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can significantly reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes by taking metformin during their pregnancies, say...

Novel contraceptive antimicrobial agent can prevent pregnancy, STDs.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - A novel topical antimicrobial and contraceptive agent can protect againist unwanted pregancies and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection,...

Laser therapy outpaces cryotherapy for treating ocular disease in 10-year study.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Follow-up evaluations of patients treated for retinopathy of prematurity show that overall, laser therapy yields better outcomes than cryotherapy does. ...

Biotherapies' scientists identify melastatin.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... 2002 JUN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Biotherapies, Inc., a biotechnology company developing new cancer therapies and diagnostic methods, announced that it has identified Melastatin, a protein that may have activity to control skin cancer....

Test predicts if chemotherapy will work.(scintigraphic imaging as a test for chemotherapy resistance)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... 2002 JUN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Resistance to chemotherapy is a major cause of treatment failure in patients with breast cancer. A study reported in the June 2002 issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine found that scintigraphic...

Growth factor indicative of response to radiotherapy in female cancers.(vascular endothelial growth factor)
June 20, 2002... 2002 JUN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Doctors in Vienna, Austria, report serum levels of a single growth factor could be used to predict which women with cervical cancer might respond to treatment...

Survey: Many women cite cost as reason they delay or go without care.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... 2002 JUN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds most women report generally positive experiences with the healthcare system, but a sizable share faced problems. One in 4 (24%)...

Magnesium sulphate halves risk of eclampsia and can save lives of pregnant women.
June 20, 2002... 2002 JUN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Giving magnesium sulphate injections to pregnant women with preeclampsia halves the risk of eclampsia developing and can save their lives. This is the conclusion of a major international clinical...

Fiber modification enables viral vectors to skirt receptor deficiency.
June 20, 2002... 2002 JUN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Medical investigators have discovered that fiber modification enables adenoviral vectors to transfer genes to ovarian cancer cells effectively despite variable...

Survey shows contraceptive needs of new mothers are unique and unmet.
June 20, 2002... 2002 JUN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Results from a new national survey conducted by the Emory University School of Medicine demonstrate for the first time that new mothers have unique contraceptive needs that are currently unmet, and...

Aromatase inhibitors in breast cancer assessed by ASCO Committee.(American Society of Clinical Oncology)
June 20, 2002... 2002 JUN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Data from recent studies on the use of aromatase inhibitors in the treatment of postmenopausal women with breast cancer has generated significant interest from the medical oncology community and has...

Tumor responses reported in phase I breast cancer trial using EntreMed's Panzem with Taxotere.
June 20, 2002... 2002 JUN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- EntreMed, Inc., (ENMD) a biopharmaceutical leader in angiogenesis research and product development, reported data, including a complete tumor response, partial tumor responses and stable disease, from...

Women at highest risk for ovarian cancer less likely to be screened.
June 20, 2002... 2002 JUN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Women at highest risk for ovarian cancer receive less screening and report less worry about getting the disease than women with a lower yet somewhat elevated risk, according to researchers at the Fred...

Neurocrine Biosciences announces positive phase I results with GnRH receptor antagonist.(gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor antagonist)
June 20, 2002... 2002 JUN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc., (NBIX) announced the completion of the first phase I clinical trial with its proprietary, orally active small molecule gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor...

Researchers say low-dose DHEA effective for hypopituitarism.
June 20, 2002... 2002 JUN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Sweden have shown that low doses of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) are an effective addition to the conventional treatment of women who suffer from hypopituitarism. Results of the...

Laparoscopic pelvic and paraaortic lymph node dissection OK for obese women.
June 20, 2002... 2002 JUN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Roxanne Nelson, staff medical writer - Researchers in the U.S. report that laparoscopic pelvic and paraaortic lymph node dissections can be successfully performed in obese women, especially if their...

NexMed receives patent allowance for Femprox.
June 20, 2002... 2002 JUN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NexMed, Inc., (NEXM) has received a notice of allowance for its U.S. patent application entitled "Compositions and Methods for Amelioration of Human Female Sexual Dysfunction". The patent...

Celltech forms alliance with Amgen for research, development.(Celltech Group PLC)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... 2002 JUN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Celltech Group plc (CLL) announced an agreement with Amgen (AMGN) for the research, development and global commercialization of novel treatments for osteoporosis, utilizing Celltech's proprietary...

New treatment cuts morphine use by over 40% in women undergoing C-sections.(ON-Q Post-Operative Pain Relief System)
June 20, 2002... 2002 JUN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study of women who gave birth by cesarean section showed that the narcotic-free ON-Q Post-Operative Pain Relief System reduced traditional narcotic use by 40% and delivered equivalent pain relief,...

Antidepression drug beats nicotine therapy in helping women quit smoking.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A smoking cessation medication that is also used to treat depression may be a better choice than nicotine replacement therapy for women who want to quit smoking for good, a new study indicates. ...

PTEN tumor suppressor gene enhances cellular response to cancer agents.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Medical investigators have now discerned how PTEN gene expression might sensitize ovarian cancer cells to a metabolite of the chemotherapy irinotecan, which is...

Delays in diagnosis can predict severity.(Abstract)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In women with asymptomatic breast cancer, delays to diagnosis greater than 20 weeks are a prognostic factor in disease severity. Findings in a recent study published in the journal Cancer indicate...

Macrophage expression of interleukin-8 related to uterine tumor invasion.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Physicians in Japan are certain that macrophage-produced interleukin-8 is related to angiogenesis and invasion in uterine endometrial cancer in women. ...

Obesity may exacerbate a heart disorder in African-American females.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Sedentary lifestyle habits, poor dietary habits, and childhood obesity are becoming epidemic in America. These behaviors are more prevalent in children than ever before. Low levels of physical...

Receptor makes cells more amenable to uptake of virus-mediated gene therapy.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - The way cells targeted by gene therapies take up viral delivery systems can make or break the effectiveness of the therapy. One way to enhance the...

Many women experience early heart attack signs that go untreated.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A researcher reports that some women experienced undiagnosed warning signs up to two years before having a heart attack, with blacks reporting their symptoms in greater number, intensity and frequency...

Breastlink.org reports that anastrozole rivals tamoxifen as first-line therapy.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Breast Cancer Care & Research Fund's website, Breastlink.org, features a study showing that anastrozole (Arimidex) may be superior to tamoxifen for treating advanced, hormone receptor-positive...

High levels of sex hormones doubles risk in postmenopausal women.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Postmenopausal women with relatively high serum concentrations of estrogen and testosterone have about twice the risk of developing breast cancer as women with relatively low serum concentrations of...

Study suggests that tamoxifen does not adversely impact brain chemistry.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Surprising results from a new study may quell concerns about the safety of using tamoxifen to reduce breast cancer risk in elderly women, and suggest that both tamoxifen and estrogen have similar...

New technology improves detection rate in cervical cancer screening.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (WPI) announced the nationwide availability of a new screening technology in the quest for early detection of cervical cancer. PapSure is an in-office, noninvasive,...

Calcium citrate may also offer heart health benefits.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study published in the April issue of the American Journal of Medicine found that otherwise healthy postmenopausal women who took calcium citrate supplements lowered their cholesterol levels. ...

Pregnant women with untreated epilepsy are not at an increased risk of delivering infant with birth defect.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children (HSC) have concluded that there is no evidence of an increased chance of major birth defects occurring in the offspring of women with epilepsy who do...

Prevention regimens in Africa need to deter women from breastfeeding.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Treatment to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV in developing countries needs to be accompanied by ways to deter women from breastfeeding, researchers...

Rapid HIV test for at-risk pregnant women to help reduce infection to newborns.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pregnant women who receive little or no prenatal care and who are at risk for contracting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS will soon be offered a rapid HIV test aimed at reducing...

Report: Lack of awareness about osteoporosis restrains industry growth.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Continuing lack of awareness about osteoporosis is restricting markets for available therapies, according to Frost & Sullivan Many doctors and potential patients remain unaware of the symptoms of...

Arimidex receives FDA priority review for early breast cancer indication.(Food and Drug Administration )(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted a 6-month priority review status to the AstraZeneca (AZN) supplemental new drug application (sNDA), which provides data for the use of Arimidex...

Fat distribution tied to disease risk.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- It's no secret that women begin to lose bone mass and density as they exit their childbearing years, but other changes in body composition associated with menopause may trigger additional health...

Zomig study: Headache response as early as 30 minutes in migraine associated with menses.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Data presented at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) annual meeting suggests that Zomig (zolmitriptan), a product of AstraZeneca (AZN), produces headache response as early as 30 minutes,...

Urgent action needed to improve maternal care in Latin America.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Unnecessary cesarean section is known to increase health risks for both mother and infant, while routine episiotomy has no benefit. Two studies in the British Medical Journal illustrate the gap...

Study: Antacids may be more crucial than calcium in building healthy bones.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The calcium in calcium supplements may not be the primary ingredient responsible for prevention of osteoporosis, according to a study reported by Wayne State University (WSU) School of Medicine...

New global endometrial and other ablation products cutting into surgery, creating aggressive growth markets.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2002... 2002 JUN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ablative technologies - the energy-based methods for destroying abnormal cell tissue - are displacing surgical applications and generating double-digit growth in systems and disposables sales. ...