Internal Medicine News articles from February 2002

Internal Medicine News archives from February 2002

Chilled angioplasty reduced MI injury. (Cool-MI Study).
February 1, 2002... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Cold is a hot new concept in myocardial reperfusion therapy. Mild hypothermia was a salutary adjunctive therapy to primary angioplasty in acute MI patients, Dr. Simon R. Dixon said at the annual scientific sessions of...

Myelogenous Leukemia: First try alpha interferon; Allogeneic stem cell transplants might be avoidable, can be safely delayed. (Better Survival, Less Morbidity).
February 1, 2002... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Select patients newly diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia may be able to undergo a course of alpha interferon treatment that enables them to safely delay and even avoid allogeneic stem cell transplantation and its...

Sleep apnea therapy aids ejection fraction in CHF: Sleep apnea affects 35% of CHF patients. (Small Study).(congestive heart failure)
February 1, 2002... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Continuous positive airway pressure may be an important new nonpharmacologic therapy for many patients with congestive heart failure, Dr. T. Douglas Bradley said at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart...

Talk that gets heard. (Guest Editorial).
February 1, 2002... ********** Strive to improve your communication skills or risk becoming a "nonentity" over the next 2 decades. There is a new breed of patients. They want to make their health care decisions and are looking to you to show them the...

Pro & Con: Should human reproductive cloning technology be made available to people who want biologic children? (Opinion).
February 1, 2002... YES I am in favor of reproductive cloning, also known as reproductive regeneration. Patients want to have a child, a healthy child, and they don't want to borrow someone else's genes or sperm. They want a biologic child of their own. ...

Poor vitamin K status linked to atherosclerosis. (No Need to Measure in Warfarin Users).
February 1, 2002... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Poor vitamin K status was associated with 2.7-fold increased risk of severe coronary artery calcification in elderly asymptomatic men, Richard J. Wood, Ph.D., reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart...

Aortic valve calcification slowed in statin users. (Based on EBCT Findings).(electron-beam CT screening)
February 1, 2002... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Statin therapy may prove to have a salutary effect on the burgeoning rate of valvular heart disease. Two studies presented at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association provided news on this score....

VEGF-2 gene therapy simplified, results show safety, efficacy. (Could be Done on Outpatient Basis).(vascular endothelial growth factor-2)
February 1, 2002... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Intraventricular injection of a gene for vascular endothelial growth factor-2 can now be performed on an outpatient basis, and the new technique has been shown in a placebo-controlled study to produce demonstrable...

Homocysteine levels higher in Asian Indians. (May Increase Risk).
February 1, 2002... ARLINGTON, VA. -- Asian Indian ethnicity is linked to significantly higher plasma homocysteine levels, Dr. Manisha Chandalia reported at the Clinical Research 2001 meeting. The risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes is four...

Implantable defibrillator therapy. (Bottom Line).
February 1, 2002... Costly implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy becomes far more economically attractive when a simple risk stratification scheme is used to determine the appropriateness of its use, Dr. George Klein said at the annual scientific sessions...

Sputum eosinopbils in chronic cough. (Eosinophilic Bronchitis).
February 1, 2002... ORLANDO, FLA. -- An isolated, chronic cough lasting more than 3 weeks without any clinical signs of lung disease may signal easinophilic bronchitis. Often mislabeled as asthma, eosinophiic bronchitis causes airway inflammation but no...

Monoclonal antibody reduced steroid dose in asthmatics. (Maintains Symptom Control).(omalizumab (Xolair) reduced fluticasone dosage)
February 1, 2002... ORLANDO, FLA. -- An investigational monoclonal antibody allowed asthma patients to reduce their steroid doses while maintaining symptom control, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma,...

Catheter-Related Infections. (The Effective Physician).
February 1, 2002... ********** Background More than 200,000 nosocomial bloodstream infections occur each year, most related to use of intravenous devices. A recent metaanalysis of over 2,500 catheter-related bacteremic infections demonstrated a...

Gadolinium-Enhanced MRI finds recurrent ovarian Ca. (Adjunct to Second-Look Laparotomy).
February 1, 2002... CHICAGO -- Use of gadolinium-enhanced MRI as an adjunct to second-look laparotomy and serum markers can significantly improve the ability to identify ovarian cancer recurrences, experts said at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of...

More risk factors but less screening for cancer in lesbians. (Analysis of Several Surveys).
February 1, 2002... SAN FRANCISCO -- Lesbian and bisexual women have more risk factors for cancer and are less likely to have health insurance, pelvic exams, and mammograms. The findings were seen in a study that compared national estimates for all women with...

Labs differ on Thyroid fine-needle biospy result. (Disagreement on 60% of Samples).
February 1, 2002... WASHINGTON -- Reviewers disagreed on the interpretation of results for 60% of nearly 200 thyroid samples taken by fine-needle aspiration, Dr. Zubair W Baloch reported at the annual meeting of the American Thyroid Association. Even the...

Get the MSAGR to simplify Asthma diagnosis. (One-Sheet Diagnosis, Treatment Guide).(Multi-Colored Simplified Asthma Guideline Reminder)
February 1, 2002... ORLANDO, FLA. -- A simplified guideline reminder is available to assist in the assessment, classification, and treatment of patients with asthma. The Multi-Colored Simplified Asthma Guideline Reminder (MSAGR) is a tool for adhering to...

Pelvic muscle education suffices for urge incontinence. (May Avoid Expensive Biofeedback Approach).
February 1, 2002... CHICAGO - Biofeedback may not be an essential component of behavioral treatment for urge incontinence in older women, Kathryn L. Burgio, Ph.D., reported at the annual meeting of the American Urogynecologic Society. Urge-control strategies...

Duloxetine reduces episodes of stress urinary incontinence. (Investigational Drug).
February 1, 2002... CHICAGO -- An investigational serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor appears to reduce the frequency of stress urinary incontinence, Dr. Peggy A. Norton reported at the annual meeting of the American Urogynecologic Society. Duloxetine...

Obesity linked to urinary incontinence in exercise. (In Premenopausal Women).
February 1, 2002... CHICAGO -- Moderate exercise is not likely to increase the risk for urinary incontinence in premenopausal women unless they are obese or have a family history of urinary incontinence, Dr. Dallas Johnson said at the annual meeting of the...

Oxybutynin patch effective, few cholinergic side effects. (Under FDA Review).(treatment of overactive bladder)
February 1, 2002... CHICAGO -- Transdermal oxybutynin effectively reduces symptoms of overactive bladder with minimal side effects, Dr.G. Willy Davila reported at the annual meeting of the American Urogynecologic Society. Oral oxybutynin also reduces...

Tamoxifen: Benign lesions cut by 28%. (Fewer Biopsies Required).
February 1, 2002... SAN ANTONIO -- Tamoxifen markedly reduces the incidence of most forms of benign breast disease, Dr. Elizabeth Tan-Chiu said at the annual breast cancer symposium sponsored by the San Antonio Cancer Institute. She reported on 13,388 women...

Letrozole better than tamoxifen in advanced breast cancer. (For Slowing Cancer Progression).
February 1, 2002... SAN ANTONIO -- The aromatase inhibitor letrozole is superior to tamoxifen as first-line therapy in hormone-sensitive advanced breast cancer, Dr. Martine Piccart said at the annual breast cancer symposium sponsored by the San Antonio Cancer...

Vitex agnus-castus for premenstrual syndrome. (Alternative Medicine-An Evidence-Based Approach).
February 1, 2002... * Herbalists have long recommended the dried fruit of vitex agnus-castus for female hormonal and reproductive disorders. * Recent controlled studies suggest a beneficial effect in PMS. History of Use The dried fruit of vitex...

Epilepsy plus valproate: 55% Risk of anovulation. (Drug Independently Contributes to Risk).
February 1, 2002... PHILADELPHIA - Epilepsy can deliver a double anovulatory whammy to women. Epilepsy itself appears to boost a woman's risk of ovulatory failure. Treatment with valproate, a commonly used antiepilepsy drug, appears to make an independent...

Reprise pattern seen in 33% of nonepileptic spells. (In 2% With Epilepsy).
February 1, 2002... PHILADELPHIA -- An ictal motor behavior that starts, stops, and then resumes can help distinguish nonepileptic spells. Restarting ictal motor behaviors, known as the reprise phenomenon, were overwhelmingly associated with nonepileptic...

Treating depression fails to cut post-MI events. (Results of Sadhart, Enrichd).
February 1, 2002... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Antidepressant therapy reduces the burden of depression after cardiovascular events, but it has little impact on cardiac function or cardiovascular risk, Dr. Christopher O'Connor said at the annual scientific sessions of the...

Drug update: New antidepressants--beyond SSRIs. (Results of Sadhart Enrichd).(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
February 1, 2002... The newest generation of antidepressants gives physicians some novel options for treating depression that go a step beyond the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), but like the SSRIs the new antidepressants are nor effective in...

FDA review may be limiting Thyroxine supplies. (Action on New Drug Applications).
February 1, 2002... WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration ruling that required every manufacturer of thyroxine to file a New Drug Application may be limiting supplies of some formulations, according to a fact sheet released by the American Thyroid...

Steroids don't halt subacute Thyroiditis. (Hypothyroidism in 23%).
February 1, 2002... WASHINGTON -- Corticosteroids given in the acute phase of chronic thyroiditis do not prevent hypothyroidism, Dr. G.Z. Eghbali-Fatourechi said at the annual meeting of the American Thyroid Association. Subacute thyroiditis is a self-limiting...

More than half of HIV-infected people carry drug-resistant strains. (First National Survey of HIV Resistance).
February 1, 2002... CHICAGO -- More than half of the patients infected with HIV in the United States in 1998 carried drug-resistant viruses, Dr. Douglas D. Richman said at the annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, sponsored by...

Pleconaril cuts cold symptoms by 1 day. (Investigational Drug Targets Rhinoviruses).
February 1, 2002... CHICAGO -- A cure for the common cold was, for the first time, shown safe and effective in phase III studies. When taken within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms, the anticornavirus drug pleconaril cut short the average 7-day recovery time...

Antibiotic prescribing fell 27% in 90s. (Ambulatory Care).
February 1, 2002... CHICAGO -- The population-based rate of prescriptions for antibiotics for patients in ambulatory care settings fell by 27% from 1992 to 1999. The findings, based on data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers...

Vaccine recall. (Clinical Capsules).(VAQTA hepatitis A vaccine recalled)
February 1, 2002... VAQTA, an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine supplied in prefilled syringes, has been voluntarily recalled because reduced antigen content was found in some syringes. Merck & Co Inc., the vaccine's maker, distributed a "Dear Doctor/Health...

Meningitis diagnosis. (Clinical Capsules).
February 1, 2002... Certain clinical features and neurologic abnormalities can be used to determine which adult patients with suspected meningitis should undergo computed tomography of the head prior to lumbar puncture to assess risk for brain herniation, the...

HIV Progression. (Clinical Capsules).
February 1, 2002... HIV-infected patients who initiated antiretroviral drug treatment when their viral load was greater than 100,000 copies/mL were less likely to achieve viral suppression in a recent study However, low CD4 counts and high viral loads at baseline...

Genomic Research. (Clinical Capsules).(Pathogen Functional Genomics Resource Center)(http://pfgrc.tigr.org)
February 1, 2002... The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has announced plans to establish a functional genomics resource center at The Institute for Genomic Research in Rockville, Md. Through a 6-year, $25 million contract, the center will...

Gelfoam in bone bleeding. (Products).
February 1, 2002... The hemostatic agent Gelfoam (absorbable gelatin powder) sterile powder is now indicated for surgical procedures involving cancellous bone bleeding. It can be used when control of capillary, venous, and arteriolar bleeding by pressure,...

Protonix IV for Zollinger-Ellison. (Products).(pantoprazole sodium)
February 1, 2002... Protonix IV (pantoprazole sodium) for injection is now indicated for pathologic hypersecretion associated with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. The indicated dosage is equivalent to 40 mEq, according to WyethAyerst Laboratories, 610-688-4400, fax,...

N. gonorrhoeae assay. (Products).(BDProbeTec ET system Neisseria gonorrhoeae DNA assay)
February 1, 2002... The BDProbeTec ET system Neisseria gonorrhoeae DNA assay is now indicated for use with urine and urethral swab specimens from asymptomatic male patients. The system is the only real-time DNA amplification assay approved for the detection of...

Xenical Support Progam. (Products).
February 1, 2002... XENICare is a weight loss support program designed to assist patients taking Xenical (orlistat). Initially, patients have a free telephone consultation with a registered nurse or dietitian, then receive ongoing health care counseling by phone....

New Percocet Formulation. (Products).
February 1, 2002... Percocet 7.5/325 and 10/325 (oxycodone/acetaminophen tablets) have been approved for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. This reformulated version offers pain relief with a reduced acetaminophen content, compared with previously available...

Decompression evades small-bowel obstruction. (Nasogastric Procedure).
February 1, 2002... SAN DIEGO -- Small-bowel obstruction after abdominal surgery can be expectantly managed using nasogastric decompression, Dr. Sharif H. Ellozy said at the annual meeting of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Within 6 days,...

Clinical pathway in colon surgery pays dividends. (Shorter Stays, Lower Costs).
February 1, 2002... SAN DIEGO -- Emphasizing pain control, early ambulation, and early reintroduction of food after colon resection reduced postoperative lengths of stay and hospital costs at one large public hospital. Moreover, this occurred without increased...

CT colonoscopy is better, but bot good enough. (Bowel Prep Still a Hurdle).
February 1, 2002... CHICAGO -- The quality of virtual colonoscopy keeps getting better, but for all the fine-tuning it's not clear whether the technology will boost colon cancer detection. So far, the most promising uses for CT colonography are for screening...

Upper GI cancer risk factors. (Clinical Capsules).(gastrointestinal)
February 1, 2002... Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a dear cause of esophageal adenocarcinoma, but antireflux surgery does not decrease the risk, reported Dr. Weimin Ye of the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, and associates. Findings from a retrospective...

Two celiac markers? (Clinical Capsules).
February 1, 2002... Two markers may identify a subset of irritable bowel syndrome patients who have potential or latent celiac disease, according to Dr. Ulrich Wahnschaffe and his associates at the Freie Universitat, Berlin. The investigators studied the...

Ageism in rectal cancer care. (Clinical Capsules).
February 1, 2002... Otherwise healthy elderly patients with stage II and III rectal cancer are less likely to receive adjuvant radiation than are their younger peers, said Dr. Deborah Schrag and her associates at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York....

Propranolol for life. (Clinical Capsules).
February 1, 2002... Discontinuing propranolol was associated with increased mortality that was unrelated to variceal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension, said Dr. Diane R. Abraczinskas of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and...

St. Paul's malpractice exit indicative of market. (Company Insures 42,000 Physicians).
February 1, 2002... The St. Paul Companies' exit from the medical malpractice insurance market may leave some physicians unable to get coverage, according to Larry Smarr, president of the Physician Insurers Association of America. A number of commercial...

'Medical arms race' thrives as hospitals compete for patients. (Expensive Medical Technology).
February 1, 2002... Washington -- The "medical arms race is alive and well in America's hospitals, experts said at a conference on health care market trends sponsored by the Center for Studying Health System Change. Hospital mergers and increasing concern...

New Medicare Services. (Policy & Practice).
February 1, 2002... Medicare has added a new specialty code that allows physicians to establish themselves as specialists in pain management. The American Academy of Pain Medicine says the new code will make it easier to establish pain medicine-specific billing...

Pharmacist prescribing. (Policy & Practice).
February 1, 2002... Pharmacists should not be granted independent. prescribing authority, the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine concludes in a new policy statement (Ann. Intern. Med., 136[1]:79-85, 2002). Legislation in 24 states...

Research boost. (Policy & Practice).
February 1, 2002... Spending for health programs gets an $11 billion boost from last year's budget agreement, with major investments going toward health research initiatives. The fiscal year 2002 appropriations bill that funds the Department of Health and Human...

Underserved patients. (Policy & Practice).
February 1, 2002... UNDERSERVED PATIENTS HHS is trying out new approaches to make prescription drugs more readily available to underserved and uninsured patients at a reduced price. One project calls on pharmacists at health centers in Washington state to increase...

Nurse shortage. (Policy & Practice).
February 1, 2002... Congress has passed two bills aimed at stemming the nation's nursing shortage. The House and the Senate passed similar versions of the Nurse Reinvestment Act, both of which provide scholarships and loan repayments to nursing students, and...

A modest proposal. (Policy & Practice).
February 1, 2002... Employer-targeted premium subsidies would have only a modest impact on health coverage, based on a study from the Center for Studying Health System Change. Of the 16 million people working in small firms that don't offer health insurance, only...

Animal research controversy. (Policy & Practice).
February 1, 2002... The National Institutes of Health is concealing information about a controversial experiment involving live cats, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine claims in a lawsuit filed against NIH. The research, funded by NIH and conducted...

Oregon law opened end-of-life dialogue. (Few Physician-Assisted Suicides Resulted).
February 1, 2002... ASHLAND, ORE. -- Fewer than 1 in 1,000 deaths in Oregon has been the result of physician-assisted suicide since 1997, when a controversial law approving the practice was passed in the state legislature, said Dr. Susan Tolle, director of the...

Crouching vicar, hidden villain. (Indications).
February 1, 2002... Think your job is dangerous? A University of London survey found that members of the British clergy were more likely to be attacked than were doctors or probation officers. About 70% of surveyed Anglican clergy had suffered verbal abuse or...

Lyin' eyes. (Indications).
February 1, 2002... Researchers at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., have developed a high-definition thermal-imaging technique that aims at detecting deceit by focusing on a person's eyes. Apparently, lying is associated with a "thermal signature" characterized...

Snot so bad. (Indications).
February 1, 2002... Let's clear up the following mucus misconception: Nose picking, while socially unacceptable, will not make you sick. People routinely consume large amounts of mucus each day, whether they pick their noses or not. Further, dried nasal discharge...

Mental calisthenics. (Indications).
February 1, 2002... Here's the solution for couch potatoes who have lost their zeal over New Year's resolutions to get more exercise. Just thinking about exercise may help to increase muscle power. Previous studies had proved the value of mental preparation for...

Anatomy of a Fad. (Indications).
February 1, 2002... The new year no doubt harbors new diseases--whether real or imagined. So this may be a good time to consult the "Index to Fad Diagnoses" provided by Quack-watch, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to fighting health-related frauds, myths, fads,...

Reserve ERCP for therapy, not Dx. (NIH Panels Conclusion).(endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography)
February 15, 2002... BETHESDA, M D. -- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography remains a mainstay in the treatment of many pancreatic and hepatobiliary diseases but its role as a diagnostic modality is diminishing as less invasive imaging techniques emerge....

Drug-Eluting stent lowers restenosis risk to near zero: Data from safety trials suggest stents can challenge the results seen with CABG.(coronary artery bypass graft)
February 15, 2002... ANAHEIM, CALIF. - Drug-eluting stents may soon make interventional cardiology procedures the near equal of coronary artery bypass surgery. Studies presented at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association show that...

Older antibiotics suffice in most CAP outpatients: Quinolone's cost is probably not justified. (Metaanalysis Finding).(community acquired pneumonia)
February 15, 2002... CHICAGO -- Older, less expensive antibiotics are about as good as the newer oral quinolones for treating community acquired pneumonia in otherwise healthy adults who are treated as outpatients. In a metaanalysis of 12 controlled trials of...

Antibiotic resistance in 37% of S. pneumoniae isolates. (Up from 30% in 1997-1998).(Streptococcus pneumoniae)
February 15, 2002... CHICAGO -- Once again, bacteria grew a little smarter last year and inched forward in the antibiotic arms race. During the 2000-2001 respiratory infection season, the prevalence of drug-resistant isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae grew to...

Warding off resistance to Gleevec therapy. (Combinations Tested).(imatinib mesylate)
February 15, 2002... ORLANDO, FLA. -- The development of resistance to imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) is expected to be just a matter of time, a conjecture that has investigators prowling for agents to act synergistically and ward off resistance to the cancer drug....

Abciximab improves stent outcomes in diabetics with MIs. (Admiral Study).
February 15, 2002... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- The ADMIRAL study strengthens the case for using abciximab in conjunction with stent procedures for diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarctions. Data from the 300-patient ADMIRAL (Abciximab before Direct...

USPSTF endorses Aspirin to prevent first MI. (Far-Reaching Recommendation).(U.S. Preventive Services Task Force)
February 15, 2002... Aspirin has been officially declared a key factor in preventing first-time myocardial infarctions. In a report that goes beyond previous guidelines, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force "strongly" recommended that "clinicians discuss...

FDA advisory panel votes no on fixed-dose statin plus aspirin, cites titration concerns. (Pravastatin-Aspirin Combination).
February 15, 2002... SILVER SPRING, MD. -- The potential for inadequate titration was among the concerns that led the majority of a Food and Drug Administration expert panel to recommend against a fixed-dose combination of the lipid-lowering drug pravastatin and...

Rising elderly population spikes incidence of heart failure. (Framingham Study).
February 15, 2002... CHICAGO -- The incidence of congestive heart failure among people aged 75 years and older increased significantly between 1970-1974 and 19901994, Dr. William H. Barker said at the annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America. In...

MADIT-II: ICD when ejection fraction is 30%. (Randomized Trial Halted Early).(Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial-II)
February 15, 2002... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- Indications for implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy will be expanded and simplified as a result of the recently halted Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial-II (MADIT-II), Dr. Roger A. Winkle...

The Medicare Squeeze. (Heart of the Matter).
February 15, 2002... After a number of years of minor downward adjustments in Medicare fees, physicians and particularly specialists and cardiologists, are now experiencing schedule cuts that put the Wal-Mart price cutters to shame. Despite a vigorous lobbying...

Ablation or excision? (Guest Editorial).(breast cancer treatment)
February 15, 2002... Growing interest in nonsurgical ablation of small breast cancers reflects a triumph of marketing over substance. All of these nonsurgical ablation methods--cryotherapy, laser, radiofrequency ablation, high-frequency focused ultrasound--are...

Dr. Roy D. Altman is new adviser.(for Internal Medicine News)
February 15, 2002... [Illustration Omitted] Caption: INTERNAL MEDICINE NEWS welcomes Dr. Roy D. Altman to its advisory board. Dr. Altman is professor of medicine, chief of rheumatology and immunology, professor of orthopedics, and director of the rheumatology...

Hip fractures tied to high vitamin A intake. (Nurses' Health Study).
February 15, 2002... High vitamin A intake increases the risk of hip fractures in postmenopausal women, according to findings from the Nurses' Health Study. Vitamin A intake was calculated from self-reports of diet and use of vitamin supplements in 72,337...

Celecoxib or ibuprofen speeds recovery from ankle sprain. (In Addition to Rice).
February 15, 2002... SAN FRANCISCO - People with first- or second-degree ankle sprains returned to normal levels of activity several days sooner if they received celecoxib or ibuprofen along with traditional "RICE" therapy-- advice to rest, apply ice and...

Will vitamin C reduce the duration of a cold? (Mindful Practice).
February 15, 2002... The Problem A colleague notices my 2-day-old cold symptoms and suggests nonpharmacologic treatments--vitamin C and zinc. I recall the data on zinc (the jury is still out on this one) but cannot recall a specific study on vitamin C....

Adjuvant bisphosphonate reduces bone metastases. (In Breast Cancer Patients).
February 15, 2002... SAN ANTONIO - Adjuvant bisphosphonate therapy in breast cancer patients appears to decrease the incidence of bone metastases and to reduce mortality, Dr. Trevor J. Powles said at the annual breast cancer symposium sponsored by the San Antonio...

Breast cancer chemo linked to leukemia. ('Alarming' New Finding).(doxorubicin /cyclophosphamide)
February 15, 2002... SAN ANTONIO -- Secondary acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome is high following dose-intensified doxorubicin /cyclophosphamide for breast cancer, said Dr. Roy E. Smith of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project...

Bioelectric study limits unneeded breast biopsies. (Palpable, Suspicious Lesions).
February 15, 2002... SAN ANTONIO -- Half of all benign breast biopsies in premenopausal women with palpable, mammographically suspicious breast lesions could safely be avoided through the use of breast bioelectric potential measurements, Dr. David M. Long Jr. said...

Cryotherapy an alternative to surgery for breast fibroadenomas. (Regrowth in 1 of 38 Lesions).
February 15, 2002... CHICAGO -- The use of cryotherapy to ablate breast fibroadenomas appears to provide a safe and effective alternative to surgery, Dr. Peter Littrup said at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. In an observational...