Talcum powder is a common grooming product for women and it’s often used in baby care as well. But disturbing reports of its possible association with ovarian cancer went largely unnoticed for years. The investigative news site FairWarning.org recently explained how such a seemingly benign personal product threatened so many people. Eight years ago, Deane….
Continue ReadingGynecology
High Unnecessary Costs Associated with Mammograms
Mammograms are a wonderful diagnostic tool for breast cancer. Except when they aren’t. Every year, the U.S. spends $4 billion on unnecessary costs associated with mammograms, primarily due to the scans rendering “false positives” – that is, a false alarm signaling a problem when there isn’t one, or a problem so minor that it never….
Continue ReadingPap or HPV Test — or Both?
The medical community is divided about whether a Pap smear or an HPV test is best to detect cervical cancer. The debate was stoked earlier this month when a committee of gynecologic oncology experts categorically voted for only the HPV test. As reported by NPR, representatives of the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology….
Continue ReadingBad Advice Abounds Regarding Surgery for DCIS
As treatment for breast cancer becomes more refined, more personalized for each patient, one kind of breast cancer continues to be misunderstood and often mistreated – ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS. DCIS is diagnosed when abnormal cells are found inside a milk duct in the breast. According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s considered the….
Continue ReadingNew Labeling Rules for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Products
The FDA has issued new regulations for prescription drug and medical product manufacturers to better communicate potential risks to women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and people who are concerned about fertility. The new rule, according to an FDA news release, “sets standards for how information about using medicines during pregnancy and breastfeeding is presented….
Continue ReadingWarning Against Uterine Fibroid Treatment Is Strengthened
Last week, the FDA updated its warning from earlier this year about the cancer-spreading danger of a surgical procedure to treat uterine fibroids. For most women, the feds now say, power morcellation should not be performed. Our blog, “FDA Warns of Cancer Risk with Uterine Procedure,” described morcellation, which involves a tool that cuts or….
Continue ReadingToo Few Women Are Screened for Cervical Cancer
Earlier this year, experts concluded that most women don’t need annual pelvic exams, but they also confirmed that regular Pap tests are still necessary to screen for cervical cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, recently concluded that millions of women are not getting this test. According to the CDC, 8 million women….
Continue ReadingRobotic Technology Costs More and Has More Complications for Ovary and Cyst Removal
The use of robots in the surgical suite has a checkered history and a fat file of lawsuits by patients who suffered burns, bleeding and other serious harms. Another study has added to the record of woe: robot-assisted surgery to remove ovaries or ovarian cysts had more complications than more traditional and less invasive procedures,….
Continue ReadingWomen Still Misunderstand Risks of Breast Screening
We’ve regularly blogged about the confusion about breast screening procedures – the risks, the rewards and which women should be screened regularly – and recent research shows that a lot of women still don’t understand the risk-benefit balance. Researchers writing in the British Journal of Cancer (BJC) said that in a survey of about 2,200….
Continue ReadingCourt Nixes Litigation Standards Set by Pathologists
What if a truck drivers’ union tried to set standards for when juries could conclude that a driver was negligent in causing a motor vehicle wreck? Or what if a trucking company could defend its driver falling asleep at the wheel by showing that its other drivers had impeccable driving records? That’s about the situation….
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