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Daily Women's Health Policy Report Summarizes Studies Examining Ovarian Cancer
The following summarizes recent research related to ovarian cancer.~ Early periods linked to lower survival: Women who start menstruating at an early age or experience more menstrual cycles over their lifetimes appear to have a lower chance of surviving ovarian cancer, according to a study published this month in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention, Reuters reports. For the study, researcher Cheryl Robbins and colleagues analyzed the medical data of 410 ovarian cancer patients who participated in the Cancer and Steroid Hormone study between 1980 and 1982. The analysis found that the women who had their first period before age 12 had a 51% greater risk of dying than the women who began menstruating at age 14 or older. The women who had the highest number of lifetime menstrual cycles had a 67% greater risk of dying during follow-up than the women with the lowest number of cycles (Reuters, 7/24).~ Lung cancer risk higher for women after hysterectomy with ovary removal: Women who have had hysterectomies in which their uterus and both ovaries are removed to prevent ovarian cancer appear to have a higher risk for developing lung cancer, according to researchers at the University of Montreal, the New York Times reports. The researchers discovered the connection while looking for links between lung cancer and hormones for a study published in May in the International Journal of Cancer. Although they did not find a relationship between lung cancer risk and hormonal factors such as menstruation patterns, child-bearing or breastfeeding, the researchers found that women who had medically induced menopause had 1.92 times greater risk of developing lung cancer than women who had natural menopause (Caryn Rabin, New York Times, 7/24).~ Small tumors present for years before detection: Minute-sized ovarian tumors form and remain in the Fallopian tubes for an average of four years before they grow large enough to be detected, which might suggest why ovarian cancer frequently is diagnosed in its later stages, according to a study published in the journal PLoS Medicine, Reuters reports. For the study, lead researcher Patrick Brown of Stanford University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and colleagues analyzed the tumors of women whose Fallopian tubes and ovaries were removed because they had family histories of and genetic risk for ovarian cancer. They found small tumors -- most less than three millimeters in diameter -- that previously had not been detected in the women. In a statement, Brown said, "There is a long window of opportunity for potentially lifesaving early detection of this disease, but the tumor spreads while it is still much too small to be detected by any of the tests that have been developed or proposed to date." According to Reuters, blood tests for the compound called CA-125 may help guide therapy but do not indicate whether a woman has a tumor (Reuters, 7/28).
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Cost-Effective Measures Could Stop Child Pneumonia Deaths
Implementing measures to improve nutrition, indoor air pollution, immunization coverage and the management of pneumonia cases could be cost-effective and significantly reduce child mortality from pneumonia, according to a study led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Researchers found that these strategies combined could reduce total child mortality by 17 percent and could reduce pneumonia deaths by more than 90 percent. Pneumonia is a leading cause of death of infants in many developing countries, resulting in 2.2 million deaths each year. The study is published in the June 2009 issue of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.
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Med Schools Improve Conflict Of Interest Policies, But Widespread Problems Remain
According to the latest ratings of two watchdog groups, medical schools are "improving their conflict-of-interest policies to police their ties with drug and medical-device makers. But more than half the schools still have inadequate policies or no policies at all," the Wall Street Journal"s Health Blog reports. The American Medical Student Association and the Pew Prescription Project said the number of schools earning top marks had more than doubled, in part because of pressure from lawmakers like Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. But, "there are a lot of schools that are yet to look seriously at these issues," the director of the Pew project said.
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Newsfrom The July Issue Of Chest

SMOKING CESSATION MAY PROVIDE IMMEDIATE BENEFIT TO HEART A new article suggests smoking cessation provides immediate benefits to patients. Researchers from the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, NY, examined specific inflammatory biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in "at risk" women during the smoking cessation process. Results showed that smoking cessation resulted in significant reductions in circulating tumor necrosis factor (TNF), soluble TNF receptors I and II, and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). Researchers conclude that there are rapid consequences of smoking cessation on inflammatory biomarkers in women at risk for CVD. The article is published in the July issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians. ELECTRICAL MUSCLE STIMULATION MAY BENEFIT PATIENTS WITH COPD Patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic heart failure (CHF) may be physically limited by the severity of their disease, potentially leading to skeletal muscular impairment or muscle atrophy. New research shows that these patients may benefit from neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). Researchers from The Netherlands reviewed 14 trials that examined the use of NMES in patients with CHF and COPD. They found that many of the studies reported significant improvements in muscle strength, exercise capacity, and/or health status. Researchers conclude that, although NMES looks promising for patients with COPD and CHF, additional studies are warranted. This study is published in the July issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians. DEATHS FROM PULMONARY FIBROSIS HIGHEST IN WINTER New research shows that mortality from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and/or pulmonary fibrosis (PF) may be highest during the winter months. Using death records from the National Center for Health Statistics, a research team from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, CO, calculated the monthly mortality rates for persons with PF. Results showed that mortality rates from PF significantly varied by season. The average mortality rate among all persons with PF was 17.1 percent higher in the winter, 12.7 percent higher in spring, and 5.2 percent higher in fall than in the summer months. This study is published in the July issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians. LONG-ACTING í²2-AGONISTS MAY NOT BENEFIT ASTHMA PATIENTS New research shows that long-acting í²2-agonists (LABAs) may not have a clinically significant antiinflammatory effect as once believed. LABAs are recommended as add-on therapy to antiinflammatory treatment in chronic persistent asthma. However, in a metaanalysis of 32 studies (n=1,105 patients), researchers from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, found that LABA therapy had no effect on sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), or mucosal inflammatory cell findings in adults or children. LABAs did decrease exhaled nitric oxide levels and BAL albumin levels in adults, suggesting a possible benefit. The study is published in the July issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians. Jennifer Stawarz American College of Chest Physicians


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