by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.
Well, here we go. Many recent studies, including one I referenced Wednesday, have lauded drinking alcohol for its heart and stroke benefits. Now comes a large British study saying, “not so fast.” Any alcohol at all may increase risk of cancer.
The study was done in women, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t apply to men, also. (more…)
by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.
A while back, I blogged about a study that suggested over-the-counter lidocaine gel decreases the discomfort of a mammogram. (The gel numbs the skin after you rub it on.)
Recently, the FDA issued an alert reminding us that, although there were no serious side effects in the study, this same lidocaine gel and similar numbing agents can cause life-threatening side effects if you absorb too much through the skin. Rarely, it has caused heart irregularities, seizures, breathing problems, coma and death.
A lot to risk for the minimal benefit found in the study, don’t you think? In small amounts it appears to be safe, but the FDA recommends:
by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.
The Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported good news in its annual report to the nation on the status of cancer. Newly diagnosed cancer rates in men declined 1.6 percent per year from 2001 to 2005. In women, they declined 0.6 percent per year from 1997 to 2005. Ten out of 15 of the most common cancers went down.
Not all was good news, as you will see below, but it is a start.
Specifically, the cancers that declined in women were:
Who decides these things? I don’t know, but it any time is good to be aware of breast cancer. This year there will be an estimated 182,460 newly diagnosed cases in women and 1,990 in men. 40,480 women will die along with 450 men.
Catching the disease early will significantly increase your risk of survival and cure. How do you do this? There has been some controversy, this year on performing self-breast exams.
by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.
Christina Applegate, age 36, is a role model for women regarding breast cancer detection. Although details are not available, she apparently caught it at an early stage. Therefore her prospects of full recovery are good. She probably had the lump removed and may have a few rounds of chemotherapy. If not detected early, the prognosis would have be much more dire.
So how did she find it so early? Was it just good luck, or did her regular checkups pay off? From early news reports it was the latter. Here is why I believe that.
I’ve asked ob-gyn Susan Warhus, M.D., one of our editorial-board members, to comment on whether women should still be doing breast exams, and she’s kindly obliged. She’s author of Fertility Demystified, Countdown to Baby and Darn Good Advice—Pregnancy.
—James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.
by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.
One of my managing editor’s Twitter friends, “autismfamily,” asked a very relevant question after reading yesterday’s blog: With knowledge from recent publicized studies, should women still do breast self-exams?
by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.
Over-the-counter lidocaine gel, a topical anesthetic (numbs up your skin) applied to the breasts and chest about an hour before a mammogram reduce discomfort and pain, according to a study published online at Radiology.
Some women won’t get a mammogram due to this discomfort. The breast has to be somewhat compressed in order for the test to be effective. This study showed that lidocaine gel be worth a try.
