Reuters News is reporting that doctors who perform colonoscopies should not be worried that they may lose business to so-called virtual colonoscopies, despite reports that both approaches work equally well at detecting colon cancer.

My Take?

USA Today is reporting on the confusion that consumers, in general, and parents, in particular, are having about the safety of chemicals in plastic. Even federal government agencies don’t agree about the hazards posed by bisphenol A, or BPA, an estrogen-like chemical used in plastic that has been detected in the bodies of 93% of Americans tested. The FDA says it’s safe, but new studies question its safety.

My Take?

Reuters is reporting that experts are clashing over the safety of the cholesterol drug Vytorin as full results from a controversial study were presented at Europe’s biggest medical congress. Researchers involved in the so-called SEAS study – highlights of which were first released in July – said there was no credible evidence linking Vytorin to cancer and that the higher number of cases seen in the trial was simply a fluke.

My Take?

WebMD Health News is reporting that four commonly used moisturizers promoted skin cancers in mouse studies. The moisturizers tested in the study were Dermabase, Dermovan (a wholesale-only product discontinued in 2006), Eucerin Original Moisturizing Cream, and Vanicream.

My Take?

Reuters and a number of other news agencies are reporting that the cholesterol fighter Vytorin s failed to meet the main goal of a study. They are also reporting that it is causing cancer. Are they telling you the truth?

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MedPage is reporting a systematic Cochrane review concluding that breast self-examination does not reduce breast cancer mortality and may cause harm by prompting unnecessary biopsies. This recommendation is based upon studies that include almost 400,000 women.

My Take?

USA Today is reporting that testing for vitamin D levels, once uncommon, has skyrocketed as medical studies raise awareness about vitamin D deficiencies. Physicians agree that they’re increasingly using the blood test to find out whether their patients are low on the vital vitamin.

My Take?

CBS News is featuring a report from Health magazine reporting on a UCLA study which lists the ten healthiest fruit juices. The study took into account the antioxidant levels of the juices. Pomegranate was judged the healthiest of the fruit juices because it contains the most of every type of antioxidant. It wins in all categories. And it’s thought that it might do some very good things; it may protect against some cancers, such as prostate cancer. It might also modify heart disease risk factors, and it could be healthy for your heart. So pomegranate was the clear winner.

My Take?

Reuters is reporting that World Health Organization’s cancer agency is concluding that using chewing tobacco and snuff is less dangerous than cigarettes, which is linked to lung cancer. However, the smokeless products still raise the risk of oral cancer by 80 percent and the risk of esophageal and pancreatic cancer by 60 percent.

My Take?

The AP is reporting that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is cracking down on teas, supplements, creams, and other products that falsely claim to cure, treat, or prevent cancer, even though they are not agency-approved drugs. All are available for sale on the Internet. 

The agency has sent 25 warning letters to companies and individuals marketing these products, FDA officials said Tuesday. Twenty-three of the letters went to domestic companies and two to foreign individuals.

An AP story is reporting, “Many people do not get … straight talk” about cancer “from doctors, who often think they are doing patients a favor by keeping hope alive.” 

The study, presented at an American Society of Clinical Oncology conference, reports that oncologists who believe this “are wrong.”

Reuters is reporting new research suggesting that the correct interpretation of mammography results varies between facilities. Moreover, there are characteristics that predict which facilities are likely to provide more accurate readings.

“The most surprising finding,” according to one of the researchers, “was that there were characteristics that did explain some of the differences” in the facilities. “This is good news because it means that facilities could begin to consider adopting characteristics associated with better performance.”