Most women with cancer want a role in decisions

February 9, 2012 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - About two-thirds of women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer want to take part in making decisions about their treatment, according to a new survey of patients from five different countries.

Cancer trial participants may have misconceptions

February 9, 2012 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People enrolled in early stage trials for possible cancer treatments may underestimate the risks involved and overestimate the potential benefits, suggests a new study.

U.S. FDA sets draft rules for biotech drug copies

February 9, 2012 —

Gauging hype during Heart Month: 5 tests you might not need

February 9, 2012 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - February is American Heart Month and consumers will be bombarded with advice to keep their tickers healthy -- whether it's from the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women or the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's The Heart Truth.

REFILE: Komen charity under microscope for funding, science

February 8, 2012 — NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Susan G. Komen for the Cure charity defines its mission as finding a cure for breast cancer. In recent years, however, it has cut by nearly half the proportion of fund-raising dollars it spends on grants to scientists working to understand the causes and develop effective new treatments for the disease.

US FDA panel votes against wider use of Amgen drug

February 8, 2012 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An advisory panel on Wednesday recommended that U.S. health regulators reject the use of Amgen Inc's drug Xgeva to delay the spread of prostate cancer to the bone, dimming the chance of a wider use for one of the company's key growth drivers.

US consumers want tougher probe of engineered salmon

February 8, 2012 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three U.S. consumer groups petitioned the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday to subject a new genetically engineered salmon to a more rigorous review process than is now in place before the fish can be approved as safe to eat.

Spanking kids can cause long-term harm: Canada study

February 7, 2012 — TORONTO (Reuters) - Spanking children can cause long-term developmental damage and may even lower a child's IQ, according to a new Canadian analysis that seeks to shift the ethical debate over corporal punishment into the medical sphere.

Breast cancer kills older women more often

February 7, 2012 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Breast cancer is often considered more deadly among younger women, but a new study shows older women are actually more likely to die of the disease.

White House to spend more on Alzheimer's

February 7, 2012 —

Komen VP steps down after Planned Parenthood flap

February 7, 2012 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior executive of the breast cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure has resigned after a public outcry over the group's decision to cut funding to women's health organization Planned Parenthood.

Amateur tattoos carry hepatitis C risk: CDC

February 7, 2012 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - If you're planning on getting a tattoo, make sure it's from a professional and not your friend, says a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Ovarian cancer screening popular despite guidelines

February 6, 2012 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite expert guidelines and scientific evidence to the contrary, a third of U.S. primary care physicians believe ovarian cancer screening is effective and many would offer it to patients, according to a new survey.

Male smokers lose brain function faster as they age

February 6, 2012 — LONDON (Reuters) - Men who smoke suffer a more rapid decline in brain function as they age than their non-smoking counterparts, with their cognitive decline as rapid as someone 10 years older but who shuns tobacco, scientists said on Monday.

FDA staff unsure about new use for Amgen's Xgeva

February 6, 2012 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Reviewers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Monday that they were not sure whether Amgen Inc's Xgeva bone drug should be approved for a wider use of delaying the spread of cancer to the bone.