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USPSTF mammography recommendations: Avon Foundation for Women survey confirms states denying coverage

A recent Avon Foundation for Women survey confirms what the American College of Radiology and other experts warned would happen: states are using deeply flawed and widely discredited U.S. Preventative Services Task Force mammography recommendations to deny women coverage for mammograms, and many women are foregoing long proven, life-saving mammography care based on the mistaken USPSTF recommendations.

23 Feb 2010

Excessive weight gain during pregnancy linked to increased risk of gestational diabetes

Women who gain excessive weight during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, may increase their risk of developing diabetes later in their pregnancy, according to a study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research that appears online in the current issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

23 Feb 2010

Combining PARP inhibitors with existing cancer drugs promising

Ovarian and breast cancer treatments being developed that mix a protein inhibitor and traditional anticancer drugs are showing signs of success, according to a new review for Faculty of 1000 Biology Reports.

23 Feb 2010

Unique resource for families facing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer

When she was forty-two, Joi Morris learned that she has a genetic mutation on a gene known as BRCA2. This meant that her risk of getting breast cancer could be as high as 84 percent by age seventy, and that her risk for ovarian cancer was also high.

23 Feb 2010

Black women are more prone to peripartum cardiomyopathy around childbirth time

A study examining the incidence of peripartum cardiomyopathy in women who gave birth at a Medical College of Georgia's teaching hospital between July 2003 and July 2008, showed that while 55 percent of the women were white, 93 percent of those who developed cardiomyopathy were black, said Dr. Mindy B. Gentry, an MCG cardiologist.

23 Feb 2010

Combination of MRI and mammography reduces mortality rate in high-risk women

Annual breast cancer screening with both mammography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is likely to be a cost-effective way to improve life expectancy in women with an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a new study published in the March issue of Radiology.

23 Feb 2010

BioSante Pharmaceuticals' ongoing LibiGel Phase III clinical development program: Additional positive data

BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced additional positive safety data in its ongoing LibiGel Phase III clinical development program. For the second time, unblinded data have been reviewed by the independent DMC of the LibiGel Cardiovascular and Breast Cancer Safety Study. Based on this review, the DMC once again unanimously recommended continuation of the study as described in the FDA-agreed LibiGel safety study protocol, with no modifications.

22 Feb 2010

VA focuses on female veterans' struggles, disability claims backlog

News outlets explore issues at the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is seeking to cut a backlog in disability claims and also address the needs of female veterans.

22 Feb 2010

RNCRR uses Parascript' AccuDetect CAD software to detect breast cancer

Parascript, LLC, the image analysis and pattern recognition solution provider, today announced the use of its AccuDetect computer aided detection (CAD) software by the Russian Center for Roentgeno - Radiology Research in Moscow. RNCRR is Russia's largest, most recognized breast cancer oncology center.

22 Feb 2010

Greater New York City Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure commences one-year celebration of its 20th anniversary

The Greater New York City Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is kicking off a one-year celebration of its 20th anniversary with the publication of its first-ever eight-page full-color newsletter looking back on the past 20 years, recapping 2009 and gazing into the organization’s future.

22 Feb 2010

Study reveals underrepresentation of women in cardiovascular clinical trials

Women are substantially underrepresented in clinical trials used to formulate women's guidelines and are affected more than men by low social support after a heart attack, according to two studies in the women-themed issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, a journal of the American Heart Association.

20 Feb 2010

Early treatment and prevention of gum disease can positively impact many medical conditions

The eyes may be the window to the soul, but research is demonstrating that the mouth is the gateway to good health. In fact, a dental exam can reveal early symptoms of more than 100 diseases, as well as identify gum disease, which can have a negative effect on the body’s overall health.

20 Feb 2010

U.N. calls for $1.4B to fund basic needs in Haiti through the end of 2010

The U.N. on Thursday launched its "largest appeal following a natural disaster," calling for $1.4 billion "to provide food, water, shelter and sanitation to 3 million Haitians throughout 2010," Bloomberg/BusinessWeek reports (Varner, 2/18).

20 Feb 2010

News outlets examine HIV vaccine research, cervical cancer screening data presented at conference

Several news outlets examine the latest reports out of this week's Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco.

20 Feb 2010

Health worker training program cuts stillbirths by 30% in 6 developing countries, study says

The rate of stillbirths was cut by more than 30 percent after health workers in rural parts of six developing countries were trained "in how to help a newborn start breathing and to keep it warm and clean," according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Reuters reports. The trainees - who included midwives, nurses, traditional birth attendants and physicians - were given "hand-held pumps and masks to fill babies' lungs with air if they were not breathing at birth, clean-delivery kits to prevent infection and scales to measure their weight," the news service writes.

20 Feb 2010

Opinion: Violence against women, rebuilding Haiti, food security

"Violence against women is a global epidemic, threatening the lives and safety of women and girls around the world," Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, writes in a Baltimore Sun opinion piece in which he asserts his support of the International Violence Against Women Act. In the piece, Cardin describes how violence against women increases risks of health problems - such as dying in pregnancy and contracting HIV - and poverty (2/19).

20 Feb 2010

Amgen's Prolia Complete Response submission: FDA classifies and sets PDUFA date

Amgen Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has evaluated the content of the Company's Complete Response submission for Prolia™ (denosumab) in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and classified it as a Class 2 resubmission. With the Class 2 designation, the FDA set a corresponding Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of July 25, 2010.

20 Feb 2010

Unveil Your Pink: Excitement surrounds upcoming charity fundraiser

As March 20th grows near, excitement surrounding the upcoming charity fundraiser, "Unveil Your Pink", mounts. "Unveil Your Pink" is being organized by South Florida-based women's networking organization, Women On The Move, founded by Leslie Harris. The Charity Event, that benefits The South Florida Affiliate of Susan G. Komen For The Cure, features Real Housewife Of Atlanta, Lisa Wu Hartwell and DJ Cassidy.

19 Feb 2010

Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer: 10th anniversary

2010 marks the 10th anniversary of the only international conference dedicated to the critical issues of young breast cancer survivors and those who care about them. Nearly 1,000 young breast cancer survivors, caregivers and medical professionals from around the world are expected to attend the 10th Annual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer, to be held Friday, Feb. 26-Sunday, Feb. 28 at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel in Atlanta, Ga.

19 Feb 2010

10th Annual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer

Young women diagnosed with breast cancer are uniquely impacted by issues often not faced by older women. Breast cancer is often detected at later stages, increasing diagnoses of more advanced cancers. The impact of cancer treatment on fertility, body image, financial challenges, and slightly higher mortality rates are significant concerns for this population.

19 Feb 2010