Guest guest Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 Well, I'm waaaay over limit with my postings today...but I'm about to be offline until next Tuesday so I hope this all balances out, in the end! I created this post a couple of weeks ago, actually, but somehow thought I had already posted it here. EEEEEEK! My *sometimers* kicked in, methinks, and there the email posting content sat on my desktop going nowhere fast. Sigh. At any rate, this post was originally pulled together shortly after the Society for Interventional Radiology conference in Phoenix, Arizona late last month. NUFF was actually an exhibitor this year -- and boy did it keep me hopping! First off, I do want to thank Esther and for helping me out and sharing booth responsibilities so that I could attend some of the medical sessions. Sincerely appreciated and a great surprise in getting to meet and visit with both of you! I also want to thank my *sweetheart* for all that he did in getting me to Phoenix and also for helping me to set up and take down the booth. Oh, the truly, truly GREAT news: A couple of news stories published during/directly after the conference AND a couple of news stories currently in process which were due to my presence at the conference. In the coming months...look for stories in the Wall Street Journal and on 20/20! Now...for some collected links/stories that were meant to be posted oh, say, ~3 weeks or so ago: *************************** Early Life Exposure to Environmental Agents Predicts Adult Tumors in Animals M. D. News Release 03/30/04 For gene-environment interactions, the timing of the environmental exposure may be critical, say researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Cancer Center. In a unique animal study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, the scientists found that rats susceptible to developing uterine tumors inevitably developed tumors when exposed to an environmental toxin just three days after birth. A single, three-day exposure was enough to " reprogram " the uterus to respond to normal hormonal signals in a way that promoted tumor growth. Read the rest here: http://www.mdanderson.org/departments/newsroom/display.cfm?id=7B02E842-022B= -4A12-B13548762D8E81C3&method=displayFull&pn=00c8a30f-c468-11d4-80fb00508b60= 3a14 *************************** FDA approves Boston Scientific fibroids treatment Reuters, 03.29.04, 3:05 PM ET CHICAGO (Reuters) - Boston Scientific Corp. said Monday it has received regulatory approval for a less-invasive treatment for symptomatic uterine fibroids. Read the rest here: http://www.forbes.com/markets/newswire/2004/03/29/rtr1315669.html The " official " press release on this from Boston Scientific: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040329/nem022_1.html The " eyebrow raising " press release from the Society of Interventional Radiology: http://www.sirweb.org/news/newsPDF/myomectomy_releasefinal.pdf *************************** Options for women suffering in silence LA Times, March 29, 2004 By Marsa, Special to The Times Uterine fibroids may be benign, but they're far from harmless. These tumors, growing inside a woman's uterus, can be as small as a pea or as large as a melon. They can cause cramps, bloating, pain during intercourse, miscarriages and vaginal bleeding so heavy that it can lead to anemia. Many sufferers feel the urge to urinate frequently, even in the middle of the night, because the fibroids press against their bladders. Read the rest here (LA Times subscription required—it's free): http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-lab29mar29,1,5601665.story?col= l=la-headlines-health *************************** More Options to Treat Fibroids Uterine Fibroid Embolization Offers Quick Relief and Fast Recovery From Fibroid Symptoms By Peggy Peck WebMD Medical News March 26, 2004 (Phoenix) -- Many middle-aged women a have bothersome fibroids -- benign tumors that can cause lower pelvic pain or pressure and abnormal uterine bleeding. Most of these women are likely to undergo hysterectomies, but a new study gives hope that a nonsurgical approach may be a better option. Read the rest here: http://my.webmd.com/content/article/84/98239.htm?z=1728_00000_1000_ln_05 Yet another story covering the same info: Embolization Bests Surgery for Fibroid Treatment Procedure offers shorter hospital stay and faster recovery, study finds By Serena Gordon HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, March 26 (HealthDayNews) -- A minimally invasive procedure called uterine fibroid embolization to treat fibroids provides faster recovery times and shorter hospital stays than surgery, a new study concludes. " Women want options. They want to try to find a non-surgical answer that can provide relief from their horrible symptoms, " says study co-author Dr. Lipman, an interventional radiologist at Radiology Associates of Atlanta. " Uterine fibroid embolization is a non-surgical alternative that is safe and effective. It's a wonderful procedure for those who want to avoid surgery. " Read the rest here: http://drkoop.com/template.asp?page=newsdetail&ap=93&id=518094 *************************** The following news story is driving me nuts….mostly because I've yet to read a single journalistic piece which asks the critical question: What about endometrial ablation? Or, localized therapy, as with the Mirena IUS? Why did these women who went on to have hysterectomy after failed medical therapy (oral progestin) not consider ablation or an IUS? Or, possibly even testing for von Willebrand's, given that 10% of women with abnormal bleeding actually may have von Willebrand's? Frustrating and infuriating to continue to read a truly slackard approach to medical reporting based only on press releases and not at all on critical thinking, broad analysis, or the potential social implications of headline-grabbing-short-sighted-tabloid journalism. Blech. Is there a medical reporter out there with press release in hand who can actually think outside of " the box " these days? Oy. Literally hundreds of media sources reported on this one with nary an original thought added: Studies Find Hysterectomy Viable Yet Avoidable Women can turn to surgery, but other options are available By Gardner HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, March 23 (HealthDayNews) -- Two new studies on hysterectomy and quality of life conclude that, while there may be a place for surgery in easing abnormal bleeding, it often depends on the individual woman. " It's kind of a judgment call, " says Dr. R. , co-author of an editorial accompanying the two studies in the March 24/31 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. " It depends a lot on the woman. A lot of women don't want surgery. Others say they're just tired and want to get it done. " Read the rest here: http://www.healthday.com/view.cfm?id=518035 http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/472287 And, even more on this: New Study Indicates That Hysterectomy Leads to Better Outcomes and Greater Patient Satisfaction than Medicine for Abnormal Uterine Bleeding 3/24/2004 WASHINGTON,--(HISPANIC PR WIRE - U.S. Newswire)--March 24, 2004--After unsuccessful treatment with a common hormonal medication, women with abnormal uterine bleeding who underwent hysterectomies experienced greater improvement in their symptoms and expressed higher satisfaction with their overall health 6 months after treatment than women who were prescribed an alternate regimen of oral medication for the same condition, according to a study funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and published in March 24/31 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Read the rest here: http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=15371 *************************** April 05, 2004 09:02 AM US Eastern Timezone BioSphere Medical To Announce 1st Quarter, 2004 Earnings Results ROCKLAND, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 5, 2004--BIOSPHERE MEDICAL, (NASDAQ:BSMD), a medical device company that is pioneering the use of bioengineered microspheres to treat hypervascularized tumors and vascular malformations by occluding their blood supply, announced today that it will hold its quarterly conference call to discuss first quarter results on Thursday, April 29th at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (10 a.m. Central Time). Read the rest here: http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_vi= ew&newsId=20040405005448&newsLang=en ************************ And, finally, unrelated to fibroids but distinctly related to the issue of reproductive rights, the following story from Kenya is a painful reminder of just how bad it could potentially be, once again, without Roe v Wade in this nation. My greatest pain on this issue? How it is that this nation can say it is " okay " to abort a fetus but not okay to want to keep our uterus by defying the hysterectomy recommendation. We are distinctly a nation of rich dichotomy in thoughts and actions. How law and stigma conspire to kill Kenya's women By Mildred Ngesa Karimi, 21-year-old school leaver She showed up at a health centre with abdominal pain and distension and a watery discharge. She denied having interfered with the pregnancy. She was sent away and told to come back later as the skilled medical provider who could attend to her was off duty for two days. She returned a few days later jaundiced, anaemic and fatigued. She was in more pain and the abdominal distension had increased. On examination, a coat hanger was found in the uterine cavity. She was referred to a facility about 100 kilometres away as this health centre did not have theatre facilities. She had no money for transport and was unable to seek care until a day later. On reaching the referral facility. Read the rest here: http://www.eastandard.net/reports/rep04040401.htm ************************ Speaking as an individual representing only myself, the stories of the women in the above piece from Kenya are a prime example of precisely why I'll be in Washington, D.C. on April 25 this year, marching in our nation's capital for women's rights to Choice, Justice, Access, Health, Abortion, and Global and Family Planning. It's not just about abortion -- it's about retaining autonomy and individual control over reproductive organs and much, much more. http://www.marchforwomen.org/ I'll be the one wearing a " Got Ovaries! " t-shirt and a NUFF baseball cap. Hope to see YOU there, too! By best to all of you, Carla Dionne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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