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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Parents of Kids With ADHD Should Be Tested: Study

Parents of children newly diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should be tested for the condition themselves, University of Maryland researchers conclude from a new study.

These parents are more than 20 times more likely than average parents to also have the disorder, according to the research published in December's Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

As many as 7 percent of American school-age children have ADHD, the Washington Post reports. The disorder is characterized by an inability to organize and pay attention. The researchers warn that children with these symptoms could suffer a double whammy if their parents exhibit the same tendencies. That situation could lead to missed pediatrician appointments and forgetting to give the child medication, for example.

Despite strong evidence that this type of disorder tends to run in families, treatment options traditionally focus on the individual instead of the family has a whole, the Post reports.

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Novel Skin Cancer Treatment Found Less Effective

A new, non-surgical treatment for a mild form of skin cancer appears to be less effective than surgery in preventing a recurrence, says a new study from Britain, where the treatment is used fairly regularly.

The regimen, called photodynamic therapy, is meant to treat basal cell skin cancer, among the most common and treatable forms of cancer. Usually caused by overexposure to the sun, it is diagnosed in some 2 million people annually, the Associated Press reports.

Photodynamic therapy uses a combination of a cancer-killing skin cream and concentrated light to activate the cream. Last year, an expert advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended against approving the treatment -- brand named Metvix -- in the United States, the AP reports.

The therapy got higher marks in the 101-person British study than surgery for its cosmetic results. But five of the cancers treated with Metvix recurred, vs. one recurrence among patients who had surgery, the AP reports.

Metvix's manufacturer, PhotoCure based in Oslo, Norway, points out that the treatment can be repeated if cancer comes back.

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Dan Rather Has Skin Cancer Surgery

Dan Rather recently had facial surgery for basal cell skin cancer, the 72-year-old CBS anchor told his audience upon his return Monday from several days of recuperation.

Rather said he expects a full recovery following treatment for the most common and easily treated form of skin cancer, according to a CNN account. He urged his viewers to be examined for signs of the disease, which include a reddish patch, pink growth or shiny bump.

Calling the surgery "a humbling learning experience," Rather thanked his audience for its "understanding and concern."

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Japan Not Ready to Lift Ban on U.S. Beef

Japanese agriculture officials say they have no plans to lift their ban against U.S. beef, following the diagnosis of mad cow disease in a Washington state Holstein last month.

A Japanese team that returned home Monday from an 11-day visit to the United States and Canada said cattle in both countries were still vulnerable to an outbreak of the illness, the Associated Press reports.

Japan, the world's largest importer of U.S. beef, banned Canadian beef after a case of mad cow disease was discovered in Alberta eight months ago. The infected U.S. cow also came from Alberta.

U.S. and Canadian officials are urging Japan to lift the bans, saying they have taken the steps necessary to protect their beef. But the Japanese officials say those measures aren't enough, the AP reports.

Mad cow disease is thought to be spread by recycling meat and bones from infected animals back into cattle feed. U.S. officials have prohibited giving it to cattle but still allow it to be fed to other livestock, the news service says.

Scientists believe people who eat the brain or central nervous system from an infected cow can develop a variant illness called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. It was blamed for 143 deaths in Britain during a mad cow disease outbreak in the 1980s.

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U.S. Generics Can Be Cheaper Than Canadian Drugs, FDA Says

Americans could save more money by buying certain generic medications at home than by purchasing the brand-name equivalents from Canadian sources, according to research from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported by the Associated Press.

The FDA analyzed seven popular drugs whose generic versions often outsell the brand names: the antidepressant Prozac; blood pressure medicines Lopressor, Prinivil, and Vasotec; the anti-anxiety medication Xanax; the anti-seizure drug Klonopin; and the diabetes drug Glucophage.

Among the FDA findings: Canadian Xanax was roughly nine times the price of the U.S. generic per milligram; Canadian Vasotec five times the U.S. price; and Canadian Prozac 1.3 times the U.S. price. Glucophage was the exception -- the U.S. generic costs more than Canada's brand-name version, the AP reports.

While Canadian price controls mean its brand-name drugs can cost as little as half as much as U.S. equivalents, not all drugs are available in generic form, the AP points out. New drugs normally sell for several years before generic competition is allowed.

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Poll: Health-Care Concerns Rival Terrorism Worries

Americans' concerns about rising health-care costs now rival worries about terrorism, according to an annual Associated Press poll of the most pressing issues in the United States.

While 21 percent of respondents cited terrorism as a top concern, 19 percent mentioned health-care costs. The poll was taken in early January, when the nation was still under a heightened terror alert that has since been lowered.

The health-care issue rose from 11 percent as a top concern in last year's poll, and 5 percent two years ago.

In this year's survey, twice as many women (26 percent) cited health-care costs as a top issue, compared to men (13 percent). The AP-Ipsos poll of 1,000 adults was taken Jan. 5-7 and has a margin or error of 3 percentage points.

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