Home > News

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

Annual Cancer Study Yields Good News and Bad

Lung cancer rates among American women have begun to drop for the first time ever, according to results of an annual survey released Thursday. The diagnosis rate has fallen about 2 percent each year since 1998, and female deaths from the disease have remained steady since about 1995, according to the report.

The study, co-sponsored by the U.S. National Institute and the American Cancer Society, also found that survival rates for other types of cancer -- notably those of the colon and kidney -- are improving for both men and women, according to HealthDay.

The encouraging news from the just-released Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer appears in the June 3 issue of the journal Cancer. The latest annual overview covers the period from 1975 to 2001.

Not all the news is positive, however. The decline in death rates was more dramatic in men than in women from 1992 to 2001. And, most minority groups continued to have a higher risk of dying from cancer than whites, the survey's authors concluded.

-----

Junk Food Reigns Supreme in U.S. Diet

Almost one-third of the average American's diet comes from sugary snacks and sodas at the expense of healthier options like fruits and vegetables, researchers from the University of California at Berkley concluded from a new study.

A 1999-2000 analysis involving more than 4,500 adults found that three food groups -- sweets and desserts, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages -- comprised about 25 percent of calories consumed by the average American. Another 5 percent was attributed to salty snacks and fruit-flavored drinks, the study's authors said in a prepared statement.

Results of the study, in which 144 separate food items were categorized in to 23 food groups, appear in the June issue of the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis.

Here's a quick summary of the findings:

-----

FDA Experts Fault Labeling on Athlete's Foot Products

Despite package claims to the contrary, any over-the-counter athlete's foot remedy isn't likely to quash the fungal disease quickly and may not work at all unless the directions are followed very carefully, according to analysis by two expert government panels.

As reported by the Washington Post, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration committees criticized patient directions on some product packaging as insufficient. One FDA expert said he believed that manufacturers were inappropriately encouraging shorter treatment regimens in order to improve the attractiveness of their products.

While athlete's foot is normally a benign condition, the slow-growing fungus usually doesn't respond quickly to treatment, the newspaper reported. In some cases, patches left untreated can progress to bacterial infections, especially among people with underlying problems like diabetes.

Manufacturers of two popular OTC products report effectiveness rates of between 60 percent and 70 percent, a figure disputed by some of the FDA experts, the Post reported. In some cases, they pointed out, a complete cure isn't ever possible.

Over the next few months, the full FDA will consider the advice offered by the expert panels, an agency spokesman said. This could lead to better packaging advice on how to use the products and more stringent requirements that dictate how future products are tested, the newspaper said.

-----

Genetic Engineering Protects Calves From Mad Cow

A genetically engineered bovine embryo free of both copies of the gene that activates prion proteins -- which can cause mad cow disease -- has been created by Hematech, LLC of Sioux Falls, S.D.

Live animals produced from such embryos would not have prions and would be unable to contract mad cow disease, which can be caused by misfolded prion proteins, according to a company news release.

Animals created using these genetically engineered fetuses could prove ideal for the production of human polyclonal antibodies, which may be used to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and immune deficiency.

"Our goal is to develop a bovine productions system that will enable Hematech to rapidly produce unlimited quantities of safe, fully human antibodies for a variety of therapeutic uses," Hematech CEO James Barton said in a prepared statement.

-----

Kraft Alters Portion Reductions

Kraft Foods Inc., the largest food company in the United States, has altered plans to reduce single-serve package portion sizes as part of its anti-obesity actions announced last year.

The company announced Tuesday that it will not reduce some portion sizes in single-serve packages. Kraft said that's because consumers want to be able to choose whether to buy smaller packages, the Associated Press reported.

"After conducting consumer research and gathering other stakeholder input, Kraft plants to implement a new, twofold approach to smaller packages, rather than its previously announced plan to cap the portion size of single-serve packages," the company explained in a written statement.

Kraft plans to offer a wide range of portion-size choices, and to provide nutrition information for entire packages instead of for individual portions, in order to help consumers make informed choices, the AP reported.

As part of its anti-obesity efforts, Kraft has also promised to alter some product recipes, stop snack giveaway marketing efforts at schools, and encourage people to adopt healthier habits.

Copyright © 2004 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.