Ovarian And Endometrial Cancer Patients Experience Improved Outcomes When Treated First By A Gynecologic Oncologist

For the first time, accumulated data
demonstrates that women diagnosed with a reproductive cancer, especially
ovarian and uterine (endometrial) cancers, experience improved outcomes
when treated first by a gynecologic oncologist. The 2008 State of the State
of Gynecologic Cancers: Sixth Annual Report to the Women of America,
published by the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF), details these
results.



Gynecologic oncologists are physicians committed to the comprehensive
treatment of women with cancer. After completing four years of medical
school and four years of residency in obstetrics and gynecology, these
physicians pursue an additional three to four years of training in
gynecologic oncology through a rigorous fellowship program overseen by the
American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Gynecologic oncologists are
not only trained to be skilled surgeons capable of performing wide-ranging
cancer operations, but also are trained in prescribing the appropriate
chemotherapy for those conditions and/or radiation therapy when indicated.
Frequently, gynecologic oncologists are involved in research studies and
clinical trials that are aimed at finding more effective and less toxic
treatments to further advance the field and improve cure rates.



"While only approximately 1/3 of women with ovarian cancer receive
their initial surgery for ovarian cancer from a gynecologic oncologist,
those who do are more likely to experience the appropriate and recommended
surgery," said Dr. Carol Brown, Medical Editor of the report and Associate
Attending Surgeon, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. "Moreover,
gynecologic oncologists are more likely to perform radical procedures
during surgery resulting in a lower volume of residual disease. Data shows
that patients operated on by surgeons more likely to use radical surgical
procedures doubled their median survival time," she continued.



Endometrial cancer patients also have better outcomes when their
initial surgery is performed by a gynecologic oncologist. This is true for
two primary reasons: First, gynecologic oncologists are more likely to
perform complete surgical staging that includes removal of lymph nodes from
the pelvis and aortic regions. Second, when treating women with Stage I
endometrial cancer, gynecologic oncologists are less likely to recommend
follow-up radiation therapy. This reduces the cost of care by 31 percent,
prevents complications from over-treatment and offers patients a better
quality of life.



Similar benefits are experienced by patients diagnosed with other
gynecologic cancers, primarily due to the extensive surgical skills of
gynecologic oncologists.



The membership of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologist (SGO) is
comprised primarily of gynecologic oncologists. "Our purpose as a
profession is to help women achieve the best possible outcome from their
gynecologic cancer diagnosis," stated Dr. Thomas Burke, SGO president. "It
is our hope that the data in this report will help women and their
healthcare providers make the appropriate decision regarding their care,"
he added.



"The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (ACOG)
recognizes that generalist obstetrician-gynecologists provide the majority
of cancer screening and long-term follow up care for their patients," said
Dr. Douglas Kirkpatrick, ACOG President. "This GCF/SGO report points out
how collaboration with a gynecologic oncologist, where available, for
cancer treatment and continuing care may provide additional benefit," Dr.
Kirkpatrick stated.



To obtain a copy of the report or to learn more about gynecologic
cancers, visit GCF's Women's Cancer Network(TM) at wcn.



The Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF), founded by the Society of
Gynecologic Oncologists in 1991, is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization
whose mission is to ensure public awareness of gynecologic cancer
prevention, early diagnosis and proper treatment. In addition, the
Foundation supports research and training related to gynecologic cancers.
GCF advances this mission by increasing public and private funds that aid
in the development and implementation of programs to meet these goals.


Gynecologic Cancer Foundation

wcn

Women Who Consume Olive Oil Preserve Their Bone Mass Better

A study from the Harokopio University of Athens (Greece) determines that adherence to a dietary pattern close to the Mediterranean diet, with high consumption of fish and olive oil and low red meat intake, has a significant impact in women skeletal health.


Results suggest that this eating pattern could have bone-preserving properties throughout adult life.


Diet is one of the modifiable factors for the development and maintenance of bone mass. The nutrients of most obvious relevance to bone health are calcium and phosphorus because they compose roughly 80% to 90% of the mineral content of bone; protein, other minerals and vitamins are also essential in bone preservation.


Traditional analysis has focused on the relation between a specific nutrient (e.g. calcium) and bone health. But, researchers of the Harokopio University of Athens, Greece, carried out a study in two hundred twenty adult Greek women, which is valuable for the understanding of the effect of meals, consisting of several food items, in skeletal mass.


Scientists examined whether adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, rich in plant foods and olive oil, low in meat and dairy products, and with moderate intake of alcohol, or other dietary patterns, have any significant impact on bone mass maintenance in adult Greek women. They determined that adherence to a dietary pattern with some of the features of the Mediterranean diet, i.e., rich in fish and olive oil and low in red meat and products, is positively associated with the indices of bone mass.


These results suggest Oleociencia News inform- that this eating pattern could have bone-preserving properties throughout adult life.


This paper has been published in 2009 in Nutrition magazine; and has been Meropi D. Kontogianni, Labros Melistas, Mary Yannakoulia, Ioannis Malagaris, Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos, and Nikos Yiannakouris of the Harokopio University of Athens, Greece.


Scientific Reference: Association between dietary patterns and indices of bone mass in a sample of Mediterranean women- Nutrition 25 (2009) 165??"171


GDESCO

oleociencia

Blogs Comment On Supreme Court Pregnancy Leave Ruling, Obama's Notre Dame Speech, Other Topics

The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries.

~ "Peaceful Revolution: Another Blow to Women," Debra Ness, Huffington Post blogs: The Supreme Court's ruling this week in AT&T Corp. v. Hulteen "dealt a serious and painful blow to working women and the families who rely on their retirement benefits," Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women and Families, writes. The ruling "affects a limited number of people," and it "would be easy to ignore them -- easy, but terribly wrong," Ness continues. "This ruling sends a terrible message about whether discrimination will bring penalties and costs, and whether the courts will address the ongoing effects of prior discrimination," she writes. Ness notes that the ruling "couldn't come at a worse time," adding, "In today's grim economic climate, women and their families cannot afford to see their retirement benefits kept lower by discriminatory workplace policies that should have been remedied decades ago." Ness writes that it is "sobering that, at a time when negative stereotypes about pregnant women clearly persist, we have a Supreme Court that doesn't stand firm for equal rights and equal opportunity." She concludes, "It's a good reminder of what's at stake with the Supreme Court nomination President Obama is about to make" (Ness, Huffington Post blogs, 5/21).

~ "This Week in Religion and Politics," Sarah Posner, American Prospect's "The FundamentaList": When "viewed in the context of Obama's entire faith-based outreach project, the events" surrounding the University of Notre Dame's commencement ceremony "highlighted how he has embraced traditionalist, conservative religion -- to the detriment of sexual and reproductive justice," Posner writes. President Obama has "focused his outreach efforts" to reduce the need for abortion "on more conservative religious groups" and "claims to honor their position on moral issues," Posner writes. However, "when the dust settles on the Notre Dame controversy, he'll have to figure out what to do with the policy advice he has sought" from the White House Office on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, she continues. Posner adds, "How Obama reacts to that advice will demonstrate whether the council is mere window dressing to shore up support from swing constituencies or whether Obama will yield to conservative religious dogma on reproductive-health issues." Meanwhile, Christian conservatives have been "making hay of the findings" of recent Pew and Gallup polls that found more U.S. residents identifying with "pro-life" positions and using the data to argue "that Obama's position is out of touch with the majority of Americans," Posner writes. However, as bloggers at The Monkey Cage and FiveThirtyEight have pointed out, the polls are not representative of most U.S. residents' views on abortion rights, she writes. "Because of that deception on reproductive rights, it's more important than ever for the president to lay the moral groundwork for his own position -- not just to recognize the moral qualms of abortion opponents," Posner says (Posner, "The FundamentaList," American Prospect, 5/20).














~ "Meghan McCain Preaches What She Practices," Willa Paskin, Slate's "XX Factor": Meghan McCain -- Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) daughter -- "acquitted herself quite admirably" on Monday's episode of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" by "defending her core position" that the Republican Party "needs to appeal to younger voters, and it can only do so by getting liberal on social issues," Paskin writes. On the show, McCain said, "I think it's not realistic for this generation to be just plain abstinent, I think we need to have sex education with condoms and birth control. ... I would never practice anything I didn't preach." Paskin also includes a video clip of McCain's appearance (Paskin, "XX Factor," Slate, 5/19).

~ "Skill the Messenger," Cristina Page, Birth Control Watch: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's (R) 18-year-old daughter Bristol -- who was recently named a teen ambassador for the Candie's Foundation's teen pregnancy prevention campaign -- "has, yet again, harnessed the immense media interest in her to draw attention to the problem," Page writes. However, her "style as a spokesperson seems decidedly uninformed," and "someone needs to arm her with the tools to convey her message most powerfully," Page continues. Bristol Palin has "so much opportunity to make an important impact" on issues surrounding teen pregnancy in the U.S., and "with just a little guidance from the experts, she can," Page writes. She adds, "Hopefully, she'll seek out that help. It'll make her a much more interesting figure who, while keeping the fickle media engaged, can educate those at greatest risk" (Page, Birth Control Watch, 5/21).



Antiabortion-Rights Blog

~ "Reps. Sensenbrenner and Smith Call on Obama To Live Up to Notre Dame Speech Statement on Conscience Protection," National Right to Life Committee blog: Reps. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and Chris Smith (R-N.J.) in their Tuesday letter to President Obama asked that he "live up to what he said by publicly forgoing his administration's move to rescind the Bush administration's conscience protection," according to NRLC's blog. It continues that Obama's pledge during his Notre Dame commencement address to "'honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded in clear ethics and sound science, as well as respect for the equality of women,'" is "a far cry from what happened in late February" when the administration took the "first step toward rescinding" the Bush administration's provider "conscience" rule. The blog post adds that NRLC has sent a letter to HHS stating that the "federal government should not rescind this carefully crafted regulation designed to safeguard against forced violations of conscience in federally funded programs" (National Right to Life Committee blog, 5/20)


Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.


© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

Groups Concerned Utah 'Feticide' Law Could Target Women Who Miscarry

The American Civil Liberties Union, the American Medical Association and National Advocates for Pregnant Women remain concerned that women who miscarry could face criminal homicide charges under a new Utah law (HB 462), Women's eNews reports (Sclamberg, Women's eNews, 4/20). Under the law, which Gov. Gary Herbert (R) signed last month, prosecutors can file such charges against women who arrange illegal abortions (Women's Health Policy Report, 3/9). Convictions can result in sentences of up to life in prison.

Herbert refused to sign an earlier version (HB 12) that would have allowed criminal charges against women for any "reckless" act resulting in the death of the fetus. The governor and others were concerned that language could apply to women who miscarry after unintentional falls or car accidents.

The final measure omitted the term "reckless," but critics say the law still could have consequences for women who miscarry. Although several other states have so-called "feticide" laws, the Utah statute differs notably in that it allows charges against the woman. Lynn Paltrow, executive director of NAPW, said other states' laws "were passed in response to a pregnant woman who has been beaten up by a husband or boyfriend."

AMA is concerned that the law will make some women fearful of seeking prenatal care. According to an AMA statement, "Pregnant women will be likely to avoid seeking prenatal or open medical care for fear that their physician's knowledge of substance abuse or other potentially harmful behavior could result in a jail sentence."

In addition, the statute gives law enforcement officials discretion over arrests. State Rep. Carl Wimmer (R), the bill's sponsor, maintains that the law will be applied only "in the most glaring of cases."

However, Liza Fuentes and Sheila Reynoso, researchers at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, argue in a jointly authored paper that the law could result in arrests of women who experience unintended miscarriages. For example, they ask, "What if a woman received treatment for cancer while pregnant?" Fuentes and Reynoso also write that the law "will be tested out on immigrants women and low-income women," as they are "less likely to have health insurance, a regular health care provider and more likely to work in dangerous conditions" compared with their white counterparts (Women's eNews, 4/20).


Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.


© 2010 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

New 'Golden Ratios' For Female Facial Beauty Discovered By Researchers

Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder but also in the relationship of the eyes and mouth of the beholden. The distance between a woman's eyes and the distance between her eyes and her mouth are key factors in determining how attractive she is to others, according to new psychology research from the University of California, San Diego and the University of Toronto.



Pamela Pallett and Stephen Link of UC San Diego and Kang Lee of the University of Toronto tested the existence of an ideal facial feature arrangement. They successfully identified the optimal relation between the eyes, the mouth and the edge of the face for individual beauty.



In four separate experiments, the researchers asked university students to make paired comparisons of attractiveness between female faces with identical facial features but different eye-mouth distances and different distances between the eyes.



They discovered two "golden ratios," one for length and one for width. Female faces were judged more attractive when the vertical distance between their eyes and the mouth was approximately 36 percent of the face's length, and the horizontal distance between their eyes was approximately 46 percent of the face's width.



Interestingly, these proportions correspond with those of an average face.



"People have tried and failed to find these ratios since antiquity. The ancient Greeks found what they believed was a 'golden ratio' - also known as 'phi' or the 'divine proportion' - and used it in their architecture and art. Some even suggest that Leonardo Da Vinci used the golden ratio when painting his 'Mona Lisa.' But there was never any proof that the golden ratio was special. As it turns out, it isn't. Instead of phi, we showed that average distances between the eyes, mouth and face contour form the true golden ratios," said Pallett, a post-doctoral fellow in psychology at UC San Diego and also an alumna of the department.



"We already know that different facial features make a female face attractive -large eyes, for example, or full lips," said Lee, a professor at University of Toronto and the director of the Institute of Child Study at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. "Our study conclusively proves that the structure of faces - the relation between our face contour and the eyes, mouth and nose - also contributes to our perception of facial attractiveness. Our finding also explains why sometimes an attractive person looks unattractive or vice versa after a haircut, because hairdos change the ratios."



The researchers suggest that the perception of facial attractiveness is a result of a cognitive averaging process by which people take in all the faces they see and average them to get an ideal width ratio and an ideal length ratio. They also posit that "averageness" (like symmetry) is a proxy for health, and that we may be predisposed by biology and evolution to find average faces attractive.



The authors note that only Caucasian female faces were studied. Further studies are needed to know whether there is a different set of golden ratios for male faces and for faces from other races or for children's faces.



The research is published by the journal Vision Research and was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the American Psychological Association.



Source: Joyann Callender


University of Toronto

Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Issues In Various US States

The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues.

Abortion Regulations
South Dakota: The state House Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday voted 11-2 to approve a state Senate bill (SB 185) that would require abortion clinics to obtain specific licenses and undergo state inspections, the AP/Aberdeen American News reports (Michael, AP/Aberdeen American News, 2/8). The measure requires that the state Department of Health charge a fee before inspecting the facility for compliance with state requirements and issuing a license. The bill, which was approved by the state Senate on Tuesday, would cap the fee at $2,000. The state House earlier this month approved a similar bill (HB 1198) (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 2/3). The Senate bill now moves to the state House for consideration (AP/Aberdeen American News, 2/8).

Stem Cell Research
Maryland: The state House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday heard testimony concerning a proposal from Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R) that calls for $20 million for stem cell research to be put in next year's budget, the Baltimore Sun reports (Skalka, Baltimore Sun, 2/9). Ehrlich's proposal would provide $20 million in the 2007 budget for any type of stem cell research project -- which could include use of embryonic, adult or umbilical cord stem cells -- that is approved by the governor-appointed 15-member board of the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/30). During the committee hearing, the Department of Legislative Services said the state General Assembly should reduce Ehrlich's proposal to $10 million and distribute funds only after it has passed legislation on how the money should be used (Marimow/Wagner, Washington Post, 2/9).

Other Regulations
Missouri: The state House Children and Families Committee on Wednesday voted 10-0 to approve a bill (HB 974) that would allow midwives to deliver babies in private homes without risking legal sanctions, the AP/Kansas City Star reports. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Cynthia Davis (R), would repeal a 47-year-old law that deems midwifery an illegal medical practice. Under current state law, only certified nurses trained in midwifery may deliver at home if they have approval from a doctor within 30 miles. The bill now moves to the state House for consideration. An identical measure (SB 637) is awaiting a hearing in the Senate (Zagier, AP/Kansas City Star, 2/8).

Utah: The state Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday voted 2-2 on whether to recommend a bill (SB 42) that would have required Utah insurance companies to cover birth control as part of their insurance plans, the Provo Daily Herald reports. The tie vote means that the committee will not send the bill to the state Senate (Choate, Provo Daily Herald, 2/9). State Rep. Scott McCoy (D) is the third -- and only male -- lawmaker to sponsor the bill for eight years in a row, according to the Associated Press (Dobner, Associated Press, 2/8). Sixty-eight percent of women in the state are covered by federally regulated insurance companies, which are not required to cover contraception, according to Utah Health Insurance Association Director Kelly Atkinson (Walsh, Salt Lake Tribune, 2/9).















"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . ?© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Low Dose Aspirin Does Not Protect Women Against Cognitive Decline

Taking low dose aspirin does not protect older women against cognitive decline, finds a large study published on bmj today.


Identifying ways to prevent dementia is a public health priority. Evidence suggests that aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs may protect against dementia, but data from randomised studies to date have been inconclusive. So researchers in the US decided to test the effect of long term use of low dose aspirin on overall cognitive decline among a large sample of women.


Jae Hee Kang and colleagues at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts identified 6,377 women aged 65 years or more, who were taking part in the Women's health study between 1998 and 2004.


The women were randomly divided into two groups. Over a period of nearly 10 years, the first group took low dose aspirin (100 mg on alternate days) and the second group took a placebo pill. Each woman had three cognitive assessments at two year intervals to measure general cognition, verbal memory, and category fluency.


At the initial assessment (after 5.6 years of treatment) cognitive performance in the aspirin group was similar to that of the placebo group. Average performance across all tests from the first to the final assessment (after 9.6 years of treatment) was also similar in the aspirin group compared with the placebo group. The risk of substantial decline was also comparable between the groups.


There was some suggestion that women in the aspirin group performed better in the category fluency test than women in the placebo group. However, the authors stress that this result should be interpreted with caution.


They conclude: "In this study, we observed no apparent benefit of low dose aspirin in slowing cognitive decline over four years. Other methods for preserving cognitive function in older people need to be investigated."


"Low dose aspirin and cognitive function in the women's health study cognitive cohort"

BMJ Online First


www.bmj

Beyaz(R): One Of The World's Leading Oral Contraceptive YAZ(R) Is Approved In The US With Metafolin(R)

Bayer Schering Pharma AG has been granted US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Beyaz®, the first oral contraceptive worldwide to contain folate, in the form of Merck & Cie's Metafolin®. Metafolin® is the pure crystalline form of the naturally occurring active folate species, L-5-Methyltetrahydrofolate. Unlike folic acid, it can directly be used by the body.


"Health authorities throughout the world encourage women of childbearing age to take folate supplements. But compliance is very low. Taking oral contraceptives (OCs) containing folates in a combination product makes perfect sense: High compliance is guaranteed", commented Prof. Klaus Pietrzik of Institute of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Bonn, Germany.


Typically women take the "pill" over an extended period. If they choose Beyaz® incorporating the premium folate Metafolin® their folate stores will be raised over time. Folate stores only deplete slowly after the discontinuation of the "pill". Since a large percentage of women become pregnant within the first three months after stopping their oral contraceptive, their folate stores have been raised prior to pregnancy. Prenatal vitamin supplements (including folate) should be started immediately after oral contraceptives are discontinued.


"Folates are very critical during early pregnancy", commented Dr. Rudolf Moser from Merck & Cie, co-innovator of Metafolin®. "The combination of YAZ® and Metafolin® is a targeted approach to provide folates to those individuals in whom they are highly recommended and so urgently needed: women of child-bearing age."


Bayer Schering Pharma AG has an exclusive worldwide commercial licence to utilize Metafolin® in oral contraceptives.


About Metafolin®


Metafolin® (L-5-Methyltetrahydrofolic acid, calcium salt or levomefolate calcium) is the pure stable crystalline form of the naturally occurring predominant folate species. Folates are essential water-soluble B vitamins, which play a key role in central metabolic pathways. They are needed, for example, for normal cell division and growth. Metafolin® is the body's preferred form of folate which is directly usable by the organism.


Source:

Merck & Cie

Premenstrual Syndrome Carries High Costs for Employers

The presence of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in female workers is associated with sharply increased costs to
employers-mainly related to the indirect costs of missed work time and reduced productivity, reports a study in the January
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and
Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).


Led by Dr. Jeff Borenstein of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, the researchers assessed PMS symptoms in 374 working
women. The women were all 18 to 45 years old and had regular menstrual cycles. Over a 2-month period, the women recorded any
PMS symptoms in symptom diaries, along with any missed work time and estimates of lost productivity related to PMS.


Based on symptom diaries, 30 percent of the women were diagnosed with PMS. Insurance claims data showed a modest increase in
direct health costs for women with PMS: an average $59 higher per year than for women without PMS, after adjustment for other
factors.


Where PMS had its greatest impact was on indirect costs for missed work time and lost productivity. Women with PMS had an
average 14 percent reduction in expected hours of work per week plus a 15 percent reduction in productivity when at work,
compared to women without PMS.


Total indirect costs related to PMS were estimated at $4,333 higher per year, compared to women without PMS. In a
hypothetical health plan including 10,000 women aged 18 to 45, PMS would increase indirect costs by nearly $13 million per
year, in addition to a $175,000 increase in direct health costs.


Previous studies have shown a high rate of PMS among women of reproductive age, with a significant impact on their personal
and work life. However, few studies have looked at the economic impact of PMS among working women. In assessing the indirect
costs of illness to employers, it is important to account not only for absenteeism, or missed work days due to illness, but
also for lost productivity. This problem, sometimes called "presenteeism," is defined as health problems that are not severe
enough to cause absence from work but still impact employees' performance while at work.


The new results show that the indirect costs of PMS are many times higher than the direct costs. Employers seeking to control
their indirect health-related costs should be aware of the potential economic impact of PMS among their female employees, as
well as the financial benefits of offering effective treatment for this condition, Dr. Borenstein and coauthors suggest. They
conclude, "[C]orporate benefits plans that support the use of clinically effective PMS therapies are likely to be a
cost-effective investment."


ACOEM, an international society of 6,000 occupational physicians and other healthcare professionals, provides leadership to
promote optimal health and safety of workers, workplaces, and environments.


Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Address 530 Walnut St.

Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA

Phone 215-521-8374

Fax 215-521-8495

lww

Women Who Have Migraines Have Lower Breast Cancer Risk

Women who suffer from migraines may take at least some comfort in a recent, first-of-its-kind study that suggests a history of such headaches is associated with a significantly lower risk of breast cancer. Christopher I. Li, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center report these findings in the November issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.


"We found that, overall, women who had a history of migraines had a 30 percent lower risk of breast cancer compared to women who did not have a history of such headaches," said Li, a breast-cancer epidemiologist and associate member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division.


In particular, migraine history appeared to reduce the risk of the most common subtypes of breast cancer: those that are estrogen-receptor and/or progesterone-receptor positive. Such tumors have estrogen and/or progesterone receptors, or docking sites, on the surface of their cells, which makes them more responsive to hormone-blocking drugs than tumors that lack such receptors.


The biological mechanism behind the association between migraines and breast cancer is not fully known, but Li and colleagues suspect that it has to do with fluctuations in levels of circulating hormones.


"Migraines seem to have a hormonal component in that they occur more frequently in women than in men, and some of their known triggers are associated with hormones," Li said. "For example, women who take oral contraceptives - three weeks of active pills and one week of inactive pills to trigger menstruation - tend to suffer more migraines during their hormone-free week," he said. Conversely, pregnancy - a high-estrogen state - is associated with a significant decrease in migraines. "By the third trimester of pregnancy, 80 percent of migraine sufferers do not have these episodes," he said. Estrogen is known to stimulate the growth of hormonally sensitive breast cancer.


While this study represents the first of its kind to look at a potential connection between migraines and breast cancer, Li and colleagues have data from two other studies that in preliminary analyses appear to confirm these findings, he said.
"While these results need to be interpreted with caution, they point to a possible new factor that may be related to breast-cancer risk. This gives us a new avenue to explore the biology behind risk reduction. Hopefully this could help stimulate other ideas and extend what we know about the biology of the disease."


For the study, the researchers combined data from two population-based, case-control studies of 3,412 Seattle-area postmenopausal women, 1,938 of whom had been diagnosed with breast cancer and 1,474 of whom had no history of breast cancer, who served as a comparison group. Information on migraine history was based on self-report and was limited to migraines that had been diagnosed by a physician or other health professional.


The National Cancer Institute funded the research, which also involved researchers from the Hutchinson Center's Human Biology Division and the University of Washington School of Medicine Department of Neurology.


At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers, including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world.

At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Shedding New Light On The Causes Of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome And Its Effect On Brothers

Researchers have found evidence that chronic disease in either a mother or father can create unfavourable conditions in the womb that are associated with the development of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in daughters. In another study, researchers found that brothers of women with PCOS and insulin resistance are themselves at greater risk of developing insulin resistance or diabetes, suggesting that factors associated with the condition can be passed down to sons as well as daughters.



The two studies were presented to the 25th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Amsterdam.



Associate Professor Michael Davies told a news briefing: "We already know from clinical studies of women with reproductive problems that foetal growth restriction is associated with the development of PCOS symptoms in daughters, and that problems during pregnancy and in the way the mother adapts to the metabolic challenge of pregnancy can indicate the future cardiovascular health of both the mother and the child. What we don't know is whether giving birth to a daughter who later develops PCOS is associated with increased, long term cardiovascular disease risk in the mother. Nor do we know whether conditions underlying chronic disease in the father increases the risk of PCOS in the daughter."



Prof Davies, co-director of the Research Centre for the Early Origins of Health and Disease at the University of Adelaide (Australia), looked at records for all female babies who were born and survived between 1973-1976 at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Adelaide. He and his colleagues interviewed the daughters to build up a picture of their health and any history of chronic disease in their parents. So far, 998 (63%) have responded, and Prof Davies reported preliminary data up to mid-1975 to the conference.



Sixty-two daughters (6.2% of the group) had a pre-existing diagnosis of PCOS. Mothers of these women tended to have elevated blood pressure during pregnancy. Daughters were nearly eight times as likely to have PCOS if their mothers had it, and they had a slightly higher risk if their mothers smoked during pregnancy. Mothers were 1.6 times as likely to have high blood pressure in later life if their daughters developed PCOS. If their fathers had heart disease or stroke, the daughters also had a higher risk of PCOS: double and three times the risk respectively. A history of diabetes in either parent was not significant.



Prof Davies said: "These findings suggest a new pathway for the development of PCOS. We think that factors associated with the pre-existence of cardiovascular dysfunction in the mother or the father, and which operate during pregnancy, may create adverse conditions for the foetus, which alter the metabolic profile of offspring, leading to insulin resistance and reproductive consequences, such as PCOS, for daughters. A family history of diabetes is, therefore, not essential to observe an insulin resistance-related disease in offspring."
















He said it was still unclear exactly how the cardiovascular risk in the father affected the daughter. "We firstly need to consider the potential role of a common environment; for instance, that families with high levels of obesity (and therefore cardiovascular disease) will also tend to have heavy daughters who are thereby more likely to be affected by PCOS. However, the paternal effect that we saw was independent of the daughter's weight, maternal age, socioeconomic status, maternal smoking, and country of birth, which suggests either a direct genetic effect on the daughter, or an effect of paternal genetic factors that are expressed during pregnancy."



Dr Verena Mattle told the news briefing that her study was the first to show that brothers of women who had PCOS and insulin resistance were themselves more likely to develop insulin resistance or even diabetes or dyslipidaemia (a disruption in the levels of lipids (or fats) in the blood).



"Until now, it was not clear whether the male relatives of women with PCOS were at increased risk for the metabolic disorders associated with PCOS," said Dr Mattle, who is chief resident at the University Clinic of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproduction Medicine in Innsbruck (Austria).



Dr Mattle and her colleagues conducted oral glucose tolerance tests on 15 brothers of sisters with PCOS and insulin resistance (group 1). They also performed a serum analysis to determine lipid levels. As a control, nine brothers of sisters with PCOS but without insulin resistance were included in the study (group 2).



The researchers found that in the first group eight brothers showed an insulin resistance, one was diagnosed with diabetes and six had a normal glucose tolerance test. All nine affected brothers had a body mass index (BMI) between 19-31 kg/m2 and had elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The six unaffected brothers had a BMI between 23-29, and none had high levels of cholesterol or triglycerides. In the second group, no insulin resistance was diagnosed. BMI was between 18-27 and two brothers had elevated cholesterol levels. Although there was a trend towards higher BMI in the first group, Dr Mattle said there was no statistically significant difference in BMIs between the two groups.



Dr Mattle said: "These results mean that we should pay attention to the health not only of women with PCOS but also to their brothers as they seem to have an increased risk for the medical problems that make up the metabolic syndrome, such as insulin resistance, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Our findings are also in accordance with the hypothesis that not only is PCOS is a heritable disease, but that factors associated with it, such as insulin resistance, can be passed down to the next generation of either sex."



She said that it could not be the case that the high BMI by itself could have caused the insulin resistance and diabetes in the affected brothers. "There must be a correlation between PCOS and insulin resistance because we could only find brothers with insulin resistance in the group that had sisters with PCOS and insulin resistance, but we couldn't find brothers with insulin resistance in the group that had sisters with PCOS and no insulin resistance. It is known that about 50% of women with PCOS are insulin resistant and also that lean PCOS patients are insulin resistant. The BMI of insulin-resistant and non-resistant brothers were not statistically different."



Dr Mattle and her colleagues are continuing to test brothers of women with PCOS for insulin resistance and lipid levels to collect more data from a larger group. "At this stage we would hesitate to say that a genetic inheritance is definitely playing a role in the increased risk of insulin resistance and other, related conditions in these brothers. We need to explore the possible effect of conditions in the womb and also the role of the environment. However, we think our data strongly support the view that brothers of women with PCOS and insulin resistance may have an increased risk of insulin resistance, diabetes and other, adverse metabolic conditions," she concluded



Source:
Mary Rice


European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology

U-M Study: Why Dishing Does You Good

A University of Michigan study has identified a likely reason: feeling emotionally close to a friend increases levels of the hormone progesterone, helping to boost well-being and reduce anxiety and stress.



"This study establishes progesterone as a likely part of the neuroendocrine basis of social bonding in humans," said U-M researcher Stephanie Brown, lead author of an article reporting the study findings, published in the current (June 2009) issue of the peer-reviewed journal Hormones and Behavior.



A sex hormone that fluctuates with the menstrual cycle, progesterone is also present in low levels in post-menopausal women and in men. Earlier research has shown that higher levels of progesterone increase the desire to bond with others, but the current study is the first to show that bonding with others increases levels of progesterone. The study also links these increases to a greater willingness to help other people, even at our own expense.



"It's important to find the links between biological mechanisms and human social behavior," said Brown, is a faculty associate at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR) and an assistant professor of internal medicine at the U-M Medical School. She is also affiliated with the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Hospital. "These links may help us understand why people in close relationships are happier, healthier, and live longer than those who are socially isolated."



Progesterone is much easier to measure than oxytocin, a hormone linked to trust, pair-bonding and maternal responsiveness in humans and other mammals. Oxytocin can only be measured through an invasive spinal tap or through expensive and complex brain imaging methods, such as positron emission tomography scans. Progesterone can be measured through simple saliva samples and may be related to oxytocin.



In the current study, Brown and colleagues examined the link between interpersonal closeness and salivary progesterone in 160 female college students.



At the start of the study, the researchers measured the levels of progesterone and of the stress hormone cortisol in the women's saliva, and obtained information about their menstrual cycles and whether they were using hormonal contraceptives or other hormonally active medications.



To control for daily variations in hormone levels, all the sessions were held between noon and 7 p.m.



The women were randomly assigned to partners and asked to perform either a task designed to elicit feelings of emotional closeness or a task that was emotionally neutral.



In the emotionally neutral task, the women proofread a botany manuscript together.



After completing the 20-minute tasks, the women played a computerized cooperative card game with their partners, and then had their progesterone and cortisol sampled again.



The progesterone levels of women who had engaged in the emotionally neutral tasks tended to decline, while the progesterone levels of women who engaged in the task designed to elicit closeness either remained the same or increased. The participants' cortisol levels did not change in a similar way.



Participants returned a week later, and played the computerized card game with their original partners again. Then researchers measured their progesterone and cortisol. Researchers also examined links between progesterone levels and how likely participants said they would be to risk their life for their partner.



"During the first phase of the study, we found no evidence of a relationship between progesterone and willingness to sacrifice," Brown said. "But a week later, increased progesterone predicted an increased willingness to say you would risk your life to help your partner."



According to Brown, the findings are consistent with a new evolutionary theory of altruism which argues that the hormonal basis of social bonds enables people to suppress self-interest when necessary in order to promote the well-being of another person, as when taking care of children or helping ailing family members or friends.



The results also help explain why social contact has well-documented health benefits---a relationship first identified nearly 20 years ago by U-M sociologist James House.



"Many of the hormones involved in bonding and helping behavior lead to reductions in stress and anxiety in both humans and other animals. Now we see that higher levels of progesterone may be part of the underlying physiological basis for these effects," Brown said.



Source:
Diane Swanbrow


University of Michigan

Blogs Comment On Plan B Court Decision, Pope's Visit To Africa, Other Topics

The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries.

~ "Controlling the Means of Reproduction: An Interview with Michelle Goldberg," Mandy Van Deven, RH Reality Check: The blog entry includes excerpts from an interview with Michelle Goldberg, "long-time critic" of reproductive health policies under the administration of former President George W. Bush and author of a new book titled "The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power and the Future of the World." In the book, Goldberg "illustrates how U.S. policies act as a catalyst for or an impediment to women's rights worldwide and puts forth a convincing argument that women's liberation worldwide is key to solving some of our most daunting problems," Van Deven writes. According to Goldberg, women's "intimate lives have become inextricably tied to global forces," and when writing the book, she found how U.S. movements were "branching out into global issues." She said, "In a way, the American antiabortion movement has had more of an impact abroad than at home. The Supreme Court has limited the movement's scope for action here, so Republican presidents have rewarded their base by giving them tremendous influence over international policy on women's health -- an area few Americans pay attention to." She continues that her "book is about the realm of reproductive and women's rights. ... Giving women more control over their bodies and their lives is one of the most important things you can do to fight poverty. One of the things I hope this book does is show how that works." Van Deven concludes the interview by asking Goldberg to explain how issues like female circumcision, abortion and sex education and their "societal context" affect "a woman's ability to freely make her own choice." Goldberg responds, "The problem is not that women are having too many children; it's that, in many places, they lack access to contraception and are having more children than they say they want ... One of the dilemmas I tried to bring forward in the book is that sometimes the ideal of choice, venerated by Western feminists like me, conflicts with the goals of women's rights advocates on the ground" (Van Deven, RH Reality Check, 3/23).

~ "The Morning After Pill Controversy," Cristina Page, Huffington Post blogs: A court ruling on Monday that FDA's justification for age restrictions on Plan B emergency contraception lacked credibility because it was politically based "could not have been more dismissive of the Bush administration's maneuverings," Page writes. The judge ruled that the Bush administration "had politicized a once-respected regulatory agency, the FDA, for bending the law to its right wing purposes" by imposing the age restriction on nonprescription access to EC, Page continues. She writes, "The court's condemnation was comprehensive and brutal, all but labeling the Bushies political criminals." The U.S. district court on Monday "finally got the anti-contraception genie, and some of the bullying lawless politics of the Bush era, back in the bottle, at least for now," Page adds, concluding, "As for the public's trust, that'll take a little longer to fix" (Page, Huffington Post blogs, 3/24).














~ "Dish Respect: The Political Crackdown on IVF Embryo Screening," William Saletan, Slate's Human Nature: Saletan writes that the state senator who authored a proposed Georgia bill (S.B. 169) that would restrict in vitro fertilization is wrong in claiming that the revised bill simply restricts the creation of human embryos for scientific research. Saletan urges readers to "read the bill, not the spin." According to Saletan, the language of the bill "does not, as advertised, require that IVF be" used for "creating children." He says that the bill actually requires that IVF be used "for the treatment of infertility," adding that the "two phrases are not equivalent." According to Saletan, "[s]ometimes IVF is done to create children for couples who are technically or even clearly fertile" but where health conditions like kidney disease might prevent them from carrying a pregnancy. The bill, as written, "would prohibit this," and it is likely that it will be revised to allow this. However, the "more interesting question" posed by the revision is "what will happen to the use of IVF for creating children when there's no question of infertility at all." Saletan continues, "That use is the screening of embryos for unwanted genes: preimplantation genetic diagnosis." The Georgia bill is "just the beginning" of a nationwide project "to regulate the emerging industry of embryo production," Saletan writes. The bills to restrict IVF will "make exceptions for infertility but not PGD," he continues, concluding, "The battles, then, will be fought over which uses of PGD are acceptable. And these fights will be every bit as ugly as the preceding fights over abortion" (Saletan, Slate's "Human Nature," 3/20).

~ "Talkin' About the Pope and Hope," Tamar Abrams, Huffington Post blogs: Pope Benedict XVI's "recent pronouncements during his travels in Africa that condoms and abortions are morally wrong have filled me with religious indignation," Abrams writes. She continues she has witnessed the "increasing number of married women with AIDS in Kenya" and spoken with Kenyan women "who longed for access to contraceptives so they could better care for the children they already had." She writes, "Even so, I probably wouldn't take on the Pope ... except for "recent media reports that the Vatican's top bioethics official spoke out against the excommunication of the two Brazilian doctors who performed an abortion on a nine-year-old girl. Abrams continues that the official's stance is "a pro-choice stand," adding, "Abortion is not a black-and-white issue for me." She writes, "That's why the pro-choice position has always seemed to me to be the reasoned" stance, adding, "It allows individuals to make decisions and encourages each of us to define for ourselves what is reasonable and acceptable." She concludes that if Benedict "truly listens to the people of Africa and other continents and opens his eyes to their hopes for their own lives -- I have faith he may begin to understand the healing power of condoms and the life-affirming necessity for legal, safe abortions" (Abrams, Huffington Post blogs, 3/21).

~ "Time To Give a Neglected Contraceptive a Little More Love," Kathleen Reeves, RH Reality Check: A recent article published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology "takes a fresh look at the emergency contraception we often forget about -- IUDs," Reeves writes. The authors of the article report that few women surveyed knew much about IUDs, she writes, adding that she is "not surprised by their ignorance" as she was unaware IUDs could be used as EC. According to Reeves, the copper IUD, which is effective for up to 12 years, can be effective in preventing pregnancy if inserted up to five days after unprotected sex. "At that point I wondered, 'Why would you go for such a long-lasting contraceptive when you're just looking for emergency contraception?'" Reeves writes, adding, "But this makes a lot of sense. Though some women who seek emergency contraception may have had a one-time malfunction, many others may be looking for a form of contraception that works for them." The IUD "has always been an important option for women who can't tolerate birth control pills or who'd rather not use hormonal birth control because of family health history," Reeves writes, concluding, "Bravo to this report for pointing to a neglected contraceptive choice that may be, for many women, just what the doctor ordered" (Reeves, RH Reality Check, 3/23).

Antiabortion-rights Blog

~ "Americans United for Life Condemns Ruling Increasing Minors' Access to Dangerous Plan B," Matthew Eppinette, Americans United for Life blog: The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York's recent ruling to allow over-the-counter access to Plan B for 17-year-old girls is "incomprehensible" and allows "a minor to walk into any pharmacy and obtain this drug without medical oversight or parental involvement," Charmaine Yoest, president and CEO of Americans United for Life said. According to Eppinette, the court ordered the drug to be available to girls age 17 "under the same conditions it is currently available to adult women and to do so by April 21, 2009." In addition, the court's ruling "will not permit the FDA to undertake another internal review of the drug's safety record or to receive evidence on the increased need to protect minors from dangerous medications and even sexual abuse." Denise Burke, AUL vice president of legal affairs, said, "Increasingly easy access to Plan B may have severe and unintended consequences such as the continued exploitation and sexual abuse of young girls," adding, "It is all too easy for this unsafe drug to be used by sexual predators and even the victims themselves to hide the abuse from parents and the authorities" (Eppinette, Americans United for Life blog, 3/23).


Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.


© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

U.N. Women 'All Potential At Its Birth,' The Nation Opinion Piece Says

On July 2, the United Nations' General Assembly created U.N. Women, a new body "dedicated to promoting women's rights and involvement in development, peacemaking, politics and economic activity," The Nation's Barbara Crossette writes. U.N. Women will absorb the work of four existing U.N. funds and programs: the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women; the Division for the Advancement of Women; the U.N. Development Fund for Women; and the U.N. International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women. Advocates have "long argued" that the four programs "were grossly underfunded and unable to exert influence in the field," according to Crossette.

For decades, women's rights advocates "believed that a campaign for 'gender mainstreaming' at the United Nations ... was all that was needed to bring the status of women, and women's rights, in from the margins of the international system," she continues. Although the "principle may have been a good one, ... women were often sidelined," and many nations "signed agreements protecting and benefiting women but did not implement or enforce them," Crossette writes. She notes that a "look at the scorecard" of the 2000 Millennium Development Goals "show[s] major indicators specifically on women and girls lagging behind targets in other areas, such as poverty reduction."

U.N. Women is expected to have both operational and "normative" rules, which are those "dealing with policies and promoting and monitoring international covenants and agreements," according to Crossette. The new body will work with the intergovernmental Commission on the Status of Women and the U.N.'s Economic and Social Council.

Crossette argues that "[h]elping people devise culturally sensitive approaches" to advancing women's rights "might be the job for U.N. Women." However, funding such operations in the field will be the "hitch" for this approach, as funding will come from voluntary contributions, "not from the U.N.'s regular budget." A $500 million operating budget has been suggested "as a good starting point, but the majority of that will have to be raised from governments, and success is by no means assured," Crossette writes, noting that some advocates were hoping for a $1 billion budget.

Still, U.N. Women is "all potential at its birth, and the next six months will determine whether it will wield any more power than the pile of documents promoting and protecting women that have been accumulating in U.N. headquarters," she continues. Crossette adds that the "next few weeks are especially critical" because U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will select a head for U.N. Women. According to Crossette, the leader of the new body should be a diplomat with an understanding of the problems women face in the developing world. Ban has requested that governments submit their nominations by mid-July.

Women in the developing world "bear the largest, most painful burdens, and need a champion with enough clout to make governments listen -- and donate," Crossette argues, adding that "[m]illions lack access to reproductive health and family planning, making them vulnerable to HIV/AIDS." Moreover, women in the developing world "die in large numbers of preventable deaths in pregnancy and childbirth," and they "suffer rising levels of domestic violence" and sexual assault, she says. "Put in perspective, women in the developing world need the most help," and U.N. Women "has a lot of work to do," Crossette argues (Crossette, The Nation, 7/6).


Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families.


© 2010 National Partnership for Women & Families. All rights reserved.

Spousal Violence Increases Chances Of Single And Repeated Fetal Loss

A study of more than 2,500 pregnant women in Africa has shown that those who experience violence from their partners are 50% more likely to lose their baby in at least one pregnancy. The study findings support the idea of prenatal screening for spousal violence in Africa, the region with the highest levels of fetal loss in the world. These are the conclusions of an Article published in this week's edition of The Lancet, Dr Amina Alio, Department of Community and Family Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA, and colleagues.


The authors analysed data from the Cameroon Demographic Health Survey. In the violence module of this survey, women were questioned about their experience of physical, emotional, and sexual violence inflicted by their spouses. Respondents were also asked about any stillbirths and spontaneous abortions. From detailed questions, violence was categorised into subtypes: (1) physical violence, including instances of pushing or shoving, throwing objects, slapping, arm twisting, punching, hitting with an object, kicking, dragging, attempting to strangle or burn, threatening with a weapon, and attacking with a weapon; (2) emotional violence, referring to verbal or physical public humiliation and verbal threat to the woman or her family; and (3) sexual violence, incorporating being forced to have sex or to undertake sexual acts. The authors included all women who responded to the violence module questions by referring to their "husband" or "spouse".


Of the 2562 women who responded to the violence module, those exposed to spousal violence (1307) were 50% more likely to experience at least one episode of fetal loss compared with women not exposed to abuse. Repeated fetal loss was associated with all forms of spousal violence, but emotional violence had the strongest association. If the prevalence of spousal abuse could be reduced to 50%, 25%, or eliminated completely, preventable excess recurrent fetal loss would be 17%, 25%, and 33% respectively.


The authors conclude: "Spousal violence increases the likelihood of single and repeated fetal loss. A large proportion of risk for recurrent fetal mortality is attributable to spousal violence and, therefore, is potentially preventable. Our findings support the idea of routine prenatal screening for spousal violence in the African setting, a region with the highest rate of fetal death in the world."


Click here to view SUMMARY of article online.


In an accompanying Comment, Dr Claudia Garcia-Moreno, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland, says: "More support is needed for education and information for health-care providers and the integration of intimate-partner violence and sexual violence into existing initiatives for maternal, infant, and child health. There is also a major need for more research on primary prevention interventions.


"The focus on fetal outcomes should not detract from the impact of violence on women's health and lives. Violence against women is a violation of their human rights."


Click here to view beginning of COMMENT online.


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The Lancet

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Romney Supports Two-Step Process Of Allowing States To Decide Abortion Policy, Passing Constitutional Amendment Banning Abortion, Advisers Say

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, on Tuesday in an interview with Nevada television station KLAS said that if elected president he would allow individual states to keep abortion legal, the Washington Post reports. Romney earlier this month in an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos said he supports a constitutional amendment that would ban abortion nationwide. According to the Post, the "two very different statements" reflect a "challenge" for Romney as he attempts to be a "champion of the antiabortion movement" (Shear, Washington Post, 8/23).

In an interview with the Associated Press Tuesday, Romney said that giving states control to "fashion their own laws with regard to abortion" should be the "next step" in the abortion debate (Riley, AP/Salt Lake Tribune, 8/22). Top Romney advisers on Tuesday said the governor supports a two-tiered process in which states first would obtain authority to regulate abortion after Roe v. Wade -- the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court case that effectively barred state abortion bans -- is overturned. The second step would be a constitutional amendment that bans most abortions nationwide.

James Bopp -- an attorney who has represented antiabortion groups and a top Romney adviser on abortion -- said, "There's no flip-flopping. There's no contradiction. There's simply step one and step two." Jon Ralston, a columnist for the Las Vegas Sun who interviewed Romney for KLAS, said he believes Romney's "moral positions conflict" with his "states'-rights opinions," adding, "I don't see how you can be antiabortion, be in favor of a constitutional amendment and be in favor of states' rights" (Washington Post, 8/23).

"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Agent Provides Treatment Option For Women With Hot Flashes

A pill used for nerve pain offers women relief from hot flashes, Mayo Clinic researchers report at the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).



They say the agent, pregabalin, decreased hot flash severity and frequency about 20 percent more than did a placebo agent. Thus, pregabalin appears to offer about the same benefit as gabapentin, an older, related drug, as well as newer classes of antidepressants.



"Hot flashes are a major problem in many women, and for those who opt not to take hormonal therapies or antidepressants, pregabalin appears to be another treatment option," says the study's lead author, Charles Loprinzi, M.D., a medical oncologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.



While pregabalin offers about the same benefit as gabapentin, women who use it only need to take two pills a day, versus three for gabapentin, he says. Side effects can occur with the use of either drug. However, in this study, they were not severe enough that participants stopped using the active study drug any more often than did patients who were taking placebos, researchers say.



Dr. Loprinzi has pioneered the field of nonhormonal hot flash therapy, which he began researching decades ago to help breast cancer patients using tamoxifen, an anti-estrogen treatment that creates symptoms of menopause. He is the first researcher to test the use of antidepressants, compared to placebo treatment, for hot flashes.



Gabapentin, an agent that has long been on the market to treat pain caused from injury to nerves, has been shown to decrease hot flashes more than do placebos. This drug is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat diabetic peripheral neuropathy and for shingles; anecdotal evidence suggested that menopausal women who used it had a reduction in hot flashes, Dr. Loprinzi says. Multiple placebo-controlled studies have since demonstrated that this drug decreases hot flashes.



Gabapentin and a variety of antidepressants are now commonly prescribed for treatment of hot flashes, although these agents are not specifically approved by the FDA for such use.



Pregabalin is a newer version of gabapentin. "We thought it might also relieve hot flashes and thus was worth testing," Dr. Loprinzi says.



So, using funds from the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Loprinzi and colleagues set up a 207-participant study conducted by the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG). The study was a Phase III double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trial, testing three different treatment arms: a placebo versus daily doses of 150 milligrams (mg) of pregabalin (75 mg twice a day) and 300 milligrams (150 mg twice a day). Patients getting pregabalin started off with lower doses which were increased weekly to the eventual full dose.



Participants, who reported having at least 28 hot flashes a week, kept a "hot flash diary" in which they recorded the number and severity of hot flashes they had each day while taking their study drug - the content of which was unknown to them.



In the study group, 34 percent were using anti-estrogen therapy - either an aromatase inhibitor, raloxifene, or tamoxifen - to help prevent the recurrence of estrogen-sensitive breast cancer.



The researchers found that for the 163 patients for whom information was available, both doses of pregabalin reduced hot flashes to about the same degree, but that toxicities, such as cognitive dysfunction, were increased at the higher dose. Other reported side effects included weight gain, sleepiness, dizziness, coordination troubles, concentration troubles, and concerns regarding vision changes.



They found that, after six weeks of treatment, women using a placebo agent reported about a 50 percent decrease in their hot flash score (severity), but the change was greater for those who used a 75-milligram twice daily dose of pregabalin (65 percent decrease) and a 150-milligram twice daily dose (71 percent decrease). The declines in hot flash frequency were 36 percent for placebo users, 58 percent in women who used lower-dose pregabalin, and 61 percent in women given the higher dose.



"All in all, this study demonstrates that we have another agent to add to the list of medications that offer benefit against hot flashes, even in women using anti-estrogen therapies," Dr. Loprinzi says.



Pfizer, the company that manufactures pregabalin, donated both the drug and placebo tablets for this study.



Source:
Karl Oestreich


Mayo Clinic

Studies Address Presence Of More Lethal Breast Cancer Among Black Women, Diet-Cancer Link

Black women are more likely to develop breast cancer tumors that are more advanced and more aggressive than white women, and biology is thought to be a major factor behind the disparity, according to a study published in the journal Cancer, the Bloomberg/Bergen Record reports (Zimm, Bloomberg/Bergen Record, 7/10).

For the study, researchers Edith Mitchell and Gloria Morris from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital's Kimmel Cancer Center examined more than 2,200 medical records of cancer patients seen at the hospital between 1990 and 2002. According to the study, white women were more likely to have tumors that contained estrogen or progesterone receptors -- known as HER2 -- and could be treated with available drugs, but black women's tumors were less likely to carry the treatable estrogen receptor. Tumors without such HER2 receptors are called triple-negative and can only be treated with chemotherapy.

In addition, the new study found that black women's tumors were more likely to have two molecular markers of aggressive spread and growth. According to the Inquirer, the finding could lead researchers to develop new targets to attack the more-aggressive tumors (Flam, Philadelphia Inquirer, 7/10). Morris said the reason behind the findings is "not necessarily related to socioeconomic and demographic differences," adding, "Now there is a strongly emerging biological basis that African-Americans are more likely to have more-aggressive tumors" (Bloomberg/Bergen Record, 7/10). She suggested further research on triple-negative tumors and the development of drugs to treat them (Philadelphia Inquirer, 7/10).


An abstract of the study is available online.

Diet-Cancer Link
In related news, two separate studies recently examined the link between diet and cancer among minorities. Summaries of news coverage on the studies appear below.
Chinese women and breast cancer: Postmenopausal Chinese women who consume a "Western-style" diet have a greater risk of developing breast cancer than those who consume traditional Chinese diets, according to a study published on Tuesday in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, Reuters reports. For the study, researcher Marilyn Tseng of the Fox Chase Cancer Center and colleagues tracked about 3,000 women in Shanghai, about half of whom were diagnosed with breast cancer. They found that those who consumed a Western-style diet -- beef, pork, shrimp, chicken, candy, desserts and dairy products -- were 60% more likely to develop breast cancer than those who ate mostly vegetables and soy products, which is typical of a Chinese diet. In addition, postmenopausal women consuming a Western-style diet had a 90% increased risk of a type of breast cancer involving estrogen-receptor positive tumors. The study's findings suggest that the Western diet might increase Chinese women's risk for breast cancer because of the added risk of obesity, Reuters reports (Dunham, Reuters, 7/10).














Racial disparities and diet: Diet might contribute to racial disparities between whites and blacks in terms of breast and prostate cancers, according to study published in the journal Ethnicity and Disease, Reuters Health reports. Minorities are more likely than whites to have less nutritious diets and to be overweight or obese, according to Reuters. For the study, researchers Hope Ferdowsian and Neal Barnard of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine -- which promotes vegetarian diets -- examined previously conducted research on diet and cancer. In one study of 2,400 women who had been treated for breast cancer, researchers found that those instructed to follow a low-fat diet were about 25% less likely than others to have a cancer recurrence. In another study, breast cancer survivors who consumed a diet low in fat and high in fiber, fruits and vegetables experienced a decline in estrogen, while women who maintained their normal eating habits experienced a rise in estrogen, which can fuel tumor growth. According to the researchers, there is evidence that black women have relatively higher average levels of estrogen than white women. The findings also might explain why black men are more likely than white men to develop and die from prostate cancer, which also is driven by hormones, according to the study (Reuters Health, 7/9).

"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Schering's Contraceptive YAZ Receives 'Approvable Letter' From FDA, Pending Review Of Recent Data

Schering on Wednesday announced that it received an "approvable letter" from FDA for its oral contraceptive pill YAZ to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a severe form of premenstrual syndrome, on the condition that the agency positively review recently submitted data on the drug's efficacy, Reuters reports (Reuters, 1/25). YAZ, which is manufactured by the Schering subsidiary Berlex, is a low-dose version of Schering's FDA-approved contraceptive pill Yasmin. YAZ contains ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone and is taken once a day for 24 days followed by four days of placebo to induce a menstrual period. Most oral contraceptives are taken for 21 consecutive days followed by seven days of placebos. FDA in November 2004 sent an approvable letter to Berlex for YAZ to be used as a contraceptive, and the company expected to receive final approval for sales of the pill by the end of 2005 (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 12/12/05). According to Reuters, YAZ has not yet been approved by FDA for use as a contraceptive (Reuters, 1/25). The company in a release said FDA has not requested additional clinical studies on the drug for use to treat PMDD, adding that it expects final approval by the end of the first quarter of 2006 (Schering release, 1/25). "It is a message from the FDA saying that they need more time," a Schering spokesperson said (Reuters, 1/25).


"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


View drug information on Estradiol Transdermal System.

Fat Is The New Normal, FSU Researcher Says - Changing Perceptions Of Body Weight Feed Rise In Obesity

American women have gotten fatter as it has become more socially acceptable to carry a few extra pounds, according to a new study. Florida State University Assistant Professor of Economics Frank Heiland and Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Economist Mary Burke are the co-authors of a paper published in the academic journal Economic Inquiry that argues that the ballooning weight of the population has fed even more collective weight gain as our perception of what is considered a normal body size has changed.


? ? ? ? "This is a social force that we are trying to document because the rise in obesity has occurred so rapidly over the past 30 years," said Heiland, who also is affiliated with FSU's Center for Demography and Population Health. "Medically speaking, most agree that this trend is a dangerous one because of its connection to diabetes, cancer and other diseases. But psychologically, it may provide relief to know that you are not the only one packing on the pounds."


? ? ? ? The paper, "Social Dynamics of Obesity," is the first to provide a mathematical model of the impact of economic, biological and social factors on aggregate body weight distribution. It also is one of the first studies to suggest that weight norms may change and are not set standards based on beauty or medical ideals.


? ? ? ? Many economists believe that people eat more -- and thus gain weight -- when food prices drop, but that's just part of the story behind the nation's dramatic weight gain since the late 1970s, according to the researchers. The full price of a calorie has dropped by about 36 percent relative to the price of consumer goods since 1977, but prices leveled off in the mid-1990s. And yet American women continued to get bigger.



Heiland and Burke's "social multiplier" theory offers a potential reason why: As Americans continue to super-size their value meals, the average weight of the population increases and people slowly adjust their perceptions of appropriate body weight. Given that these changes in perception may come about gradually, Heiland and Burke suggest the nation's battle of the bulge may extend into the future.



Heiland and Burke studied body weights among American women in the 30- to 60-year-old age bracket from 1976 to 2000. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, they found that the weight of the average woman increased by 20 pounds, or 13.5 percent, during that period. There was disproportionate growth among the most obese women as the 99th percentile weight increased a hefty 18.2 percent, from 258 to 305 pounds.



The researchers also looked at self-reports of women's real weights and desired weights. In 1994, the average woman said she weighed 147 pounds but wanted to weigh 132 pounds. By 2002, the average woman weighed 153 pounds but wanted the scales to register 135 pounds, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.



The fact that even the desired weight of women has increased suggests there is less social pressure to lose weight, Heiland said, citing a previous study that 87 percent of Americans, including 48 percent of obese Americans, believe that their body weight falls in the "socially acceptable" range.



While it seems thinness is increasingly idealized in popular culture -- images of waif-like models and stick-thin celebrities are everywhere -- there is a gap between the cultural imagery and the weights that most people consider acceptable for themselves and others, according to Heiland.



Biological forces also play a role in the rise of obesity. An additional pound of body weight is more likely to be fat, which does not metabolize calories nearly as well as muscle tissue, Heiland explained. Therefore, any increase in calorie consumption -- say, one more cookie each day -- leads to greater weight gain among an initially heavier person.



The researchers focused this study on women partly because their weight gains have been so dramatic, Heiland said, citing a whopper of a statistic: 33.2 percent of American women over age 20 are classified as obese, according to 2001-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. However, men also have become heavier, and the researchers believe the same economic, social and biological forces are to blame.



Florida State University

Callisto Announces Sponsored Laboratory Study Agreement With M. D. Anderson Cancer Center On Degrasyn Anticancer Agents

Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. (Amex: KAL; FWB: CA4), a developer of new drug treatments in the fight
against cancer and other major health threats, announced today that a
sponsored laboratory study agreement has been executed with The University
of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center to support development of the
Company's Degrasyn class of cancer-fighting compounds.


The two-year agreement is intended to support in-vitro and animal model
studies to be performed by a group of research scientists at M. D.
Anderson, who will focus on evaluating Degrasyn analogs being synthesized
under the auspices of a separate executed sponsored laboratory study
agreement with M. D. Anderson.


Callisto recently licensed the Degrasyn class of compounds, formerly
referred to as tyrphostins, from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson
Cancer Center, a leading center devoted to cancer patient care and
research. The novel anti-cancer activity of Degrasyns relates to their
ability to selectively promote degradation of key proteins involved in
tumor growth and survival.


"The planned research by M. D. Anderson scientists, where the Degrasyn
class of drugs was initially developed, provides an exciting opportunity to
advance the Degrasyn program towards the clinic," said Dr. Donald Picker,
Callisto's Executive Vice President of Research and Development. "This
program is a high priority activity at Callisto which we hope could yield
an important new tumor-fighting drug to treat a variety of cancers."


Dr. Nicholas J. Donato, associate professor in the Department of
Experimental Therapeutics, at M. D. Anderson will serve as principal
investigator on the program, formally titled, "Analysis of the Anti-Tumor
Activity and Mechanism of Action of WP1130 and its Analogs."


"We are working closely with Callisto and with my colleague at M. D.
Anderson, Dr. William Bornmann and his associates, to evaluate a library of
synthesized Degrasyn analogs utilizing state-of-the-art biological assays,"
said Dr. Donato. "We also are continuing to explore the unique
mechanism-of- action elicited by this interesting class of compounds."


About Callisto Pharmaceuticals, Inc.


Callisto is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of
new drugs to treat various forms of cancer and other serious afflictions.
Callisto's drug candidates in development currently include anti-cancer
agents in clinical development, in addition to drugs for other significant
health care markets, including ulcerative colitis and biodefense. One of
the Company's lead drug candidates, L-Annamycin, is being developed as a
treatment for forms of relapsed acute leukemia, a currently incurable blood
cancer. Callisto initiated a clinical trial of L-Annamycin in adult
relapsed acute lymphocytic leukemia patients in 4Q 2005. L-Annamycin, a new
compound from the anthracycline family of proven anti-cancer drugs, has a
novel therapeutic profile, including activity against resistant diseases
and significantly reduced cardiotoxicity, or damage to the heart, compared
to currently available drug alternatives. Another anti-cancer drug,
Atiprimod, is in development to treat relapsed multiple myeloma, a blood
cancer, and advanced carcinoid cancer. Atiprimod is presently in Phase
I/IIa human clinical trials in relapsed multiple myeloma patients, and
advanced cancer patients, respectively. Callisto also has drugs in
preclinical development for gastro- intestinal inflammation, and a program
focused on the development of a drug to protect against Staphylococcus and
Streptococcus biowarfare agents. Callisto has exclusive worldwide licenses
from AnorMED Inc. and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
to develop, manufacture, use and sell Atiprimod and L-Annamycin,
respectively. Callisto is also listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under
the ticker symbol CA4. For additional information, visit
callistopharma .















Forward-Looking Statements


Certain statements made in this press release are forward-looking. Such
statements are indicated by words such as "expect," "should," "anticipate"
and similar words indicating uncertainty in facts and figures. Although
Callisto believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking
statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations
reflected in such forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. As
discussed in the Callisto Pharmaceuticals Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for
the year ended December 31, 2005, and other periodic reports, as filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, actual results could differ
materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a
result of the following factors, among others: uncertainties associated
with product development, the risk that products that appeared promising in
early clinical trials do not demonstrate efficacy in larger-scale clinical
trials, the risk that Callisto will not obtain approval to market its
products, the risks associated with dependence upon key personnel and the
need for additional financing.


Callisto Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

callistopharma

FDA Issues Approvable Letter To Cellegy Pharmaceuticals For Cellegesic(R)

Cellegy
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: CLGY.OB) announced that it
received late afternoon on Friday, July 7 a communication from the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration in the form of an Approvable Letter for its
product, Cellegesic(R) (nitroglycerin ointment). The letter stated,
however, that before the company's New Drug Application (NDA) may be
approved and the product approved for marketing, Cellegy must conduct
another clinical trial to demonstrate efficacy at a level deemed
statistically significant by the agency. The letter indicated that the
agency was requiring an additional study because it believed the results of
the three trials conducted to date did not provide substantial evidence
that the drug is effective, and provided a number of comments on the
results previously presented by Cellegy and recommendations concerning the
design and protocol of the additional required study. Cellegesic, for the
treatment of anal fissures, was the subject of an FDA Not Approvable letter
in December 2004. An amended NDA, containing new analyses, was resubmitted
to the FDA in April 2005, which resulted in a review by the FDA's
Cardio-Renal Advisory Committee in April 2006. As previously reported, the
Advisory Committee's final vote was six members of the Committee for
"Approval" of Cellegesic and six for "Approvable pending another study of
effectiveness." There were no votes for "Not Approvable." Cellegesic has
been under review at the FDA since then.


Richard C. Williams, Cellegy's Chairman and interim CEO, stated, "We
believe that we achieved the requirements for Cellegesic to be approved.
The FDA reached a different conclusion that the product was approvable, but
requires another trial to demonstrate efficacy. We are carefully
considering all of our options and will be scheduling a meeting with the
FDA."


Conference Call Information


Cellegy will be hosting a conference call beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Eastern Daylight Time (10:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time) today, Monday,
July 10, 2006. Richard C. Williams, Chairman and interim CEO, will provide
an update. To participate in the live call by telephone, please dial (866)
700-5192 from the United States, or for international callers, please dial
(617) 213-8833, entering the Passcode, 11193554.


A replay will be available on Cellegy's website for one week. A
telephone replay will be available for one week by dialing (888) 286-8010
from the United States, or (617) 801-6888 for international callers, and
entering Passcode 30080567.



About Cellegy


Cellegy Pharmaceuticals is a specialty biopharmaceutical company that
develops and commercializes prescription drugs for the treatment of women's
health care conditions, including sexual dysfunction, HIV prevention and
gastrointestinal disorders. Savvy(R) (C31G vaginal gel), a novel
microbicide gel product for contraception and the reduction in transmission
of HIV in women, is currently undergoing Phase 3 clinical studies in the
United States and Africa.


Forward Looking Statements


This press release contains forward-looking statements. Investors are
cautioned that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous
risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, which could cause actual
results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or
implied in such statements. Such risks and uncertainties relate to, among
other factors: the company's cash position and need and ability to complete
corporate partnerships and additional financings; market acceptance and the
level of future sales of Rectogesic(R) markets outside the United States;
and completion, timing and outcome of clinical trials, including primarily
the Savvy prevention and contraceptive Phase 3 studies. For more
information regarding risk factors, refer to the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 and other filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.


Cellegy Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

cellegy

NPR Examines Effect Of Economic Downturn On Women Seeking Family Planning Services

NPR's "All Things Considered" on Thursday examined how the ongoing economic downturn is affecting women's use of family planning services. NPR reports that Planned Parenthood clinics and other providers of family planning services and abortions have seen "firsthand the effects of the economy on women in all age groups and income levels," with many clinics reporting an increase in the number of clients seeking their services in recent months. Although family planning clinics in the past primarily have served young women ages 18 to 24, the clinics are now seeing a greater number of older clients, many of whom do not have health insurance, NPR reports. Nancy Boothe of the Feminist Women's Health Center in Atlanta, Ga., which has experienced an increase in clients, said, "It's a time when families are looking at family size and how much they can provide." The increase in clients includes women seeking no-cost birth control, middle-class women who have forgone preventive care because of costs, older women who are without insurance for the first time and women with questions about abortion. Boothe said, "We've seen some people who said that they didn't really think that they would ever be making this decision, but recognize that this is a time when they have to think about taking care of the families they have."

According to Boothe, the number of abortions performed at her Atlanta clinic has not increased. However, Planned Parenthood of Illinois reported that its clinics in January performed the highest number of abortions in its history. Steve Trombley, CEO of PPIL, said the clinics provide critical services in smaller Illinois communities that have experienced layoffs and other effects of the economic downturn. According to Trombley, there are "whole communities where people are suddenly being closed off from access to health care, and they rely on the social safety net that we're a part of." Trombley said, "I think it's understandable that people who face an unintended pregnancy are weighing their decision about what they want to do about it." He added that it is "a very different decision today than it was a year ago to expand your family and to have a child." Cobb Pregnancy Services in Marietta, Ga. -- which does not provide abortions or abortion referrals -- also has reported a rise in the number of people seeking no-cost pregnancy tests or ultrasounds. According to Lori Parker, the center's director, many clients or their partners recently became unemployed and are in need of basic assistance. Parker said her staff attempts to provide food, formula and diapers for these clients "because we want those babies taken care of."














According to many family planning service providers, the high cost of contraceptives is one issue that can lead to unintended pregnancies. Some women pay as much as $60 for a one-month supply of birth control pills, and as a result, many cannot afford the contraceptives. In addition, women in rural areas often face transportation challenges when attempting to visit clinics. Susan Wicklund, physician and owner of the Mountain Country Women's Clinic in Livingston, Mont., said, "One of the biggest hurdles that women are having … is trying to find money for gas, trying to find transportation, in some way, shape or form to get here." According to NPR, 41 states allocate funding to assist women in paying for transportation, abortion, child care and sometimes counseling. However, Medicaid covers abortion costs in only 15 states, which leaves many low-income women with limited options. The National Network of Abortion Funds, which raises funds to help pay for abortion-related costs, has reported an increased need for its services in recent months, according to the network's executive director. For example, calls to the group's affiliates increased by at least 50% in January compared with last fall. According to NPR, some antiabortion-rights advocates are concerned that the economic downturn will lead more women with unintended pregnancies to seek abortions. NPR reports that "there's also fear that women will put off their decision until the second or third trimester, when the cost is even higher -- and the procedure is more difficult" (Lohr, "All Things Considered," NPR, 3/20).


Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.


© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

AICR Reminds Mothers Of Additional Breastfeeding Benefit: Cancer Protection

As World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7) draws to a close, the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) urges new mothers to consider one more benefit to breastfeeding their babies: added cancer protection for mother and child.


"AICR is the first cancer organization to issue an official recommendation advocating breastfeeding in order to decrease risk of developing cancer," said AICR Nutritionist Sarah Wally, MS RD.


Based on evidence collected in AICR's landmark expert report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, women are advised to breastfeed exclusively for up to 6 months and then add other liquids and foods as appropriate.


Research Reveals Protective Benefits


The evidence examined by AICR's international panel of experts showed, convincingly, that breastfeeding protects women against both pre- and postmenopausal breast cancer. The research also finds that breastfeeding probably decreases the likelihood that a child will be overweight (at least during the early years of childhood).


Protection from weight gain is of particular importance, as childhood overweight tends to continue into adulthood, where excess body fat is closely linked to cancer development.


According to experts, hormonal changes in a woman's body and physical changes in breast tissue cells are likely responsible for the added protection seen in mothers. Infants' benefits are gained from the chemical composition of breast milk as well as the promotion of self-regulated feeding that is a natural part of the breastfeeding process.


AICR is proud to stand with other national and international health organizations this week, including UNICEF, WHO and the American Academy of Pediatrics, in celebrating the benefits - both physical and emotional - that are gained through breastfeeding.


AICR also acknowledges that some women are not able or may prefer not to breastfeed. These women can benefit from other lifestyle changes that the comprehensive AICR report found to be protective, among them: increased physical activity, minimal consumption of alcohol (if any at all), and maintaining a healthy weight.


Free Brochure Offers Research-Based Advice to New Mothers


In observation of World Breastfeeding Week, AICR is offering it's latest free brochure, What You Should Know About Breastfeeding . The 12-page brochure summarizes AICR's recommendation regarding exclusive breastfeeding and cancer prevention, explains the science behind the recommendation in clear, concise language and provides frequently asked questions on common breastfeeding concerns.


The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is the cancer charity that fosters research on the relationship of nutrition, physical activity and weight management to cancer risk, interprets the scientific literature and educates the public about the results. It has contributed more than $86 million for innovative research conducted at universities, hospitals and research centers across the country. AICR has published two landmark reports that interpret the accumulated research in the field, and is committed to a process of continuous review. AICR also provides a wide range of educational programs to help millions of Americans learn to make dietary changes for lower cancer risk. Its award-winning New American Plate program is presented in brochures, seminars and on its website, aicr. AICR is a member of the World Cancer Research Fund International.

American Institute for Cancer Research