Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in OBGYN & Women's Health for November 2006. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Mifepristone Prevents Breast Cancer in Animal Study
THURSDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- A progesterone antagonist such as mifepristone can prevent breast cancers in mice with a deletion of the BRCA1 breast cancer susceptibility gene, according to the results of a study published in the Dec. 1 issue of Science.
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Lower-Dose Botox Effective for Detrusor Overactivity
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Botulinum A toxin can be used to treat patients with detrusor overactivity that is refractory to anticholinergics and 100 U injections seem to be as effective as higher doses at controlling incontinence, according to a report in the November issue of Urology.
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Specific Genotype Linked to First-Trimester Miscarriage
TUESDAY, Nov. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Women who carry the cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) Val432Leu polymorphism genotype may run a higher risk of first-trimester miscarriage than non-carriers, and a high caffeine intake may enhance the risk in homozygous women who are also smokers, researchers report in the November issue of Fertility and Sterility.
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Gene Mutation Is Main Cause of Harlequin Ichthyosis
TUESDAY, Nov. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Mutations in the ABCA12 gene have been found in additional patients with harlequin ichthyosis, more firmly establishing the gene as the main cause of the disease, according to a report in the November issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. The finding could lead to prenatal or preimplantation genetic tests for carriers of the mutation.
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Smoking During Pregnancy May Impact Children's Smoking
TUESDAY, Nov. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Adolescents whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are more likely to smoke regularly themselves and to start smoking before age 14 than children whose mothers never smoked or who smoked at other times, according to study findings published online Nov. 28 in Tobacco Control.
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Aromatase Inhibitor Useful to Induce Ovulation
TUESDAY, Nov. 28 (HealthDay News) -- The aromatase inhibitor letrozole is a useful alternative to clomiphene citrate to induce ovulation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a study published in the November issue of Fertility and Sterility.
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Premenopausal Breast Cancer Risk Lower with High BMI
MONDAY, Nov. 27 (HealthDay News) -- A relatively large body mass index, or BMI, in young adulthood seems to protect against premenopausal breast cancer, according to a report published in the Nov. 27 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Bone Loss Mostly in First Two Years of Depo-Provera Use
MONDAY, Nov. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Use of the injected contraceptive depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is associated with a loss in bone mineral density, and a study suggests that the loss occurs mostly in the first two years of use and recovers slowly after use is halted. The findings are published in the November issue of Fertility and Sterility.
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Low Folate Intake Not Seen As Breast Cancer Risk
MONDAY, Nov. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Women with a low dietary intake of folate do not have an increased risk of breast cancer compared to those with higher intakes, according to study findings published in the Nov. 15 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Silicone Breast Implants Have Low Rupture Rate in Study
THURSDAY, Nov. 23 (HealthDay News) -- The Style 410 silicone breast implants introduced in 1993 are safe with a low rate of rupture, and most women receiving the implants report being satisfied, researchers report in the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
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Combination Chemo Most Effective for Ovarian Cancer
THURSDAY, Nov. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Combination chemotherapy regimens, using both platinum-based drugs and taxanes, produce the best results in the treatment of ovarian cancer, according to a report published in the Nov. 15 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Researchers Question Benefit of Fetal Oximetry
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Clinician awareness of fetal oxygen saturation does not lead to a reduced rate of Caesarean delivery or improvements in the condition of newborns, researchers report in the Nov. 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Teenage Birthrate in United States Drops to New Low
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Teenage births dropped 2 percent between 2004 and 2005, to 40.4 per 1,000, a 35 percent drop from their peak in 1991, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Tumors Not Usually Found in Mastectomy Scars
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) -- The routine histologic examination of clinically unsuspected mastectomy scars does not help identify any new or metastatic tumors, researchers report in the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
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Early Ovarian Failure Also Causes Low Testosterone
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Women who have 46,XX spontaneous premature ovarian failure have lower levels of serum free testosterone than their non-menopausal counterparts, according to a study published in the November issue of Fertility and Sterility.
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Breast Cancer Risk Linked to Lobular Involution
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) -- In women with benign breast disease, the extent of lobular involution, the normal process of regression of the milk glands, is related to the risk of developing breast cancer, according to a report published in the Nov. 15 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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FDA Approves Wider Herceptin Use for Early Breast Cancer
MONDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved broader use of the biological drug Herceptin (trastuzumab) for early-stage breast cancer. Herceptin is now approved for use in combination with other chemotherapy drugs against HER2-positive breast cancer after lumpectomy or mastectomy in women with non-metastatic cancer.
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Finances, Relationship, Age Factors in Abortion Decisions
MONDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Contextual, affective and cognitive dimensions of pregnancy intention all affect a woman's decision to undergo an abortion, according to new research in the November issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
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Switch to Anastrozole Helps Breast Cancer Survival
MONDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Women with breast cancer who switch to anastrozole after two to three years of treatment with tamoxifen have improved event-free and overall survival, possibly avoiding side-effects and drug resistance associated with tamoxifen, according to a report published online Nov. 17 in The Lancet Oncology.
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FDA Approves Breast Implants Containing Silicone Gel
FRIDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on Friday that it will allow two companies to market silicone gel-filled breast implants for use in women 22 and older who are undergoing breast augmentation or reconstruction. The companies must perform large, post-approval studies following about 40,000 women for 10 years after implant surgery.
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Risk of Death After Falls Increasing for U.S. Elderly
FRIDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- As more Americans live longer with chronic diseases, accidental falls pose an increasing mortality risk for patients aged 65 and older, according to a report in the Nov. 17 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Few Primary Care Doctors Prescribe Preventive Tamoxifen
FRIDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Although tamoxifen has been approved for use as a preventive measure against breast cancer, few primary care physicians are prescribing the drug, researchers report in the Nov. 13 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Infertility Risk Higher After Ulcerative Colitis Surgery
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Women with severe ulcerative colitis who undergo colectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) have an infertility rate approximately threefold higher than women treated with medical management, according to study findings published in the November issue of Gut.
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Red Meat Associated with Higher Risk of Breast Cancer
TUESDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Increased red meat intake is associated with a higher risk of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in relatively young, premenopausal women, according to a report in the Nov. 13 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Efficacy of Ovarian Ablation and Chemotherapy Compared
FRIDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- In premenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, ovarian ablation has a similar effect to chemotherapy on disease-free and overall survival, researchers report in the Nov. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Adiponectin Affects Periovulatory Remodeling
FRIDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Adiponectin stimulates expression of genes in ovarian cells that may contribute to periovulatory remodeling, according to a report in the November issue of Endocrinology. Lower adiponectin levels found in overweight women might contribute to ovarian dysfunction that often accompanies obesity, the authors note.
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High B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Levels Up Women's Death Risk
THURSDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Elevated B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) blood levels are associated with a higher mortality risk for women with heart failure than for men, researchers report in the Nov. 7 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Laser Aids Biventricular Systolic Function in Twin-Twin Syndrome
THURSDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Selective laser ablation improves the cardiovascular pathology of the recipient twin in twin-twin transfusion syndrome, according to the results of a new study published in the November issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Menstrual Cycle Is Important Vital Sign in Young Females
THURSDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- The menstrual cycle can be an additional vital sign to help clinicians assess normal development and exclude certain pathological conditions in young female patients, according to a new report by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that appears in the November issue of Pediatrics.
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Premature Infants More Likely to Have Behavior Problems
THURSDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Infants born very preterm (less than 32 weeks' gestation) or very low birth weight (less than 1,500 g) are more likely than their full-term and normal birth weight counterparts to experience social and behavioral difficulties at school age, researchers report in the November issue of the Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition.
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Regular Exams, Mammography Needed After Breast Cancer
THURSDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- To prevent the risk of recurrence, breast cancer patients should have physical exams every three to six months for the first three years after treatment, then every six to 12 months for the fourth and fifth years, then annually, according to updated guidelines from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The report is published in the Nov. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Heavy Smoking May Hinder Uterine Receptiveness
THURSDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Cigarette smoking may make the uterus less receptive to implantation, according to a report published online Nov. 9 in Human Reproduction.
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Low-Carb Diet Does Not Change Heart Disease Risk
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A low-carbohydrate diet does not influence heart disease risk in women, though risk is moderately reduced when fat and protein come from vegetable rather than animal sources, researchers report in the Nov. 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Ob/Gyn Residents Report High Rate of Burnout, Depression
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Although established obstetrician/gynecologists are equally satisfied in academic or private practices, residents report a high rate of burnout and depression, according to two studies in the November issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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White Curtains Boost Neonatal Jaundice Phototherapy
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- The addition of white reflecting curtains to a neonatal phototherapy unit increases the efficacy of the treatment for neonatal jaundice with no side effects and at low cost, according to a study published in the November issue of the Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition.
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Pregnancy Complications Likely After Fibroid Treatment
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Women who have undergone uterine artery embolization to treat fibroids have a significantly higher risk of delivery by Caesarean section as well as an increase in preterm delivery, postpartum hemorrhage, miscarriage and lower pregnancy rates compared to the general obstetric population, according to study findings published in the November issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Fewer Men Going Into Obstetrics and Gynecology
TUESDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- The proportion of men entering general obstetrics and gynecology practice in New York State sharply declined over a five-year period, researchers report in the November issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Extended Oral Contraceptive Use May Help PMS Symptoms
TUESDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Taking a continuous 168-day course of oral contraceptives can reduce symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, compared to the 21/7-day regimen, according to the results of a study published in the November issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Lower Breast Cancer Survival Rates for Disabled Women
TUESDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Women with disabilities have a higher mortality rate from breast cancer and are less likely to undergo standard therapy after breast-conserving surgery, according to the results of a study published in the Nov. 7 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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U.S. Adults Favor Balanced Sex Education Programs
MONDAY, Nov. 6 (HealthDay News) -- American adults of all political stripes support comprehensive sex education programs that teach children about abstinence and other ways to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, according to a study published in the November issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
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Combination Therapy Effective Against Ovarian Cancer
FRIDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- In an animal model of ovarian cancer, a combination treatment including EA5, an antibody to a protein expressed by ovarian cancer cells, and paclitaxel can substantially decrease cancer growth compared to either treatment alone, researchers report in the Nov. 1 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Year Supply of Oral Contraceptives Encourages Use
FRIDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Dispensing a year's supply of oral contraceptive pills promotes continuation of use and also reduces costs compared to dispensing fewer cycles at a time, researchers report in the Nov. 1 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Physical Activity Improves Glucose Tolerance in Pregnancy
FRIDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Women who engage in vigorous physical activity before pregnancy and at least light-to-moderate activity during pregnancy are the least likely to develop gestational diabetes mellitus, suggesting a link between physical activity and glucose tolerance, according to a study published in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Teenagers' Attitudes About Sex Similar Worldwide
FRIDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Safe-sex programs aimed at young people must take into account social factors and teenagers' attitudes if they are to succeed, according to a study published in the Nov. 4 issue of The Lancet. The study found strong similarities between the factors that affect the sexual behavior of teens in different countries.
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HPV Test a Predictor of Cervical Cancer in Women Over 40
THURSDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Although the traditional Pap smear is the best screening tool for cervical cancer in younger women, a large Danish study suggests that a human papillomavirus (HPV) test is a better predictor of cervical cancer in women aged 40 to 50, according to a report in the November issue of Cancer Research.
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Amniocentesis Has Lower Risk of Miscarriage Than Thought
THURSDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Midtrimester amniocentesis carries a 0.06 percent risk of procedure-related miscarriage, and there is no significant difference in the rates of pregnancy loss between women who undergo amniocentesis and those who do not, according to a study in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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FDA Approves First Generic Version of Metronidazole
THURSDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted approval for the first generic version of MetroGel-Vaginal, an antibiotic effective against anaerobic bacteria and used to treat bacterial vaginosis.
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Marginal Benefit from Aromatase Inhibitor After Tamoxifen
THURSDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Adding an aromatase inhibitor after five years of tamoxifen therapy has only marginal benefit for most breast cancer survivors, according to estimates from a report published online Oct. 23 in Cancer.
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Epirubicin Enhances Therapy for Early Breast Cancer
THURSDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Epirubicin in addition to cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and fluorouracil (CMF) is a better adjuvant therapy for early breast cancer than just CMF alone, according to a report in the Nov. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Preterm Birth Unaffected by Periodontitis Treatment
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Rates of preterm birth are not significantly lower in pregnant women with gum disease who are treated for periodontitis compared to women with gum disease who are not treated, according to a study published in the Nov. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Commercial HMOs Embrace Pay-for-Performance Programs
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Pay-for-performance programs are now used by a majority of commercial health maintenance organizations, according to a special report published in the Nov. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Women Negative for Breast Cancer Mutation Still at Risk
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Female relatives of women with mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 still have a threefold increased risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer even if they lack mutations in either gene, according to a report published online Oct. 31 in the Journal of Medical Genetics.
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Iron Supplements May Decrease Risk of Infertility
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Ovulatory infertility may be less likely in women who take iron supplements or consume high amounts of non-heme iron from other sources, according to study findings published in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Study Highlights Diversity in Sexual Behavior Across Globe
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Contrary to popular belief, there is not a trend toward earlier sexual intercourse across the globe, according to the results of a new study of sexual behavior in 59 countries that appears in a special online issue of The Lancet.
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Blacks Have Poorer Prognosis After Breast Cancer Therapy
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Black women with breast cancer have a poorer prognosis after treatment with mastectomy and doxorubicin-based chemotherapy than other women, according to a report to be published in the Dec. 1 issue of Cancer. In addition to socioeconomic status, tumor biology may play a significant role in the disparity.
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