Coffee and Prostate Cancer

Heavy coffee drinkers may have a reduced risk of prostate cancer, study suggests.
ABC World News (5/17, story 6, 2:10, Sawyer) reported, "Fifty-eight percent of Americans drink coffee every day. But there is word tonight that even as little as one cup of coffee, even decaf coffee, could have powerful health benefits." NBC Nightly News (5/17, story 5, 2:15, Williams) noted, "It comes from the Harvard School of Public Health; and it seems to hold strong evidence that coffee can help prevent prostate cancer." The CBS Evening News (5/17, story 6, 1:05, Couric) reported, "The study involved 47,000 men and it found those who drank a lot of coffee, six or more cups a day, reduced their risk of lethal prostate cancer."
The Washington Post (5/17, Stein) "The Checkup" blog reported that researchers analyzed data from "47,911 US men who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study." As part of the "large, ongoing" examination of men's health issues, participants reported their "coffee consumption every four years between 1986 and 2008." Interestingly, the men who "consumed the most coffee, which was defined as six or more cups every day, were nearly 20 percent less likely to develop any form of prostate cancer," the researchers reported in the May 17 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
According to Bloomberg News (5/18, Ostrow), the study team found that men who consumed "six or more" cups of regular or decaffeinated coffee also had a "60 percent lower risk of developing deadly metastatic prostate cancer," and one to three cups "cut the risk of lethal prostate cancer by 30 percent." The findings suggest "non-caffeine elements in coffee" may provide the benefit. Coffee contains "compounds that can reduce inflammation and regulate insulin"; and previous research linked it to a lower risk of "Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes, liver cancer, cirrhosis and gallstone disease," the study authors noted.
According to HealthDay (5/17, Reinberg), lead researcher Kathryn Wilson, PhD, pointed out that coffee is a "major source of antioxidants that might have anti-cancer effects," and it may impact sex-hormone levels as well. Notably, even after accounting for "lifestyle factors, such as age, smoking, obesity and exercise, the decline in the odds for prostate cancer remained."
Meanwhile, WebMD (5/17, Doheny) noted that, according to the American Cancer Society, about "217,730 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed" in the US in 2010 and approximately "32,000 men" died of the disease. The CBS News (5/18, Freeman) website also covers the story.

ACO Options

Obama Administration unveils new ACO options.
The Washington Post (5/18, Goldstein) reports, "The Obama administration is trying to hasten the spread of new arrangements to coordinate and pay for the health care of older Americans, even as major groups of hospitals and doctors are skeptical of the government's plans." Notably, Administration health officials "announced a program Tuesday under which medical teams and health systems could begin the arrangements, known as 'accountable care organizations,' for Medicare patients by the fall." But just last week, the "American Medical Group Association, an organization of nearly 400 physician groups and health systems" in a letter to CMS Administrator Dr. Donald Berwick, noted that a "survey had found that more than 90 percent of its members would not sign up as an ACO," because the "proposed rules, it said, are 'overly prescriptive'" and "operationally burdensome."
The Hill (5/18, Pecquet) reports in its "Healthwatch" blog that the Administration "announced three new initiatives to encourage physicians and hospitals to" adopt ACOs. These include "a Pioneer ACO Model aimed at organizations that have already started coordinating care for patients," and "an Advanced Payment ACO Initiative that would allow certain participants in the program to get part of their expected savings up front to invest in care coordination." In addition, the Administration is offering "free Accelerated Development Learning Sessions to help providers learn how they can improve care delivery and coordination."
Kaiser Health News (5/18, Gold) reports that Dr. Berwick "said in a news briefing that the complaints from provider groups were 'nothing we didn't anticipate' and showed they were engaged in the ACO discussions. The Pioneer program, he said, is another 'exciting new option.'" Meanwhile, some "health care experts say the new program is intended to get some of the major health systems," such as the American Hospital Association, "back at the ACO table." CQ (5/18, Reichard, Norman, Subscription Publication) also covers the story.

Pap Test Study Results

Study confirms three-year cervical cancer screening guidelines.
The Wall Street Journal (5/19, Gryta, Subscription Publication) reports that a study, to be detailed at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting next month, established that undergoing cervical cancer screening every three years is safe for most women. The study also showed that that for women at risk for cervical cancer, testing for HPV in combination with a Pap smear is not necessary. The Journal quotes lead study author Hormuzd Katki, PhD, from the National Cancer Institute as saying, "We concluded that a single negative HPV test provided five years of extremely low cancer risk for women, and this risk was not appreciably lowered by also having a normal pap test."
The AP (5/19, Marchione) notes that the study team concluded that screening women "with no symptoms for ovarian cancer with a blood test and an ultrasound exam" does not prevent deaths and leads to "thousands of false alarms, unneeded surgeries and serious complications." The study could be considered a "warning to people who get screening tests that aren't recommended, or who question whether screening can ever hurt. 'The answer is, it could hurt a lot,'" said Dr. Allen Lichter, the CEO of ASCO, which published over 4,000 "studies Wednesday, ahead of its annual meeting next month."
The CNN (5/18, Smith) "The Chart" blog reported that the researchers followed "331,818 women who had Pap tests, HPV tests, or both." After comparing the two tests, the determined that a "positive HPV test was more predictive of cervical cancer than a positive Pap. Same goes for a negative test." Dr. Katki said Pap testing "should only be reserved for HPV-positive women."
MedPage Today (5/18, Smith) noted that the current guidelines from the "American Cancer Society say women over 30 who have had three normal Pap test results in a row can get screened every two to three" years. The new study "provides 'very solid data to make us comfortable' with recommendations for a three-year gap between tests, according to ASCO President George Sledge Jr., MD, of Indiana University in Indianapolis." The study was also covered by HealthDay (5/18, Gardner), and WebMD (5/18, Mann).

Paralyzed Man Stands

Experimental electrical stimulation treatment allows paralyzed man to stand on his own.
ABC World News (5/19, story 11, 2:00, Muir) reported, "More than a million Americans are living with spinal cord injuries in this country."
The CBS Evening News (5/19, story 2, 2:40, Couric) reported, "Now, for the first time, a patient paralyzed from the waist down, a 25-year-old man, was able to stand up on his own and take a few steps," thanks to "an experimental new treatment."
USA Today (5/20, Marcus, Szabo) reports that, according to research published online May 20 in The Lancet, "scientists from the University of Louisville, UCLA, and the California Institute of Technology" used "electronic stimulation of the spinal cord" to help Rob Summers, who was "struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run accident" five years ago.
As a result of the treatment, Summers can "move his hips, knees, ankles and toes voluntarily," the Los Angeles Times (5/20, Maugh) reports. What's more, he has "regained some bladder and sexual function after intensive rehabilitation and two years of electrical stimulation to his damaged spinal cord with a device normally used for pain relief."
The New York Times (5/20, A12, Grady, Subscription Publication) reports that "surgeons implanted electrodes in the lower part of his back to stimulate his spinal cord. The electrodes are attached to a pulse generator, similar to a pacemaker, which is also fully implanted and controlled by a remote device outside the body." Next, "the device was switched on for about two hours a day, for therapy sessions." Amazingly, just after three days, Summers was able to support his own body weight briefly, effectively standing on his own after the release of a supporting harness.

New York Smokin Ban

New York City outdoor smoking ban effective.
The CBS Evening News (5/22, story 9, 2:00, Mitchell) reported, "Smokers considering a visit to New York City should consider themselves warned. The city that has already extinguished most indoor smoking is taking aim now at the great outdoors." CBS (Dow) explained, "New York City is now taking the war against tobacco a step further with a new law that goes into effect tomorrow banning smoking outdoors at beaches, boardwalks, parks, and pedestrian plazas. .. New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, a former smoker, pushed for the law that aims to drastically reduce if not eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke."

DASH Diet is Best

US News & World Report ranks DASH as best diet.
The CNN (6/8, Park) "The Chart" blog reported that although the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet, which was "created by the National Institutes of Health," does not have the "marketing firepower that commercial diets with now-svelte celebrities have," it took the "top stop" in US News and World Reports' best diets rankings.
The New York Daily News (6/9, Glodwert) notes that DASH "adheres to principles that seem simple, yet aren't widely followed during this era of convenience food and expanding obesity: balance, specifically of protein, good carbs, and fats," US News said in a press release. The diet's menus feature "vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy products, as well as whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts. Limited portions of red meats, sweets and sugary beverages are allowed as well." Notably, it has been shown to "help girls keep excessive weight off during their teen years." The Huffington Post (6/8, Pearson) also covered the story.

Chemicals and Cancer Risk

Updated government carcinogens report links two common chemicals with cancer risk.
On its website, ABC News (6/10, Murray) reported that HHS added "eight more substances to its 'known human carcinogen' or 'reasonably anticipated to be carcinogen' lists today, one week after a World Health Organization study concluded that cell phones may cause cancer."
The Los Angeles Times (6/10, Dennis) "Booster Shots" blog reported that formaldehyde "now officially falls into the 'known to be a human carcinogen' category," and styrene can now "officially be described as 'reasonably anticipated' to be cancer-causing," according to the Department of Health and Human Services' updated " Report on Carcinogens."
In a front-page story, the New York Times (6/13, A1, Harris, Subscription Publication) reports that the federal government on Friday issued warnings about the "two materials used daily by millions of Americans." The report by NIH's National Toxicology Program found evidence that styrene, which is used in "boats, bathtubs, and in disposable foam plastic cups and plates," may increase the risks of "cancer of the pancreas and esophagus," the report found. Consumers can be exposed to styrene from the "fumes of building materials, photocopiers and tobacco smoke." According to the AP (6/11), NIH says the greatest exposure to styrene is "through cigarette smoking."
The Time (6/10, Walsh) "Healthland" explained that the report found that "concerning amounts of formaldehyde could be encountered in plywood and particle boards, as well as in hair salons and in mortuaries," and the exposure is "most intense" among workers in "some manufacturing plants." With formaldehyde and styrene, the government also added captafol, cobalt-tungsten carbide, "certain inhalable glass wool fibers, o-nitrotoluene," and riddelliine to its twelfth report, bringing the total to 240 carcinogens. Notably, studies of mortuary workers "exposed to high levels of formaldehyde have shown increased incidences of certain kinds of rare nasal cancers."
The New York Daily News (6/10) noted that the report also linked formaldehyde to leukemia. The American Cancer Society "said consumers should not worry about cups or food containers, but should shelve personal products with formaldehyde."
The Washington Post (6/11, Stein) noted that most of the cancer risk evidence "came from people exposed to relatively high levels in industrial settings. 'A listing...does not by itself mean that a substance will cause cancer,'" said Dr. John Bucher, associate director of the National Toxicology Program. Moreover, Dr. Bucher said the updated listings "do not trigger any immediate new restrictions on the substances, but other government agencies may use the information in the future as part of their regulatory decisions." He said individuals can use the list to "make personal choices," noting that most people's "routine exposure to the newly listed substances was probably low."