An influential medical panel has recommended the continued use of screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) for patients who are at increased risk of the condition. The panel, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force), said in a news release that the screening is an effective way to stop LTBI from progressing to tuberculosis.… Continue reading Screening for Tuberculosis
Tag: screening
Detecting Skin Cancer
A panel of health experts has said there is not enough evidence to recommend adult skin cancer screenings from a patient’s primary doctor. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) emphasized, though, that the recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) referred only to primary care physicians, and not to specialists. AAD President… Continue reading Detecting Skin Cancer
Don’t Overlook This Screening Test
Having a colon polyp is both bad and good news, according to Pratima Dibba, MD, a gastroenterologist at Medical Offices of Manhattan. The bad news? It means a small clump of cells has grown on the lining of colon that shouldn’t be there. The good news? Discovering the growth during a colonoscopy means doctors can… Continue reading Don’t Overlook This Screening Test
Colon Cancer: Which Test is Best for You?
The evidence is clear – screening for colorectal cancer may save your life. Today, more and more people are choosing colorectal cancer screening. As a result, there is a steady decline in the number of older people getting and dying from colorectal cancer. Lower rates of smoking among Americans have also contributed to the decline… Continue reading Colon Cancer: Which Test is Best for You?
Number of New Cancer Cases Continues to Decline
Overall cancer incidence rates decreased in men between 2008 and 2015, while remaining stable in women from 1999 to 2015, according to the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. The report also said that cancer incidence rates, meaning the rates of new cancers, continued to decline… Continue reading Number of New Cancer Cases Continues to Decline
Public Service Screening Messages Don’t Tell the Whole Story About An Illness
The public service messages we see about getting screened for illness are very effective – maybe too much so for some people. A new study found that 29 percent of veterans who underwent recommended screening colonoscopies were uncomfortable with the idea of stopping these screenings even when the benefit was expected to be low for… Continue reading Public Service Screening Messages Don’t Tell the Whole Story About An Illness
Study: Women 75 and Older Benefit from Regular Mammograms
Women who are 75 or older should still get routine mammograms because of the comparatively high incidence of breast cancer in this group, researchers say. The age at which a woman should stop getting routine mammograms has been a controversial subject. In 2009, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released controversial guidelines stating… Continue reading Study: Women 75 and Older Benefit from Regular Mammograms
Men with History of NonMelanoma Less Likely to Die of Melanoma
Skin cancer survivors know firsthand that the disease is most treatable when detected early, so they’re more likely to be vigilant about skin exams — and new research shows that such vigilance pays off, according to a news release from the American Academy of Dermatology. After studying more than 900 cases of melanoma reported through… Continue reading Men with History of NonMelanoma Less Likely to Die of Melanoma
Mammograms: What You Need to Know from The FDA
Mammograms are still the best tool for breast cancer screening. And the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certifies facilities that perform mammography —and clears and approves new mammography devices—to help keep you safe. How Does the Test Work—and Is It Painful? A mammogram is a low-dose X-ray picture of the breast. Getting a mammogram… Continue reading Mammograms: What You Need to Know from The FDA
Guidelines Have Little Effect on Prostate-Cancer Screenings
Although health officials have published controversial prostate cancer screening guidelines, the guidelines didn’t significant change the number of screenings given to men, according to an extensive review by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The study, published in the journal Cancer, covered more than 275,000 visits at the facility. Revised guidelines from the United States… Continue reading Guidelines Have Little Effect on Prostate-Cancer Screenings
Recommended Diabetes Screenings Overlook Many Patients
The latest guidelines for diabetes screening may not be working so well. In a narrow view of the clinical recommendations made by the United States Preventive Task Force, researchers from Northwestern Medicine found that those guidelines missed 55 percent of high-risk patients who had diabetes or prediabetes. The 2015 screening guidelines from the USPSTF —… Continue reading Recommended Diabetes Screenings Overlook Many Patients
Colorectal Cancer: What You Need to Know
Last year in the United States, more than 136,000 people were diagnosed with—and more than 50,000 died from—colorectal cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, striking some groups more often than others. The toll this disease takes on minorities is especially high,… Continue reading Colorectal Cancer: What You Need to Know
Too Few Lung Cancer Screenings?
Expanding lung cancer screening to include people who quit smoking more than 15 years ago could detect more cases and further reduce associated mortality This according to a study by Mayo Clinic researchers published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. “A decline in smoking rates has been, and continues to be, a critical step to reduce… Continue reading Too Few Lung Cancer Screenings?
BREAKING: American Cancer Society Issues New Mammogram Guidelines
The American Cancer Society (ACS) has just released updated recommendations on mammograms – a move that is sure to add to the debate about at what age, and how frequently, women should get the potentially life-saving procedure. The guidelines, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), said that women can start getting… Continue reading BREAKING: American Cancer Society Issues New Mammogram Guidelines
Automated Process Paves the Way for Screening, Prevention, and Treatment
A breakthrough in machine learning has also brought about a “game changer” for the science of metabolomics, the study of substances involved in metabolism. A researcher at the University of Alberta in Canada contends that the discovery will hasten the development of diagnostic and predictive tests for Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes and numerous other conditions, leading… Continue reading Automated Process Paves the Way for Screening, Prevention, and Treatment
Study: Osteoporosis Screening Guidelines Are Inadequate
Current guidelines for bone-density testing aren’t good enough, according to a new investigation. The study, led by researchers from UCLA, contradicts guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The USPSTF, whose findings are consistently reported widely, recommends that all women 65 and older be tested for low bone mineral density. Additionally, the group… Continue reading Study: Osteoporosis Screening Guidelines Are Inadequate
Many Men Aren’t Following Guidelines for PSA Screening
Although medical experts have issued guidelines recommending against the routine screening of elderly men for prostate cancer, the effect of the recommendations has been “minimal at best,” according to a new study. Many men still appear to be undergoing the screening. The study, by researchers from Henry Ford Hospital, was published as a research letter… Continue reading Many Men Aren’t Following Guidelines for PSA Screening