News

Thinning hair is often a result of the aging process, and it affects both men and women in their later decades, usually around age 60, according to Vera Price, M.D., F.R.C.P.C., professor of dermatology, University of California, San Francisco.

A survey by Merritt Hawkins found that patients wait 22.1 days on average to see a dermatologist, with waits ranging from 3.4 to 104.4 days, depending on the geographical location. Physician assistants and nurse practitioners offer dermatologists an excellent way to expand their availability to more patients, but the value of these advanced practice providers goes well beyond scheduling.

The surgical removal of the lymph nodes in patients who are found to have positive nodes after undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) improves survival, compared to patients who have melanoma spread to lymph nodes when the disease is large enough to be felt with a physical examination, according to a surgical oncologist.

Research in transgenic mice has demonstrated that expression of oncogenes E6 and E7 from a cutaneous beta human papillomavirus (HPV38), coupled with UVB exposure, results in high rates of nonmelanoma skin cancer. Neither factor by itself was sufficient to generate tumors in the animals.

Solar lentigines are common in the aging patient, with 90 percent of Caucasians over age 60 having the condition. Even those who diligently used sunscreen may experience lentigines, because most sunscreens don't block all UV waves.

Nonsurgical treatments offer an alternative approach when surgical options are not optimal for treating certain cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer in elderly patients, according to an expert. Topical and oral medications are useful if skin cancer is in a delicate area, enabling clinicians to eliminate the tumor or shrink it so it can be removed surgically.

The CellSearch system (Veridex LLC) is an in vitro circulating-tumor-cell test that has shown to be of use in the management and treatment of patients with breast, colorectal and prostate cancers. Now, the system is finding its way into dermatology and may prove useful in the treatment and prognosis of melanoma.

Jessica J. Krant, M.D., M.P.H., says one of her goals at her Fifth Avenue, New York, dermatology practice is to go totally paperless. So she has implemented several online options - including appointment booking - that not only eliminate paper, but also help streamline the office's workload. "Patients love it," she says.

Superior service doesn't just happen. Experts say it requires having a proactive plan for an element of medical practice that many physicians unfortunately overlook. As physicians, says Victor J. Marks, M.D., "Service is what we do. We don't make or grow anything. We serve other people."

The Department of Health and Human Services is proposing a new rule that would allow patients to have direct access to their lab test results. The tests that dermatologists send, such as biopsies, can indicate serious medical conditions. On Call asked dermatologists around the country what they think about patients being able to access their lab results directly, without the benefit of the physician's knowledge and experience to interpret their meaning.

Findings from a study examining an association between dermatologist density and melanoma mortality suggest that better workforce distribution may lead to a population-level improvement in mortality related to this malignancy, reported researchers at the 2011 annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology.

In the elderly population, the sources of itching are the same as those affecting anyone else, but the causes of their discomfort are usually exacerbated by age, according to Jeffrey Bernhard, M.D., a dermatologist who practices in Worcester, Mass.

Tanya Kormeili, M.D., was 3 years old when the Iranian Revolution began to unravel her family's life. As pro-democracy Jews living in Tehran, the Kormeilis experienced an erosion of their freedoms with each year of the Ayatollah Khomeini's reign.

A Korean clinical study suggests that nail bed vascular abnormalities are associated with optic disc hemorrhage and other manifestations of glaucoma, MedPage Today reports.

Nonablative fractional 1,550 nm and ablative fractional CO2 lasers are effective and safe for treating acne scars in ethnic skin, HealthDay News reports.

Cutera has announced that Canadian regulatory agency Health Canada has approved the company’s Excel V laser for vascular, pigment and overall skin-rejuvenation treatments, Globe Newswire reports.

The American Medical Association (AMA) is urging physicians who were unable to meet the requirements of the Medicare E-prescribing (eRx) program to apply for a hardship exemption before the Nov. 1 deadline to avoid monetary penalties in 2012.

Minors in California will no longer be permitted to use tanning beds, under a bill Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law Oct. 9, Reuters reports.

Minimizing Malpractice : Caring, communication key to reducing risk of legal action It's a Pleasure : UV radiation activates reward pathways in brains of frequent tanners Special Report : Infectious diseases

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated the boxed warning for all tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors to include the risk of infection from the bacteria legionella and listeria, MedPage Today reports.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were treated with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors were at an increased risk for skin cancer but not for lymphoma or other malignancies, MedPage Today reports.

Rice University researchers have developed a new method for making synthetic collagen, ScienceDaily reports.

A discovery by researchers at Yale University could lead to new treatments for baldness, Medical News Today reports.

State College, Pa. ? A new interview technique could help physicians more effectively counsel their patients in the use of sun-protection methods, Medscape Today reports.

Nottingham, England ? A British study suggests that companies touting the effectiveness of their acne treatment products can?t always back their claims with hard evidence.

London ? Breastfeeding may not help prevent babies from developing eczema after all, Medical News Today reports.

Put Your Best Facebook Forward : Ignoring this popular network could leave you socially stranded Cutting The Risk : Calcium, vitamin D combo protects some patients against melanoma Special Report : Pigmentary disorders

“I hate the stock market.&rdqou; That was the subject line in a lengthy email I received yesterday from an old friend. The body of the message was equally firm.

The single most common mistake we see in our physician-focused practice is in the doctors’ choice of specialists. The successful delivery of healthcare is based on the patients’ need for physicians to refer them within and between various specialties and subspecialties when unique challenges arise. When it comes to the successful navigation of their own financial health, however, physicians do not apply the same logic or expect the same level of sophistication from their advisers.

Advances in hair-transplantation techniques and instrumentation are allowing physicians to provide more comprehensive, natural-appearing results, sometimes in a single session.