News

I am mystified by the continuing debate surrounding the nebulous topic of healthcare reform and wish that the discussions were more understandable to me, so that I could make sense as to exactly what was being "reformed."

The federal government has not fully defined what the Medicare shared savings program mandated by healthcare reform legislation will look like, but sources say its advent likely will put dermatologists at a disadvantage.

Not all cosmeceuticals are created equal. Before making a recommendation to patients, peruse this list of products that dermatologists say deliver what they promise.

Although the science behind many cosmeceutical products is growing, dermatologists should use caution in recommending many of these products and ingredients, according to experts who spoke at Cosmetic Surgery Forum 2010 in Las Vegas in December.

Nanoparticles can enter and penetrate the skin theoretically and could represent a new delivery system for cosmeceuticals. The nanoparticle products are still in the developmental stage, however, due to unknown risks and other obstacles, according to Zoe Diana Draelos, M.D., consulting professor, department of dermatology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.

An analysis of multiple related studies suggests that warming local anesthetics to body temperature before injection can help ease the pain associated with infiltration of the drug, MedPage Today reports.

A recently published study suggests that mean serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or 25(OH)D, are somewhat higher in older adults after a year of taking vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) compared with taking vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), Reuters Health reports.

Miramar Labs has issued a statement saying it has received Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance for the miraDry System, a treatment for primary axillary hyperhidrosis.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Epicyn HydroGel (Oculus Innovative Sciences) for treatment of various dermatoses and burns, MedPage Today reports.

Galderma, the L’Oréal/Nestlé joint venture based here, has received the necessary regulatory approvals in its bid for Swedish medical device firm Q-Med, the New York Times reports.

An unexpected immune protein exacerbates cancer due to sun exposure, and a drug designed to block the protein might halt tumor growth, a recently published study suggests.

Biovail Laboratories, a subsidiary of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, based here, has secured the Canadian distribution rights to Aczone, an acne treatment medication owned by Allergan, according news reports.

Researchers here claim the sap from a commonly found weed could help cure certain types of skin cancer, the U.K.’s online Daily Mail reports.

New research suggests that Step 1 scores on the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) correlate significantly, though moderately, with dermatology resident in-training exam (ITE) scores, HealthDay News reports.

Dermatologists will now be able to convert the iPhone into a dermatoscope for checking potential skin cancer lesions, according to an online report from Mobile Magazine.

Although the United States ranks No. 1 in the world in healthcare spending, it ranks 28th in life expectancy, according to new statistics from the National Academy of Sciences.

As far as physicians are concerned, the jury is still out on whether health information technology (IT) will improve healthcare, iHealthBeat.org reports.

PDR Network, based here, has teamed with The Doctors Company to launch a national campaign to improve physicians’ awareness of changes in Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug label guidelines.

A device invented by a Canadian dermatologist may be able to detect early-stage melanoma using light, according to Canada’s TheGlobeandMail.com.

The first U.S. face transplant cost about $350,000 - a fee comparable to or less than the cost of traditional reconstructive surgeries for severe facial wounds, CNNhealth.com reports.

Exiting Academia : Recruiting, retaining derm instructors a struggle Treating MRSA : IDSA releases first U.S. clinical practice guidelines Special Report : Anti-aging therapies

Although dermatologists have embraced mole-mapping techniques, including total body imaging and (to a lesser extent) dermoscopy, they appear to share the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) concerns that non-dermatologists might misuse the MelaFind (MELA Sciences) device, which an FDA advisory panel recently recommended for approval in a split decision.

Looming reimbursement cuts from government and commercial payers worry many dermatologists, all of whom fear a decline in practice profitability. Before you take dramatic cost-cutting measures, make a careful review of your practice's efficiency.

Anti-aging therapies continue to evolve along with technology. Rather than choosing more invasive procedures such as facelifts, patients seeking skin tightening or revolumizing are turning to a combination of laser treatment and injectable fillers, according to an expert.

Researchers have been trying for decades to find a better way to treat metastatic melanoma, looking for vaccines and immunotherapy options that may serve as successful therapies. On Call wondered how dermatologists view the flurry of activity around melanoma therapies.

There was some concern about a link between antiperspirants and Alzheimer's disease several years ago that has been revived by some consumer watchdog groups. The observation was made that renal dialysis patients who are unable to eliminate aluminum from the body experience a higher-than-average incidence of Alzheimer's disease. It was never proven that this was due to high aluminum levels.

Academic pediatric dermatologists can burn out for the same reasons as do their general dermatology colleagues, but they also face unique challenges, those in the field say.

Will 2011 be the year that medical malpractice reform becomes a reality? The new political alignment in Congress appears to offer more hope than in many years past, and advocates are anxious to move forward toward that long-illusive objective.

How many times have patients brought in newspaper clippings, pages torn out of magazines, printed Internet downloads and scribblings on paper shreds detailing skincare products about which they want to know more? In my practice, this occurs daily.

Defending one's online honor begins long before someone posts a cyber-slam, according to several experts who spoke at Cosmetic Surgery Forum 2010 in Las Vegas in December.