News

Genentech, maker of an investigational oral drug targeting a mutated BRAF kinase protein, says the drug boosted overall survival in patients with metastatic melanoma, though the extent to which this occurred was not disclosed, MedPage Today reports.

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel has voted unanimously to recommend approval of a new contrast agent for MRI scans, despite concerns that the agent might increase the risk of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in patients, MedPage Today reports.

A government study estimates that 129 million Americans under age 65 have medical problems that would put them at risk of being rejected by health insurance companies or having to pay more for coverage, Reuters reports.

Eighty-one percent of U.S. hospitals and 41 percent of office-based physicians say they intend to register for federal incentive payments for adoption and “meaningful use” of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology, InformationWeek.com reports.

New guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of food allergy, released in December, will be examined by four panelists during a two-hour forum Feb. 5 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) in New Orleans, the academy announced.

According to a researcher here, ultraviolet dryers used in fingernail manicuring can increase the risk of skin cancer, CBC News reports.

Researchers are studying whether an anti-malaria drug can block a cellular process that acts as a survival method for malignant cells in melanoma.

Botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A; onabotulinumtoxinA, Botox, Allergan) reduces responses to an inflammation-related pain stimulus when injected into the spinal canal in mice, according to a new study reported by Newswise.com.

The vast majority of parents who tested positive for a genetic mutation that increases the risk of melanoma support genetic testing of their children and grandchildren, Newswise.com reports.

PharmaDerm, based here, has announced that its Veregen Ointment (sinecatechins, 15 percent), a topical medication for the treatment of external genital and perianal warts, has been added as a new therapeutic option in the 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, PRNewswire reports.

An inability of scalp stem cells to develop into the type of cells that make hair follicles may be an underlying cause of male-pattern baldness, msnbc.com reports.

Only 25 percent of Australian adults over 40 were able to identify the skin as an organ without prompting, Australia’s HeraldSun.com.au reports.

Drugmaker Allergan is recruiting volunteers for clinical trials of a hair-growth treatment based on the active ingredient in Latisse (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution, 0.03 percent), the company’s eyelash-growth treatment.

Recently released survey results suggest that a significant portion of young women who regularly use tanning beds were introduced to them by their mothers, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reports.

Swiss pharmaceutical company Galderma is close to acquiring Q-Med, the Sweden-based maker of Botox rival Restylane (hyaluronic acid), for about $970 million, Reuters reports.

Results of a new study suggest that patients - especially women - with psoriasis may be at increased risk for metabolic syndrome, MedPage Today reports.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Gardasil (human papillomavirus [HPV] quadrivalent vaccine, recombinant; Merck) for the prevention of anal cancer and associated precancerous lesions due to HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18 in people ages 9 through 26 years, PRNewswire-USNewswire reports.

Scrambling for Residents : Dermatology training programs seek altruistic students, alternate funding Decision on 'D' : IOM recommends minor boost in intakes for ‘sunshine vitamin,’ calcium Special Report : Dermatitis

The 2011 Medicare physician fee schedule published Nov. 29 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) offers valuable insight into reimbursement for 2011. The final rule adjusts work relative value units downward for many services, but dermatology emerges as one of winners, getting a 4 percent increase overall.

If the cause of a patient's dermatitis can't be completely avoided, then topical steroids are a first line of treatment in efforts to alleviate the condition. If the dermatitis is weeping, oozing or crusted, the topical steroid can be deferred a few days to allow to dermatitis to dry out somewhat.

New analyses from premarketing clinical trials show that ustekinumab (Stelara, Centocor Ortho Biotech) for moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis offers sustained efficacy and has a favorable safety and tolerability profile out to three years.

Although use of teledermatology is growing, such programs face obstacles, including a lack of federal reimbursement, experts say. Still, they agree that the ability to see faraway patients' problems can be a valuable adjunct to standard clinical care.

Somewhere between soap and water, fillers and facial peels, are skincare regimens that can help to maintain healthy, youthful skin. Most cosmeceuticals aren't required to have approval from the Food and Drug Administration, so they often lack complete studies to support their effectiveness. But they can still play a role in giving skin a younger, fresher appearance.

New low-power lasers for hair removal can deliver advances in efficacy, safety and patient comfort, according to recent studies. The LightSheer Duet diode laser (Lumenis) delivers high speed and vacuum technology with its low-power HS handpiece, offering a 22 mm by 35 mm spot size.

Sunscreen allergy may be on the rise in your practice because of the increased use of oxybenzone. Oxybenzone absorbs in the UVA range and is also used to photostabilize avobenzone. Its use has been increasing since the concept of photostabilization entered the sunscreen market.

Dermatology training programs continue to confront the practitioner shortage by courting residents likely to work in underserved markets, encouraging altruism and, increasingly, using nongovernmental money to fund residency slots, experts say.

Recently, a 78-year-old woman for whom I had cared in the past returned with a complaint of numerous growths on her neck. I informed the patient that I would be happy to remove her skin tags, but there was no medical indication to do so. The treatment would not be an insurance-covered service. She was not at all happy about this response.

A 2010 study shows that the use of Zyclara (imiquimod 3.75 percent, Graceway) following cryosurgery complements the efficacy of cryosurgery in the total reduction and complete clearance of actinic keratoses (AKs).

A new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has found that there is insufficient evidence to support major revisions in the dietary reference intakes for calcium and vitamin D.

If you're like most Americans, you feel less secure about the U.S. economy. Certainly, this is justified. It's crucial that savvy investors - including physicians - learn from the past two years and adjust their investment behavior accordingly.