News

CancerVax expects to launch its therapeutic melanoma vaccine and lead product candidate Canvaxin by 2006.

Two cases of an inflammatory vitiligo-like condition that simulated mycosis fungoides have been reported by the Department of Pathology at the Hospital Henri-Mondor, Creteil, France.

Researchers at the Nagasaki University School of Medicine in Japan conducted a trial to confirm the excellent responses they achieved in a previous study using a combination therapy with topical vitamin D3 ointment and solar irradiation for vitiligo.

A review of the narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) treatment outcomes of 117 patients with vitiligo, pruritus and other inflammatory dermatoses was conducted by researchers at Henry Ford Health System, Detroit.

Korean research suggests long-term photochemotherapy using psoralen and ultra-violet A irradiation (PUVA) may cause several adverse effects, including skin cancer, especially squamous cell carcinoma.

Researchers from the Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School in Boston administered twice-weekly 308-nm UV-B radiation to selected vitiligo lesions for a maximum of 60 treatments.

To map genetic locations that confer susceptibility to generalized vitiligo (and perhaps other autoimmune diseases) researchers with the Human Medical Genetics program and the Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, performed a genomewide linkage scan in 71 white multiplex families with vitiligo from North America and the United Kingdom.

Roman researchers achieved an average repigmentation of 75.9 percent in 21 patients with stable vitiligo lesions.

Phacomatosis pigmentovascularis (PPV) type II can be treated successfully with lasers, according to researchers at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Japan.

New Orleans - As surgeons are inundated with information about new laser devices - some promising to reduce wrinkles, others touting the ability to restore a youthful appearance to the skin - choosing the best laser for an individual practice can be tricky. To offer busy physicians some easy guidelines to help them make prudent laser purchasing decisions, Jason Pozner, M.D. and Larry Bass, M.D., will offer a course on Lasers for Photorejuvenation at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Meeting.

What are captive insurance companies (CICs) and why should physicians consider using them? The CIC we will address here is a legitimate insurance company, licensed to write insurance in the U.S., registered with the IRS, but typically based in an offshore jurisdiction, such as Bermuda or the British Virgin Islands. Most CICs are established in these countries because of their favorable insurance laws and tax treatment, although the funds in the CICs can be maintained and managed in the United States.

The out-of-pocket expenditures needed to buy the equipment used in every practice have always been reduced or helped by tax laws. Today, thanks to the new Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, the needed equipment may be more affordable than ever.

Q I am currently acting as the trustee of my dermatology practice's retirement plan. How do I avoid potential liability issues as my plan's fiduciary?

It is not uncommon for a physician to leave a group practice and become a solo practitioner. The decision is usually related to a desire for autonomy, greater control of the practice, and often times, financial issues.

Chicago - Being interviewed by a journalist is just like performing a patient procedure. It doesn't have to be painful - for either of you.

Frequently, I am invited to give talks about medical subjects, and this has turned into quite an an enjoyable and lucrative business. Some people have wondered how I go about doing this work. First, I will discuss the myriad of little details which I must attend to if I want to be considered a "good speaker."

Dateline - Dermatologists looking for a collagen alternative for facial soft tissue augmentation might want to look to Radiance or Radiance FN (fine needle) - products that already have good track records with cosmetic surgeons.

New York - While the micronized formulation of Alloderm (Cymetra, LifeCell Corp.) is an appropriate substance for correcting certain facial defects, the physician who wants to use it may need to manage patient expectations, according to Anthony P. Sclafani, M.D.

New Orleans - Radiofrequency energy is a viable option for tightening facial and neck skin, but it is not a replacement for severe laxity and surgical alternatives.

New Orleans - Dermatologists who prescribe acitretin to patients who have had organ transplants can rest easy that the drug will not adversely affect wound healing, according to a new study.

New Orleans - When alar reconstruction results in asymmetry, patients are often reluctant to undergo revisional surgery. This makes prevention of asymmetry of the alar rim an imperative goal, according to Stephen D. Antrobus, M.D.

San Francisco - Increased understanding of the routes of drug metabolism has facilitated better potential drug interaction predictions, said Neil H. Shear, M.D.

San Francisco - The presence of bacteria can have an effect on the course and severity of inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, according to Jeffrey B. Travers, M.D., Ph.D. An understanding of the mechanisms behind this effect will assist in choosing which patients may potentially benefit from antibiotic treatment as part of their therapy.

New York - Lasers, both excimer and pulsed dyed, and narrowband ultraviolet light sources are effective in treating limited plaque psoriasis, according to several practitioners across the United States who have done studies with these therapies.

Chicago - Although some drugs used to treat psoriasis are known teratogens, dermatologists still have a range of options they might choose from for managing psoriasis across its spectrum of severity in women who are or wish to become pregnant, Mark Lebwohl, M.D., said at Academy '03.

Chicago - Results of two clinical trials involving bexarotene (Targretin) and presented at recent meetings of the American Academy of Dermatology offer hope for patients with severe forms of psoriasis refractory to systemic therapies, according to researchers.

New York - It seems pregnancy brings more than a "healthy glow." It might also help clear psoriasis for those who have the skin disease. A new study shows that psoriatic women who have high estrogen levels during pregnancy experience significant improvements of their psoriasis.

Auckland, New Zealand - Intradermal injection of a purified cell wall component from heat-killed Mycobacterium vaccae may one day be used to treat children with severe atopic dermatitis, if a clinical program carried out by a New Zealand company continues to be successful.

Las Vegas - Long gone are the days when only bodybuilders would take anabolic-androgenic steroids to gain so great a muscle mass that they would get stretch marks on their arms. The use of high doses of anabolic steroids by all types athletes, bodybuilders, and people just trying to look good is widespread in the United States. It's rapidly increasing among both sexes and people of many ages.

Chicago - The Koo-Menter Psoriasis Instrument (KMPI) offers dermatologists a simple and practical assessment tool for determining psoriasis status and identifying patients who may be candidates for systemic therapy, said Alan D. Menter, M.D., who developed the instrument in collaboration with John Y.M. Koo, M.D.