Tag Archives: financial

CT lung screening appears cost-effective

“This provides evidence, given the assumptions we used, that it is cost-effective,” said Ilana Gareen, assistant professor (research) of epidemiology in Brown University’s School of Public Health and second author on the new study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Four years ago, the vast NLST showed that low-dose helical CT scanning reduced mortality from lung cancer by 20 percent compared to chest X-rays. The study involved more than 53,000 smokers aged 55-74…

62% of colorectal cancer patients report financial burden from treatment, study finds

The burden was greatest among patients who received chemotherapy and among younger patients who worked in low-paying jobs. The study surveyed 956 patients who had been treated for stage 3 colorectal cancer. Among this group, chemotherapy is known to increase survival by up to 20 percent and is routinely recommended following surgery. …

Abnormal properties of cancer protein revealed in fly eyes

In a paper featured on the cover of the current issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Michigan State University researchers provide the first detailed examination of a set of mutations similar to those present in the human cancer gene, said Irina Pushel, MSU undergraduate and co-author. “By systematically evaluating mutations of increasing severity, we now have a model to better predict how we think the protein will react with each mutation,” said Pushel, who co-authored the paper with Liang Zhang, lead author and MSU graduate student, and Bill Henry and David Arnosti, MSU molecular biologists. …

Better guidelines, coordination needed for prostate cancer specialists

In an article published online today in the journal Urologic Oncology, urologist Ralph de Vere White and medical oncologist Primo Lara, Jr. of the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center describe a framework for urology and medical oncology interactions to enhance patient care, improve outcomes and yield clinical research advances…

Cancer increasing as babyboomers age

"The increase in the number of older adults, the association of cancer with aging, the workforce shortage, and the financial stressors across the health care system and family networks all contribute to a crisis in cancer care that is most pronounced in the older population," wrote three members of the Institute of Medication Committee on Improving the Quality of Cancer Care: Addressing the Challenges of an Aging Population in an editorial published In JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association. "Often caregiving falls to a family member who is also aging," noted Mary D. Naylor, PhD, FAAN, RN, the Marian S. Ware Professor in Gerontology and the Director of the NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health and a member of the committee…

Money talks when it comes to weight loss

The secret to weight loss may be much simpler than anyone ever imagined – so simple, in fact, you may wonder why it hasn’t been thought of before? A study completed by Mayo Clinic researchers has discovered that money is the most effective motivator when it comes to weight loss. When conducting a comparison between study groups, one group was incentivized, the other was not. The results were overwhelming, with 62 percent of study participants from the incentivized group completing the study, compared to only 26 of the non-incentivized group. And, the incentivized group lost an average of 9.08 pounds versus 2.34 pounds in the other group. Financial incentives for weight loss began to gain popularity in January, as New Year’s resolutions to finally drop excess pounds began to dominate water cooler chatter in offices across the nation. A number of websites and wellness firms now offer individuals, as well as teams, the ability to place bets on their weight loss efforts, and some even offer additional tools to help you succeed. According to a report by the National Business Group on Health, teaming up with co-workers to whittle your middle is an effective way to lose weight.  The media lit up in the wake of New Year’s resolutions to discuss the increases in employer-incentivized weight loss competitions. Wellness consultant groups and websites, like DietBet.com and Healthywage.com, have helped tens of thousands of employees shed as much as 5 percent of their body weight in just three months – enough to make a significant  difference in certain health risk factors. The effectiveness of the program is in line with the Mayo Clinic study: money talks when it comes to weight loss. And inside the office, the team mentality only enhances success. Independent wellness firms work with employers to establish teams within the office and offer a grand prize (as much as $10,000 cash) for the winning team and smaller prizes for milestones along the way, as well as runner-up rewards. In an interview, an employee of a participating company told The Wall Street Journal that staying on track was easier because he feared letting down his team in the pursuit of $10,000. A fellow teammate responded, agreeing, “The last thing you want to do is catch the wrath of your team.” Independent firms offer complete programs, including private weigh-ins. Employees may participate on a voluntary basis and a small fee is often required, but the rewards – even if you don’t win the grand prize – often outweigh the fee. There is speculation, as with most diets, about maintaining your weight loss after the allure of the money has long passed. However, studies have shown that in team weight loss “competitions” like these, many times teammates continue to help each other stay on track. Physician-supervised weight loss is also a healthy way to not only achieve weight loss results for contests like these, but to ensure you maintain it. Your doctor can be a vital part of your weight management team and help you uncover strategies that will lead to long term weight loss success – long after you have pocketed your weight loss earnings. Click to learn more about the Mayo Clinic study. Dr. Jennifer Landa is Chief Medical Officer of BodyLogicMD, the nation's largest franchise of physicians specializing in bioidentical hormone therapy. Dr. Jen spent 10 years as a traditional OB-GYN, and then became board-certified in regenerative medicine, with an emphasis on bio-identical hormones, preventative medicine and nutrition. She is the author of “The Sex Drive Solution for Women.” & Learn more about her programs at www.jenlandamd.com.& source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/27/money-talks-when-it-comes-to-weight-loss/

Women, break the trend: Take care of yourself

Women’s health care has a big problem, and we women are the cause of it.  That sounds like a broad statement, but I believe for the majority of women it is the truth.   When it comes to women’s health care, we have a pretty easy time talking about the big picture. We discuss statistics and trends and how women don’t receive the same levels of service as men when it comes to research studies and early diagnosis in the United States. But that kind of talk doesn’t get down to the nitty-gritty problem that each one of us faces when it comes to our health.  I’m not saying there is one universal condition or illness, as we each have unique issues to confront.  But as a gender, we women just don’t put the same effort into caring for ourselves as we put into caring for our families. As a women’s health advocate, that raises a giant red flag for me – and it for all of us. One of the first symptoms of this problem is that we don’t take ownership of our own health. We put it into the hands of others and hope for the best.  When we actually get around to going to the doctor, we don’t tell him or her the complete truth.  Sometimes it’s an accident, as we just don’t remember to talk about certain things or we don’t realize something might be significant. Other times – and these are the worst – we choose not to talk about things because we are embarrassed or afraid of what the doctor will say.   We see this kind of thing on EmpowHer.com all the time.  Women come to us and post anonymous questions about being gassy or bloated or incontinent.  They know they might have a problem, but for whatever reason, they don’t want to talk to the doctor about it. Don’t get me wrong: Anonymous questions are always welcome. In fact, we encourage our visitors to choose screen names that don’t give away who they really are.  But the fact that women are ashamed or afraid to have a one-on-one conversation with their doctors about these issues is a symptom of how we collectively don’t do everything we can to safeguard our own health.   Stress is another issue for us as women.  We know that stress taxes every aspect of our bodies – from our hormones to our cells.  But instead of doing things for ourselves to relieve stress, we try to be wonder-women and take on the weight of the world.  And in the process, we put our own health at risk and potentially damage our ability to take care of our families. Of course, some types of stress can’t be avoided.  I’m thinking in particular of financial concerns.  When money is tight, we women often cut our own “indulgences” so we can keep funding the things our families enjoy doing. Ladies, listen up when I tell you that going to the doctor is not an indulgence.  Getting your annual exam is not something extra that you should put off until it’s convenient or until you have some extra money lying around.  Don’t let the economy dictate your health.   It’s a simple fact that no matter how much disposable income you have, you cannot buy your way out of being sick.  There isn’t enough money in the world to buy your way out of a hard diagnosis like cancer.  And there isn’t enough money in the world to turn back the clock to get an earlier diagnosis or restore treatment options if you waited too long to get tested. It’s time for women in this country to stand up for themselves, and if you won’t do it for yourself, do it for your mother or your sister, your best friend or your daughter.  Be the brave one, or the smart one.  Be the one who sets the example of taking care of your family by taking care of yourself.   And don’t stop with yourself.  Share this with other women you care about and encourage them to take better care of themselves.  Your family and everyone who loves you will be glad you did.Michelle King Robson (pronounced robe-son) is one of the nation's leading women's health and wellness advocates. She is the Founder, Chairperson and CEO of EmpowHER, one of the fastest-growing and largest social health companies dedicated exclusively to women's health and wellness. & In 2011 EmpowHER reached more than 60 million women onsite and through syndication expects to reach more than 250 million in 2012.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/20/women-break-trend-take-care-yourself/