US Pharm. 2007;32(3):HS-50.
Circumcision Reduces HIV
Transmission
Two studies in the
Lancet bring the number of studies establishing a strong link between
circumcision and a reduction in the risk of HIV transmission to three.
According to researchers, circumcision cut the risk of heterosexual
transmission of HIV in half, and male circumcision appears to be equal to a
vaccine in preventing HIV infection.
Both studies were conducted in
Africa; in the Kenyan trial, the risk reduction was 53%, whereas in the
Ugandan trial, the risk reduction was 51%. Of the 2,784 Kenyan men ages 18 to
24, the two-year HIV infection incidence was 2.1% among circumcised men,
compared with 4.2% among controls. Of the 4,996 Ugandan men ages 15 to 49, the
two-year HIV infection incidence was 0.66 cases per 100 person-years among
circumcised men and 1.33 cases per 100 person-years among controls. By
comparison, the first study showing a relationship between circumcision and
HIV transmission found a risk reduction of 60% in South African men.
Lung Cancer Risk Among
Nonsmokers Higher For Women
Among nonsmokers,
women who have never smoked are more likely to develop lung cancer than men,
according to an article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Data from several cohorts show
that the rate of lung cancer among women who have never smoked ranged from
14.4 to 20.8 cases per 100,000 people; the rate among men who have never
smoked was 4.8 to 13.7 cases per 100,000 people. If these figures are
representative of the U.S. population, it is likely that about 8% and 20% of
men and women with lung cancer, respectively, have never smoked.
Ellen Chang, ScD, an
epidemiologist at the Northern California Cancer Center in Stamford, said that
secondhand smoke might explain part of the difference, while other
possibilities include occupational exposures, domestic radon, indoor
pollution, genetic factors, and dietary factors.
Test Approved for
Prediction of Breast Cancer Recurrence
The FDA has
approved the first microarray genetic analysis designed to aid in predicting
the risk of Stage I or II breast cancer recurrence or metastasis. The in vitro
multivariate index assay, known as MammaPrint, measures 70 gene markers in
tumors. These signals are then used to calculate an index that predicts the
likelihood of recurrence or metastasis.
According to Steven Gutman,
MD, director of FDA's Office of In Vitro Diagnostic Device Evaluation, a woman
identified as high risk on the basis of this index "is about twice as likely
to see recurrent breast cancer as a woman identified as low risk."
Percentage of Women
Receiving Mammograms on the Decline
A study released by
the CDC revealed that while the rate of women who get mammograms has risen
substantially over the past twenty years, it has has dropped slightly over the
past few years.
According to the CDC, some
possible explanations may include the shortage of mammography screening
centers and specialists, and a lack of health insurance among patients.
According to Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the American
Cancer Society, while the decline of less than two percentage points may seem
insignificant, it should not be overlooked. "If you consider that about 80
million U.S. women should be getting a mammogram every year, it means more
than one million fewer women are getting the screening test," said Dr.
Lichtenfeld.
Young African-American
Adults at High Risk for HIV, STDs
A study supported
by the National Institute of Drug Abuse suggests that young African-American
adults--but not young white adults--are at high risk for HIV and other sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs) even when their relative level of risky behaviors
is low.
The study, published online in
the American Journal of Public Health, implies that the marked racial
disparities in the prevalence of these diseases are not exclusively affected
by individual risk behaviors. Other factors include social and dating patterns
and the environment.
To comment on this article,
contact editor@uspharmacist.com.