News

Lexington, Mass. - Synta Pharmaceuticals has launched a phase 3 trial of elesclomol in treating metastatic melanoma, Bioworld.com reports.

Exton, Pa. - Biotech company Isolagen, based here, has announced the initiation of a phase 3 clinical study to test Isolagen Therapy for the treatment of moderate to severe acne scars, PRNewswire reports.

Boston - Results of what is reportedly the largest phase 3 study ever conducted with a biologic treatment suggest that patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) achieve significant, sustained improvements in joint and skin manifestations of the disease after monthly subcutaneous injections of investigative golimumab, DocGuide.com reports.

Cleveland - The Case Western Reserve University medical school and University Hospitals Case Medical Center have received a five-year, $6.37 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to find new treatments for psoriasis, Crain’s Cleveland Business reports.

Bordeaux, France - French researchers have found that children with skin allergies may be allergic to oat proteins commonly found in skin products, Reuters Health reports.

Durham, N.C. - Researchers at Duke University Medical Center say they believe that changes in bone structure, not gravity, may be the cause of sagging facial skin, HealthNewsDigest.com reports.

The American Academy of Dermatology announced in May 2007 that it had launched its Seal of Recognition program, in which the Academy charges companies thousands of dollars for the right to display the Academy's logo on sun protection products that meet the Academy's criteria. Academy members who back the program say it is a noble cause that will greatly fuel the organization's skin cancer education efforts.

National report - Although the training of D.O. dermatologists and their M.D. counterparts differs somewhat, these paths are converging to the point that many sources say both are equally rigorous. But while acceptance of D.O. dermatologists in the M.D. community is increasing, pockets of resistance remain, they add.

National report - Although the training of D.O. dermatologists and their M.D. counterparts differs somewhat, these paths are converging to the point that many sources say both are equally rigorous. But while acceptance of D.O. dermatologists in the M.D. community is increasing, pockets of resistance remain, they add.

With the decreases in government funding of medical trials, manufacturers of the products being tested finance more and more clinical trials, whether for medication, therapies or equipment. Tests are obviously needed to determine the effectiveness and safety of new products in order to make medical progress. That system, however, can put unpredictable pressure on physicians conducting the trials.

Whether your retirement is years away or just around the corner, inflation will exert a major influence on your future economic health. Ignore it at your own peril.

Starting October 1, 2007, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) officially endorsed the practice of physicians charging a fee to Medicare beneficiaries who fail to show up for appointments. If you charge Medicare patients a fee for missing appointments, however, you must charge the same fee to all who skip appointments, regardless of the payer.

Starting October 1, 2007, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) officially endorsed the practice of physicians charging a fee to Medicare beneficiaries who fail to show up for appointments. If you charge Medicare patients a fee for missing appointments, however, you must charge the same fee to all who skip appointments, regardless of the payer.

Websites range from those structured as online brochures to the more complicated interactive sites. Whether you need the bells and whistles of interaction depends on your goals, how much you want to spend and how much effort you plan to focus on the web.

Zoe Diana Draelos, M.D., answers questions about cosmetic dermatology.

Epidemiology can provide very useful information about various skin diseases and when used properly, can help dermatologists treat their patients more effectively and impart to them invaluable advice on how to handle their skin condition or disease.

National report - An initiative to grant American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD) members full fellowship in AAD fell short, but the matter is likely to resurface, sources say.

National report - An initiative to grant American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD) members full fellowship in AAD fell short, but the matter is likely to resurface, sources say.

Congress has been warned that many doctors are "on the take" from big pharmaceutical companies, which pay them in one way or another to prescribe their drugs to patients, and are "at risk of corruption" while endangering the lives of patients.

In the Letters section of the October 2007 issue of Dermatology Times, both Craig G. Burkhart, M.D., and Michael H. Coverman, M.D., do not directly address two important points in the debate regarding "dysplastic" nevi. Clinical utility of a concept derives from its prognostic and therapeutic implications. Specifically, the utility of the concept of dysplastic nevi is that they are a significant risk factor for cutaneous melanoma.[1,2] This concept is analogous to hypercholesterolemia and hypertension being asymptomatic risk factors for cardiovascular disease and not diseases in and of themselves.

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Microdermabrasion effectively rejuvenates the face without downtime or pain

Dr. Schlessinger answers questions about treatments better done in winter months

Suncreen protection is necessary all year, due to the sun's reflection of UVR from snow.

Protecting your hands from dry skin in the winter is important in maintaining a healthy glow

Microdermabrasion effectively rejuvenates the face without downtime or pain

Moisturizing the skin in dry winter months should be a layering process

Lip augmentation through liquid fillers is a common prodecure that can be done in the office. Learn how you can get fuller lips at any age.

There are a variety of methods and treatments to correct acne scarring based on the type of scar

The first active population-based study of invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has found the infection to be more widespread than previously thought. Its publication in JAMA on October 17 triggered massive ongoing "panic" news coverage of the infection, particularly the community-associated (CA) variant.