By Miriam Falco
CNN Medical Managing Editor

A German hospital announced this week that a 42-year old American living in Berlin who did not want to be identified had come to them three years ago for treatment. It was determined that he had acute leukemia (blood cancer) and was HIV positive too.

After a bone marrow transplant, it appears that not only did the man’s cancer go away, so did the virus that causes AIDS.  This has been reported worldwide as a “cure” for AIDS. But even the doctors involved in this case say they don’t know if they cured this man of HIV.  So what’s all the fuss about? Should HIV patients be treated with a bone marrow transplant?

One of America’s top AIDS expert doesn’t think so. “This is interesting but not a practical application. It’s not feasible and has extraordinarily limited practical application” long-time AIDS researcher and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN.  He and other researchers first learned of this case back in February. But this study of one patient has not yet been published or been reviewed by other AIDS experts. It didn’t get much attention back then because of the many limitations it has.  Dr. Robert Gallo is one of the scientists who discovered HIV. “While this procedure might help a very small minority of people living with AIDS,” Gallo says, “it is by no means the answer to the world’s HIV/AIDS pandemic.”

Doctors first began treating the cancer with chemotherapy. They also gave him anti-retrovirals to contain the virus that causes AIDS. Doctors said at a press conference this week that the patient did go into remission, but eventually the cancer came back. The next step to treat the cancer was a bone marrow transplant, which is common for leukemia patients.

His doctors emphasized that without further treatment, without the bone marrow transplant, he would have died of cancer - not HIV or AIDS.

But the patient’s physician, Dr. Gero Huetter, wanted to combine the cancer treatment with something he had heard about in medical school 12 years ago. That’s when researchers found out that a certain genetic mutation prevents the virus from getting into a person’s cells. But to be resistant to HIV, one has to have inherited this mutation from both parents.

So when it came to looking for a bone marrow donor for his patient, Huetter decided to see if he could find a donor that not only was a marrow match for his patient, but one who also had these two copies of the genetic mutation to see if they would get the bonus of treating the HIV, while treating the more urgent need - cancer.

Here’s where the German doctors admit they were very lucky. They told reporters they normally find one to five qualified donors for their patients in need of a transplant. In this case they found 80 donors. So they systematically tested each donor for the mutation and when they came to the 61st potential donor they hit the jackpot. Nearly two years after the bone marrow transplant, the patient is still in remission from his cancer and he doesn’t seem to have any detectable HIV either.

This is probably why many newspaper headlines interpreted the success as being a cure.

However there are many caveats to this story.

1. Even though their tests do not show a presence of HIV in his system, doesn’t mean it’s not there. This virus is known for hiding well and popping up later. It’s been seen before in patients taking anti-retroviral drugs. It is possible that if more sophisticated tests were used on this patient, they would detect the virus that is still in his body. So it’s still not entirely clear that he is HIV-free.

2. The chances of finding a bone marrow donor with two copies of this genetic mutation for everyone one of the 33 million people worldwide living with HIV or AIDS is not realistic because only one percent of Caucasians and zero percent of African Americans or Asians have this particular genetic mutation.

3. Bone marrow transplants are dangerous for patients. Before they can get the donated stem cells that will replace their own, they have to take strong chemotherapy to destroy their own bone marrow — leaving them without an immune system to fight off any disease — until the transplanted bone marrow can make new blood cells. Plus patients run the risk of rejecting the new cells, which means they have to take immune-suppressing drugs for the rest of their life.

4. Bone marrow transplants are very expensive and not an option for many people living with this disease around the world.

Both the doctors in Berlin and AIDS experts we’ve spoken with say this is a “proof of principle.” “It’s an interesting case for researchers,” according to Dr. Rudolf Tauber, from the Charite hospital in Berlin, where the patient was treated. The hope is that this one case could lead to future treatments. Dr. Gallo says, “If patients living with HIV and AIDS have access and can adhere to today’s retroviral therapy, many will live longer, healthier lives, perhaps full length lives.”

Editor’s Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

By Elizabeth Landau
CNN.com Health Writer/Producer

For several months I have enjoyed recording digital music files through my keyboard, thanks to a simple device that connects it to my laptop. But it wasn’t until recently that I discovered that the following label came with it:

WARNING: This product contains chemicals, including lead, known to the State of California to cause cancer, and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling.

I freaked out. How could a set of cables attached to a small blue blinking cylinder cause cancer? The USB connector and keyboard inputs seemed harmless enough, and I hadn’t felt obvious symptoms while making music. Was I risking my life for the sake of my four-person fan base?

So I called the company, M-Audio. Apparently, manufacturers have to put this label on certain products to comply with Proposition 65, a California law that requires a warning on anything containing lead or other hazardous substances found to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.

Under this law, whose full title is The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, warnings must be placed on products with a chemicals present in amounts larger than what the California government has decided is a “safe harbor number.”

These requirements are pretty strict. For example, for a cancer-causing chemical, according to the state’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, “a person exposed to the chemical at the ‘no significant risk level’ for 70 years would not have more than a ‘one in 100,000’ chance of developing cancer as a result of that exposure.” So, if there would be more than one excess case of cancer out of 100,000 people over a period of 70 years because of exposure to that amount of the substance, slap on that label.

It’s not just computing equipment. Amazon.com outlines for its customers required warnings for California consumers placed on tools, lead crystal glasses, ceramic tableware, jewelry, Tiffany style lamps, electrical cords, beauty products, and even motor vehicles.

The consequences for violating Proposition 65 can be pretty fierce. One Los Angeles company had to pay a $10 million fine for failing to label lead-tainted lunch boxes (they sold 100,000 of them to the state health department), the Los Angeles Times reported earlier this year.

Still, does that mean I have to wash my hands every time I touch the cord? Mark Williams, spokesperson for M-Audio, says, “No! My gosh, no!”

In general, he says, electronics products carry this label because of the materials used in circuit boards, such as lead, for example. It’s not like there’s pesticide sprayed on the surface, he says.

In fact, according to the company’s official statement on the issue, a device with a lead warning might not have any lead at all:

Even in situations where an electronics device is completely free of lead, there is always a chance that standard third-party-manufactured accessories packaged with the device (such as a power cable, USB cable, or power supply) may contain trace amounts of lead. Out of professional diligence and a commitment to fully comply with the law, M-Audio properly marks all applicable products with a Prop 65 lead warning.

Maybe people are used to seeing these labels by now. Williams said mine was the first call he’s received on the issue in his five months in media relations at the company.

So, now I will make my techno versions of acoustic indie songs in relative peace.

Editor’s Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

By Karen Bonsignore
Executive Producer, CNN Entertainment News

If it’s Tuesday it must be chemo! There are seven chairs in my oncologist’s treatment room and most of the time they’re all filled. There’s an instant camaraderie between patients as we’re all battling the same beast. We mostly know each other by our first names and the kind of cancer we have. “Hi I’m Karen. I had ovarian cancer. What are you being treated for?” Lung, colon, and liver cancers dot the room on any given day but breast cancer seems to always dominate.

The “old-timers,” those who are at or near the end of their treatments, try to reassure newcomers and give them an idea of what to expect. “The first one won’t be so bad.” “Your hair will fall out after the second or third week.” “Make sure you ask your doctor for good drugs to help fight nausea.” Most everyone has a “port” through which the chemotherapy is administered and with our IVs connected and our blue “napkins” tucked into our shirt collars we look like adults gathered around the children’s table waiting for dinner.

For me, each treatment has been filled with an assortment of side effects ranging from nausea and neuropathy to extreme fatigue. When I completed my third treatment, out of a total of six, my personal cheerleaders reminded me, “You’re halfway there!” or “It’s downhill from here!” While I acknowledged their encouragement, I could only think to myself that I wanted to quit after round two. How the heck am I going to make it through three more?

At this writing I’ve just completed my last treatment. After four months of chemo I am finally done.

The nurses gave me a mini-cupcake with a candle in it and sang “Happy Last Chemo” to me. I looked into the faces of my acquaintances as they left. We exchanged wishes for good luck on the way out the door and I wondered how long these new friends would live. I wondered about my own condition.

One of my doctors told me that it’s not uncommon for people who have completed chemotherapy to become depressed. While going through treatment it feels like we’re taking an active step to kill whatever cancer cells remain. When it’s done, all you can do is wait.

I can’t go back to a time before my cancer was diagnosed, and so my life will never be the same again. The threat of recurrence is real and its presence has changed my life forever. While I’m wary of this phantom, worrying each day that I’ll be marked for another marathon dance is paralyzing. I now totally and completely understand that I have only the moment I’m in.

Having cancer has taught me to be more compassionate, more patient with others and myself, and to live my life more fearlessly. It has allowed me time to be with myself and to truly embrace my feelings. It has given me a chance to say “thank you” hundreds of times. As I write I am filled with love and gratitude for all of the support given to me by my extraordinary family, friends and co-workers, for all of the wonderful doctors and nurses who have taken care of me, and for all the others who have simply cared enough to stop and ask how I was doing.

I leave this place now with a brave and open heart, and with a little rest I’ll be ready again to deal with whatever comes next.

Have you faced down a disease? What was the biggest thing it taught you?

Editor’s Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a disease that touches more than 20,000 women each year, including some of CNN’s own. Karen Bonsignore, executive producer of CNN Entertainment News, got her diagnosis in May. Every Friday this month, she’ll share parts of her personal journey.

By Karen Bonsignore
Executive Producer, CNN Entertainment News

When you have cancer, your well-meaning family and friends are likely to tell you that in order to keep the disease at bay you need to think positively. To help my mind from straying, I was given an assortment of life-affirming gifts: prayer beads blessed by the Dalai Lama, a St. Christopher medal, bracelets and necklaces with charms for good health, books and meditations. I even bought a few for myself.

While I was still in the hospital recovering from surgery I imagined that there was an intricate community that lived inside me. There were seamless, titanium walls that lined the inside of my body. I chose dozens of tiny people to live there including architects and engineers, chefs who specialized in preparing only the healthiest and most nutritious foods, physical trainers, Olympic weightlifters, and NFL linebackers who were responsible for ensuring that the walls held up. Together they promised not to let any rogue cancer cells in. Ever.

When I returned home from the hospital I put up a Post-It note on my bathroom mirror that read:

May 27, 2008
Today I am CANCER FREE

Beneath those words I counted each day post surgery. I thought that I would count to 365, at which time I would celebrate a year of being cancer free. I was vigilant about marking the days until one Thursday I simply forgot. By the time I realized that I’d stopped, I’d lost count altogether. I didn’t need to look back to see how far I’d come; I knew very well what I’d been through and I only wanted to face forward.

I’m a firm believer in the mind-body connection but I’m here to tell you that it’s nearly impossible to think positively when your bones hurt, your muscles ache, you’re nauseated and you’re so exhausted you can barely move. In fact, some people believe that if they don’t think positively all of the time, they will somehow cause their cancer to return. For me, dark thoughts are inevitable, and when they surface I allow them to enter, I feel them and acknowledge whatever fear comes to pass, and then I ask them to leave. On one particularly difficult day I asked my son, Cody, how I was supposed to remain positive when I felt so awful? He answered simply: I guess you just have to believe that tomorrow will be a better day. And so I do.

I believe that tomorrow will be a better day. I believe that I am strong. I believe that I’m meant to do more here on this Earth. I believe that I will be cured. I believe that I will live.

How has positive thinking affected you?

Editor’s Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a disease that touches more than 20,000 women each year, including some of CNN’s own. Karen Bonsignore, executive producer of CNN Entertainment News, got her diagnosis in May. Every Friday this month, she’ll share parts of her personal journey.

By Karen Bonsignore
Executive Producer, CNN Entertainment News

I dislike my wig. It’s not that it doesn’t look good on me; on the contrary, it looks very much like my own hair. It’s just that it’s NOT my hair and it’s a constant reminder that I’m bald. When I wear it I feel dishonest, as if I’m trying to deceive people into believing that I actually have hair. Those who know me know that it’s a wig, and those who don’t know me rarely take notice at all. Instead I prefer to wear scarves or hats, which clearly state “I had cancer. I’m being treated and I’m bald.”

Everyone knows that hair loss is one of the main side effects of chemotherapy. It’s expected. One of the things doctors sometimes forget to tell their patients is that it hurts when your hair falls out. A friend of mine who is a breast cancer survivor compared it to the uncomfortable feeling you have when, after wearing your hair in a certain style for many years, you decide to part your hair a different way. It even hurts to sleep on it. Most all of the hair on your body falls out due to the drugs, even your nose hair. Who knew?

What surprised me most about losing my hair was how emotional I was about it. About two weeks after my first chemo treatment my hair started to fall out. Strands came out on my pillow, on my towel after showering and in my hands. I decided that I didn’t want to watch it fall out each day so I made an appointment to have it cut about an inch and a half from my scalp. While I sat in the chair at the salon I was taken aback when my chest began to clench and then tears streamed down my face and I had absolutely no idea why. I wasn’t sad about cutting my hair. In fact I’ve had relatively short hair most of my adult life. I’ve even had it “spiked” when it was in fashion. No, it was as if at that moment I’d been smacked hard with the reality that I actually had cancer and now I was really “in it.” It wasn’t simply that my hair was falling out; it was the terrible truth that my hair was falling out as a result of having ovarian cancer. I didn’t feel sick before I went into the hospital to remove what my doctors thought were benign cysts and I didn’t feel sick that day. I think that’s what made accepting cancer all the more difficult for me. There was no question now that I had it, they had “gotten it all,” and I was darn lucky.  

Before my second treatment three weeks later I’d cut my hair twice more: first to a #1 buzz cut, and then my son shaved my head bald. By that time I was resigned to the fact that this was part of the cancer package. There was no more denial. I wanted to live and I had no choice but to walk through it until I came out the other side.

Editor’s Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a disease that touches more than 20,000 women each year, including some of CNN’s own. Karen Bonsignore, executive producer of CNN Entertainment News, got her diagnosis in May. Every Friday this month, she’ll share parts of her personal journey.

By Karen Bonsignore
Executive Producer, CNN Entertainment News

My cancer was found accidentally. I was one of the lucky ones. It was while being treated for a blood disorder that I learned that I had cysts on both of my ovaries. After numerous tests and scans, my doctors believed that they were benign but nevertheless needed to be removed. I went into the hospital in late May believing that I was cancer-free. Since I was past my child-bearing years, I planned to have a hysterectomy as a precaution. I knew, however, that nothing was 100 percent certain until the doctors actually took a look.

Karen Bonsignore before and after chemotherapy

My surgeon came to my bedside the night following my surgery and asked if anyone had talked to me yet. My family and friends knew what had been found during my surgery but felt the news was better coming from him. When the doctor took my hand, the world stopped. I’d never felt such sheer terror as in the moment before he spoke. I had ovarian cancer, he said gently. I gasped, and in the second before he spoke again, I panicked: I knew that most ovarian cancer is found in advanced stages, when the chance of long-term survival is much less. He continued: My cancer was stage IIc: present in both ovaries, on the pelvic wall, and in the abdominal fluid, but not detected in my lymph nodes. My survival chances were considerably better than if found later. I was so relieved, so incredibly grateful, and I prayed incessantly for several days that I would be healthy.

In the weeks after my surgery it was difficult for me to accept the diagnosis. In a matter of a few hours I had gone from believing I was cancer free, to having cancer and then having it all removed. A cancer diagnosis was inconceivable to me. I struggled to understand what part in my life it played. I didn’t even know how to refer to it: Was it correct to say “I have cancer” or “I had cancer”? How did I suddenly become a cancer survivor?

Cancer for me was like hosting an uninvited guest who has overstayed his welcome the moment he arrived. Although intellectually I knew that there are no guarantees, it was the first time I ever questioned whether I’d live to see my son get married or my grandchildren be born. The presence of cancer brought so many uncertainties to bear: Would I ever be truly healthy again? Would I be able to work? How else would my life change? I was at the beginning of the process and I was looking down a very long road to an undetermined destination.

Have you fought ovarian cancer? What did you learn from it?

Editor’s Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

By Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Chief Medical Correspondent

Over the past few days, many people have asked me about swimmer Eric Shanteau. As you may know by now, he secured a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. He told us he has in one way or another been training his entire life, so when he qualified, you can imagine the overwhelming emotion.  It was the highest point of his life, but it was darkened by the lowest. Cancer. Just as he was booking his tickets to the Olympic trials, he learned he had testicular cancer. For Shanteau, it was decision time: the Olympics or immediate treatment.

He chose the Olympics, a decision that has been controversial and surprised many people. As we investigated and spoke to doctors who specialize in this type of cancer, we learned that most of them were comfortable with his decision to wait. Make no mistake; there are some cancers that require immediate treatment. With early stage testicular cancer, however, you can afford to wait a few weeks or even a couple of months. In the case of Shanteau, he will get a blood test every week and a CT scan every two weeks. He tells us, if there is a blip on his tests, the Olympics go to the back burner and his cancer treatment starts.

Perhaps the most famous cancer survivor in the world, Lance Armstrong, learned of his illness when it was late stage. In Lance’s case, the cancer had spread to his lungs and his brain. It was after his treatment that Lance went on to win the Tour de France seven consecutive times. Lance told me he will be rooting for Eric and applauds his decision to compete and his bravery in sharing his story. Armstrong also said something that really struck me: “Eric will swim like a man possessed, because he’s been reminded of how fragile his life – and our life –is.”

So, do you agree with Shanteau’s decision? Would you wait or not take any chances? Would that change if you were counseling a loved one or were Eric’s parent?

Editor’s Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

By Miriam Falco
CNN Medical Managing Editor

There’s been a lot of news about cancer this week.  Specifically, one of the deadliest, brain cancer.  Sen. Ted Kennedy is fighting it.  Fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent died after battling it for a year.  This news overshadowed some important advances in cancer research presented at the largest cancer conference in the world.  Every year physicians, researchers, pharmaceutical companies and journalists gather for the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO). This year more than 33,000 people attended the 44th annual conference.  There’s always an expectation of a big, blockbuster report that will make a huge impact on cancer patients. 

This year researchers presented more than 5,000 studies — some small or preliminary, others significantly advancing patient care.  ASCO president and breast cancer specialist Dr. Nancy Davidson points out that, “Today, there are more than 10 million cancer survivors (in the United States) compared to 3 million in the 1970s.”

Here’s a brief round-up (in no particular order) of some of the findings that caught my eye at this year’s conference:

 -      A drug approved for osteoporosis called Zometa not only helped reduce bone loss in premenopausal breast cancer survivors, it also helped reduce the risk of relapse by a third.  It’s too early to say whether these women will live longer, but researchers saw these benefits without going on chemotherapy.

-       Doctors can use a test that costs about $100 to determine whether the drug Erbitux will help prevent the spread of colon cancer.  Researchers found Erbitiux did not work with tumor cells that have a mutated form of a certain protein.  However, if the patient’s tumor had a normal version of the protein, taking Erbitux plus regular chemotherapy reduced his or her risk of recurring cancer by 32 percent.

This is important because  it helps doctors determine who will benefit from this drug.  It saves patients from wasting time on a drug that won’t work for them, avoids their dealing with any side effects that can occur and saves a lot of money because this relative new drug is very expensive ($8,000 for 4 dosages; patients usually need 12). 

-       Researchers also found that adding this same colon cancer drug Erbitux to standard chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients, compared with those on only standard chemotherapy extends survival by a month.  One month more may not seem like a lot, and the researchers themselves call it “a small step forward that opens up new avenues in research.”  But it shows that this drug, which targets a specific characteristic of the tumor, has a survival benefit. That’s important to patients and their families and represents another step forward in treating the No. 1 cancer killer in the world.

This is not a comprehensive synopsis of the meeting, and several experts I spoke with wouldn’t call these “home run” findings – more like somewhere between a single and a double (their analogy, not mine).  But researchers are learning more about what’s going on inside a tumor and finding ways to stop cancer from spreading.  That’s good news for the more than 1.4 million Americans who will develop cancer this year.  But fighting cancer depends on having the resources to conduct more research.  Another theme of this conference was lack of research dollars.  Davidson, the oncology group’s president, says National Institutes of Health funding declined by $500 million since 2003.  The National Cancer Institute’s director Dr. John Niederhuber told reporters, “We’re supporting fewer clinical trials.”

That’s because the NIH budget has been flat since 2004 – add in inflation – and the actual money is less. Less money means less research.  Do you think the U.S. government needs to spend more on cancer research?  If so, at what cost to other health initiatives?

For more information on these studies and information on cancer, you can go to ASCO’s newly launched website http://www.cancer.net.  The American Cancer Society, at www.cancer.org, also has a lot helpful information for you. 

Editor’s Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

By Dr. Sanjay Gupta
CNN Chief Medical Correspondent

We now know Sen. Ted Kennedy flew down to Durham, North Carolina, over the weekend, and underwent awake brain surgery at 9 Monday morning at Duke. The operation was “successful,” according to his surgeons, and a significant amount of his malignant glioma was removed. The whole thing was a bit of a surprise given that his doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital hadn’t publicly raised the possibility of an operation. They mentioned only chemotherapy and radiation as his options. Clearly, over the last couple of weeks, the senator and his family decided they wanted more. They wanted to fight this tumor, and they talked to experts all over the country and finally decided on Dr. Allan Friedman at the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke to help them in his battle.

So, what sort of things go into that decision making process?

Well, for starters, Duke is a highly regarded brain tumor hospital. The chief of neurosurgery has been at Duke for over three decades and removes around 90 percent of the brain tumors at that hospital. Its staff members,  along with those of several other hospitals, are regarded as experts in what is known as brain “mapping.” Even as a neurosurgeon,  I find mapping to be a truly wondrous advancement.  As the patient, in this case the senator, lies awake on the table with his head immobilized, the doctors probe various areas of the brain with a device that looks like a small fork. Carefully, they “map” out the areas of his brain responsible for things like speech. While they are probing with a slight electrical current, if the patient suddenly has trouble raising his hand or identifying an object, the doctors know to stay away from that area – even if tumor is present. The risks would outweigh the rewards. First do no harm.

Kennedy may have ended up at Duke simply because he really liked the doctors and felt comfortable in their hands – attitude, such an important thing for a patient. He may have gone to Duke because he thought they were the “best.” Finally, it could also be because of a vaccine clinical trial that is going on there. Just today, researchers at Duke reported on a small study that found that a cancer vaccine could double the survival time of people with one of the deadliest brain tumors, from around 14 1/2 months to 33 months.
 
The surgery Kennedy had today will most likely be covered by his health plan because removing the tumor is an approved treatment, even though he left his network of doctors in Boston to travel to Durham.  According to the NIH, health insurance and managed care providers often do not cover the patient care costs associated with clinical trials, if that is the route he decides to go.

All of this got me to thinking: how does the average person make these decisions? How do they decide where they are going to get treated and is it even possible for most to find the “best” in the country? I’m eager to hear your experiences and any tips you might have for fellow bloggers and patients.

Editor’s Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

By Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Chief Medical Correspondent

Last night, I was part of a fascinating discussion on “Larry King Live” about cell phones and their health risks. (watch) To be clear, most of the established scientific community thinks there is no reason for concern. There were, however, some strong voices on each side of the issue, including neurosurgeon Vini Khurana from Australia. He is convinced, after looking at hundreds of studies, that not only do cell phones cause health problems such as brain tumors, but also they will eventually be considered a bigger health risk than asbestos and even cigarettes.

Wow.

Now, I expected a staunch defense from the American Cancer Society, but instead I heard a more tepid response from Dr. Michael Thun. His bottom-line conclusion is that the studies that currently exist don’t show any reason for concern - but - the studies aren’t definitive in showing that they are safe either. Not exactly reassuring.

Over the last year, I have reviewed nearly a hundred studies on this topic, including the 19 large epidemiological studies. I urge you to do the same and read carefully to see what you think. Here is an example from a Swedish paper showing no increased risk of a brain tumor, known as acoustic neuroma. (see study) As you read the paper, you will find they defined a “regular” cell phone user as someone who uses a cell phone once per week during six months or more. I don’t know about you, but everyone I know uses his or her cell phones much more frequently than that. So, just how reliable are some of these studies?

Furthermore, many of the studies published since 2000 followed patients only three years on average. And, even a Danish study that did have longer-term follow-up excluded anyone under the age of 18. So, what about children who will presumably be using these phones for the rest of their lives?

Mobile devices give off non-ionizing radiation radio frequency. This is different from the ionizing radiation of an X-ray, which everyone agrees can be harmful in large doses. The recommendation by the two neurosurgeons on the panel yesterday – Khurana and Dr. Keith Black, chairman of neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles - wear a wired ear piece. Even Bluetooth devices give off some radiation, although at lower doses. Don’t carry your cell phone in your pocket; instead put it in a holster that meets industry standards.

What do you think? As Larry reminded us last night, it took a long time to develop a cause-and-effect relationship between cigarettes and lung cancer. Nowadays, everyone knows it exists. Is the same thing happening with cell phones? (more from Dr. Gupta on cell phones and cancer)

Editor’s Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.