YouTube is for more than watching World Cup highlights, Brian Williams refreshing old-school rap classics, and videos of skateboarders landing in unfortunate positions on railings. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the Dermatology Online Journal shows that YouTube also allows researchers, journals, and health advocates to connect directly with the public on topics of skin cancer and prevention.
According to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), self-referring urologists dramatically increased their usage of a more expensive, but not necessarily more effective, radiation treatment they own compared to their non-self-referring counterparts where no ownership interest exists. The study adds to the existing mountain of evidence that the in-office ancillary services loophole to the Stark Law costs the Medicare system billions without benefiting patients.
Early detection is paramount in the successful treatment of cancer. Colonoscopies and Pap smears have long been known to considerably lower mortality rates. However, improved screening methods are always needed. For example, lung cancer has a survival rate of about 15% because it is too often detected in the latter stages, which limits treatment options. Currently, imaging and sampling of blood, fluid, and tissue are the staples of diagnosis, but the future may also include a furrier option.
