Archive for the ‘Mens health’ Category

N95 Masks Are No Better for Preventing H1N1

It turns out that N95 respiratory masks may be no better than ordinary disposable surgical masks for preventing H1N1 swine flu. In September 2009, researchers reported that only N95 masks could provide significant protection against H1N1. But now, the same group of researchers report that updated results of their research reveal that this is not the case.

These new results were presented at the Infectious Diseases Society of America 47th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. To date, all of the research on the N95 mask and the H1N1 flu virus has been done in health care workers who have a higher risk of H1N1 exposure than the average person. The good news is – regular disposable surgical masks are a lot less expensive and easier to find than the N95 mask.

So, it seems that, if you want to protect yourself against H1N1 swine flu, the best thing to do is to get your flu shots – both the seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 flu vaccine (if you can find it).

 

Source:

Infectious Diseases Society of America 47th Annual Meeting. Presented 31 October 2009.

Created on: 11/05/2009
Reviewed on: 11/05/2009

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No Benefit for Hormone Therapy in Low-Risk Prostate Cancer

According to a new study presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology 51st Annual Meeting, men with low-risk prostate cancer who undergo radiation therapy do not need to be treated with hormone therapy. Hormone treatment does not improve survival in this group of prostate cancer patients.

This study, involving 1979 men with prostate cancer, is the largest prostate cancer study to date. Study participants were randomly assigned to receive either hormone therapy plus radiation or radiation alone. After 8 years of follow-up, the overall survival and prostate cancer-specific survival were similar between the two groups of patients. Since hormone therapy can lead to loss of sexual function and liver toxicity, being able to skip hormone treatment means fewer adverse side effects for low-risk prostate cancer patients.

 
This new study definitively establishes that there is no benefit to hormone therapy in men with low-risk prostate cancer. On the other hand, short-term hormone treatment does improve survival in men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer. This study is the first to demonstrate compelling evidence of survival benefit in men with intermediate-risk patients with prostate cancer. However, the radiation doses and techniques used in this study are outdated, and it may be that the higher doses of radiation that are given now would eliminate the need for hormone therapy.
 

Source:

American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 51st Annual Meeting, Presented 2 November 2009.

 

Created on: 11/04/2009
Reviewed on: 11/04/2009

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