Concerns about overtesting and overtreatment are prompting changes in medical practices. Last week’s recommendation by an expert panel that doctors stop using the PSA test to screen healthy men for prostate cancer is part of a broader trend that’s been building for years. People are taking a closer look not just at cancer screenings, but at all medical tests and procedures. “It feels like this is the beginning of a sea change in attitudes towards testing, treating and overdiagnosis,” one expert said. Last month, for example, nine physicians’ groups, including the American College of Cardiology, launched the “Choosing Wisely” campaign to discourage 45 frequently overused tests and procedures. USA Today
Expert panel warns of hazards of hormone replacement therapy. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said women who are past menopause and healthy should not use the therapy to try to ward off dementia, bone fractures or heart disease. In a new analysis, the task force found only limited evidence that hormones protect against bone fractures, and no evidence that they reduce heart disease. It also found that for most menopausal women using hormone therapy, the risk of developing dementia later in life actually rose a bit. One form of the therapy, estrogen alone, appeared to slightly reduce the incidence of breast cancer. But, in the analysis, the sparse benefits were offset by such risks as blood clots. Los Angeles Times
Federal investigators probe whether BP officials lied to Congress about size of Gulf of Mexico leak. If investigators determine that BP misled lawmakers after the Deepwater Horizon accident two years ago, it could lead to additional criminal charges against current and former company employees. According to people familiar with the investigation, prosecutors are examining statements made by BP officials at a closed-door briefing on May 4, 2010, two weeks after the accident, where they discussed the best guesses for the rate at which oil was spilling from the damaged well. Federal prosecutors already have indicted one former BP engineer for allegedly obstructing justice. The Wall Street Journal
Efforts stall to establish a federal rule to protect workers from combustible dust hazards. Bureaucratic hurdles, industry resistance and political calculations all have played a role in the delays. Since 1980, more than 450 accidents involving combustible dust have killed nearly 130 workers and injured more than 800 others, according to an analysis of data from federal agencies. But agency officials say even those numbers likely understate the toll. Often workers don’t know that the dust lurking on flat surfaces could, when dispersed in a cloud, fuel a violent explosion. But worker safety advocates, government officials and other experts have warned of the hazard for years. The Center for Public Integrity
Cancer patients await ruling on whether they may receive aid from the Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund. An advisory committee in March found justification for covering 14 broad categories of cancer. That raised expectations that the fund, approved by Congress in 2010, would cover at least some of the people who believe their cancers were caused by toxic substances released in the fall of the World Trade Center. But such a decision could create a logistical quagmire and strain the $4.3 billion fund’s resources. Dr. John Howard, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is expected to rule by Saturday on whether to accept the advisory committee’s recommendation. The New York Times
Recalls: Chicken of the Sea, Pacific Pearl and Ace of Diamonds oysters, Nitre Powder, dried shitake mushrooms sold at Costco, V Maxx Rx
Compiled by Stuart Silverstein
