LifeEthics
Bioethics
>CNN objects to conscience
>This subject again. CNN, that bastion of upstanding plants ethics, objects to doctors with morals – or at least the ones who act on them. The CNN video (not a “news piece”) shows interviews with a woman who was refused contraception by one doctor and a second interview with another doctor who is Catholic and … Continue reading
Emotional Debate on “Physician Assisted Suicide”
On Tuesday night, November 26th, I drove to Houston to hear Wesley J. Smith, debate Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) with Kathryn Tucker, the Director of Legal Services for Compassion & Choices, which was once the old Hemlock Society and then Compassion in Dying. Mr. Smith is the author of The Culture of Death and Forced … Continue reading
>Embryonic Stem Cells in humans?
>There are stories about embryonic stem cells being used by a doctor in India, Dr. Geeta Shroff who works at in vitro fertilization clinic. Dr. Shroff has not published her work at Nu Tech Mediworld, will not allow other researchers to examine her cells, cultures or techniques, and the research was rejected by the Indian … Continue reading
Medicare Pie Cut Thinner
Think of the money that Medicare pays doctors for seeing patients as though it’s a pie called the “Sustainable Growth Rate.” This pie is not going to get bigger unless Congress cooks some more pies by New Years. Otherwise, when more patients join Medicare and more pieces are needed next year, we will have to … Continue reading
>Genealogy for fun and profit
>The blogs are buzzing over new home tests to access your gene profile. Biology in a Digital World and the Women’s Bioethics Blog are talking about the $999 test. However, the genealogy lists are doing testing for family lines (the tests are sold by the website) instead of the old way of talking and searching … Continue reading
>Germans Praise Stem Cell Breakthrough
>It turns out that it’s not just American Christian right-wingers who are grateful that there’s an alternative to embryonic stem cells from the destruction of human embryos. Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka wins top German cancer prize Heidelberg, Germany (dpa) – Shinya Yamanaka, the Japanese scientist who last week revealed a revolutionary new technique to manufacture … Continue reading
>Varied and deep rooted (cost of health care)
>I’d just add a few observations to the New York Times editorial (free registration required) on the cost of health care in the US. I’m a big proponent of making patients responsible for more of their health care costs. Health Savings Accounts, long term care insurance, and even deductibles are good ideas. I would also … Continue reading
>Biographic article on Yamanaka
>Here’s a cute biography of Shinya Yamanaka, lead researcher from the Japanese team that reported reprogramming of adult cells into embryonic-like stem cells. As an M.D. myself, I find it interesting that, unlike veterinarians James Thomson of Wisconsin and Time Magazine Person of the Year, Hu Suk Hwang, Dr. Yamanaka is a human doctor, trained … Continue reading
>UTexas: Modified virus fights stem cell cancer
>Viral gene therapy (similar to techniques used in the stem cell breakthrough last week) has been used by University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center researchers in animal models and reported in the September 19, 2007 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. From MD Anderson: Since 2004 scientists have found that brain … Continue reading
>"Modest" Increase in Sexually Transmitted Diseases
>After a decline in STD’s in the late ’80’s and ’90’s that is believed to have been driven by “safer sex” strategies brought on by the spread of HIV, numbers of infections have increased for the second year in a row. The increase may actually be the result of increased efforts at screening and more … Continue reading
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