HIV Scare Sends Adult Film Workers to Clinic April 30, 2004 • Another case of HIV in Southern California's multi-billion-dollar adult film industry raises more new fears. Many who work on the films are turning to a clinic that serves most of the actors and actresses who appear in pornographic films. Alex Cohen of member station KQED reports.
Mutated Gene May Help Lung Cancer Therapy April 30, 2004 • Studies in the New England Journal of Medicine and the journal Science find that some lung cancer patients have a mutation on their cancer cells that makes them susceptible to a drug called Iressa. The drug sometimes makes even large tumors disappear. Researchers say the finding may help them identify patients who will benefit from Iressa - and others who will not. NPR's Richard Knox reports.
Catholic Hospitals Face Ideological Conflict April 29, 2004 • Catholic hospitals are examining the implications of Pope John Paul II's recent statement on feeding tubes. The pontiff said, in effect, that pulling the feeding tube from a patient in a permanent vegetative state is equivalent to euthanasia. NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty reports.
Study: Gene Test Can Determine if Cancer Drug Will Work April 29, 2004 • New research shows that certain lung cancer patients should get a genetic test before treatment. The new cancer drug Iressa is almost 100 percent effective in people who have a particular genetic makeup -- and not effective at all in those who don't. NPR's Richard Knox reports.
U.S. to Include Bred Salmon in Wild Species Count April 29, 2004 • The Bush administration decides to include salmon bred in hatcheries in its count of wild salmon populations. The result could be that some species will soon be deemed healthy and removed from the Endangered Species list. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and NPR's Elizabeth Arnold.
Medical Student Seeks Cure for His Own Cancer April 28, 2004 • Tulane University medical student Andy Martin is hard at work searching for a cure for an extremely rare, highly fatal type of cancer called sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma. For Martin, the quest is personal: he himself has been diagnosed with the illness. Martin speaks with NPR's Robert Siegel.
Ben & Jerry's Uses Sound to Chill Ice Cream April 28, 2004 • Scientists have developed a new type of refrigeration system for Ben and Jerry's. It chills ice cream using sound waves, rather than with gases that may contribute to climate change. The "thermo-acoustic" chiller is a pricey prototype, but its creators hope the device can be produced for the commercial market. NPR's Robert Smith reports.
Biological Nanocomputers Monitor Cells April 28, 2004 • Scientists report that they have developed a tiny molecular computer that has the potential to monitor individual cells and release drugs if signs of illness or cancer arise. The innovation, reported in Nature this week, is still being studied, but researchers say it could revolutionize therapy methods. NPR's Richard Harris reports.
KFC Seeks to Join Fast-Food Health Trend April 27, 2004 • Yet another fast-food restaurant plans to alter its menu to appease health-conscious consumers. Kentucky Fried Chicken, announcing an "evolution" in their menu, will now market boneless chicken strips in wraps and salads. NPR's Michele Norris talks with Amy O'Connor, deputy editor of Prevention magazine, about the health-seeking trend in the fast food business.
Elderly Forego Some Medications April 27, 2004 • It's estimated that at least half of the nation's senior citizens don't take their medications as prescribed, or at all. In many cases, it's because they can't afford one or more prescriptions per month. NPR's Joseph Shapiro reports.
WHO, Food Industry at Odds on Obesity April 26, 2004 • The World Health Organization is targeting sugary, fatty, salty and processed foods as the culprits behind the global obesity epidemic. The food and beverage industry is on the defense. NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports.
Report: States Fail in Child Welfare, Safety April 26, 2004 • The federal government says every state in the nation falls short of the standards to protect children in their care from abuse and neglect. A report from the Department of Health and Human Services says no state has received a passing grade from the Bush administration in reviews over the past three years. The report says 900,000 children were abused or neglected in 2002, and 1,400 of them died. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports.
Brown v. Board: Disabled Children April 25, 2004 • Prior to the 1970s, children with disabilities seeking education could not attend public schools and were either sent to private schools or state institutions and lived there under horrible conditions. Lawyers went to court using the Supreme Court's Brown v. the Board of Education decision, and argued that disabled children deserved the same equal education that black children won years earlier. NPR's Joseph Shapiro reports.
CDC Issues Second-Hand Smoke Warning April 23, 2004 • The CDC warns people at risk of heart attack to avoid public places where there is second-hand cigarette smoke. The health advisory follows the publication of a new study in the British Medical Journal that found a smoking ban in Helena, Mont., led to a sharp drop in heart attacks there. Hear NPR's Bob Edwards and Dr. Terry Pechacek, associate director of science at the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health.
Commentary: Presidential Politics and Open Trade April 23, 2004 • Commentator Ev Ehrlich urges both President Bush and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry to reconsider their campaign positions on international trade and other global issues. Ehrlich says that, while the past few years have been tumultuous for world politics, America can help make things better by investing in human development and continuing to promote open trade.