It doesn't take all that much to be a good employee. But to be one of the best? Now that takes character.
The following employees saved lives, rescued sick customers, returned lost money and performed tasks that customers never thought plausible. Hats off to you all.
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - One of hundreds of attacks reported in New Delhi each year, the gang rape and murder of a medical student caught Indian authorities and political parties flat-footed, slow to see that the assault on a private bus had come to symbolize an epidemic of crime against women.
In the moments before the December 16 attack, the 23-year-old woman from India's urban middle class, who had recently qualified as a trainee physiotherapist in a private Delhi hospital, and her male friend, a software engineer, were walking home from a cinema at a shopping mall in south Delhi, according to a police reconstruction of events.
A bus, part of a fleet of privately owned vehicles used as public transport across the city of 16 million, and known as India's "rape capital", was at the same time heading toward them. Earlier that day, it had ferried school students but was now empty except for five men and a teenage boy, including its crew, police said. Most of the men were from the city's slums.
One of the six - all now charged with murder - lured the couple onto the bus, promising to drop the woman home, police have said, quoting from an initial statement that she gave from her hospital bed before her condition deteriorated rapidly.
A few minutes into the ride, her friend, 28, grew suspicious when the bus deviated from the supposed route and the men locked the door, according to her statement. They then taunted her for being out with a man late at night, prompting the friend to intervene and provoking an initial scuffle.
The attackers then beat him with a metal rod, knocking him unconscious, before turning on the woman who had tried to come to his defense. Police say the men admitted after their arrest to torturing and raping the student "to teach her a lesson".
At one point, the bus driver gave the wheel to another of the accused and dragged the woman by the neck to the back of the vehicle and forced himself upon her. The other five then took turns raping her and also driving the bus, keeping it circling through the busy streets of India's capital city, police said.
The woman was raped for nearly an hour before the men pushed a metal rod inside her, severely damaging her internal organs, and then dumped both her and her friend on the roadside, 8 km (5 miles) from where they had boarded it, police said.
Robbed of their clothes and belongings, they were found half naked, bleeding and unconscious later that night by a passerby, who alerted the police.
Last year, a rape was reported on average every 20 minutes in India. Just 26 percent of the cases resulted in convictions, according to the National Crime Records Bureau, which registered 24,206 rapes in 2011, up from 22,141 the previous year.
At first, authorities treated the assault on the medical student as one crime among many, and they were not prepared for the furious public reaction that led to running battles between protesters and police near the heart of government in New Delhi.
FAMILY ROLE MODEL
The woman, whose identity has been withheld by police, gave her statement to a sub-divisional magistrate on December 21 in the intensive care unit of Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital, according to media reports. She was undergoing multiple surgical procedures and her condition later began to rapidly worsen.
Ten days after the attack and still in a critical condition, she was flown to Singapore for specialist treatment. She died in Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital two days later. Her body was flown back to Delhi and cremated there on Sunday in a private ceremony.
Family members who had accompanied her to Singapore declined to speak to reporters, but relatives told the Times of India newspaper she had been a role model to her two younger brothers.
Unlike most traditional Indian families who only send their sons to fee-paying colleges or universities, her parents pinned their hopes on the daughter and took loans to fund her studies.
She was born and brought up in a middle class Delhi neighborhood after her family moved to the city more than 20 years ago from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
Her male friend recorded his statement to a court days after the attack and helped police identify the six accused. He left for his hometown in Uttar Pradesh late on Saturday, missing the woman's funeral, media reported.
SHAME, ANGER IN SLUM
Four of the accused, all in custody, live in the narrow by-lanes of Ravi Das Camp, a slum about 17 km (11 miles) from the woman's home in southwest Delhi. Inside the slum - home to some 1,200 people who eke out a meager living as rickshaw pullers and tea hawkers - many demanded the death penalty for the accused.
"The incident has really shocked all of us. I don't know how I will get my children admitted to a school. The incident has earned a bad name to this place," said Pooja Kumari, a neighbor of one of the accused.
Girija Shankar, a student, said: "Our heads hang in shame because of the brutal act of these men. They must reap what they have sown."
The house of one of the accused was locked, with neighbors saying his family had left the city to escape the shame and anger. Meena, a 45-year-old neighbor, said she had wanted to join the protests that followed the rape, but was too scared.
"You never know when a mob may attack this slum and attack our houses. But we want to say we're as angry as the entire nation. We want them to be hanged," she said.
Two of the six alleged assailants come from outside Delhi, according to police. One is married with children and was arrested in his native village in Bihar state and the other, a juvenile, is a runaway from a broken home in Uttar Pradesh.
In India, murder is punishable by death by hanging, except in the case of offenders aged below 18.
(Additional reporting by Suchitra Mohanty and Nita Bhalla; Editing by Mark Bendeich and Ian Geoghegan)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chances of a deal to prevent the economy from tumbling over a "fiscal cliff" remained uncertain on Sunday as lawmakers haggled over how to prevent taxes for all Americans from rising on New Year's Day.
Aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell worked on a compromise to stop automatic tax hikes for most Americans on January 1. Any agreement needs to be rushed through both chambers of Congress before midnight on Monday.
One Democratic Senate aide said it was uncertain whether the leaders would reach an accord. Reid and McConnell had been aiming to have an agreement by 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT) so that they could present it to previously scheduled closed-door meetings of their party colleagues.
"It is going to be difficult," the aide said. Senate Chaplain Barry Black opened a rare Sunday session of the chamber with a plea to God for lawmakers to avoid damaging the economy through their squabbling.
"Look with favor on our nation and save us from self-inflicted wounds," Black said in a prayer.
If the politicians cannot agree, then tax increases and across-the-board government spending cuts will begin on January 1. That would take $600 billion out of the economy, push unemployment up and curb federal spending.
The main focus of negotiations was tax hikes on the wealthy, an increase sought by President Barack Obama but opposed by Republicans, particularly fiscal conservatives in the House of Representatives.
Obama made a rare appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" to pressure lawmakers into forging a deal.
Senators appearing on other Sunday morning shows expressed optimism that an agreement could be reached.
"Well, there are certainly no breakthroughs yet between Senator McConnell and Senator Reid, but there's a real possibility of a deal," Senator Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, said on the ABC program "This Week."
"I don't disagree with Chuck," said Senator Jon Kyl, a Republican from Arizona.
Another Republican senator, Lindsey Graham, conceded that an agreement would end up raising income taxes on the wealthy, thus sparing the rest of the country from the looming income tax hikes.
"President Obama is going to get tax rate increases. The president won," Graham tweeted, echoing earlier comments he made on "Fox News Sunday." He told the show that the chances of a bipartisan deal before the New Year's deadline were "exceedingly good."
Obama has alternatively offered Republicans a deal to increase income taxes for households earning over $250,000 a year, and over $400,000 a year.
A White House aide said the president and his staff had been in touch with congressional leaders throughout the weekend.
Any deal on taxes in the Senate might meet resistance in the House from conservative Republicans.
OBAMA JUMPS IN
On NBC, Obama warned of the fallout in financial markets if the two sides did not reach an agreement.
"If people start seeing that on January 1st this problem still hasn't been solved, that we haven't seen the kind of deficit reduction that we could have, had the Republicans been willing to take the deal that I gave them ... then obviously that's going to have an adverse reaction in the markets," Obama said, adding that he had offered Republicans significant compromises that had been rejected repeatedly.
He said he would avoid tax increases for most Americans, even if the talks fall apart.
"If Republicans do in fact decide to block it, so that taxes on middle class families do in fact go up on January 1st, then we'll come back with a new Congress on January 4th and the first bill that will be introduced on the floor will be to cut taxes on middle class families," Obama said.
John Boehner, the speaker of the House of Representatives, rejected Obama's accusations that Republicans were not being amenable to compromise.
"The president's comments today are ironic, as a recurring theme of our negotiations was his unwillingness to agree to anything that would require him to stand up to his own party," Boehner, who has had trouble convincing his Republican colleagues to support his own proposals, said in a statement.
"The president has continued to insist on a package skewed dramatically in favor of higher taxes that would destroy jobs. We've been reasonable and responsible. The president is the one who has never been able to get to ?yes.'"
The Senate - where the Democrats hold sway - began a session beginning at 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT), but it was not clear whether the chamber would have fiscal-cliff legislation to act upon.
The Republican-controlled House also returns on Sunday and can vote on any deal in the evening if need be.
(Additional reporting by Tabassum Zakaria, Fred Barbash and Richard Cowan. Writing by Alistair Bell, Editing by Jackie Frank)
CAIRO (Reuters) - An Islamist minister quit Egypt's government on Thursday, the second cabinet resignation this week, as President Mohamed Mursi tries to shore up his authority and gather support for unpopular austerity measures.
An economic crisis and a battle over a new constitution have underlined bitter divisions between Islamist-backed Mursi and his liberal opponents and delayed a return to stability almost two years since a popular uprising.
Rivals accuse Mursi, who won Egypt's first freely contested leadership election in June, of polarising society by foisting a divisive, Islamist-leaning constitution on the country and using the autocratic ways of his deposed predecessor Hosni Mubarak.
Deadly violence preceded a referendum on the basic law, dealing a blow to a struggling economy. Mursi's political rivals refused to accept the result - the text won about 64 percent in the vote - and they reject his call for national unity talks.
In a move that may pre-empt a planned reshuffle, parliamentary affairs minister Mohamed Mahsoub announced he was quitting because he disagreed with the slow pace of reform.
"I have reached a clear conclusion that a lot of the policies and efforts contradict my personal beliefs and I don't see them as representative of our people's aspirations," he said in his resignation letter, which has yet to be accepted by the prime minister.
Communications Minister Hany Mahmoud quit earlier this week, citing his inability to adapt to the government's "working culture".
Neither were major figures in the cabinet but their decision to criticise the substance and style of Mursi's administration suggests his decisions are unnerving not just opponents but also some allies.
Earlier on Thursday, a Christian member of Egypt's upper house of parliament, Nadia Henry, quit a day after the Islamist-dominated chamber took over legislative authority under the new constitution.
The charter crafted by an Islamist-dominated assembly is meant to be the cornerstone of a democratic and economically stable Egypt after decades of authoritarian rule. The opposition says it does nothing to protect minorities.
Mursi says the constitution and an upcoming vote to re-elect the lower house of parliament will help end squabbling among feuding politicians.
He and his Muslim Brotherhood allies say ordinary people are fed up with street protests that often turn violent and want the government to focus on urgent bread-and-butter issues.
The strife has cast doubt on the government's ability to push through the spending cuts and tax hikes needed to secure a vital $4.8 billion International Monetary Fund loan.
The Egyptian pound tumbled to its weakest in almost eight years against the dollar this week as people rushed to withdraw savings from banks.
Egypt's defence chief said the army - which dominated Egypt for decades and has wide ranging business interests - was ready to step in to help the economy.
"The Egyptian economy is going through a very difficult stage," Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was quoted as saying by state news agency MENA. "The armed forces are keen to participate in development and service projects in all parts of Egypt as part of its promise to serve the great people."
CRISIS MODE
The resignations come ahead of a promised cabinet reshuffle. Cabinet sources told Reuters as many as eight cabinet members from second-tier ministries might go next week.
Mursi is also promising incentives aimed at making Egypt - once a darling of emerging market investors - an attractive place to do business again.
The 270-seat upper house, or Shura Council, holds legislative authority until a new parliament is elected in early 2013. Opposition figures say they fear the Council could issue laws curbing freedoms.
Henry represents Anglican Christians in Egypt. In a letter published by state media, she said minority groups were not represented properly in the chamber.
Her resignation underscores fears by Egypt's Christians, who make up about a tenth of its 83 million population, about the gains by Islamists since Mubarak was ousted in 2011.
Mubarak, who was sentenced to life in prison in June, was moved to an army hospital on Thursday following a fall that raised concerns about his fragile health.
Under pressure to acknowledge Egypt's diversity, Mursi appointed 90 members including Christians, liberals and women to the Council - alongside figures from the Muslim Brotherhood and ultra-conservative Salafis - last week. Two-thirds of the upper house were already elected in a vote this year.
"We stress again that the nation should achieve internal reconciliation and forget its differences," the Muslim Brotherhood's supreme guide, Mohamed Badei, told Egyptians in his weekly message.
"Let's work seriously to end the reciprocal wars of attrition. We urgently need to unify ranks and group together and focus our capabilities and assets for the general benefit."
The No. 1 F&D story was about the plethora of Italian restaurants coming to 14th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
It?s that time again? a look back before we start 2013. Like last December, we will provide you with a list of the most-read stories on Borderstan by category. Today are the Top 10 from the Food and Drink section.
The web is forever, so they say. Posted stories continue to get hits a long time after originally going up on the site. As a result, some of the most-read stories for the year were sometimes published the year before ? especially if they were published late the year before (although that was not the case with following stories, all from 2012).
Top 10 Food and Drink Stories of 2012 on Bordertan
These Food and Drink stories were Top 10 most read last year on?Borderstan.com. The most popular gives us a lot to look forward to in the New Year ? a list of new restaurants coming to the area!
Food and Development: The Italians are Coming! (Luis Gomez)
Batch 13 Liquor Store Coming to 14th Street?(Luis Gomez)
Bethesda Bagels: We are Never Ever Getting Back Together. Like, Ever.?(Melanie Hudson)
The Coffee Bar: Borderstan?s Newest Cafe (Jonathan Riethmaier)
An Elevated Summer: The Area?s Best Rooftop Bars?(Rachel Nania)
It's a little early for an Ouya teardown, but Kickstarters who chipped in $699 won't have to wait long to see what the little console is made of -- Ouya's developer hardware is transparent. The console's team decided to cut the inevitable march of unboxing videos off at the neck, offering fans a quick preview of the package it's shipping out to devs. The standard accouterments are there -- the tiny console itself, two prototype controllers with batteries, HDMI and power adapters, plus a micro USB cord and a letter to developers thanking them for their investment and warning them of the early build's bugs. The note also cautions deep-pocketed gamers that the device is built specifically for developer use, and has no games to placate eager couch potatoes. The video shows the console booting up, and even demonstrates how easy it is to open the hardware. Skip on past the break to get a glimpse at what early adopters and developers are getting their hands on.
Some of us have been feeding advice to DARPA's ACTUV sub-tracking drone project for more than a year, but we haven't had a in-depth look at how the autonomous ship will go about its business, especially when chasing very silent diesel-electric subs. Thankfully, craft designer SAIC has stepped in with a detailed video tour. If there's suspicions that a diesel sub is in the area, the US Navy can deploy sonar buoys that give the ACTUV an inkling of where to go first. After that, the drone takes over with both long-range and short-range sonar. The vehicle can gauge the intent of ships in its path (with human failsafes) and hound a target for up to 13 weeks -- either letting the Navy close in for an attack or, ideally, spooking the sub into avoiding conflict in the first place. While ACTUV won't hit the waves for years, there's a promise that we'll always know about underwater threats and deal with them on our own terms.
A premiere retailer of 100% authentic designer handbags, accessories and other fashion, Rodeo Drive Resale (http://www.shopRDR.com) offers a money back guarantee of authenticity on each item sold, and reminds holiday bargain hunters to steer clear of phony merchandise.
(PRWEB) December 20, 2012
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3)????Chanel ? Founded in the early 20th century by fashion visionary Gabrielle ?Coco? Chanel, the Chanel clothing and accessories are adored for their elegance and versatility. The Chanel 2.55 shoulder bag was first released in 1955, after Coco decided she needed a bag to free up her hands. Updated in 2006, the bag remains wildly popular among Chanel lovers around the world.
4)????Gucci ?Exclusive, luxurious and instantly recognizable, Gucci, established in 1921, has become a status symbol for the rich and powerful. Worn by such iconic figures as Hollywood starlet Elizabeth Taylor and former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, the Italian company?s line of timeless handbags continue to resonate with buyers of upscale fashion, as the Gucci Hobo Bag has become a fast favorite among brand loyalists.
5)????Longchamp ? Rounding out the list of most-searched handbag brands is Longchamp, a French leather and luxury goods company founded in 1948. ?People love the simplicity of Longchamp,? Raya says. ?It is impeccably made of the highest quality leathers and textiles but has a very subtle look. It is not flashy, or logo covered which is more common with Coach bags.? In addition to handbags, the company also produces clothing, scarves, and similar fashion accessories.
Rodeo Drive Resale (shopRDR.com) has built a reputation of providing amazing deals on handbags, clothing and accessories from the top designers of upscale fashion. The company offers a 100% guarantee of authenticity on each item sold, and works daily with a network of clients looking to buy, sell, or for consignment of their luxury goods.
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Editorial Dept. Luxury Collections Group, Inc. 713-777-0390 Email Information
Regular marijuana use by teens continues to be a concernPublic release date: 19-Dec-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: NIDA Press Office media@nida.nih.gov 301-443-6245 NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse
NIDA's 2012 Monitoring the Future survey shows rates stable or down for most drugs
Continued high use of marijuana by the nation's eighth, 10th and 12th graders combined with a drop in perceptions of its potential harms was revealed in this year's Monitoring the Future survey, an annual survey of eighth, 10th, and 12th-graders conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan. The survey was carried out in classrooms around the country earlier this year, under a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health.
The 2012 survey shows that 6.5 percent of high school seniors smoke marijuana daily, up from 5.1 percent five years ago. Nearly 23 percent say they smoked it in the month prior to the survey, and just over 36 percent say they smoked within the previous year. For 10th graders, 3.5 percent said they use marijuana daily, with 17 percent reporting past month use and 28 percent reporting use in the past year. The use escalates after eighth grade, when only 1.1 percent reported daily use, and 6.5 percent reported past month use. More than 11 percent of eighth graders said they used marijuana in the past year.
The Monitoring the Future survey also showed that teens' perception of marijuana's harmfulness is down, which can signal future increases in use. Only 41.7 percent of eighth graders see occasional use of marijuana as harmful; 66.9 percent see regular use as harmful. Both rates are at the lowest since the survey began tracking risk perception for this age group in 1991. As teens get older, their perception of risk diminishes. Only 20.6 percent of 12th graders see occasional use as harmful (the lowest since 1983), and 44.1 percent see regular use as harmful, the lowest since 1979.
A 38-year NIH-funded study, published this year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that people who used cannabis heavily in their teens and continued through adulthood showed a significant drop in IQ between the ages of 13 and 38an average of eight points for those who met criteria for cannabis dependence. Those who used marijuana heavily before age 18 (when the brain is still developing) showed impaired mental abilities even after they quit taking the drug. These findings are consistent with other studies showing a link between prolonged marijuana use and cognitive or neural impairment.
"We are increasingly concerned that regular or daily use of marijuana is robbing many young people of their potential to achieve and excel in school or other aspects of life," said NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow, M.D. "THC, a key ingredient in marijuana, alters the ability of the hippocampus, a brain area related to learning and memory, to communicate effectively with other brain regions. In addition, we know from recent research that marijuana use that begins during adolescence can lower IQ and impair other measures of mental function into adulthood."
Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person's existing problems worse. In one study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of well-being and life achievement, including physical and mental health, cognitive abilities, social life, and career status.
"We should also point out that marijuana use that begins in adolescence increases the risk they will become addicted to the drug," said Volkow. "The risk of addiction goes from about 1 in 11 overall to about 1 in 6 for those who start using in their teens, and even higher among daily smokers."
Use of other illicit drugs among teens continued a steady modest decline. For example, past year illicit drug use (excluding marijuana) was at its lowest level for all three grades at 5.5 percent for eighth graders, 10.8 percent for 10th graders, and 17 percent for 12th graders. Among the most promising trends, the past year use of Ecstasy among seniors was at 3.8 percent, down from 5.3 percent last year.
"Each new generation of young people deserves the chance to achieve its full potential, unencumbered by the obstacles placed in the way by drug use," said Gil Kerlikowske, director of National Drug Control Policy. "These long-term declines in youth drug use in America are proof that positive social change is possible. But now more than ever we need parents and other adult influencers to step up and have direct conversations with young people about the importance of making healthy decisions. Their futures depend on it."
The survey also looks at abuse of drugs that are easily available to teens because they are generally legal, sometimes for adults only (tobacco and alcohol), for other purposes (over-the-counter or prescribed medications; inhalants), or because they are new drugs that have not yet been banned. Most of the top drugs or drug classes abused by 12th graders are legally accessible, and therefore easily available to teens.
For the first time, the survey this year measured teen use of the much publicized emerging family of drugs known as "bath salts," containing an amphetamine-like stimulant that is often sold in drug paraphernalia stores. The data showed a relative low use among 12th graders at 1.3 percent. In addition, the survey measured use of the hallucinogenic herb Salvia, finding that past year use dropped among 10th and 12th graders, down to 4.4 percent for 12th graders from last year's 5.9 percent.
Abuse of synthetic marijuana (also known as K-2 or Spice) stayed stable in 2012 at just over 11 percent for past year use among 12th graders. While many of the ingredients in Spice have been banned by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, manufacturers attempt to evade these legal restrictions by substituting different chemicals in their mixtures. Another drug type inhalants continues a downward trend. As one of the drugs most commonly used by younger students, the survey showed a past year use rate of 6.2 percent among eighth graders, a significant drop in the last five years when the 2007 survey showed a rate of 8.3 percent.
The data shows a mixed report regarding prescription drug abuse. Twelfth graders reported non-medical use of the opioid painkiller Vicodin at a past year rate of 7.5 percent. Since the survey started measuring its use in 2002, rates hovered near 10 percent until 2010, when the survey started reporting a modest decline. However, past year abuse of the stimulant Adderall, often prescribed to treat ADHD, has increased over the past few years to 7.6 percent among high school seniors, up from 5.4 percent in 2009. Accompanying this increased use is a decrease in the perceived harm associated with using the drug, which dropped nearly 6 percent in the past yearonly 35 percent of 12th graders believe that using Adderall occasionally is risky. The survey continues to show that most teens who abused prescription medications were getting them from family members and friends.
The survey also measured abuse of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines containing dextromethorphan?5.6 percent of high school seniors abused them in the past year, a rate that has held relatively steady over the past five years.
The 2012 results also showed a continued steady decline in alcohol use, with reported use at its lowest since the survey began measuring rates. More than 29 percent of eighth graders said they have used alcohol in their lifetime, down from 33.1 percent last year, and significantly lower that peak rate of 55.8 percent in 1994. For 10th graders, 54 percent of teens reported lifetime use of alcohol, down from its peak of 72 percent in 1997. Binge drinking rates (five or more drinks in a row in the previous two weeks) have been slowly declining for eighth graders, at 5.1 percent, down from 6.4 percent in 2011, and 13.3 percent at their peak in 1996.
Cigarette smoking continues at its lowest levels among eighth, 10th and 12th graders, with dramatic long-term improvement. Significant declines were seen in lifetime use among eighth graders, down to 15.5 percent from last year's 18.4 percent, compared to nearly 50 percent at its peak in 1996. Significant declines were also seen in 10th grade lifetime use of cigarettes, down to 27.7 percent from 30.4 percent in 2011. Peak rates for 10th graders were seen in 1996 at 61.2 percent. For some indicators, including past month use in all three grades, cigarette smoking remains lower than marijuana use, a phenomenon that began a few years ago.
The survey also measures several other kinds of tobacco delivery products. For example, past year use of small cigars was reported at nearly 20 percent for 12th graders, with an 18.3 percent rate for hookah water pipes.
"We are very encouraged by the marked declines in tobacco use among youth. However, the documented use of non-cigarette tobacco products continues to be a concern," said Howard K. Koh, M.D., M.P.H., assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Preventing addiction includes helping kids be tobacco free so they can enjoy a fighting chance for health."
###
Overall, 45,449 students from 395 public and private schools participated in this year's Monitoring the Future survey. Since 1975, the survey has measured drug, alcohol, and cigarette use and related attitudes in 12th-graders nationwide. Eighth and 10th graders were added to the survey in 1991. Survey participants generally report their drug use behaviors across three time periods: lifetime, past year, and past month. Questions are also asked about daily cigarette and marijuana use. NIDA has provided funding for the survey since its inception by a team of investigators at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, led by Dr. Lloyd Johnston. Additional information on the MTF Survey, as well as comments from Dr. Volkow, can be found at www.drugabuse.gov/drugpages/MTF.html.
MTF is one of three major surveys sponsored by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services that provide data on substance use among youth. The others are the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The MTF website is: http://monitoringthefuture.org. Follow Monitoring the Future 2012 news on Twitter at @NIDANews, or join the conversation by using: #MTF2012. Additional survey results can be found at www.hhs.gov/news or www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp. Information on all of the surveyed drugs can be found on NIDA's Web site: www.drugabuse.gov.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is the primary source of statistical information on substance use in the U.S. population 12 years of age and older. More information is available at: www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k10NSDUH/2k10Results.htm.
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, part of HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, is a school-based survey that collects data from students in grades 9-12. The survey includes questions on a wide variety of health-related risk behaviors, including substance abuse. More information is available at www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/index.htm.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy and improve practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at www.drugabuse.gov, which is now compatible with your smartphone, iPad or tablet. To order publications in English or Spanish, call NIDA's DrugPubs research dissemination center at 1-877-NIDA-NIH or 240-645-0228 (TDD) or fax or email requests to 240-645-0227 or drugpubs@nida.nih.gov. Online ordering is available at http://drugpubs.drugabuse.gov. NIDA's media guide can be found at http://drugabuse.gov/mediaguide/, and its new easy-to-read website can be found at www.easyread.drugabuse.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIHTurning Discovery Into Health
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Regular marijuana use by teens continues to be a concernPublic release date: 19-Dec-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: NIDA Press Office media@nida.nih.gov 301-443-6245 NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse
NIDA's 2012 Monitoring the Future survey shows rates stable or down for most drugs
Continued high use of marijuana by the nation's eighth, 10th and 12th graders combined with a drop in perceptions of its potential harms was revealed in this year's Monitoring the Future survey, an annual survey of eighth, 10th, and 12th-graders conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan. The survey was carried out in classrooms around the country earlier this year, under a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health.
The 2012 survey shows that 6.5 percent of high school seniors smoke marijuana daily, up from 5.1 percent five years ago. Nearly 23 percent say they smoked it in the month prior to the survey, and just over 36 percent say they smoked within the previous year. For 10th graders, 3.5 percent said they use marijuana daily, with 17 percent reporting past month use and 28 percent reporting use in the past year. The use escalates after eighth grade, when only 1.1 percent reported daily use, and 6.5 percent reported past month use. More than 11 percent of eighth graders said they used marijuana in the past year.
The Monitoring the Future survey also showed that teens' perception of marijuana's harmfulness is down, which can signal future increases in use. Only 41.7 percent of eighth graders see occasional use of marijuana as harmful; 66.9 percent see regular use as harmful. Both rates are at the lowest since the survey began tracking risk perception for this age group in 1991. As teens get older, their perception of risk diminishes. Only 20.6 percent of 12th graders see occasional use as harmful (the lowest since 1983), and 44.1 percent see regular use as harmful, the lowest since 1979.
A 38-year NIH-funded study, published this year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that people who used cannabis heavily in their teens and continued through adulthood showed a significant drop in IQ between the ages of 13 and 38an average of eight points for those who met criteria for cannabis dependence. Those who used marijuana heavily before age 18 (when the brain is still developing) showed impaired mental abilities even after they quit taking the drug. These findings are consistent with other studies showing a link between prolonged marijuana use and cognitive or neural impairment.
"We are increasingly concerned that regular or daily use of marijuana is robbing many young people of their potential to achieve and excel in school or other aspects of life," said NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow, M.D. "THC, a key ingredient in marijuana, alters the ability of the hippocampus, a brain area related to learning and memory, to communicate effectively with other brain regions. In addition, we know from recent research that marijuana use that begins during adolescence can lower IQ and impair other measures of mental function into adulthood."
Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person's existing problems worse. In one study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of well-being and life achievement, including physical and mental health, cognitive abilities, social life, and career status.
"We should also point out that marijuana use that begins in adolescence increases the risk they will become addicted to the drug," said Volkow. "The risk of addiction goes from about 1 in 11 overall to about 1 in 6 for those who start using in their teens, and even higher among daily smokers."
Use of other illicit drugs among teens continued a steady modest decline. For example, past year illicit drug use (excluding marijuana) was at its lowest level for all three grades at 5.5 percent for eighth graders, 10.8 percent for 10th graders, and 17 percent for 12th graders. Among the most promising trends, the past year use of Ecstasy among seniors was at 3.8 percent, down from 5.3 percent last year.
"Each new generation of young people deserves the chance to achieve its full potential, unencumbered by the obstacles placed in the way by drug use," said Gil Kerlikowske, director of National Drug Control Policy. "These long-term declines in youth drug use in America are proof that positive social change is possible. But now more than ever we need parents and other adult influencers to step up and have direct conversations with young people about the importance of making healthy decisions. Their futures depend on it."
The survey also looks at abuse of drugs that are easily available to teens because they are generally legal, sometimes for adults only (tobacco and alcohol), for other purposes (over-the-counter or prescribed medications; inhalants), or because they are new drugs that have not yet been banned. Most of the top drugs or drug classes abused by 12th graders are legally accessible, and therefore easily available to teens.
For the first time, the survey this year measured teen use of the much publicized emerging family of drugs known as "bath salts," containing an amphetamine-like stimulant that is often sold in drug paraphernalia stores. The data showed a relative low use among 12th graders at 1.3 percent. In addition, the survey measured use of the hallucinogenic herb Salvia, finding that past year use dropped among 10th and 12th graders, down to 4.4 percent for 12th graders from last year's 5.9 percent.
Abuse of synthetic marijuana (also known as K-2 or Spice) stayed stable in 2012 at just over 11 percent for past year use among 12th graders. While many of the ingredients in Spice have been banned by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, manufacturers attempt to evade these legal restrictions by substituting different chemicals in their mixtures. Another drug type inhalants continues a downward trend. As one of the drugs most commonly used by younger students, the survey showed a past year use rate of 6.2 percent among eighth graders, a significant drop in the last five years when the 2007 survey showed a rate of 8.3 percent.
The data shows a mixed report regarding prescription drug abuse. Twelfth graders reported non-medical use of the opioid painkiller Vicodin at a past year rate of 7.5 percent. Since the survey started measuring its use in 2002, rates hovered near 10 percent until 2010, when the survey started reporting a modest decline. However, past year abuse of the stimulant Adderall, often prescribed to treat ADHD, has increased over the past few years to 7.6 percent among high school seniors, up from 5.4 percent in 2009. Accompanying this increased use is a decrease in the perceived harm associated with using the drug, which dropped nearly 6 percent in the past yearonly 35 percent of 12th graders believe that using Adderall occasionally is risky. The survey continues to show that most teens who abused prescription medications were getting them from family members and friends.
The survey also measured abuse of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines containing dextromethorphan?5.6 percent of high school seniors abused them in the past year, a rate that has held relatively steady over the past five years.
The 2012 results also showed a continued steady decline in alcohol use, with reported use at its lowest since the survey began measuring rates. More than 29 percent of eighth graders said they have used alcohol in their lifetime, down from 33.1 percent last year, and significantly lower that peak rate of 55.8 percent in 1994. For 10th graders, 54 percent of teens reported lifetime use of alcohol, down from its peak of 72 percent in 1997. Binge drinking rates (five or more drinks in a row in the previous two weeks) have been slowly declining for eighth graders, at 5.1 percent, down from 6.4 percent in 2011, and 13.3 percent at their peak in 1996.
Cigarette smoking continues at its lowest levels among eighth, 10th and 12th graders, with dramatic long-term improvement. Significant declines were seen in lifetime use among eighth graders, down to 15.5 percent from last year's 18.4 percent, compared to nearly 50 percent at its peak in 1996. Significant declines were also seen in 10th grade lifetime use of cigarettes, down to 27.7 percent from 30.4 percent in 2011. Peak rates for 10th graders were seen in 1996 at 61.2 percent. For some indicators, including past month use in all three grades, cigarette smoking remains lower than marijuana use, a phenomenon that began a few years ago.
The survey also measures several other kinds of tobacco delivery products. For example, past year use of small cigars was reported at nearly 20 percent for 12th graders, with an 18.3 percent rate for hookah water pipes.
"We are very encouraged by the marked declines in tobacco use among youth. However, the documented use of non-cigarette tobacco products continues to be a concern," said Howard K. Koh, M.D., M.P.H., assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Preventing addiction includes helping kids be tobacco free so they can enjoy a fighting chance for health."
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Overall, 45,449 students from 395 public and private schools participated in this year's Monitoring the Future survey. Since 1975, the survey has measured drug, alcohol, and cigarette use and related attitudes in 12th-graders nationwide. Eighth and 10th graders were added to the survey in 1991. Survey participants generally report their drug use behaviors across three time periods: lifetime, past year, and past month. Questions are also asked about daily cigarette and marijuana use. NIDA has provided funding for the survey since its inception by a team of investigators at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, led by Dr. Lloyd Johnston. Additional information on the MTF Survey, as well as comments from Dr. Volkow, can be found at www.drugabuse.gov/drugpages/MTF.html.
MTF is one of three major surveys sponsored by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services that provide data on substance use among youth. The others are the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The MTF website is: http://monitoringthefuture.org. Follow Monitoring the Future 2012 news on Twitter at @NIDANews, or join the conversation by using: #MTF2012. Additional survey results can be found at www.hhs.gov/news or www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp. Information on all of the surveyed drugs can be found on NIDA's Web site: www.drugabuse.gov.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is the primary source of statistical information on substance use in the U.S. population 12 years of age and older. More information is available at: www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k10NSDUH/2k10Results.htm.
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, part of HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, is a school-based survey that collects data from students in grades 9-12. The survey includes questions on a wide variety of health-related risk behaviors, including substance abuse. More information is available at www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/index.htm.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy and improve practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at www.drugabuse.gov, which is now compatible with your smartphone, iPad or tablet. To order publications in English or Spanish, call NIDA's DrugPubs research dissemination center at 1-877-NIDA-NIH or 240-645-0228 (TDD) or fax or email requests to 240-645-0227 or drugpubs@nida.nih.gov. Online ordering is available at http://drugpubs.drugabuse.gov. NIDA's media guide can be found at http://drugabuse.gov/mediaguide/, and its new easy-to-read website can be found at www.easyread.drugabuse.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The publisher of "Life & Style" and "In Touch," which is being sued by Tom Cruise for printing that the "Jack Reacher" star had abandoned his daughter Suri following his divorce from Katie Holmes, has fired back at the actor's suit. In an answer to Cruise's defamation lawsuit, filed in October, Bauer Publishing Co. says that its reporting is "substantially true." Bauer's answer, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in California, also asserts a number of defenses, including that it's protected by the First, Fifth and 14th amendments of the U.S. ...
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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? An Iowa couple who won a $202 million Powerball jackpot in September is donating $3 million to their son's high school for a new football stadium ? but the gift comes with a catch.
The stadium visitor's locker room must be painted pink.
The Bondurant-Farrar school district accepted the $3 million donation from Brian and Mary Lohse on Monday, The Des Moines Register reported (http://dmreg.co/V4NrBG ). The couple from the Des Moines suburb of Bondurant requested only that the new stadium be completed before the fall 2014 football season ? their oldest son's senior year ? and that the visiting team's locker room be painted pink.
"I was sort of half joking and half not, I suppose, but they said they'd do it," Mary Lohse said of her scheme, inspired by the University of Iowa visitor's locker room at Kinnick Stadium, which is also painted pink.
"It's supposed to put them in a certain soft frame of mind," Mary Lohse said. "It will certainly give all the players something to talk about."
The Lohse family has requested the stadium not be named for them. The Lohses' hope the stadium will be a community project and that local residents and groups will make other contributions.
Planning for the stadium has already begun. Local architects SVPA are handling the design. The stadium will include an academic wing and a fine arts auditorium.
"It not only gives us the opportunity to accelerate the stadium project, but to advance other plans for projects within the district as well," school board President Kristin Swift said.
The $3 million for the stadium will be released in three, $1 million increments.
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Information from: The Des Moines Register, http://www.desmoinesregister.com
Duke Energy Corp. on Monday said another top executive from merger partner Progress Energy, Jeff Lyash, plans to leave the company at the end of the year.
Lyash was Duke's executive vice president of energy supply. A Duke (NYSE: DUK) spokesman said he won't be replaced; his duties will be divided between Keith Trent, a top executive for regulated utilities, and Dhiaa Jamil, the company's chief nuclear officer.
Charlotte-based Duke also said it's bringing in Julie Janson from its Midwestern operations to replace Marc Manly as the company's chief legal officer. Duke agreed to move Manly out of that position as part of a settlement to end the North Carolina Utilities Commission's five-month investigation into the company's decision to push out CEO Bill Johnson just hours after he stepped into the job.
The company also tweaked the responsibilities of several other top execs, as described here.
Duke's top ranks have had unusually high turnover since the moment Johnson left. Three of the top-level executives that followed Johnson from Raleigh-based Progress followed him right back out of Duke within days. One of those, John McArthur, has been re-hired by Duke on a temporary basis as part of the settlement.
Chris Bagley covers the legal-services industry, transportation and utilities. Follow him on Twitter @TriBizLaw
BAGHDAD (AP) ? A wave of bombings across Iraq on Monday hit a number of targets, including residents of ethnically disputed areas, killing 25 people and wounding dozens.
The attacks deepen fears that militants are seeking to reignite ethnic and sectarian violence in the country, where tensions remain high over areas contested between Iraq's central government and the Kurdish minority. Also, deadly violence continues between the two dominant ethnic communities ? Sunni and Shiite Muslims.
The deadliest of Monday's attacks took place in al-Mouafaqiyah, a village inhabited by families from the Shabak ethnic group. Seven people were killed and 11 were wounded in the bombing, according to police officials.
The village lies near the city of Mosul, 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, and is claimed by Arabs, Turkomen and Kurds. The Shabak have their own distinct language and religious beliefs.
Elsewhere in the north, two car bombs went off in a majority Turkomen neighborhood in the city of Tuz Khormato, killing five people and wounding 26, said Mohammed al-Asi, a spokesman for Salahuddin provincial council.
Like the area near the other attack, Tuz Khormato, about 210 kilometers (130 miles) north of Baghdad, has a mix of Arabs, Kurds and Turkomen competing for control of the city.
Tuz Khormato borders the autonomous Kurdish region. Last month, it was the scene of a shootout between Kurdish guards and Iraqi police that killed one civilian. The Iraqi military and Kurdish fighters responded by moving additional troops into disputed areas, raising the specter of further clashes.
Also Monday, police said a roadside bomb hit a bus carrying Lebanese Shiite pilgrims near Samarra, killing one Lebanese national and the Iraqi driver and wounding eight others, including five Lebanese. Also, a car bomb went off on a bus carrying Iranian pilgrims heading to Samarra, killing two, including an Iranian national.
Another car bomb went off in a commercial area in downtown Baghdad in the afternoon, killing three people and wounding 10, police and health officials said.
Shortly after sunset, a car bomb exploded near an open-air car market in northeastern Baghdad, killing six people and wounding 30 others, said police.
Medics in nearby hospitals confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.
On Sunday, a series of attacks targeting two other cities in disputed northern areas left at least eight dead and dozens wounded.
It was unclear who was behind the latest violence, though Sunni Arab insurgents frequently use coordinated bomb attacks to try to undermine the Shiite-led government's authority.
Dec. 14, 2012 ? Researchers have identified the mechanism responsible for generating our fingers and toes, and revealed the importance of gene regulation in the transition of fins to limbs during evolution.
Dr. Marie Kmita and her research team at the IRCM contributed to a multidisciplinary research project. Their scientific breakthrough is published today in the journal Science.
By combining genetic studies with mathematical modeling, the scientists provided experimental evidence supporting a theoretical model for pattern formation known as the Turing mechanism. In 1952, mathematician Alan Turing proposed mathematical equations for pattern formation, which describes how two uniformly-distributed substances, an activator and a repressor, trigger the formation of complex shapes and structures from initially-equivalent cells.
"The Turing model for pattern formation has long remained under debate, mostly due to the lack of experimental data supporting it," explains Dr. Rushikesh Sheth, postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Kmita's laboratory and co-first author of the study. "By studying the role of Hox genes during limb development, we were able to show, for the first time, that the patterning process that generates our fingers and toes relies on a Turing-like mechanism."
In humans, as in other mammals, the embryo's development is controlled, in part, by "architect" genes known as Hox genes. These genes are essential to the proper positioning of the body's architecture, and define the nature and function of cells that form organs and skeletal elements.
"Our genetic study suggested that Hox genes act as modulators of a Turing-like mechanism, which was further supported by mathematical tests performed by our collaborators, Dr. James Sharpe and his team," adds Dr. Marie Kmita, Director of the Genetics and Development research unit at the IRCM. "Moreover, we showed that drastically reducing the dose of Hox genes in mice transforms fingers into structures reminiscent of the extremities of fish fins. These findings further support the key role of Hox genes in the transition of fins to limbs during evolution, one of the most important anatomical innovations associated with the transition from aquatic to terrestrial life."
The study published in Science was a collaborative project between the teams supervised by Drs. Marie Kmita (IRCM), James Sharpe (CRG Barcelona, Spain) and Maria A. Ros (University of Cantabria, Spain). The research conducted at the IRCM was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canada Research Chairs Program. The article's second first author Is Luciano Marcon from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the Pompeu Fabra University in Spain.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal.
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Journal Reference:
R. Sheth, L. Marcon, M. F. Bastida, M. Junco, L. Quintana, R. Dahn, M. Kmita, J. Sharpe, M. A. Ros. Hox Genes Regulate Digit Patterning by Controlling the Wavelength of a Turing-Type Mechanism. Science, 2012; 338 (6113): 1476 DOI: 10.1126/science.1226804
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Doctors review images of a prostate with cancer. Options other than radiation, chemotherapy or surgery exist - here are some questions to ask while considering the best approach to treatment.
This week, Governor Jerry Brown made headlines with the announcement that he is undergoing radiation treatment for ?localized? prostate cancer.?
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that prostate cancer is the most common cancer found in American men of all races.
Even so, there's a lot of confusion about biopsies and treatment options. So we spoke with Stuart Holden, M.D., director of Louis Warschaw Prostate Cancer Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and Mark S. Litwin, MD Chair of the Department of Urology at UCLA and compiled answers to these 18 Frequently Asked Questions about prostate cancer.
1. What is prostate cancer?
It?s a disease of? the prostate gland of the male reproductive system.
The American Cancer Society has an in-depth overview here.
2. What is the prostate gland and what function does it play?
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that?s located inside a man?s body between his bladder and rectum. The prostate gland contains cells that make some of the seminal fluid that nourishes and carries sperm. The urethra ? the tube that carries urine - runs through the gland?s center. That's why changes in a man?s urinary or sexual function might indicate prostate cancer.
3. Does a diagnosis of prostate cancer mean an automatic death sentence?
Not at all. Most prostate cancer is slow growing, so those afflicted with it are often more likely to die from old age or from other causes of death than from prostate cancer.
4. How common is prostate cancer in the United States?
Very common. Nationwide, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men of all races, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (CDC)
It?s estimated that 30 percent of American men ages 50 and older - or about 10 million men - have prostate cancer, says Dr. Holden.
But most men with prostate cancer are unaware they have it. That's because the?vast majority of cases are "slow-growing pussy cats that men die?with, not?of,"?says Dr. Litwin.
5. How many U.S. men die each year of prostate cancer??
The disease ranks second to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the U.S., the CDC reports.
While that sounds ominous, the CDC puts the actual number of U.S. deaths from prostate cancer at about 28,000 a year. Drs. Holden and Litwin say when compared to the millions who are believed to be living with the disease, the death rate is proportionately very small.
?The risk of death from prostate cancer for the average Joe is extraordinarily low,? Dr. Litwin says.
6. What are some typical symptoms?
They include blood in a man?s urine or semen; problems with urinary function including weak urine flow; and difficulty with starting or holding back urination.
The cancer can also show symptoms through problems with sexual function that include difficulty getting an erection and painful ejaculation.
But for most men, prostate cancer is a silent disease. The most typical indicators include abnormal readings on PSA blood tests, which measure the protein produced by the prostate gland.
Another way doctors detect prostate cancer is by feeling a nodule or lump in the prostate during a digital rectal exam.
The?Prostate Cancer Foundation provides an overview of symptoms.
7. Does a high PSA blood test or lump on my prostate mean I have prostate cancer??
No. All it means is that there is a suspicion of prostate cancer. A biopsy is required before you can determine that cancer is present.
The CDC offers this information about PSA tests.
8. Should I get a biopsy if I have an abnormal PSA reading or a lump in my prostate?
That depends. Until recently, the automatic next step was for your doctor to order a biopsy. ?
These days, however, leaders in the field are opting to first consider a patient?s age and health before ordering a biopsy. If the patient is too elderly or too sick with other illnesses for a prostate diagnosis to add value to his life, it?s more likely his doctor will to forego a biopsy.
If you don't fall into those categories, a biopsy is the recommended next step.
9. What happens during a prostate cancer biopsy?
The doctor places an ultrasound probe into the rectum, which provides an image of the prostate. Local anesthesia is injected. Then a hollow-bore needle is inserted, usually through the rectum wall, into the prostate gland.?
Typically, about a dozen samples of tissue - about the size of a one-inch length of lead from a mechanical pencil - are taken from the prostate.
?Those samples go to the pathologist who studies them under a microscope and tells us if it?s cancer or a benign growth,? Dr. Litwin says.
10. Do biopsies pose any health risks?
They can. Among the risks is blood infection because the needle must pass through the rectum.
?The rectum is not the most sterile area of the body,? says Dr. Litwin. ?For that reason we always give people antibiotics around the time of the biopsy.?
But Drs. Litwin and Holden say the risk of blood infections is minimal.
11. What if my biopsy results in a cancer diagnosis? ?
Your doctor will next consider stage and grade of the tumor. ?
The stage of a prostate tumor?refers to whether it?s confined to the prostate or has spread to other sites in the body. The confined variety of prostate cancer, also known as? ?localized? or ?early-stage? prostate cancer, is the type that Governor Jerry Brown?s office has reported.
The grade or severity of the cancer is then measured on a 10-point scale that provides a ranking known as a ?Gleason?s score.? The higher the Gleason?s score, the more severe the cancer.
12. Do the stage and grade of a prostate tumor affect treatment decisions?
Yes. They have huge implications on decisions that a patient and doctor will make together regarding which treatment method is best.
13. What are the treatment options?
There are three main options: active surveillance, surgery, and radiation. ??
14. What is ?active surveillance? and what does it entail?
This treatment option involves the patient foregoing ? at least initially - surgery or radiation for ?active? surveillance of the tumor. This is a fairly new treatment approach recommended for those with slow-growing tumors as a way to avoid surgery and radiation.
Dr. Holden says those who opt for ?active surveillance? will undergo regular PSA blood tests, digital rectal exams and repeated biopsies.
Those diagnosed with prostate cancer can now sign onto the world's first online medical data base for men with the disease.?The interactive data base allows them to track progression of the disease before seeking aggressive treatments.
15. What does prostate cancer surgery involve?
Today, prostate surgery typically involves removal of the entire prostate gland. But new imaging methods under study at UCLA?might change that.
The new technology combines ultrasound and MRI imaging that researchers say may allow doctors to see, then target suspicious growths on a patient?s prostate gland for more accurate biopsies. By contrast, in prostate biopsies doctors can?t see the tumor.
The American Cancer Society offers more information.
16. What does radiation treatment involve?
Dr. Holden says doctors often recommend external beam radiation for early-stage, localized prostate cancer. The treatments usually last between six to seven weeks, which each treatment session lasting about five minutes.
?Basically, it?s completely external and like having your picture taken,? says Dr. Holden.
Advances in radiation treatment, which allows for focused beams to target the just the prostate, reduce the risks and have made it more effective.
The American Cancer Society offers more about radiation treatment for prostate cancer.
17. What are the potential side effects of surgery or radiation treatment?
Surgery and radiation pose serious side effects, most notably incontinence and impotence. An individual?s likelihood of suffering either or both depends on age, health and existing sexual functionality before surgery.
Dr. Holden says the incidence of sexual dysfunction is about equal with both treatments.?? ?Roughly 50 percent of men with either treatment retain sexual function, assuming they had good sexual function to begin with,? he says.
Surgery, by contrast, initially poses more urinary tract problems than radiation, he says.?? ?However, some of the men develop more urinary dysfunction eight or 10 years after radiation treatment,?Dr. Holden says. ?So over the long run, radiation catches up.?
18. What?s new in prostate cancer research?
The Prostate Cancer Foundation offers?a list of advances in prostate cancer research.
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Public release date: 19-Dec-2012
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