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NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Most internal medicine residents had low scores in a test of the biostatistics needed to interpret published clinical research, investigators here found.

SEOUL, South Korea -- Third-generation chemotherapy agents appear to have modestly improved population-level survival among advanced stage non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

SEOUL, South Korea -- Targeted therapy with the receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor gefitinib (Iressa) demonstrated noninferiority to docetaxel (Taxotere) in treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer in a large multicenter trial.

LEBANON, N.H. -- Epoetin alfa (Epogen or Procrit) failed to reduce red-cell transfusions in ICU patients but appeared to decrease mortality in trauma patients, researchers reported. Still, the drug increased thrombotic events.

VIENNA -- For patients in the early stages of pulmonary arterial hypertension, the use of bosentan (Tracleer) appears to slow the progressive worsening of symptoms.

VIENNA -- Once again a major clinical trial using vitamins to lower homocysteine levels has failed to change clinical outcomes for patients with heart disease.

SEOUL, South Korea -- Pemetrexed (Alimta) may have toxicity advantages over gemcitabine (Gemzar) in first-line combination chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer, researchers said here.

DENVER -- A microwave-popcorn addict who found the aroma of the freshly made snack to be irresistibly intoxicating has developed brochiolitis obliterans, suggested a pulmonologist here.

VIENNA -- In the 12 months following implementation of a nationwide smoking ban in Ireland, the number of hospital admissions for acute coronary syndrome decreased by 11%.

SEOUL, South Korea -- Hand-rolled cigarette smokers appear to be at higher risk of lung cancer than those who smoke commercially manufactured brands, researchers found.

LEBANON, N.H. -- Teens who see more smoking in movies may be more likely to get hooked themselves.

MONTREAL -- Doctors who scored poorly on the patient-physician communications and clinical decision-making portions of a clinical skills exam were significantly more likely to be the targets of patient complaints to medical authorities than fair or good communicators.

SEOUL, South Korea -- Lung cancer patients with bone metastases may live longer when treated with bisphosphonates, a study reported here suggests.

SEOUL -- Some patients with malignant mesothelioma may have a prognosis that's not quite so grim as widely believed, a Nordic collaborative group reported here.

SEOUL, South Korea -- While, overall, women with advanced stage lung cancer tend to live longer than men, the same is not true for premenopausal women, researchers found.

VIENNA -- Time and more patients shrank the 18% three-year statistically significant risk of mortality for drug-eluting coronary stents, compared with bare-metal devices, to a non-significant 1% at four years, Swedish registry researchers reported here today.

The 4th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment, and Prevention was held in Sydney, Australia, July 22 to 25, 2007

Two years ago, while revisiting the quality and durability of highly active antiretroviral therapy-linked immune reconstitution, I noted that the incidence of certain non-AIDS-defining malignancies associated with sexually transmitted viruses in immunosuppressed persons, including penile, oral, and anal cancers, have continued to increase among HIV-infected persons despite the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy