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ATLANTA -- When melanomas are diagnosed by a dermatologist, patients are likelier to have early-stage disease and longer survival than those whose lesion was diagnosed by a non-dermatologist, researchers reported.

LOS ANGELES -- Cetuximab (Erbitux) extended median survival by about six weeks as a third-line monotherapy for refractory metastatic colorectal cancer, but did not extend survival when used as a second-line agent in combination with irinotecan (Camptosar).

BETHESDA, Md. -- Chains of for-profit dialysis centers use considerably more erythropoiesis-stimulating agents per patient than do non-profit or hospital-affiliated centers, regardless of anemia status, found investigators here.

PHILADELPHIA -- Natalizumab (Tysabri), which reduces relapse rates in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis, also prevents vision loss, researchers here say.

SEUOL, Korea -- The average body mass index in a group of children with otitis media with effusion was about 35% higher than among those with no history of ear infection, found researchers here.

LOS ANGELES -- Darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp) should not be used for treatment of anemia caused by cancer, researchers here reported. Compared with placebo, darbepoetin hastened death despite significantly reducing the need for transfusion.

LOS ANGELES -- An African-American woman whose mother or sister was diagnosed with breast cancer before age 50 has triple the likelihood that she will be diagnosed with the malignancy before age 45, researchers here reported.

BARCELONA, SPAIN -- The ability of the investigative protease inhibitor telaprevir to rapidly reduce levels of hepatitis C virus hints that shorter treatment regimens may be possible, researchers reported here.

LOS ANGELES -- An investigational oral rinse assay detected the tumor marker CD44 in both early-stage and pre-cancerous head-and-neck lesions, researchers reported here.

For several months, a 52-year-old woman has had burning discomfort in the region of her lower sternum and frequent acid/sour sensations in her throat; the symptoms are usually associated with burping after meals and recumbency.

A 24-year-old woman presents to the emergency department (ED) withgeneralized weakness, headache, and muscle cramping that have progressivelyworsened over the past week. Recently, she has also had nauseaand vomiting. She denies chest pain, palpitations, dyspnea, cough, fever,chills, diarrhea, and urinary symptoms. She has a history of type 1 renaltubular acidosis.

My 32-year-old patient has a seizure disorder that is treated with phenytoin. She wants to use hormonal contraception. Which agents will not interact with phenytoin?

Two months after undergoing bilateral transconjunctival blepharoplasty, a 48-year-old man presented with dryness and pruritus of the left eye of 1 week's duration. He denied any discharge, change in vision, or fever.

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The FDA issued an urgent warning tonight to consumers about the risk of olives that are potentially contaminated with Clostridium botulinum.

SEATTLE -- Early treatment of Paget's disease with pamidronate (Aredia) may promote longer remissions without additional bisphosphonate treatment.

PARIS -- Radiation therapy for older glioblastoma patients extended survival up to three-months without reducing quality of life or cognition, researchers here reported.

GAITHERSBURG, Md. -- By a vote 20 to one, FDA advisers recommended today against approval of Merck's Cox-2 inhibitor etoricoxib (Arcoxia), declaring that the cardiovascular risks of the drug outweigh its benefits for easing arthritis pain.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Just as gynecologists have long suspected, most women with multiple uterine symptoms eventually turn to hysterectomy when less invasive therapies fail.