News

New Orleans — Results of a multicenter phase 4 study confirm the efficacy and safety of photodynamic therapy (PDT) using 20 percent 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) topical solution (Levulan Kerastick, DUSA) for the treatment of face and scalp non-hyperkeratotic actinic keratoses (AKs), according to Eduardo H. Tschen, M.D., who spoke at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

National report — Member discontent over the handling of the American Academy of Dermatology's (AAD) workforce initiative unveiled last fall is bringing about fundamental changes in the program — and perhaps in the decision-making process that governs such matters.

New Orleans — Recent research shows that the pharmacy and medical equipment industries influence a physician's practice, education and research, according to Jeffrey J. Meffert, M.D., program director of the dermatology program of the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium.

Washington — Scorched by controversy over how it approves prescription drugs for the marketplace, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is preparing to establish an independent Drug Safety Oversight Board (DSB) to monitor FDA-approved pharmaceuticals and update physicians and patients when new information becomes available.

A public health crisis is brewing, according to a white paper issued by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), as two trends converge: the retreat of large and small pharmaceutical companies from antibiotic discovery and development, and the emergence of pathogens with resistance to an increasingly wide spectrum of currently approved antibiotics.

Recently, a group of leading dermatologists, clinical investigators, and dermasurgeons met to discuss the role of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in their practices. The experts discussed a new treatment paradigm for actinic keratosis (AK) and how it is changing. They also shared their personal experiences in using 5-FU innovatively to treat AK, while reducing inflammation and discomfort and improving compliance. In addition, the physicians reviewed the use of 5-FU in the treatment of several other dermatologic conditions, such aswarts and actinic cheilitis.

Dr. Dave and his friend Steve have known each other since ninth grade. They attended each other's weddings and have been together for many of life's good and bad moments. Steve also represents a publicly traded company that makes pharmaceutical products used by dermatologists.

San Diego — One of the biggest cosmetic skin problems among the people of Iran, according to Saied Vejdani, M.D., is scarring from acne.

New Orleans — Various environmental phenomena, such as the depletion of tropical rain forests, can affect human health — for instance, by eliminating the potential for lifesaving medications, says Peyton Weary, M.D., professor emeritus of dermatology at the University of Virginia and former president of the National Association of Physicians for the Environment.

Indianapolis — A detailed three-step laser process provides a far more effective treatment for rosacea than current therapies, according to Geoffrey Nase, Ph.D., a leading rosacea researcher who has battled the disorder himself.

Aruba — Clear and unambiguous data demonstrate that therapeutic outcomes for patients with acne and rosacea can be enhanced by augmenting traditional care with more novel interventions, said Richard G. Fried, M.D., Ph.D., at the Caribbean Dermatology Symposium here.

Safety was excellent. There was no difference in safety or tolerability between genders.

Las Vegas — With recent modifications to the rosacea classification system and a greater understanding of the use of antibiotics as inflammatory mediators in rosacea treatment, Joseph Bikowski, M.D. of the Bikowski Skin Care Center, Sewickley, Pa., outlined a tiered approach to rosacea treatment at the Winter Dermatology Conference here.

New Orleans — Bacteria play a role in rosacea development and that pathway should be further explored to develop novel agents to treat inflammatory lesions, says James Leyden, M.D., professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia.

Dr. Dave and his friend Steve have known each other since ninth grade. They attended each other's weddings and have been together for many of life's good and bad moments. Steve also represents a publicly traded company that makes pharmaceutical products used by dermatologists.

Kissimmee, Fla. — With the recent development of the Rosacea classification and grading systems, Lynn Annette Drake, M.D. of Boston, emphasized the importance of these systems in the diagnosis and treatment of rosacea.

Even the smallest of portfolios requires at least a basic knowledge of the options available in today's investment marketplace.

Economic indicators can certainly impact investment decisions and the financial markets.

New Orleans — Creative solutions to dermatologic ailments do not just happen. The search for them can be nurtured and, where possible, augmented by a Web-based application that finds unexpected links between disparate but related topics.

Another use for Google is to protect the content on my Web site from plagiarism.

Kissimmee, Fla. — In developing a successful aesthetic/cosmetic office practice, whether an existing, disease-based practice or a newly launched one, the goal should always be: Work smarter, not harder.

New Orleans —Because patient medical records must be stored for years and in some cases indefinitely, dermatologists should consider computer storage and scanning hardware and software, now less costly than paper storage," according to Stanford I. Lamberg, M.D., associate professor of dermatology, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and in private practice in Baltimore.

Miami — Filler options are getting closer to what David J. Goldberg, M.D., considers ideal.

San Diego — One of the biggest cosmetic skin problems among the people of Iran, according to Saied Vejdani, M.D., is scarring from acne.

Photocarcinogenesis is not simply a story of mutations arising from ultraviolet (UV)-induced pyrimidine dimer formation, according to Chikako Nishigori, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chairman of the division of dermatology at Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine.

Thus far, the results show recurrence rates for primary tumors are 2 percent for surgical excision and 3 percent for MMS; corresponding rates for recurrent lesions are 0 percent and 3 percent.

Z?rich — Faced with a lack of clinical breakthroughs and shifting priorities among investors, researchers targeting cancer through genetic immunization face an uphill climb even as they gain important insights into tumor immunology.

Doctors have a variety of techniques to diagnose basal cell carcinoma (BCC) without making an incision, but the procedures may not be completely dependable, according to Ralph P. Braun, M.D.Dr. Braun heads the pigmented lesion clinic at the University Hospital in Geneva, Switzerland. He says the techniques all have drawbacks — and none of them have been completely validated.

New Orleans — A new approach to immunotherapy can cause regressions in more than half of patients with metastatic melanoma refractory to all other treatments. The approach is known as cell transfer immunotherapy.

Aruba — Though its impact can be socially and financially crippling, chronic allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) of the hand responds to aggressive drug therapies combined with on-the-job precautions, according to Donald V. Belsito, M.D., M.B.A., professor and director of dermatology, University of Kansas Medical Center.