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Smoking Increases Potential For Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
Smoking has once again been implicated in the development of advanced cancer. Exposure to nicotine by way of cigarette smoking may increase the likelihood that pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma will become metastatic, according to researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson. Their study was published in the August edition of the journal Surgery.

Researchers Discover That Phenoxodiol Kills Rapidly Proliferating T-Cells
Researchers at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research in Wellington, New Zealand have found that abnormally proliferating human T-cells, rapidly dividing cancer cells such as primary myeloid and lymphoid leukemic blast cells undergo programmed cell death when exposed briefly to the investigational anti-tumor drug phenoxodiol.
News of the day
New York Times Editorial Lauds Appointment Of White House Adviser On Violence Against Women
"Domestic violence is a serious law enforcement and public health problem affecting as many as one in four women in this country," but "Washington has devoted too little attention to reducing domestic violence and sexual assaults generally," a New York Times editorial states. The editorial continues, "We welcome President Obama"s decision to create a new post, White House adviser on violence against women, and his appointment" of former National Network To End Domestic Violence Executive Director Lynn Rosenthal, "a seasoned advocate for victims to fill it." According to the editorial, Rosenthal will report to Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, "whose keen interest in the issue dates from his days in the Senate and his key role in enacting the 1994 Violence Against Women Act." The "challenge" facing Rosenthal and the Obama administration "will be to improve the carrying out of existing laws intended to protect women, starting with better coordination of the activities of all the government bureaucracies involved," including the Department of Justice, HHS and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the editorial states. It notes that a national survey of domestic violence shelters released in May found "a significant increase in the number of women seeking assistance since last fall, a rise largely attributable to the stresses of the economic crisis and rising unemployment." The editorial recommends that states create more emergency shelters, establish more transitional housing for "people fleeing violent situations" and "do more to help these victims rebuild their lives." Rosenthal "will need to tackle bureaucratic and legal hurdles and find more money to help states, localities and charitable groups address those needs," the editorial states. In addition, Rosenthal must "help end the scandal of the thousands of rape kits sitting untested in crime labs and police storage facilities across the country, allowing countless criminals to escape punishment." The editorial concludes, "All of this will require strong and creative leadership" from Rosenthal, Biden and Obama (New York Times, 7/1).
Cardiovascular

Finance Committee Gains Momentum From CBO Report, Dem Pressure... Maybe

"Congressional Democrats are determined to show progress on health care overhaul by pushing President Barack Obama"s top domestic priority through two critically important committees before they head home for their August break," the Associated Press reports. "In the Senate, negotiators on the Finance Committee say they are nearer to a bipartisan compromise that has eluded them for weeks" (Alonso-Zaldivar and Werner, 7/30). The Finance Committee got a boost yesterday from a Congressional Budget Office report that said the current version of their draft bill would cost $900 billion, which is less than earlier estimates, to cover 95 percent of the population, Politico reports: "But even in a day of positive developments for Democrats, Senate Republicans, including those involved in the bipartisan talks, said a Finance Committee agreement before the August recess may not be possible. "I don"t see a way that we can finish before the recess," said Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), one of the negotiators" (Budoff Brown and O"Connor, 7/30). Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the senior Finance Republican, said yesterday that the panel was closer than ever to an agreement, but that important differences were unresolved, Roll Call reports. "The 5 percent [of issues to be discussed] that are left are very difficult, and I can"t say that we"re on the edge of getting them decided, but we"re making some progress by inches." Separately, Roll Call also reports, Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., offered a similar caution: "Keep in mind the draft does not include resolution of several key issues. Nevertheless, the report is encouraging" (Drucker, 7/29). More liberal Democrats are growing impatient with Baucus" restraint and willingness to negotiate with the Republicans, the Hill reports. "In an apparent warning to [Baucus], some liberal Democrats have suggested a secret-ballot vote every two years on whether or not to strip committee chairmen of their gavels," according to the report. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said, "Every two years the caucus could have a secret ballot on whether a chairman should continue, yes or no" (Bolton, 7/29). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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