The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Monday launched a radio advertisement and automated telephone campaign in the districts of five Republican House members to criticize their votes against legislation that would expand SCHIP, the Washington Times reports. The radio ad campaign targets Reps. Jim Saxton (N.J. [click link for full article]

A recent decline in breast cancer incidence is unlikely to be caused by a decrease in mammography screening, according to a study published online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. It is more likely due to the drop in postmenopausal hormone use.There has been a recent, rapid decline in postmenopausal hormone therapy use since 2002 when the Women’s Health Initiative study found that hormone therapy was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. [click link for full article]

About 7% of eligible residents in three West Virginia counties have enrolled in the state’s enhanced benefits Medicaid pilot project since February, according to agency records from mid-July, the Charleston Gazette reports (Caron, Charleston Gazette, 8/13). [click link for full article]

The incidence of squamous cell eye cancer is greater among kidney transplant patients and people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than the general public, which suggests the disease is associated with immune deficiency.Claire Vajdic, Ph.D., of the University of New South Wales in Sydney and colleagues compared the incidence of squamous cell eye cancer in the general population with that of kidney transplant patients, who have suppressed immune systems. [click link for full article]

Parents should think twice before offering a low-fat menu to youngsters, despite concerns over obesity. Children burn more body fat than adults for each calorie spent, according to research in the online open access publication, Nutrition Journal, evidence that fat can be included as part of a child’s healthy and balanced diet. [click link for full article]

Louisiana will apply for federal approval to allow low-income parents in the New Orleans and Lake Charles areas to be eligible for basic Medicaid coverage as early as spring 2008, the Baton Rouge Advocate reports. The state [click link for full article]

The labels of the type 2 diabetes medications Avandia, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, and Actos, manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, will include black box warnings to indicate that the treatments can increase risk for heart failure, [click link for full article]

Children whose mothers are depressed are less likely to develop problem behaviors if their fathers are actively engaged in family life, a Saint Louis University researcher finds.It is well documented that children living in homes with depressed mothers are at increased risk of developing problems such as aggression, hyperactivity, depression and anxiety. However, an involved father — one who has a positive relationship with his children — may reduce the risk of those behaviors. [click link for full article]

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that a commonly prescribed diabetes drug kills tumor cells that lack a key regulatory gene called p53. Results from current studies in mice may result in new therapies for a subset of human cancers that tend to be aggressive and resistant to existing treatments. Additionally, the findings open up a new avenue for targeting cancers whose hallmark is the absence of this regulatory gene. [click link for full article]

Radiologists can diagnose venous thromboembolic disease (VTED) in cancer patients earlier by looking more carefully at CT scans of the thorax, abdomen, and pelvis which are regularly done to determine the extent or stage of the cancer, according to a recent study conducted by radiologists at the University College Hospital in Galway, Ireland.Venous thromboembolic disease can be fatal if left untreated. [click link for full article]