For mesothelioma patients, the addition of chemotherapy to the usualactive symptom control (ASC) does not appear to improve survival orquality of life, according to an article released on May 16, 2008 in TheLancet. Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is cancer of the mesothelium, theprotective layer that covers the lungs. Generally associated withexposure to asbestos, it is almost always fatal. Worldwide, this cancer has been rising.

A Correspondence letter published in The Lancetcalls attention to the relationship between transportation and food.Dr. Phil Edwards and Dr. Ian Roberts (London School of Hygiene andTropical Medicine, UK) claim that promoting healthy urban transportpolicies - walking and cycling, for example - would contribute to adecline in both the demand for world oil and the current insecurity ofthe global food chain.

The death toll so far from Monday’s earthquake has been confirmed at over 19,500, but the Chinese authorities fear that more than 50,000 have been killed in Sichuan province alone, according to a press conference announcement made earlier today, Thursday 15th May, by the rescue headquarters of the State Council, headed by Premier Wen Jiabao.

Congressional Democrats on Tuesday announced that they have reached a tentative agreement on a $3.3 trillion fiscal year 2009 budget resolution that rejects reductions in spending for Medicare and Medicaid proposed by President Bush, the New York Times reports.

The Jamaica Gleaner on Monday profiled a program in the western part of the country aimed at improving the treatment outcomes of HIV-positive children.

It is “difficult to imagine” why seven Republican senators who say they are “pro-life” are not supporting legislation (HR 5501, S 2731) that would reauthorize the U.S. global HIV/AIDS program, Michael Gerson — columnist for the

Officials from the Healthcare Leadership Council, a coalition of health insurers, academics, hospitals and other health care groups, proposed using Medicaid and SCHIP funds to purchase private coverage for uninsured U.S. residents, CQ HealthBeat reports.

Research from the US suggests that exercising or being physically active is linked to a reduced risk of invasive premenopausal breast cancer, and the reduction is even higher when girls and women start regular physical activity in early adolescence and continue into adulthood.

The Washington Post on Tuesday in its health section published two women’s health-related articles. Summaries appear below. “A Place To Pump: Despite Law, Some Nursing Moms Still Find It Hard To Express Breastmilk at Work”: The Post examined the challenges some Washington, D.C.

The Louisiana Senate on Monday voted 27-8 to approve legislation that would change the way Medicaid funding is divided among charity hospitals in the southern region of the state, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. The bill (SB 402), sponsored by state Sen.