Patients should learn about secondary genetic risk factors, say recommendations

Imagine getting a chest X-ray to identify the cause of a serious cough. The radiologist finds a shadow that wasn’t causing the cough but could be a tumor. In many cases, it is obvious what to do upon uncovering these sorts of secondary or incidental findings — most doctors would follow up on the search for a possible lung tumor, for example.  Read more

(Not so) evil DDT — and goodbye

A new study published Monday in Environmental Health Perspectives revives fears about the pesticide environmentalists everywhere love to hate: DDT. Researchers examined 129 women who were exposed to the pesticide as children and found that the women had a whopping 400% increase in breast cancer risk.  Read more

Justice — 70 years late

Last month the state of Iowa shelled out $925,000 to settle a lawsuit filed in 2003 by a handful of people who, 70 years ago, became unwitting participants in a stuttering study that left them psychologically scarred. For some, the money came too late. Three of the six study participants represented in the lawsuit had already died. The cash went to their sons and daughters via their estates.  Read more