Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.health From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: health Fri, Apr 3 1992 Date: Fri, 3 Apr 92 05:43:48 EST Message-ID: 04-03 0000 DECISIONLINE: Health USA TODAY Update April 3-5, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network PRO-CHOICE ADVOCATES PLAN MARCH: Hundreds of thousands of abortion rights supporters plan to march past the White House Sunday. Abortion opponents have also scheduled protests, including a rally by the Capitol and the display of 2,200 crosses commemorating lives lost to abortion. A ruling is expected by July on a Pennsylvania law that could reverse Roe v. Wade, the ruling that legalized abortion in 1973. NEW CANCER TEST POSSIBLE: A new genetic test of patients' stool samples may lead to the diagnosis of colon cancer while in curable stages. Friday's Science reports the test isn't available yet, but it - and similar non-invasive tests for other cancers - could be available within five to 10 years. Experts say colon cancer survivability rises to nearly 91% with early detection. CHILD ABUSE NUMBERS RISE: Deaths from child abuse were up 10% from 1990 to 1991, the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse said Thursday. The increase reflects the hard economic times, the NCPCA said. Of the deaths, which totaled 1,383, 64% were from physical abuse and 36% were from neglect. Of the victims, 79% were younger than five, 54% were younger than one. OFFICIALS DISCUSS TB RISE: Tuberculosis is "at the meltdown stage" in new York City, where one in six TB patients live, but may be slowing in the nation as a whole, say health experts. At a Centers for Disease Control meeting near Atlanta Thursday, experts said it's too early to call the recent rise in TB a trend, although the disease increased 2% in 1991 and 9% in 1990. SENATE LIFTS FETAL TISSUE BAN: The Senate lifted a federal moratorium on fetal tissue transplant research Thursday. The bill, which passed by a 87-10 margin - a majority sufficient of override a threatened presidential veto, was sent to House:Senate negotiators. The House passed a similar measure last July. GA. PASSES MEDICAL LEAVE ACT: Georgia this week became the second southern state and the first state in 1992 to pass a Family & Medical Leave Act. Under the bill, which is expected to be signed by Gov. Zell Miller, employees are guaranteed up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for maternity, adoption, employee illness or the illness of a family member. Continued employee health care coverage is required during the leave. AMA URGES BAN ON TOBACCO ADS: The USA has not done enough to combat cigarette advertising and should support the United Nation's call for a worldwide ban on the ads, says the American Medical Association. "Advertising helps to sell a deadly habit that condemns 460,000 to death each year in the U.S.," says M. Roy Schwarz, M.D., AMA senior vice president. Tobacco ads are currently banned in Canada. RADIATION RELEASE NOT DANGEROUS: A trace amount of radioactive material that was released from the federal Idaho National Engineering Laboratory near Atomic City poses no public health risk, officials said Thursday. The material, apparently released from a new effluent treatment system being tested, was confined to the plant area. MORE FIRMS TESTING FOR DRUGS: The number of companies that test for drugs increased in 1991, according to a survey of nearly 1,200 firms by American Management Association. Three-fourths of all large companies test at least some of their employees and applicants. The figure represents an 18% rise from 1990 and a 250% increase over the past five years. MERCURY FOUND IN MAINE FISH: High levels of mercury, possibly from trash-to-energy and coal burning plants, have been found in lakes in remote parts of Maine, report federal and state biologists. Levels in some trout were found to be twice the Food and Drug Administration limit of one part per million in edible fish. FDA OK OF HEARTMATE SOUGHT: Thermo Cardiosystems Inc. this week applied to the Food and Drug Administration for approval to begin marketing its air-driven HeartMate left ventricular-assist device. Since first implanted in 1986, the device has been used in more than 70 patients. The FDA will use the data collected during these trials to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the system. FIRM TO MARKET NEW ALLERGY TEST: The Food and Drug Administration has given Hycor Biomedical Inc. clearance to market its new line of allergy tests, the company says. With the faster test, users can achieve the sensitivity of the Modified RAST scoring system with a one-day non-isotopic format. The procedure applies to each of Hycor's 250 specific allergens. Health Editor: Christopher Goldthwaite. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM