Health News 5-11-2010
Each week, Fox Medical Expert, Dr. Archelle Georgiou, highlights important health headlines. This week, she gives us her insights on:
1) Lyme Disease: A woman in northern Minnesota was diagnosed with Lyme Disease after 26 years of symptoms. While this story is very infrequent, it is a good reminder that knowing the early signs and symptoms of Lyme Disease is important. In the early phases of the illness, 80% of people have a characteristic "bulls eye" rash. Watch the segment to see what it looks like and to hear other symptoms you should watch for as summer arrives.
2) Cost of Cancer: Treatment for cancer has increase 98% in the United States between 1997 and 2007. Why? The report, published in the journal, Cancer, says that it is due to two major reasons: 1) As American age, more people develop and are diagnosed with cancer, and 2) More effective cancer treatments are more effective and prolonging life which increases the total number of people with cancer. However, some experts' have commented that the report doesn't tell the whole story. Dr Georgiou talks about aspects of the report that are important but aren't addressed.
3) Medication Compliance: A new study reports that only 22% of new prescriptions are filled. In addition, when prescriptions are written for medications to treat chronic illnesses, even fewer presciptions are filled.
