MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Study: Certain breast cancer patients can avoid lymph node surgery. Many women with early-stage breast cancer do not need to undergo removal of cancerous lymph nodes from the armpit, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, reports The New York Times.
Health reform supporters hire democratic strategist. A consortium of supporters of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act tapped Democratic strategist Paul Tewes to help defend it against Republican criticism as they settle in for what many expect will be a protracted battle to shape the public’s view of the law through the 2012 elections and beyond writes The Washington Post. Meanwhile, Dept. of Health and Human Services is looking at modifying a workers’ long-term-care insurance program included in the healthcare reform law, responding to criticism that the plan is fiscally unsustainable, writes The Wall Street Journal.
Plastic surgery procedures rise with economy. Cosmetic plastic surgery procedures have rebounded sharply along with an uptick in the U.S. economy, according to a new report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), writes reports WebMD.
Docs have their say about keeping patients healthy. A Consumer Reports survey asked 660 primary care physicians about what aspects of their interactions with patients affect their health over the long run. To start, 76 percent say patients should form a long term relationship with their doctors.
Economist tries comic books to help explain health reform. MIT economist and adviser to President Obama, Jonathan Gruber, has turned to comic books to help make the pitch for the healthcare reform law, reports The Associated Press.