Many prostate cancer patients at a veterans' hospital got the wrong doses of radiation, newspapers said this week. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission found the errors. Regulators also produced other news. This included a recall of Toll House cookie dough and a report on air pollution and cancer risk. A new study found that doctors failed to tell patients about 1 out of 14 abnormal test results.
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In the News:

Regulators Say Men Got Wrong Radiation Doses
Most men who received a common radiation treatment at one veterans' hospital got the wrong dose, regulators say. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) described the errors in a report. The men all had prostate cancer. They were patients at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia. They were treated with brachytherapy. This procedure implants radioactive "seeds" in the prostate to kill cancer cells. The NRC said 57 men received too small a dose to the prostate. Another 35 got overdoses to other parts of the body. In some cases, both errors occurred. The Associated Press wrote about the problems this week. It cited reports in The New York Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Study: Doctors May Not Report All Test Results
Don’t assume your test results are normal if you haven’t been notified by your doctor’s office. Doctors don't always let patients know if their test results are abnormal, a study released this week found. The study focused on records of more than 5,000 older adults. The tests included cancer screenings and blood work for cholesterol. In 1 out of 14 cases, nobody told the patient about an abnormal result. Some practices had electronic records. Some used paper records. Neither was better than the other at informing patients. The Associated Press wrote about the study. It appeared in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

Toll House Cookie Dough Recalled
Nestle USA has recalled all of its Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products, the Associated Press reported this week. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said a recent outbreak of the E. coli bacteria has been linked to these products. The recall occurred after 25 people who ate the dough became so ill they were admitted to hospitals. The FDA said people who have Toll House dough should throw it away or return it for a refund. They should not eat the dough or try to cook it. Cooking would kill bacteria. But it could contaminate hands and other surfaces, the FDA said.

EPA: Chemicals in Air Raise Cancer Risk
About 2.2 million Americans live in places where chemicals in the air increase their risk of cancer, officials said this week. Parts of New York, Oregon and California had the highest risk, the Associated Press said. The worst spot was between two freeways near Los Angeles. The estimated cancer risk there is 34 times the national average. The report came from the Environmental Protection Agency. It was based on data from 2002.

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