In a new survey, almost half of women who had breast cancer surgery said they had long-term pain. Also this week, the government raised its estimate of U.S. swine flu deaths. UNICEF said 200 million children are growing less because they don't get enough food. The American Medical Association this week endorsed the House health care reform bill. It also urged the military to drop its "don't ask, don't tell" policy toward gays. In research news, a study found sex problems in Chinese men exposed to high levels of a chemical used in plastics. Other researchers accused Pfizer of manipulating data on its drug Neurontin. And another study found that opening kidney arteries with angioplasty doesn't help people.
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In the News:

Pain May Linger After Breast Surgery
In a new survey, almost half of women who had breast cancer surgery reported long-term pain afterward. For many, the pain lasted two or three years. The study, released this week, was based on a survey of 3,253 Danish women. Women under 40 and women who had radiation or had more lymph nodes removed were more likely to report lasting pain. About half of those with pain said it was mild. Most of the rest had moderate pain. Symptoms of nerve damage, such as numbness, also were common. Nearly 6 out of 10 women reported such problems. USA Today wrote about the study. It appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

U.S. Raises Estimate of Swine Flu Deaths
An estimated 3,900 Americans have died from H1N1 (swine) flu, U.S. health officials said this week. This revised estimate was issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It's nearly four times the previous count of 1,000, the Associated Press reported. About 540 of the deaths were children. About 22 million Americans have had swine flu, the CDC said. The new estimates include deaths related to complications of swine flu, such as pneumonia. There was also swine flu news this week from the World Health Organization. WHO said doctors should give antiviral medicine right away to high-risk patients with flu symptoms. They should not wait for confirmation that the person has swine flu. High-risk groups include pregnant women, children younger than age 2, and people with impaired immune systems. People with average risk should get these drugs only if their symptoms get worse quickly, WHO said.

Study Links High BPA Exposure to Sex Problems
A study released this week suggests a possible link between a chemical found in plastics and sexual problems in men. The study focused on 164 Chinese factory workers who were exposed to high levels of bisphenol A on the job. BPA is an ingredient in some hard plastics. The men's BPA exposure was about 50 times higher than the average for an American man. These men were compared with 386 men from their town who did not work in the same factories. Men with high exposure were about four times as likely to say they had low sex drive or problems with achieving erections. They were about seven times as likely to report difficulty with ejaculation. The Associated Press wrote about the study. It appeared in the journal Human Reproduction.

UNICEF: Hunger Harms Growth for 200 Million
Nearly 200 million children under age 5 have stunted growth from a lack of food, health experts said this week. The report came from UNICEF, the United Nations' children's agency. More than 90% of the children with stunted growth live in Africa and Asia, the report said. Rates of stunted growth have dropped a great deal since 1990 in Asia, but not in Africa. The Associated Press wrote about the report.

AMA Opposes 'Don't Ask' Policy, Backs Health Reform Bill
The American Medical Association weighed in on two health policy issues this week. The votes took place at a meeting of AMA delegates. They voted to seek an end to the government's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military. They said secrecy reduces access to benefits for partners, which could harm health. The delegates also pledged support for the health reform bill passed by the U.S. House.

Pfizer Accused of Manipulating Neurontin Study Data
Researchers this week accused Pfizer Inc. of concealing unfavorable study results about one of its drugs. The drug is Neurontin, which is approved for use against epilepsy and persistent nerve pain related to shingles (called post herpetic neuralgia). Researchers looked at 12 published studies on use of the drug for other conditions. They also looked at internal company documents. They said the results in 8 of 12 studies made the drug appear more effective by selective reporting. The results noted in the internal documents suggested less impressive effectiveness of Neurontin. Researchers obtained the internal documents through a lawsuit. The suit was filed by people who took the drug for other conditions and want refunds. The researchers are consultants or witnesses for the plaintiffs in the case. Pfizer said their conclusions are biased and incorrect. The Associated Press wrote about the study. It appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Study: Angioplasty No Help for Kidney Arteries
Angioplasty is no better than medicine for clogged kidney arteries, and it carries big risks, researchers said this week. Everyone in the study received medicine to treat the condition. But 400 did not get any other treatment. The other 335 had angioplasty to open the arteries. In most cases, doctors also inserted a tube called a stent to keep the artery open. In the next three years, both groups had similar rates of heart and kidney problems. But about 1 out of 5 people who got angioplasty had related problems in the first month afterward. They included amputations, kidney failure and internal bleeding. Two people died. The Associated Press wrote about the study. It appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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