Cancer screenings under scrutiny Nov 22, 2009
"Our country's leading scientists are supportive of the types of efforts ACOG put together," said Alan Kaye, chairman of the cancer coalition's board of directors. "It has nothing to do with health care rationing. If it did, we'd be the first to stand up on a mountain and yell.". (CNN)
New Pap test guidelines for women Nov 21, 2009
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) releases new guidelines Friday, saying women don't need their first cervical cancer screening -- or Pap test -- until they're 21 years old ... "The tradition of doing a Pap test every year has not been supported by recent scientific evidence," said Dr. Alan G. Waxman, who developed the document for ACOG's Committee on Practice Bulletins-Gynecology. (CNN)
New guidelines: Pap smears can start at 21 Nov 21, 2009
The timing of the Pap guidelines is coincidence, said ACOG, which began reviewing its recommendations in late 2007 and published the update Friday in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology ... The recommendations are based on scientific evidence that suggests more frequent testing leads to overtreatment, which can harm a young woman's chances of carrying a child full term, according to Dr. Thomas Herzog of Columbia University in New York, who is chairman of an ACOG subcommittee on gynecologic... (MSNBC -- Health)
Opening the Screening Door Nov 21, 2009
Now ACOG recommendations for less frequent pap smears on the heels of the HHS recommendations on mammograms that got breast cancer advocates up in arms. This is all straight out of the UK rationing playbook. (Slate)
GOP seizes mammogram issue Nov 21, 2009
Neither the task force, which provides advice to government officials who may or may not act on it, nor the ACOG set federal policy. The ACOG's recommendations are aimed at its own members. (AZCentral -- News)
Clearing up cancer screening confusion Nov 21, 2009
ACOG: Start Pap tests at age 21 and then every two years; 30 years and older, every three years after three normal tests; reasonable to stop at age 65 or 70; discontinue after hysterectomy. Task Force: Start Pap tests within three years of sexual activity or by age 21; at least every three years, stop after 65 if negative tests and no high risk; discontinue after hysterectomy. (MSNBC -- Health)
Less Frequent Pap Tests: Good for Women? Nov 21, 2009
The new guidelines from the ACOG recommend the following ... Previously, the ACOG recommendation urged screenings every two to three years in this age group. (ABC News)
Pap Tests: Another Revision of Recommendations Nov 21, 2009
In its new guidelines issued Friday, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommended that adolescent girls wait until age 21 to get their first Pap smear ... Previously, the ACOG along with other national groups, including the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (or USPSTF, the same group that revised its mammography screening advice) had advised girls to begin yearly Pap tests within three years of their first sexual encounter or,... (Time.com)
Cervical Cancer Guidelines Nov 21, 2009
Women in their 20s with normal Pap smear results now should get screenings every two years instead of every year, and women in their 30s can wait three years between screenings, according to the new ACOG guidelines ... However, the ACOG guidelines point out that only 0 ... When dysplasias progress to cancers it's usually a result of older women missing screenings for years at a time; 50 percent of women diagnosed with cervical cancer each year never had a pap smear before, according to the ACOG... (ABC News)
New Pap Smear Guidelines Released Nov 21, 2009
Previously, ACOG had urged a first Pap either within three years of first sexual intercourse or at age 21 ... ACOG says the timing is a coincidence. (KWTX.com, TX)
Click to read:Change Ahead for Cervical Cancer Detection Nov 21, 2009
The timing of the Pap guidelines is coincidence, said ACOG, which began reviewing its recommendations in late 2007 and published the update Friday in the journal Obstetricslogy ... Previously, ACOG had urged a first Pap either within three years of first sexual intercourse or at age 21 ... Other national guidelines have long recommended the three-year interval; ACOG had previously backed a two- to three-year wait. (CBS News)
Fewer Pap smears? Nov 21, 2009
The timing of the Pap guidelines is coincidence, said ACOG, which began reviewing its recommendations in late 2007 and published the update Friday in the journal Obstetricslogy ... "The tradition of doing a Pap test every year has not been supported by recent scientific evidence," said Dr. Alan Waxman of the University of New Mexico, who headed ACOG's review ... Previously, ACOG had urged a first Pap either within three years of first sexual intercourse or at age 21. (The Palm Beach Post)
Group: Pap tests should start at age 21 Nov 20, 2009
Earlier screening for cervical cancer may lead to unnecessary and possibly harmful treatments for an increasingly rare cancer, according to ACOG, the leading U.S. professional organization for obstetricians and gynecologists ... ACOG says it may still be appropriate for women to visit their doctor annually for a pelvic exam, even if a Pap test isn't performed ... ACOG had previously recommended that women receive their first Pap test three years after having sex for the first time, or no later... (CNN)
Women Now Told: Delay Cervical Exam Nov 20, 2009
The guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists or ACOG now say women younger than 30 should undergo cervical cancer screening once every two years instead of an annual exam ... "Overtreatment of minor abnormal pap tests in young women and adolescents can lead to consequences such as preterm labor in some cases. It increases the risk," said Dr. Thomas Herzog of Columbia University in New York, who is chairman of an ACOG subcommittee on gynecologic cancers. (Fox News)
Critical Care: Healthy offerings Nov 19, 2009
In a 2006 ACOG survey of 10,659 ob-gyns nationwide, 26% said they had given up on VBACs because insurance was unaffordable or unavailable; 33% said they had dropped VBACs out of fear of litigation. "It's a numbers thing," says Dr. Shelley Binkley, an ob-gyn. (Klamath Falls Herald & News, OR)
The ABCs on Caesarean sections Nov 12, 2009
And with inductions at an all-time high, making up more than 22 percent of births, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), it follows that Caesareans have spiked, too ... "--Catherine Spong, M.D. RELATED TOPICS Once you have a C-section, doctors generally advise that you have one with subsequent deliveries. Vaginal birth after a Caesarean (VBAC), which used to be widely available, is rarely performed these days, after a 1999 study showed a slight chance that... (CNN)
Doctors Overprescribing the Pap Test Nov 4, 2009
But, in 2002 and 2003, the American Cancer Society (ACS), the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force all changed their Pap screening recommendations, according to background information in the study. Both ACOG and the ACS recommended that when women over 30 years old had three consecutive Pap tests with normal results, those women could switch from annual tests to testing every two to three years ... ACOG felt there wasn't enough evidence... (MEDLINEplus)
Down's Syndrome Births on the Decline? Oct 28, 2009
A spokesperson for ACOG noted that there are no national U.S. data on the number of women who receive prenatal screening for Down's syndrome or reliable data on the number babies born with the disorder. Morris and Alberman examined data from the U.K.'s National Down Syndrome Cytogenetic Register, which includes about 93 percent of all diagnoses of Down's syndrome in England and Wales. (ABC News)
Empowered patient Oct 16, 2009
Banner Health, which owns Page Hospital, says it decided to stop performing VBACs at Page when ACOG, the obstetricians' group, established guidelines for hospitals that Page Hospital was not adequately staffed to satisfy. The ACOG guidelines recommend "24/7 coverage of both physician and anesthesiologist," and that "two physicians be immediately available during the entire period of labor," Banner Health said in a statement ... But ACOG spokesman Gregory Phillips says that's not what the... (CNN -- US)
Pregnant women struggle to find flu vaccine Sep 30, 2009
So the CDC and ACOG are urging obstetricians to partner with a nearby site a hospital or drugstore, for example to guarantee their patients a flu-shot source, a message the government will reiterate Tuesday in a swine flu training seminar for obstetricians nationwide. Yet providers who don't routinely treat pregnant women may not understand flu's risk and the shot's safety record, says Silverman, who helps set ACOG practice guidelines. (MSNBC -- Health)
Antidepressants Linked to Heart Defects in Newborns Sep 26, 2009
Recent research has indicated a higher risk of various defects, including heart defects, among pregnant women taking antidepressants, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have issued warnings about possible birth defects associated with the use of the SSRI Paxil (paroxetine) by moms-to-be ... In August, the American Psychiatric Association in collaboration with ACOG recommended that women with major depression who are... (MEDLINEplus)
Pregnant women need flu shots Sep 24, 2009
ACOG Office of Communications (202) 484-3321. Pat Stahr, 202-863-2476. (EurekAlert!)
Considering Vaginal Birth after C-S... Sep 21, 2009
Women that choose a trial of labor, after delivering their first child by c-section, give birth naturally in 60-80% of cases, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG website, viewed on September 20, 2009) ... In fact, VBAC rates increased through the early 1990s, following a 1988 recommendation encouraging vaginal birth after cesarean from the ACOG (Cassidy, 2006), but peaked in 1997 and have fallen by 50% since that time ... Such women suffer a higher risk of... (Suite101.com)
CONSIDERING A HOME BIRTH? Midwives' qualifications vary Sep 14, 2009
ACOG shouldn't confuse the site of a birth with the qualifications of the midwife attending it, Kaplan says ... "People are going to keep doing it, no matter what ACOG says.". (USA Today)
Home births get a bump, over obstetricians' objections Sep 14, 2009
Citing safety concerns, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has campaigned against home births, distributing bumper stickers that say "Home deliveries are for pizza." ... The new studies have fueled the debate but have not convinced ACOG. ... For one, says Erin Tracy, ACOG's delegate to the AMA, the studies weren't large enough. (USA Today)
Health Tip: If You Smoke While Pregnant Sep 12, 2009
The ACOG says these problems are more likely to affect pregnant women who smoke. Ectopic pregnancy, where the fertilized egg begins to develop outside the uterus. (MEDLINEplus)
Health Tip: When Labor May Be Induced Aug 28, 2009
Labor may be induced -- causing the woman's cervix to open in preparation for a vaginal birth -- if the health of the mother or baby is threatened, the ACOG says. Here are some possible reasons for labor induction. (MEDLINEplus)
Myriad Genetics Reports Fiscal 2009 Financial Results Aug 26, 2009
"While our revenue growth has moderated during the second half of the fiscal year due to the current recession, we are comfortable with current research analyst consensus guidance for our 2010 fiscal year," said Peter Meldrum, President and Chief Executive Officer of Myriad Genetics, Inc. "Additionally, we have recently implemented a number of measures in an attempt to spur sales. We have added 50 new professional sales representatives; accelerated our Midwest direct-to-consumer campaign, which... (Primezone Releases)
Health Tip: What Are Risk Factors for Preterm Labor? Aug 25, 2009
Being born too early can cause a host of complications, ranging from slow growth to problems with the eyes, ears, breathing and nervous system, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says. The ACOG offers this list of common risk factors for preterm labor. (MEDLINEplus)
Interventional Radiology Treatment For Uterine Fibroids: Safe, Nonsurgical Option Aug 18, 2009
Goodwin indicated in the journal article that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists considers UFE a "safe and effective option for appropriately selected women." ACOG noted in one of its practice bulletins that women who want to choose UFE "should have a thorough evaluation with an obstetrician-gynecologist to help facilitate optimal collaboration with the interventional radiologist and to ensure the appropriateness of therapy, taking into account the reproductive wishes of the... (Science Daily)
Obama’s Conscience Claws: Will You be Forced to Perform Abortions? Aug 14, 2009
Notably, in November 2007, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued an opinion called The Limits of Conscientious Refusal in Reproductive Medicine ... ACOG further declared that in an emergency, healthcare providers have an obligation to provide medically indicated and requested care ... Not surprisingly, most Americans don t agree with Obama and ACOG. To take just one poll, a recent survey by The Polling Company found 87 percent of respondents believed it is... (Human Events Online)
A gentler choicefor a hysterectomy Jul 8, 2009
ACOG didn't have statistics for da Vinci laparoscopic procedures for 2006, but Intuitive Surgical said there were approximately 34,000 da Vinci hysterectomies performed in 2008. There are gynecologists who believe the percentages of minimally invasive procedures should be higher. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
UNC Olympians Jul 5, 2009
Chris Schleter (ACOG, SOCOG, SLOC, consultant to ATHOC). Donald Lockerbie (Organizing Committee, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004). (Tarheelblue.com)
Docs leaving under insurance pressure Jul 2, 2009
Thursday July 02, 2009. Gary Eglinton consults with a patient at New York Hospital Queens. (Queens Chronicle, NY)
Study suggests obese women should not gain weight May 30, 2009
For years, doctors and other health-care providers have managed pregnant patients according to guidelines issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). In 1986, ACOG stated, "Regardless of how much women weigh before they become pregnant, gaining between 26-35 pounds during pregnancy can improve the outcome of pregnancy and reduce their chances of having the pregnancy end in fetal death." Until its revised guidelines were released yesterday, the Institute of Medicine... (EurekAlert!)
Many women shelve pregnancy plans in tough times May 30, 2009
Nearly one in five married women ages 18 to 44 say the shaky economy has affected their plans to increase the size of their family, according to a survey released in May by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) ... ACOG's poll found that 17 percent of married women said the economy had "affected their plans to increase the size of their family," and 20 percent said they were more concerned than they were last year about having an unplanned pregnancy ... "The downturn in... (CNN -- Health)
Mom and Baby Alike May Benefit from Exercise May 27, 2009
Most women should keep active while pregnant, experts say. Sunday, May 24, 2009. (MEDLINEplus)
Preterm birth rate drops Mar 19, 2009
A voluntary review of all cesarean-section births and inductions of labor that occur before 39 weeks gestation, to ensure they meet established American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines regarding medical necessity of elective procedures. 2. (EurekAlert!)
Call for autopsy to unravel tragedy of stillbirth Mar 5, 2009
In this photo provided by the Owen family, Rob Owen holds his stillborn daughter Clare Elizabeth Owen, March 7, 2008, at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Md. This photo was taken by the mother, Erin Fogarty Owen, from her hospital bed. (Longview Daily News, WA)
Obama Attacks Doctors' Rights of Conscience Mar 4, 2009
Within two weeks of the Women Deliver Conference, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ("ACOG") issued Ethics Opinion #385 calling on OB-GYNs to disregard their medical, moral, ethical or religious objections to abortion by instructing them to perform or refer for abortions. Almost in tandem with the release of ACOG's Opinion #385, the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology ("ABOG") released its 2008 Bulletin for Maintenance of Certification ... The Bulletin provides that... (Human Events Online)
The Trouble With Repeat Cesareans Feb 25, 2009
In 1999, after several high-profile cases in which women undergoing VBAC ruptured their uterus, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) changed its guidelines from stipulating that surgeons and anesthesiologists should be "readily available" during a VBAC to "immediately available." "Our goal wasn't to narrow the scope of patients who would be eligible, but to make it safe," says Dr. Carolyn Zelop, co-author of ACOG's most recent VBAC guidelines. 1. (Time.com)
Airport test to stop arrival of Sars and flu 'pointless' Feb 19, 2009
medical education is a new senior staff management position within the acog division of education. it is. (Yahoo News -- SARS)
Stroma Genomic Signature Predicts Resistance To Anthracyclin-based Chemotherapy In Breast Cancer Feb 12, 2009
It was led by Professor Herv; Bonnefoi of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) in collaboration with the Swedish Breast Cancer Group (SBCG), the Swiss Cancer Group (SAKK) and the Angloceltic group (ACOG). In this trial, biopsies were taken from each patient and sent to Professor Richard Iggo's laboratory which was at the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC) in Lausanne at the time of the study, which was to a large part sponsored by the... (Science Daily)
Early Elective C-Sections Produce Complications Feb 7, 2009
The findings buttress recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) ... If a woman wants to deliver before 39 weeks, ACOG recommends that amniocentesis be performed to assess lung maturity in the baby ... "In the academic world, these are among the top institutions, and that more than one-third apparently aren't following ACOG guidelines is a surprise.". (MEDLINEplus)
