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Researchers Discover That Phenoxodiol Kills Rapidly Proliferating T-Cells
Researchers at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research in Wellington, New Zealand have found that abnormally proliferating human T-cells, rapidly dividing cancer cells such as primary myeloid and lymphoid leukemic blast cells undergo programmed cell death when exposed briefly to the investigational anti-tumor drug phenoxodiol.

Minimally Invasive Surgery For Esophageal Cancer Reduces Mortality Rates, Length Of Hospital Stays
Patients with esophageal cancer who require surgery may benefit from having minimally invasive surgery instead of an open esophagectomy, or removal of the esophagus, according to a University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) phase II study. The results will be presented May 31 at the 45th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando, Fla.
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Nineteen House Dems Plan To Vote Against Health Reform If Abortion Funding Is Included
Nineteen House Democrats recently sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) stating that they will not vote for health care reform legislation "unless it explicitly excludes abortion funding from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan," CongressDaily reports. In the letter, the lawmakers wrote that they want to ensure that the Health Benefits Advisory Committee cannot recommend that abortion services be included as part of benefits packages. They wrote, "Without an explicit exclusion, abortion could be included in a government-subsidized health care plan under general health care." The letter was signed by Reps. Dan Boren (Okla.), Bobby Bright (Ala.), Travis Childers (Miss.), Jerry Costello (Ill.), Lincoln Davis (Tenn.), Kathleen Dahlkemper (Pa.), Steve Driehaus (Ohio), Tim Holden (Pa.), Paul Kanjorski (Pa.), Marcy Kaptur (Ohio), Mike McIntyre (N.C.), Charlie Melancon (La.), John Murtha (Pa.), James Oberstar (Minn.), Solomon Ortiz (Texas), Collin Peterson (Minn.), Heath Shuler (N.C.), Bart Stupak (Mich.) and Gene Taylor (Miss.) (CongressDaily, 6/30).
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Even While Considering Major Overhaul, Democrats Expand Government Role In Public Health

"As if hedging their bets on health reform, Democrats are emphasizing smaller but still significant health-related investments this year, from food safety and community health centers to a greater emphasis on rooting out abuses in Medicare and Medicaid," Politico reports. "It"s a far cry from the more ambitious government-backed insurance option proposed by President Barack Obama and House Democrats. But it does add up to a major expansion of the government"s role in public health - and one that shows a greater willingness to add personnel to regulate and administer programs." Those initiatives "make for a delicate balancing act." They could be "a backstop if health reform falls," while also seeking "to clear the path for bigger things to come." Bills to expand Medicaid and regulate tobacco earlier this year garnered attention, "but it"s the lower-profile annual appropriations bills, which have cleared the House and are now moving through the Senate, that add important details - and dollars." Politico gives a number of examples (Rogers, 8/5). Meanwhile, "after days of negotiations and hours upon hours of committee votes, the House healthcare bill comes back to what is essentially a committee of one: Speaker Nancy Pelosi," The Hill reports. "It"s up to her, working with fellow leaders and the House Rules Committee, to meld three drafts of the healthcare bill: the liberal version from the Education and Labor Committee, the centrist Blue Dog compromise from the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Ways and Means plan with a tax Pelosi (D-Calif.) already wants to change or maybe even scrap." With Republicans "promising a solid wall of opposition," Pelosi must "draft a bill that can get 218 Democratic votes, the majority in the House" (Soraghan and Allen, 8/4). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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