684 Health News Update

When the FDA approves a new medication for the market, it has undergone extensive testing to demonstrate it is safe and effective for the intended use. But once it is available, doctors can prescribe it for nearly any purpose that seems reasonable to them. We speak with an expert who has warned his colleagues about the pitfalls of this practice. Senator Ted Kennedy has begun his treatment for brain cancer. What sorts of treatment are given after surgery, and what is on the horizon for the future? A listener tantalized others with his testimonial on using a dietary supplement, l-carnosine, to reverse his cataracts. We discuss this approach with the ophthalmologist who suggested it. Explore the stories behind the health headlines. Guests: Randall S. Stafford, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Center in the program on Prevention Outcomes and Practices at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. His article on off-label drugs was published in The New England Journal of Medicine April 3, 2008. Henry Friedman, MD, James B. Powell, Jr., Professor of Neuro-Oncology; Professor of Pediatrics; Associate Professor of Surgery and Medicine; Assistant Professor of Pathology; Co-Deputy Director of The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University Medical Center. Robert Abel, Jr., MD, ophthalmologist and author of The Eye Care Revolution: Prevent and Reverse Common Vision Problems. His Web site is http://eyeadvisory.com/