February 15, 2005

Cancer survivors are susceptible to recurrence of the disease, as well as medical, developmental, and psychologic problems that can be caused by cancer treatments. Family physicians should continue to follow these patients and provide preventive medicine, including…

Although there are effective treatments for cluster headache, such as oxygen, sumatriptan, and verapamil, they are not being used enough because these headachesare difficult to diagnose.

Evidence-based reviews have shown that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants are equally effective in the treatment of panic disorder.Cognitive behavior therapy also is effective, especially when used in combinationwith antidepressants…

Patients with palpitations often present to their family physician with concerns about irregular or rapid beating of the heart. The family physician plays an importantrole in determining the etiology of the palpitations, monitoring the heart for abnormal rhythms, initiating…

AFP has received a distinctive award recognizing its top performance in the medical journal industry. We received this bit of good news at the end of last year: Medical Marketing & Media (MM&M) named AFP the winner in its award category “Medium of the Year,” which…

AAFP Launches Online Quality Improvement Program | NIH Issues New Guidelines for Managing Asthma During Pregnancy | ABFM Extends Deadline for 2004 Self-Assessment Module | CMS Provides Web Site Describing Initial Preventive Physical Examination | HHS Releases New Edition of…

It would be difficult to overstate the importance of death certificates—especially in an era of increasing reliance on evidence-based medicine (EBM)—yet physicians receive inadequate training in this important area, and their performance on this task remains less than ideal.1–3

More lives are lost to racial disparity in medical care than are saved by medical technological advances, according to a study recently published in the American Journal of Public Health. The study estimates that while 176,633 lives were saved between 1991 and 2000 as a result…

“Let’s send the poor man back to the nursing home before anything else can go wrong,” KS advised the second-year resident. Needless to say, she was only half kidding. This frail 85-year-old man had been transferred to the hospital two days earlier because of an exacerbation of…

This statement summarizes the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on screening for ovarian cancer and the supporting scientific evidence, and updates the 1996 recommendations contained in the Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2d ed.

Many physicians continue to use clinical judgment alone as the basis for initiating and adjusting warfarin dosages in patients who require oral anticoagulation. A number of studies have validated approaches to initiation of anticoagulation that provide more rapid…

Photo Quiz presents readers with a clinical challenge based on a photograph or other image.

The American Cancer Society (ACS), the American Diabetes Association (ADA), and the American Heart Association (AHA) have issued core recommendations for the prevention and early detection of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

Treatment of Postherpetic Neuralgia

Pain and Anxiety Treatment in Children During Emergencies

Letter

There are many ways to keep track of your health after successful cancer treatment. This kind of care is called follow-up. Each person is different, so follow-up care also will be different. Here are guidelines for some common cancers.

A cluster headache is a rare kind of headache. It happens in a cluster or bunch that can last for weeks or months. During a cluster, the headaches happen every day. In between clusters, there usually are no headaches. A few people have the headaches all the time.

A panic attack is an anxiety reaction. When a panic attack happens, the person suddenly feels very afraid or very nervous. Panic attacks can last from a few minutes to several hours. Many things can cause panic attacks, such as being in a crowded place. Sometimes these feelings…

Heartbeats that are hard and fast are called palpitations (say pal-pit-ay-shuns). Your heart is like a pump. Each time it beats, it pumps blood through your body. When you exercise, it is normal to hear or feel your heart “pounding” as it beats faster. But if you have…