Women News June 16, 2009

Jane: According to a report published in the June 8 online publication Cancer, women are not participating in clinical trials for new cancer treatments in the proportions with which they get the various diseases. This is important for a few reasons. One is that many of these cancer treatments, such as new chemotherapies, might be affective and if women are not participating in the trial she misses the opportunity for a successful treatment. Secondly, full participation by both sexes provides data that might indicate differences in the way the new treatment affects men as well as women.

Reshma Jagsi, M.D., and colleagues from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor concluded that researchers need to find out why government funded studies have greater subject diversity. He states “Only by understanding the forces affecting the sex distribution of study subjects can we as a society succeed in ensuring that our medical research efforts are inclusive and to the benefit of all."

Scientists speculate that reasons women don't participate as frequently as men may include lack of information, fear, and concerns about interference with their personal responsibilities such as childcare. Another issue may be that researchers worry about trying new methods on women of child bearing age because they often have no idea how a new treatment technique, such a as a new drug, might affect future pregnancies.

Joan: According to a study published last week in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, testing for certain genes can help predict how a breast cancer patient will react to chemotherapy with a drug called cyclophosphamide. The study found that breast cancer patients with a certain mutation of a particular gene called SOD2 were less likely to have success with this particular chemo than those without the mutation.

Stefan Ambs of the National Cancer Institute said that in the future, genetic studies on a cancer can be used to guide the treatment of patients. So those who have the mutation will be treated with a different kind of chemo. (Reuters, 6/9). What's exciting to me is that each time they see a difference this specific, they get closer to understanding how the drug works, and when they know that, they get closer to understanding how the cancer works, and this can lead to better and better treatment and cures. Good news!

Jane: And then there's the not so good news: Nearly 100,000 people in the United States die each year from preventable medical errors. According to the Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, lawmakers have failed to enact patient-safety reforms that were recommended in 1999  by an Institute of Medicine or IOM report. The IOM found that medical errors cost the United States $17 billion to $29 billion a year. Lisa McGiffert of the Consumers Union said "There is little evidence to suggest that the number of people dying from medical harm has dropped since the IOM first warned about these deadly mistakes a decade ago."President Obama's plan for reforming the U.S. healthcare system includes developing ways to prevent  errors and improve efficiency The consumer group urged U.S. lawmakers to make patient safety a key focus of any health reform policy.

Joan: And we have a report, so to speak, on sex with ducks. During a discussion about sexual orientation and the hate crimes bill, Pat Robinison spoke about a duck's love life. He said. (Track 1)

In response, two straight actresses, Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci created this parody (Track 2).

If you found the song entertaining, the video on youtube.com is worth watching. Just search "Sex with ducks".

But there is some promising news on the matters of LGBT issue according to Harvard University Press Release 6/2/09. Harvard University has announced the formation of the first endowed and named chair of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) studies in the nation. The F.O. Matthiessen Visiting Professorship of Gender and Sexuality will be funded by a $1.5 million gift from the Harvard Gay and Lesbian Caucus. The Chair is named after gay former Harvard professor F.O. Matthiessen, who is said to have "lived his sexuality as an 'open secret' in the mid-20th century" and produced groundbreaking scholarship in American Studies. Mitchell Adams, a Harvard Overseer said that this gift will foster continued progress toward a more inclusive society. And another speaker for Harvard said quite simply that an endowed professorship in LGBT studies “is recognition that it is an important issue."

Jane: Chutzpah would be an understatement for this bit of news: On Wednesday Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue, said that his group is considering trying to purchase Dr Tiller's Wichita, Kan., clinic, which Tiller's family permanently closed last Tuesday. The family has not announced its plans for the building and land, which are valued at $734,100, according to Sedgwick County, Kan., property records.  Newman said that one possibility for the location would be to turn it into a memorial museum to serve as "a tribute to the babies."

Joan (commentary):My opinion: In-your-face, belligerent statements like this  reveal the real motivation behind people like Newman. His goal is power. Those who sincerely oppose abortion, not as a means to control a pregnant woman, are concerned about a peaceful approach, about decreasing unwanted pregnancies and providing help for women who choose—and note the word “choose”--to complete a pregnancy. These are two very different groups in my mind.

Joan (continuing):  In sports we have a disappointing follow up on last week's reporting on cutting all varsity sports except football and cheer leading The Florida High School Athletic Association officials missed their deadline Friday to release an alternative plan to making exceptions of football and cheer leading in their proposal to cut varsity schedules by 20% and junior varsity schedules by 40% . The original idea was to keep football and cheer leading but that really violates the the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Florida Educational Equity Act. As we reported last week about 36,000 boys play football and about 4600 girls are in cheer leading, to say nothing of the fact that these two sports send the message that girls should cheer on the boys as they compete in the important games.

In response to that proposal, Florida Parents for Athletic Equity, a group headed by Jacksonville law professor and Olympic gold medalist Nancy Hogshead-Makar, says they have exhausted their good faith attempt to obtain a resolution to the matter and will sue the FHSAA. However, to allow for Executive Director Roger Dearing's planned vacation they did agree to give him, until June 26 to hold an emergency board meeting.

Jane: It is not widely known that there are many women interested in boxing. But in fact the International Olympic Committee, under pressure to adopt gender equity across all sports, is considering including women’s boxing on the Olympic program. The International Boxing Association (AIBA) is proposing for the 2012 London Games that there be 40 women boxer events in five weight classes ranging from 103 to 165 pounds and 246 men boxer events  in 10 divisions. The IOC’s program commission is expected to forward a recommendation to the IOC executive board, which will make a decision in August. AIBA reports there are 500,000 women’s boxers from more than 120 countries, including 2,000-plus with Colorado Springs-based USA Boxing, and the sport is backed by U.S. Olympic Committee board member Anita DeFrantz, who heads the IOC’s women’s commission.

Two-time Junior Olympic national champion Seniesa Estrada said women’s boxers “want to be a part of what (men) do. We’ve got to show we can be just as good as them and work just as hard as them.”