FDA Consumer Magazine -- March 1992
Table of Contents

Some of the following articles are not online. Please see how to order publications if you are interested in receiving a copy of one of the articles not online.

Unproven Cancer Treatments: Hope or Hoax?
Cancer patients who are lured by the inflated promises of unscientific therapies take a double risk. They face unknown hazards from these dubious "cures" and may also be missing out on new options-and real hope-offered by mainstream medicine.

Despite New Clues, Alzheimer's Mystery Remains Unsolved
The cause and cure of this devastating disease of the aging remain elusive. No medications to treat Alzheimer's disease have been approved for marketing, but FDA is allowing greater availability of one investigational drug.

Erasing Skin Marks with Lasers
New laser treatments are offering ways to remove port-wine stains and other birthmarks with less discomfort to the patient than traditional methods. But, for best results, it's important to find a properly trained practitioner.

On the Teen Scene: Eating Disorders Require Medical Attention
In one recent year alone, more than 20,000 people--many of them teenagers--were diagnosed as having anorexia or bulimia. The cause is unknown, but treatment of these eating disorders is crucial to avoiding serious - even fatal - health problems.

No Strain, No Pain: The Bottom Line in Treating Hemorrhoids
People usually roll their eyes and want to change the subject when they hear the word "hemorrhoids." Though not a serious risk to health, these anal problems can make people miserable. Measures from diet to surgery can help.

Monitoring High Risk Pregnancy
Women at higher risk of developing complications during pregnancy are being helped by new monitoring methods and sometimes also by medications.

(Hypertext updated by clb March 16, 1998)