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TUESDAY, March 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- What appears to be appendicitis can actually be cancer of the appendix in some cases, especially in patients under the age of 50, a new study suggests. While antibiotics can be used instead of surgery to treat acute appendicitis, patients who receive antibiotics should be closely followed in case they actually have cancer, according to the paper published online March 17 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. Surgery provides the only definitive diagnosis of cancer of the appendix, so acute appendicitis patients who receive antibiotics instead of surgery could face a delay in their cancer diagnosis, the researchers explained."I would counsel patients based on age," said study author Dr. Michelle Salazar, a general surgery...

TUESDAY, March 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Scars from facial surgery look worse to skin cancer patients themselves than to others, so it's important for surgeons to prepare patients beforehand, researchers say.Doctors can help by outlining the healing process and explaining what their scars will look like in the weeks after surgery, the study authors suggested."Our research seems to support the saying 'we are our own worst critics,'" said study co-author Dr. Joseph Sobanko. "Patients are probably going to view scarring on their faces as more severe than their own surgeon will, and even someone they walk by on the street."Sobanko's team at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine conducted a study that included 81 people who had surgery for facial skin cancer. All had a...

MONDAY, March 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Before slathering on your Jergens moisturizer, check the label. Certain lots have been recalled because they may be contaminated with bacteria that pose a risk to people with weakened immune systems.Pluralibacter gergoviae bacteria typically pose little medical risk to healthy people, according to Kao USA Inc., which recalled 3-ounce and 10-ounce Jergens Ultra Healing Moisturizer products. But others with health problems could be more susceptible to infection.The pathogen is an ongoing problem for the cosmetics industry.Along with announcing the recall, Kao USA said the products have been removed from warehouses. It is also working with retailers to ensure the lotions are removed from store shelves.The recalled products were manufactured...

MONDAY, March 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Parents of children with special needs face a number of challenges, so here's some advice from an expert.“Raising children is an adventure for any parent, but the journey for parents of children with special needs often has a few more twists and turns,” said Dr. Thomas Challman, medical director of the Geisinger Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute in Lewisburg, Pa. "From identifying medical conditions they may have a predisposition for, to securing the most effective education, it’s important to know what your options are."Learn everything you can about your child's condition so you can identify potential medical complications, help with their development and advocate for them at every stage of life."Many developmental disorders...