Minerva

After analysing data from their freephone helpline, the cancer information charity, CancerBACUP, say that over 75% of all calls they receive are from women, and over 25% of calls are about breast cancer. The data have also been used to identify the extent to which specific groups of people do or do not use the service, and to measure the effectiveness of strategies used to try to increase the number of enquiries from specific groups. To find out more about access to cancer information, go to www.cancerbacup.org.uk/Aboutus/Research.

A five year follow-up of a comparison of bare metal coronary artery stenting with minimally invasive bypass surgery for isolated stenosed left anterior descending coronary arteries reports similar results for the end points of death and re-infarction. Reintervention rates, however, were higher after stenting (32% compared with 10%; P < 0.001), and symptom relief was slightly better after surgery (Circulation2005;112: 3445-50).

A double blind placebo controlled trial involving 120 people who had tinnitus but not depression, examined whether a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (paroxetine) could relieve symptoms. Paroxetine (and placebo) was increased to a maximally tolerated dose, and patients were treated for …