Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York • Page 12

12A NlE DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE, ROCHESTER, N.Y., THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 1994 IT It IIZD- Narcotics can help ease cancer pain, officials say lff C-V 1 1 wet wu mmm mi W-m MlM ill Ma If rm i iMAMi-mim cation is no longer needed, would prevent addiction. The agency also debunked the idea that the very old and very' young were less sensitive to pain' than other age groups. People in' those age groups are frequently un- dertreated the young because, they are often unable to verbally communicate their pain, and older: people because of the notion that pain is a part of aging, it said. 'Z The panel called for an aggres-' sive approach to pain management but recommended that conservative treatment always be tried first. Above all, the panel emphasized that patients be regarded as the best experts on their pain, and urged that health professionals ask them regularly about their pain symp More than 1 million Americans are diagnosed annually with cancer, and more than 8 million either have cancer or a history of the disease.

Pain can result from a tumor pressing on bone, nerves or body organs, or from the treatment itself. Not everyone experiences pain, but in those who do, "unrelieved pain can produce unnecessary suffering," and can affect "a patient's ability to cope physically and psychologically" with both the illness and the therapy, the agency said. The guidelines will be distributed to physicians, nurses and other professionals involved in cancer care, and to hospitals, hospices, patient advocacy groups and others. A special panel that drafted the guidelines said careful dosing and Los Angeles Times WASHINGTON Cancer patients should receive narcotic drugs containing opium if necessary to control pain, and the fear of addiction should not be an obstacle to access, federal health officials said yesterday. "Perhaps the most persistent barrier to effective pain control is the unfounded belief that using such drugs will result in addiction, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research said in issuing new clinical practice guidelines for managing cancer pain.

The agency, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, challenged this and several other long-held assumptions that it said have impeded efforts to ease the often considerable pain experi President: No lagging on reform 'We'll get it he advises critics The Associated Press WASHINGTON President Clinton shrugged off waning public support for his health-care reform plan yesterday as the inevitable result of millions of dollars "spent by interest groups to trash the plan." "In the end I think we'll get it done," he insisted. The White House is trying to maintain momentum for its plan while Congress moves ahead slowly with deliberations and critics savage the plan in public. Americans' doubts about the plan are rising as the process creeps forward, polls show. Senate Minority Leader Robert J. Dole, waving copies of the latest polls, told the Senate that Clinton's proposal was probably "dead in its present form." Divisions among the Democrats' ranks have led key committees to delay work drafting health legislation.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee said yesterday it will bypass subcommittees and try to write a bill in the full committee, but it won't start until Clinton, trying to highlight popular new benefits contained in the proposal, chatted by conference call yesterday with eight Americans who struggle to care for disabled or infirm loved ones at home rather than sending them to nursing homes. enced by those battling cancer. lowed by tapering off once the medi- aspects of their disease. Delay in warning about drug irks group Cox News Service and staff reports more signed up for the national ernment funds had actet WASHINGTON Officials of Breast Cancer Prevention Trial af- "expeditiously" in getting out wore the National Cancer Institute were ter beine told that no deaths had of the uterine cancer deaths. by tapering off once the medi ter being told that no deaths had ernment funds had acted "expeditiously" in getting out word The Associated Press participates in a conference call his health reform proposal.

will make sure that we can actually give some help to people who are trying to help themselves and their loved ones." "You have inspired me to keep fighting for it, I'll guarantee you," he said. Critics in Congress and outside of government say Clinton's plan is too bureaucratic, would limit American's health-care choices, and put too heavy a burden on businesses. Dole said Republicans, who gather today and tomorrow for a health care retreat in Annapolis, should seek compromise on a plan to help the millions of people who have no health insurance. Informal survey: Few doctors report adverse effects of toms, just as they would about other But a spokeswoman for a women's health advocacy group criticized the government agency for the six-week lag. "We're really upset at this delay," said Cindy Pearson of the National Women's Health Network.

"It was really not right for NCI to knowingly give women information that misleads them about possibly" fatal side effects of a drug they were asked to volunteer to take." vaccines ble link between DPT, chronic brain dysfunction and even death in children who experience neurological illness within seven days of getting the vaccine. The institute is a nonprofit research entity of the federal National Academy of Sciences. But institute officials called serious adverse reactions to DPT "rare" from zero to 10.5 per million immunizations and urged parents not to be alarmed. Monroe County's Bennett feared that this sudden storm of criticism around childhood vaccines would cut into an already threatened idea. "We're still having trouble getting people immunized," she said.

"There was a time when this kind of scare lowered the rates dramatically." administration of the drugs, followed occurred from uterine cancer among women who had taken tamoxifen in an earlier trial of the drug. Three Rochester hospitals Genesee, Strong Memorial and Highland were among the facilities testing the drug. An official of the National Cancer Institute said the agency and the university researchers who are conducting the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial with $68 million in gov were 31,690 reports of adverse reactions submitted to the FDA, based on five common vaccines: DPT (diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus), MMR (measles-mumps-rubella); HIBV (haemophilus influenza vaccine); HEP (hepatitis B); and OPV (oral polio vaccine). Most of the adverse reactions 12,504 involved DPT, said Williams. Included among the injuries: paralysis, medication-resistant seizures, mental retardation, deafness, blindness and "any neurological disorder you can think of," said Williams.

The survey by activists concerned about vaccine injuries and deaths comes on the heels of an Institute of Medicine report released yesterday suggesting a possi VACCINE from page 1A expressed skepticism at the findings. "I find it hard to believe that pediatricians in this community are not aware of the reporting requirements and are not complying with them," said Dr. Nancy M. Bennett, Monroe County deputy director of health. Fifteen local offices were called, representing 40 doctors, said Judy Braiman of the Empire State Consumer Association.

She is one of two activists who surveyed pediatricians in Monroe County. "It's informal. We make no bones about it," said survey coordinator Kathi Williams, acting director and co-founder of the national group. "But it's probably typical of what's going on around Stamp prices may James Crampton of Omaha, with President Clinton yesterday on "Too often the caregiver becomes a patient herself because she has too big a burden," said 66-year-old Vera Teske of Wheaton, who tends her 70-year-old husband with Alzheimer's disease. Beth Crampton, 23, of Omaha, who cares for a 66-year-old mother with Alzheimer's, told Clinton she had to give up much of her carefree college lifestyle to offer her mother "something no other care could give a home." Clinton, speaking from the Oval Office, told the families: "I hope that your stories, as they go out across the country, will help us to pass a health care reform bill that the country." She called the national reporting system a failure and a In all eight states, only 28 out of 159 doctors polled 18 percent said they re- Braiman ported such reactions to the federal Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or to their state health departments.

"I'd be very careful about those kinds of surveys if they're not scientifically done," said Bennett. "Surveys are difficult to do well." the red this year. Rates also will increase for other classes of mail including magazines and catalogs, parcels and what is popularly called junk mail. How much those prices will go up remains to be seen. Whatever new rates are proposed, they won't take effect until at least early 1995 because of the complex legal processes required to increase postage prices.

The current 29-cent rate took effect Feb. 3, 1991, and Postmaster General Marvin Runyon said he wants to hold prices stable at least until 1995. Postal officials have not disclosed what new stamp price they will propose. But insiders say 32 cents and 33 cents are the leading kick in with ceive the games, and customers will be told what channels the games are on, Aiello said. The process of finding and pulling in the games now can be tedious.

Woody's, a sports bar on Monroe Avenue just east of South Union Street, has two satellite dishes and 12 TV sets including two giant screens. They show sports, news and weather. "I don't like the idea of having a cover charge," co-owner Brad Slum an said. There's a trend in sports television away from free TV and toward pay-per-view events, he said. If the NFL scrambles its signals, the bar will not pay for the games and will only show network football telecasts, he said.

The NFL, said football fan Stephen Marone of Rochester, is trying to find ways to make more money without making a bigger investment provided two out of five Rochester-area manufacturing jobs and more than one in seven of the area's jobs overall. The loss of 2,500 jobs is smaller than some of Kodak's other downswings and upswings in the recent past. They include: Gain of 3,500 jobs in 1972 and 2,800 additional jobs in 1973 as Kodak geared up for the new Pocket Instamatic camera and film system. Loss of 3,000 jobs in 1977, a year of bad business conditions. told in November that the deaths of four women from cancer of the uterus were linked to the breast cancer drug tamoxifen.

However, it was not until Jan. 14, at least six weeks later, that healthy women who volunteered to take the drug in a large-scale breast cancer prevention experiment were told of the uterine cancer deaths. During the interval an unknown number of women possibly 500 or cines. She said parents or guardians are required to read and sign an extremely comprehensive vaccination information pamphlet before their children are vaccinated. Thompson called adverse reactions to vaccines "extremely uncommon." Another state health official, who asked not to be identified, wasn't surprised to hear physicians weren't reporting the reactions.

They fear lawsuits, she said. According to FDA computer files obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by the National Vaccine Information Center, 1,576 children died from adverse reactions to common vaccines, especially DPT, in the 39 months between July 1990 and November 1993. During the same period, there Irondequoit Mall. DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE xjit We're closing this other 3 stores in incredible savings On every floor bedroom furniture, accessories. Irondequoit location She added that it's hard to prove injuries, deaths and adverse reactions however tragic and real are linked to vaccines alone.

Adverse reactions may include fever over 103 degrees, convulsions, shock, high-pitched screaming, excessive sleepiness, inconsolable crying, seizures and swelling at the site of a vaccine, said Williams. Since 1990, federal law has required that adverse reactions to childhood vaccines be reported on a simple, one-page form to the FDA's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting Sharon Thompson, R.N., a maternal child health consultant with the state Department of Health in Albany, expressed surprise at the charge that physicians were underreporting adverse reactions to vac go up possibilities. Asked about a possible 35-cent rate, Runyon told a convention of postal customers: "It won't happen. Period. We are committed to keeping rate increases at about the rate of inflation." Overall inflation from 1991 until the time the new rate takes effect is expected to total 13 percent to 14 percent, which would indicate a new rate of 32 or 33 cents.

The Mailers Council, a coalition of organizations representing major mailers, has announced it could accept an across-the-board increase leading to a 32-cent stamp. Millions of stamps with the letter instead of a price have already been printed for use at whatever the new rate turns out to be. kickoff in better football. The cost, he said, will ultimately find its way to the consumer through either higher prices for food and drinks or an admission charge. But, he added, fans might be able to order the same games at home through pay-per-view.

"I don't like to pay more money; who does? But if the product is good, I don't mind paying for it If the product is bad, people aren't going to pay for it" Michael Noonan of Greece, who calls himself a diehard Bills fan, says he goes to Bathtub Billy's because it's fun to meet the devotees of the Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys and other teams. If he had to pay an admission charge, he might not come as often, but he would still come. Includes reporting by Chris Swingle. Gain of 3,000 jobs in 1980 and 6,200 additional jobs in 1981 as Kodak geared up for the new Disc camera and film system. Loss of 7,000 jobs in 1983, largely through early retirements and job buyouts, after the Disc proved a disappointment and Kodak began a planned downsizing.

Loss of 8,700 jobs in 1986 in a second downsizing. Loss of 4,000 jobs in 1989 in a third downsizing. Loss of 2,600 jobs in 1991 in a fourth downsizing. First-class cost could be 33 cents The Associated Press WASHINGTON The U.S. Postal Service is getting ready to ask Americans to ante up a few more cents to clear up its billion-dollar losses.

A decision by the Postal Service Board of Governors to seek a rate increase could come as early as Monday, with stamp prices for first-class mail likely to rise to between 32 and 35 cents 3 to 6 cents more than the current rate. Each penny increase means an extra $920 million for the agency that lost $1.7 billion last year and expects to wind up $1.3 billion in NFL fees to NFL from page 1A It's "too early to tell" just how the decision will affect his business or whether he will start charging admission, he said. A lot will depend on the fee he's charged, he said. Sports fans pack Bathtub Billy's and other sports bars to watch Sunday games from parts of the country that are not shown here on network television. Buffalo Bills and New York Giants games are usually telecast here on network TV.

However, the bars usually do a brisk business among Bills fans when home games are blacked out in the Rochester area. That will change, Aiello said. Bills games that don't sell out 72 hours in advance will be blacked out and bars won't be permitted to unscramble them. The NFL will help promote its games in bars that subscribe to re one store to be belter able to serve you in our Henrietta, Greece and Penfield. Take advantage of on first quality bedroom furnishings.

model mattress, boxspring, brass bed, daybed, table, nightstand, lamp and all kinds of bedroom Everything to the bare walls must go by this Saturday. only. 1 850 East Ridge Road across from the 2,500 area jobs lost at Kodak in '93 JlTJi KODAK from page 1A seeking jobs in the Rochester area and would prefer to stay here, he said. But some of them will have to move to other parts of the country, Aspengren said. Despite its decline from a peak of 60,400 local jobs at year-end 1982, Kodak is still a major force in the Rochester economy.

It provided nearly one in three of the Rochester area's manufacturing jobs and nearly one in 13 of all the area's jobs in December. At its year-end 1982 peak, Kodak IRONDEQUOrT STORE ONLY. 1850 EAST RIDGE ROAD ACROSS FROM THE IRONDEQUOIT MALL 338-7553 OPEN MONDAY-FRIDAY 10-9, SATURDAY 10-5 AND SUNDAY 12-4 Prior tales excluded. All joles final. No returns, refunds or exchongw.

In-jlock only. Vita, Mailercord, AMEX ond Discover cords only..