Prescription weight-loss drug Xenical hit drugstore shelves on Friday with a new name -- Alli (pronounced: "Al-eye") and with a new non-prescription strength. The newly-named drug is to be more effective with less unpleasureable side effects. Still, there's a problem surrounding this drug, regardless of its name. It's thought to cause colon cancer.

The nonprofit group Public Citizen says Alli, made by GlaxoSmithKline, has been shown in mice studies to cause pre-cancerous lesions in the colon. Since there are no long-term studies on humans, this group believes the FDA should not have approved the drug for non-prescription use. It's not clear whether or not the pre-cancerous spots will lead to colon cancer but the mere suggestion that it might is enough, says a Public Citizen spokesperson.

"What we do know is that these lesions occur much more frequently in people who do get colon cancer," he said. "Why do we recommend that everyone get a colonscopy at the age of 50? Because you pick up on these polyps when you do one. And, even though not all of the polyps are pre-cancerous, no (doctor) does a colonscopy without removing every single polyp that is found. And you do this because you know if you don't, it greatly increases the chances of getting cancer."

I wrote on May 29 about my worry regarding a dry, flaky patch of skin on my nose. Unsure of the status of this unusual spot, I immediately called my dermatologist and made an appointment -- which did not end up being all that immediate. The earliest slot available for addressing my personal crisis was June 12 at 11 AM. I took it. And then the stars aligned and I got a call on this very same day.

"We have a cancellation tomorrow. Do you want to come in then?" said the voice on the other end of the phone. Yes, yes, yes, I wanted it. And so I took this slot instead.

Yesterday I met with my dermatologist. The good news is: what I found on the bridge of my nose is not cancer. The bad news is: it was trying really hard to become cancer.

Women in England are not showing up for their annual pap tests. And their absence from this critical screening opportunity is increasing their risk of cervical cancer -- a cancer that is curable if detected early.

New figures reveal that 660,000 women between the ages of 25 and 29 are invited for screening in England. Nearly 80 percent of these women accepted their invitations and reported for their tests in 1995 -- but only 69.4 percent did so last year. Women aged 30 to 34 are also down in attendance -- by about 800 women per week. Essentially, this means about 2,000 women each year who have pre-cancerous cells are missing the chance for early detection and diagnosis.

The Department of Health, now investigating the falling figures, attributes the decline to perhaps a not-so-successful screening program, discomfort about the procedure, or fear that the experience will be embarrassing.

DCIS stands for ductal carcinoma in situ. The cells lining the milk ducts are cancerous, but stay contained within the ducts without growing through into the surrounding breast tissue. DCIS may affect just one area of the breast, but can be more widespread and affect different areas at the same time.

There are three grades of DCIS: low, intermediate, and high. A study was conducted that concluded that high-grade DCIS carries a significant risk of local recurrence if the patient receives surgery as the only treatment. Low or intermediate grade may be safely treated with surgery alone depending upon the individual risks and benefits of radiation and/or hormonal therapy.

The study evaluated 711 women that only received surgery for treatment of DCIS. In the year 2000 Tamoxifen was allowed. The conclusions are as follows:

• The five year risk of local recurrence for low or intermediate DCIS in the treated breast was 6.1 percent.
• The five year risk of local recurrence for high grade DCIS was 14.8 percent.
• Half of all recurrence that happened were found to be invasive cancer.

The results can help physicians understand the risks and benefits of treatment with surgery alone in patients diagnosed with DCIS.

If you receive a diagnoses of DCIS make sure you understand what is on your pathology report and what grade your DCIS is so that you can talk to your doctor about the different treatment options.

Scientists have determined that mouth cancer develops in two different ways which dictates the seriousness of the disease. This finding, revealed on Tuesday, could lead to better prevention and treatment. In laboratory experiments with healthy, early, and advanced cancer cells, researchers were able to pinpoint differences in the cells that determined the aggressiveness of the cancer. They found faults in the p53 gene, which stops damaged cells from dividing, and in the p16 gene, which helps regulate and prevent cancer from developing. Both changes are linked to more aggressive tumors. This is first-time evidence that some mouth cancer tumors are more aggressive than others and are unfortunately linked to poor patient survival.

Oral cancer typically stems from pre-cancerous lesions, changes, or patches in the mouth -- all of which are early signs of cancer. Recognizing which pre-cancerous changes are more likely to develop into aggressive tumors would allow doctors an insight that could help them prescribe the best treatment.

Smoking, use of chewing tobacco, and heavy alcohol consumption are the leading causes of mouth cancer. And smoking and drinking are a very dangerous combination. Like lung cancer, mouth cancer usually develops in people age 50 or older.