CDC: What Causes Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancers
KEY POINTS Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer About 5% to 10% of breast cancers and 10% to 15% of ovarian cancers are hereditary. Hereditary cancer means cancer runs in your family. It could be caused by a change in certain genes that you inherited from your mother or father. Genes act as instructions and contain […]
FDA: Drug Review Process – Ensuring Drugs Are Safe and Effective
The path a drug travels from a lab to your medicine cabinet is usually long, and every drug takes a unique route. Often, a drug is developed to treat a specific disease. An important use of a drug may also be discovered by accident. For example, Retrovir (zidovudine, also known as AZT) was first studied […]
CDC: People at Increased Risk for BRCA Gene Mutations
KEY POINTS Overview Your personal and family cancer history may suggest that you have a higher risk for a BRCA gene mutation. Family history You may be at increased risk for a BRCA gene mutation if your family history includes: Learn how to collect your family history of cancer. Personal history You may have a higher […]
FDA: How Drugs are Developed and Approved
The mission of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) is to ensure that drugs marketed in this country are safe and effective. CDER does not test drugs, although the Center’s Office of Testing and Research does conduct limited research in the areas of drug quality, safety, and effectiveness. CDER is the largest of […]
CDC: About Cascade Testing
KEY POINTS Overview Many people do not know they have a genetic condition until symptoms of that condition begin to affect their lives. By then, treatments might be less likely to work. Cascade testing offers one way of finding people with genetic conditions before they show symptoms, allowing them to take steps to prevent disease […]
FDA: Opioid Medications
Prescription opioids are powerful pain-reducing medications that include oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine, among others, and have both benefits as well as potentially serious risks. However, too many Americans have been impacted by the serious harms associated with these medications, and despite ongoing efforts, the scope of the opioid crisis continues to grow. One of the […]
CDC: Precision Health – Predict and Prevent Disease
KEY POINTS What it is You might have heard the terms “precision medicine” and “precision health” and wondered how they relate to you. Precision medicine, also called personalized medicine, helps your healthcare provider find your unique disease risks and treatments that will work best for you. Precision health is broader—it includes precision medicine but also […]
FDA: What Does FDA Approve? Part 2
Is It Really “FDA Approved”? Part 2. Here are 10 more facts about how the FDA works to protect public health. Fact #11: The FDA regulates dermal fillers as medical devices. Dermal fillers are gel-like substances injected under the skin to create a smoother or fuller appearance in the lips, face, or back of hands. The FDA […]
CDC: Family Health History and Pregnancy
KEY POINTS Overview Planning for pregnancy Thinking about having a baby? If you have a family health history that includes a birth defect, developmental disability, newborn screening disorder, or genetic condition, you might be more likely to have a baby with this condition. Learning more about your family health history before you get pregnant can give you time […]
FDA: Cold Facts to Help Avoid Injury from Water-Circulating Hot/Cold Therapy Devices
When not used properly, devices that circulate water to provide hot or cold therapy can pose a risk of injury, especially cold-induced injuries. If you are recovering from surgery or an injury, you may try to temporarily ease the pain, swelling, or inflammation by applying heat or cold. If you are considering a device that […]