Health Highlights: June 1, 2008

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Sunday, June 1, 2008; 12:00 AM

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors ofHealthDay:

Laparoscopic Prostate Cancer Surgery Not Always Best Choice, Report Says

Minimally invasive surgery on prostate cancer patients has mixed results, a new study suggests.

TheNew York Timesreports that a study examining the results of laparoscopic prostate cancer surgery on a sample of 2,702 patients who had undergone the procedure to remove a malignant prostate gland found that there was a 27 percent lower risk of complications immediately after surgery and a shorter hospital stay by an average of almost three days.

But theTimesadds, the study also found that laparoscopy patients had a 40 percent greater chance of scarring, which could require additional surgery. And more than 25 percent of the patients also needed hormonal drug treatment within six months, more than double those who had conventional surgery.

The study was published May 10, 2008 inThe Journal of Clinical Oncology,

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Baltimore Adopts First-Ever Limit on Single Cigar Sales

Move over, cigarettes. Make room for limitations on cigar sales... at least in Baltimore.

According to theBaltimore Sun, the city council has adopted a proposal that would make Baltimore, Md. the first city in the United States to limit sales of small, individual cigars known as "blunts" or "loosies" in neighborhood stores.

The law is specifically aimed at teenagers influenced by popular hip-hop singers, theSunreports, and each cigar contains much more nicotine than a cigarette. In addition to packing more of a nicotine wallop, the newspaper says, the cigars are artificially sweetened, adding to their appeal to adolescents.

The sale limitation could be implemented by the city's health department within days, theSunreported, and would prohibit selling the cigars individually, at about 50 cents each. Because the cigars would have to be sold in minimum packs of five, city officials theorize the increased cost could reduce the number of teenagers smoking cigars.