Health Highlights: Feb. 5, 2009
Feb. 6 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsburg Has Pancreatic Cancer Surgery
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had surgery for pancreatic cancer at a New York City hospital on Thursday, the Associated Press reported.
Ginsburg, 75, had the operation at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where she's expected to remain for seven to 10 days, according to a news release from the Supreme Court cited by the AP.
The cancer appears to be in its early stages, the release said. It was found during a routine checkup last month.
Ginsburg has been a justice since 1993, and is the only woman on the court. A decade ago, she had colon cancer surgery and received follow-up chemotherapy and radiation, the AP said.
Pancreatic cancer is among the most lethal forms of the disease. Some 38,000 cases are diagnosed annually, and fewer than 5 percent survive five years, the wire service said.
-----
Disaster Relief Food Kits May Contain Tainted Peanut Butter: FEMA
Salmonella-tainted peanut butter may be included in disaster relief food kits distributed in Kentucky and Arkansas after the states were hammered last week with rain, ice and snow. People who received the food kits should inspect them and discard the peanut butter packets, said the Federal Emergency Management Association, CNN reported.
The food kits were made by Red Cloud Food Services Inc., under the Standing Rock label.
"We just received this information from FEMA. Tonight, out of an abundance of caution, we are in the process of finding alternative sources of food for people in shelters. The Kentucky National Guard is starting to notify people who've already received the (meal kits) or might be getting one," Jay Blanton, spokesman for Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, told CNN.
In related news, more peanut products are being added to a recall list that now includes more than 1,000 items that may be contaminated with salmonella. Experts say it may be a record for a recall involving food products for humans, the Associated Press reported.
Related Stories
ABC News Live