Prostate cancer treatment praised

Australia and New Zealand are among the best places in the world to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to a visiting US professor who says aggressive treatment is being avoided in many cases.

In many countries, a diagnosis of prostate cancer almost always leads to removal or radiation therapy. In Australia and New Zealand, however, many low-risk patients are being managed by active surveillance.This means they are monitored with regular blood tests, biopsies and MRIs and aggressive action is taken only if the disease becomes life-threatening. Visiting American professor James Eastham, who will address urologists at a conference in Melbourne on Monday, is full of praise for his colleagues in Australia and New Zealand. He says about one in three men who are newly diagnosed with prostate cancer are candidates for active surveillance. In Australia and New Zealand, about half of these are managed with active surveillance. This is well ahead of the US, where only about 10 per cent of eligible patients are managed by active surveillance. This leads to over-treatment. ‘I’m impressed. This is not the traditional way of treating cancer,’ said Prof Eastham, from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York. He will reassure the annual scientific meeting of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand that the latest research from around the world suggests active surveillance is a safe and effective way to manage patients. ‘It maximises quality of life without compromising quantity of life.’ Prof Eastham also agrees with the society’s position on screening men at the age of 40. ‘We know testing saves lives,’ he says.

Can Twitter prevent heart disease?

Twitter may help prevent heart disease, according to a new Australian study.

The fast and far-reaching way that information spreads through the social network has the potential to save lives by providing education about the illness, which the Heart Foundation says kills one Australian every 12 minutes.

A group of researchers from the University of Sydney reached that conclusion after studying 15 health-focused Twitter accounts with more than one million followers, nine professional organisations and six medical journals.

‘The study showed that, through its inherent networking, social media sites like Twitter have the potential to enhance education, awareness and overall management of cardiovascular disease,’ the university said in a statement.

The findings were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on Tuesday.

‘The popularity and rise of Twitter has made it a readily available, free, and user-friendly tool to disseminate information rapidly to a diverse audience, for example, to engage health professionals and heart attack survivors,’ said lead author, Associate Professor Julie Redfern.

‘In recent years, a growing number of health professionals have been using social media to share information.

‘In a survey of 485 oncologists and physicians, 24 per cent used social media at least daily to scan or explore medical information.’

Senior author Professor Chris Semsarian pointed to recent studies which suggested Twitter also spreads key information about quitting smoking and managing epileptic seizures.

Primary Health Care with a strong profit rise

MEDICAL centre owner Primary Health Care has lifted its first-half profit by 50 per cent and forecast a rise in its full-year earnings of up to eight per cent.

Primary Health Care made a net profit of $69.5 million in the six months to December 31, up from $46.3 million in the same period in the previous year. Earnings and profit margins continued to grow in the six months to December, despite GP patient numbers remaining weak due to the cautious economic mood, Primary Health Care said.

The company also operates pathology and imaging centres, where earnings and margins also improved over the six months to December 31, it said. The company’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in the six months to December 31 were $186.1 million, up 12 per cent on the previous corresponding period. It expects EBITDA for the year to June 30 to be in the range of $370 million and $380 million, which compares to the previous year’s $351.1 million.

“Strong underlying demand and a high quality, extensive infrastructure footprint should continue to provide revenue growth, while further benefits from economies of scale and operating efficiencies are expected to result in EPS (earnings per share) growth for the year to 30 June 2013 of 20 to 25 per cent,” Dr Bateman said today.

Primary Health Care declared a fully-franked interim dividend of 6.5 cents per share, up from five cents at the same time in the previous year.

Positive outlook for Primary Healthcare

MEDICAL centres operator and pathology group Primary Health Care is on track to lift its 2013 earnings after cost cuts helped deliver a first half profit surge.

Primary made a net profit of $69.5 million in the six months to December 31, up 50 per cent from $46.3 million in the previous corresponding period. Managing director Dr Edmund Bateman said the group was benefiting from operating efficiencies and cost cuts. Earnings and profit margins also grew across Primary’s medical centres, pathology, and imaging divisions, despite lower GP patient numbers. Dr Bateman said the drop in patient numbers was linked to Australians still being cautious with their spending. The recent floods in Queensland and northern NSW were also expected to continue to impact the spending behaviour of affected locals, but not cause a major dent in the earnings of Primary’s GP division. “For the first quarter of this (financial) year the numbers were strong in terms of patient attendances – they flattened a bit in November and December, and come January we’ve had floods and extreme weather,” he said. “(But) in the last few weeks GP numbers are kicking up again.”

Primary’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 11.6 per cent to $186.1 million in the first half. Dr Bateman said the group was on track to meet its full year target of lifting EBITDA to $370-$380 million from $351.1 million in 2011/12. Earnings per share are also expected to rise by 20-25 per cent. Dr Bateman said acquisitions of GPs, radiologists, dental and allied health were running ahead of this time last year. But he said Primary would call a halt to buying new medical centres for the time being, focusing instead on organic growth. “Clearly we’re backfilling and making the most of the footprint we’ve got and the investment we’ve made in the past, and that’s what we’ll continue to do for the foreseeable future,” he said. Primary’s shares closed flat at $4.49 after having risen by about five per cent in early trade. CommSec analyst Steven Daghlian said while investors had responded positively to Primary’s results, the stock had enjoyed some strong gains recently. “Since the beginning of the year (Primary’s shares have) done very well – it’s up about 14.2 per cent, which is about three times better than the rest of the market overall,” he said. “It’s been one of the outperformers”

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/business/breaking-news/strong-profit-rise-for-primary-health-care/story-e6frfkur-1226571388163#ixzz2K7QoHUiE

Primary Health will be lifting their earnings

Medical centre operator Primary Health Care remains on track to lift earnings by up to 25 per cent in the 2012/13 financial year.

Managing director Dr Edmund Bateman told shareholders at the company’s annual meeting Primary’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were expected to rise to between $370 million and $380 million.

As a result, earnings per share (EPS) were expected to grow by between 20 and 25 per cent.

“Revenues, margins and EBITDA trends have continued to be favourable across the business for the four months ended 31 October 2012 and all divisions are trading in line with our expectations,” Mr Bateman said on Friday.

The forecast is in line with guidance the company gave in August when it announced its net profit for 2011/12 had soared by 50 per cent to $116.6 million.

Mr Bateman said Primary would review its dividend payout to reflect the anticipated EPS growth this financial year.

He expects the dividend pay-out ratio will be similar to that in 2011/12.

Source Article: http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/primary-health-track-lift-earnings-005408475.html