Accuser seeks a special prosecutor for Strauss-Kahn - Reuters

Former Monetary International (IMF) Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his wife Anne Sinclair funds leave their temporary residence in Manhattan in New York on July 6, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Shannon StapletonBy Noeleen Walder

NEW YORK | Wednesday, July 6, 2011 6: 14 am EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - lawyers representing the woman who accused former IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault have asked the Chief Prosecutor of New York to withdraw from the case and to appoint a special prosecutor.

In a letter to the Attorney of District of Cyrus Vance, the lawyers accused a Prosecutor at the Office of Vance of leak damaging information on Strauss-Kahn accuser.

A spokesman for Vance had no immediate comment.

"District Attorney Vance, seriously consider that your Office voluntarily recuse herself in the case of Strauss-Kahn and named a special prosecutor," Kenneth Thompson, counsel for the servant of 32 years Guinea hotel, wrote in a letter dated Wednesday.

Challenges are rare, and it was not likely to succeed, said legal experts.

Reuters obtained a copy of the letter after counsel for the defence of Strauss-Kahn met with counsel for the Office of Vance for almost two hours on Wednesday that the case against him appeared in serious danger.

Both parties declined to give details of the meeting. The New York Times had reported that they would discuss whether charges could be resolved by a dismissal or a plea agreement.

The case was thrown in danger last week when prosecutors discovered that the accuser had lied be raped in his country of origin in its U.S. asylum and modified details in its history on what she did after his meeting with Strauss-Kahn in a luxury suite.

Thompson said the woman had made mistakes in the past, but stresses the fact that she was sexually assaulted by Strauss-Kahn, and that there was evidence to prove it.

"DAMAGING LEAKS."

Thompson accused Chief Deputy of Vance, Daniel Alonso, planting "damaging leaks" in the media undermined the nature of his client and the charges against Strauss-Kahn.

He accused prosecutors of never surrender him an audio recording of a telephone call, the client made her boyfriend in a prison in Arizona fleeing a description of a part of the appeal to the New York Times.

Thompson returned to a specific quote in which an unnamed law enforcement official spoke to the times of this conversation.

"She said words to the effect of,"don't worry, this guy has a lot of money."." I know what I do,'"reports the Times."

Thompson said that alonso used virtually "les same words" relating to the appeal to him hours before il appears in les time.

The letter also complained the Office refusing to completely refuse to a story by the New York Post that his client may be a prostitute. Thompson filed a trial for defamation against the position on this subject.

"The apparent leaks by members of your Office is undoubtedly a repeal of the functions and responsibilities of a Prosecutor," said the letter.

The letter complained also about one of the attorneys who "yelled at and respected or the victim while she met with them."

Law experts believe that the request was unlikely to succeed.

"This is a silly request," said Daniel Richman Columbia Law Professor, who said he believes that the letter of Thompson has more to do with public relations with a legitimate request. "It is for a bite of his beautiful."

Challenges are rare and usually occur when there is a personal interest in the result for the members of the Office of the Prosecutor.

"Challenges are unusual but not unprecedented," said Paul Shechtman, a defence lawyer and former Prosecutor. "This is not an opportunity of a.."

Shechtman said allegations of leaks to the media, even if it is true, are probably not enough to result in a disqualification.

"Everything you think about leaks, if they were reasons for the challenge, we would have a large number of motions for disqualification," he said.

Benjamin Brafman, Strauss-Kahn defence counsel, did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

(Written by Daniel Trotta, Ax of Joseph additional reports and Christine Kearney;) (Editing by Sandra Maler)

New Zealand civil defence alert tsunami - Reuters

(Adds new information, quotes)

(WELLINGTON 7 Jul Reuters) - the New Zealand civil defence authorities said they expected stronger than normal ocean currents and an increase in the size of the waves on the coast is, but no wall of water after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean east of the country.

A tsunami warning was issued for coastal areas east of the island of the North, including the main town of the Auckland country, with the first scheduled just wave before 9 local time (2100 GMT).

However, the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Center has issued the warning original after the earthquake, later cancelled its warning, but reported waves were 2 2-2, 7 feet high on Raoul Island, the main island in the Kermadec (68-84 cm).

The civil defence of New Zealand has maintained a warning that people should stay out of the water and beaches in the areas of the target.

"We could get enough extreme currents, so it is a threat to the ships, but we do not anticipate the damage to the Earth," Clive Manly controller of civil defence in the Auckland region, told radio New Zealand.

He said, that it is possible that waves of up to a metre above normal heights can occur.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake at 7: 03 p.m. Thursday (1903 GMT Wednesday) at the epicentre, 131 miles (211 km) of Raoul Island, part of the Kermadec Islands, and was only 30 miles (48 km) deep, the USGS said.

The Kermadec Islands are uninhabited except for science and conservation teams and sit to 1180 kilometres north of the New Zealand.

They sit in a geologically active region of the South Pacific where the plates tectonic Pacific and Indo-Australian meet, and large earthquakes are not unusual.

The New Zealand is more alert to earthquake since the city of Christchurch in the South Island, was struck by two earthquakes devastating last September and February this year. The latter has killed 181 people and caused a NZ about 15 billion dollars in damage.

(Gyles Beckford)

Jury return a verdict of the trial - for murder Casey Anthony Reuters

Casey Anthony (C), flanked by his lawyers Jose Baez (L) and Dorothy Clay Sims, reacts to the being found not guilty of charges of murder first degree of his daughter Caylee at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Florida, on July 5, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/red Huber/Pool.

ORLANDO, Fla | Tue, July 5, 2011 3: 00 pm EDT

ORLANDO, Fla (AFP) - the jury of the Florida Tuesday said Casey Anthony not guilty of murder in the death June 16, 2008, of its 2 year daughter, Caylee, in a case that riveted millions since Caylee was first reported missing in the same year.

The defence had argued that Caylee was killed in an accidental drowning.

The prosecution said she smothered his daughter and asked for a first degree murder verdict which could bring the death penalty for the 25-year-old.

Jurors deliberated 11 hours over two days.

The jury also said Anthony not guilty of child abuse or aggravated manslaughter of a child.

It has been recognized guilty of four counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer.

Anthony appears visibly nervous before the verdict, downcast and biting his lip.

She sobbed after the jury is not guilty finding to the charge of murder was read and finally broke in a broad smile after the end of the procedure, hugging the defence team.

But no there was no contact with his mother and his father, who left the courtroom without talking about it.

Anthony had initially told detectives that Caylee was abducted by a nanny, triggering a search at the national level which ended on December 11, 2008.

This is where Caylee remains found in woods near the home of Anthony with duct tape hanging from his skull.

The trial lasted seven weeks and has attracted the attention of a large part of the nation, with curiosity, fuelled by the live coverage of the testimony on cable news. The notoriety of the case has prompted comparisons to the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

(Reports by Barbara Liston;) Written by Colleen Jenkins; (Editing by Peter Bohan and Jerry Norton)

Tanks Syrian Hama deployment after large protest - Reuters

AMMAN, July 3. Sun, July 3, 2011 6 pm EDT

(AMMAN, July 3 Reuters) - Syrian tanks were deployed at the entrance of the city of Hama, activists and residents, said Sunday, two days after he saw the largest protest against President Bashar al-Assad since an uprising began three months ago.

Dozens of people are being arrested in the neighbourhoods on the edges of Hama. ". The authorities seem to have opted for a military solution to subdue the city, "Rami Abdel Rahman, President of the Syrian human rights observatory, stated to Reuters."

Hama, 210 km north of Damascus, was the scene of the bloodiest in the modern history of the Syria episode, when troops killed up to 30,000 people in an assault in 1982 to end an uprising led by Islamists against President Hafez Al-Assad Assad, the late father iron rule. (Reporting by Khaled Yacoub Oweis; editing by David Stamp)

French Afghanistan hostages home, thin but grateful - Reuters India

Television journalists France 3 Herve Ghesquiere (R) and Stephane Taponier of waves at a press conference after their arrival at the military airport of Villacoublay near Paris on June 30, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Jacky NaegelenBy Thierry Chiarello

PARIS. Thursday, June 30, 2011 3 pm IST

PARIS (AFP) - two French television journalists held hostage in Afghanistan by the Taliban during 18 months arrives back in France on Thursday, pale and Ghent but visibly exalted as they were welcomed by the French President and their families.

France television 3 Herve Ghesquiere reporter and cameraman Stephane Taponier, whose long test became a national cause among the French public, were released Wednesday after a sudden breakthrough in the negotiations.

They were blocked up to 24 hours a day with only two toilets short morning and evening breaks. Inadmissible or windows covered means that little light from the Sun, they have seen.

"We had to be very solid and very strong." We actually structure our time, not get bogged down in boredom and despair, "Ghesquiere said to journalists at a military airport near Paris.

"One day, Stephane said that the difference between us and the regular prisoners is that a prisoner can count the days of his sentence, whereas we could count them, but we knew when he was in the end," said Ghesquiere.

"They were very long days," said Taponier. "But we knew that the most important thing was to follow our morale".

Seized about 60 km (37 miles) outside Kabul, December 30, 2009, Ghesquiere and Taponier captivity was the longest of any French hostages since the crisis of the Lebanese hostages in the 1980s.

The French Government denied any ransom was paid for the release of two men and their Afghan Reza Din interpreter. Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said details revealing negotiations could damage efforts to free the other French hostages in Africa.

SARKOZY REMAINS LOW PROFILE

President Nicolas Sarkozy could get a lift to his low popularity of release of the hostages, 10 months before the election presidential, but he and his wife Carla Bruni greeted the pair of television cameras.

Sarkozy telephoned Ghesquiere girlfriend tell him of his release, his capture while she was at a demonstration to mark the anniversary of 18 months of his capture.

The pair said they were treated well and never beaten or bound. Meals consisted of small portions of local food.

"We didn't have much to eat and it is always the same thing," Ghesquiere said. "When you have nothing to do, you really live to eat." It was really hard. Food seems unimportant, but it is really essential.

The France, who has lost 63 soldiers outside its quota of 2 000 troops in Afghanistan, said this month that he would follow the United States by bringing home its soldiers at the beginning.

The France still has eight nationals detained abroad, three Yemen, four in the region of the Sahel and in Somalia.

(Written by Catherine Bremer; editing by Robert Woodward)

Analysis: California Budget wins approval but no applause - Reuters

By Jim Christie and Peter Henderson

SACRAMENTO AND SAN FRANCISCO. Wed, June 29, 2011 5: 27 am EDT

SACRAMENTO and SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California is taking a first step shedding his reputation for fiscal mediocrity, adopting a budget in time for the first time in years.

If a compromise is something that no one likes, California reached a: Governor Jerry Brown, political parties and even investors have much to complain in the expenditure plan.

But the bottom line is that Government of the State of the has Golden with a budget of smaller holes that usual in place before its fiscal year begins on Friday. A bonus is important that the State's economy improves, especially for the rich, who pays his main source of income, the income tax.

Voters using the discredited initiative process can claim that they define the circumstances in progress.

Proposal 25 adopted last November, allowing the legislature to enact a budget non-hausse of taxes by a simple majority, which the Democrats were in the two chambers.

Who robbed Republican minority in the legislature for its ability to take any hostage the budget, leaving them with a right of veto on these increases, that they used.

A mixture of consternation and the satisfaction of all sides, the budget avoids these increases, is balanced if the economy improves and will force even deeper cuts in popular programs fail to state economic hopes. And it is ready before the start of the new fiscal year.

Many attribute the success of a simple change of 25 Prop: it cut the pay of the legislators when they do not have to pass a budget balanced within mid-June.

"You must feel that the public received a special thrill and reaction, it has caused," said the Poll chief Mark DiCamillo field. Californians did not only cuts of the magnitude in the budget, but they did not want higher taxes, either.

"They wanted something for nothing, and that they will get the part"for nothing"," DiCamillo said.

The budget pending closure of Brown signature failure of 10 billion dollars about spending cuts, fee, a few timely shots and, especially, with 4 billion $ in better than expected earnings.

STEP OF GUARANTEES

Critics say leaders will be decline to make the cuts so hard income fails to materialize the school.

"It happened so often,", said Mayor Chuck Reed of San José, the third largest city in California.

"Everything seemed very convenient reach with $ 4 billion", said Jay Goldstone, chief operating officer of the second largest city of California, San Diego. "I do not see this kind of improvement that generates this kind of money.".

The Government of the State began this year with a deficit of more than 25 billion dollars. Brown and legislators pared it approximately in half with deep budget spending, other movements and the improvement in earnings before the budget plan.

More big changes at stake in the State, through other initiatives in recent years. Voters have approved redistricting by a Committee headed by citizen who creates many more competitive racing. Primary State will act as the first rounds of the election, so the getters vote two above, any party, will face in the final.

Jack Pitney, Professor of Government at Claremont McKenna College, said that the budget plan did not address the roots for a long time of pain - types of structural changes, the two main parties were requested.

But he predicted that the budget would be popular because it struck a large number of goals of the voters.

"It involves the kind of cuts deep people spoke a few months ago, allows tax increases forfeiture and allows people to hit the beach without having to worry about the budget", he said.

(Editing by Jackie Frank)

Appeal of the Prime Minister of China for reform draws praise and barbs - Reuters

Prime Minister Wen Jiabao China participates in a Conference of press with Prime Minister David Cameron Britain at the Foreign Office in the Centre of London on June 27, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Carl Court/POOLBy Chris Buckley

BEIJING. Tue, June 28, 2011 2 pm EDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - a vain "screen idol" or a prophet of the Chinese political change?

In the wake of suppression of dissent China, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has promised once citizens of China's democracy and human rights. The response of the observers experienced in Beijing Thursday varies of whistles and applause.

None, however, saw any prospect of ruling Communist Party curb its own vast powers before a great shaking policy next year.

Wen prepares to retire at the end 2012, there used to be called much more openly political reform than his more cautious comrades in the Communist party elite.

Most recent appeal of Wen, was in London, is all more after months of arrests and detention of Chinese dissidents, human rights lawyers and demonstrators in long-standing who stole from his sweet message.

"Without democracy, there is no socialism." Without freedom, there is no real democracy, "Wen told an audience at the Royal Society during his visit to Britain."

China is troubled by the corruption, inequalities and other social evils, said Wen, offering a political reform as an antidote.

"The best way to solve these problems is to advance the political structural reform firmly and build a Socialist democracy under the rule of law", he said.

For the skeptics, foggy Wen are a project of pre-retirement vanity, burnishing its reputation without venturing to achieve real change.

"It was screen idol Wen, directed a performance in London," Chen Yongmiao, a lawyer based in Beijing and a commentator, says Reuters, with a put-down (yingdi), often used by Chinese to ridicule public way to heart-on-his-sleeve of the Prime Minister.

Sympathetic observers said that Wen defends a program of liberalization which is beleaguered now but could gain ground after end of 2012, when he and President Hu Jintao resign and make way for the new leaders that could loosen the die-hard policies of recent years.

The two parties expressed their Chinese views on Internet sites and services of microblog that the reports of the speech of Wen spread.

"He may be speaking from the heart, but it does not mean what it, said Chen."

"The title of his speech was"Way of the future of China", and so are the things that he speaks of - democracy, rights - a hundred years in the future, or five hundred years." Today, there are many social tensions suppressed in China, and the company is not prepared to wait so he thinks, "he says.

However, another lawyer based in Beijing and liberal commentator, Qiu Feng, said the criticism is unfair.

"I think that he should be applauded." The Chinese political scene is very sensitive now. Different people want to take China in different directions, and Wen is the (Chief) pointing in the direction, I think that we should take, said Qiu, whose real name is Yao Zhongqiu.

"Yes, it is rhetoric." But the policy of broad rhetoric measure, using words to spell out a goal and create a consensus on it, "said Qiu. "It is what it does."

But Qiu and other well placed supporters said no there was no prospect of a relaxation significantly before end of 2012, when a Congress of the Communist Party will be anointing a new leadership.

Even after the Congress, political détente was not at all a given, they said.

"Premier Wen Jiabao knows he leaves after the Congress, and he has only his rhetoric as a way to set the direction by then, said Qiu.".

NOT SO FAST

Especially since the repression of 1989 armed China off pro-democracy protests, Beijing reviled any notion that he should embrace Western-style democracy.

These past months, Chinese leaders have relaunched this message, fearing that anti-authoritarian uprisings throughout the Arab world could inspire the challenges of their own party. China says its own definition of human rights to give priority to basic needs, such as sufficient food, housing and health care.

Wen has a behavior more sweet as other party leaders, but he has defended the crackdown and its major concepts of amount of political reform in an attempt to rejig, but does not replace dominance of the Communist Party. In London, he was also reprimanded West "finger" over the restrictions on China on human rights.

But the Premier Wen, who has survived the eviction of his reformist boss Zhao Ziyang in 1989, has distinguished himself as a senior official who requested repeatedly for reforms designed to give citizens more say, even if it did not state what changes it promotes.

It is now in the final section of his time in Office, and lacks a following factional in the elite who can give her calls a wider currency. As his power leaks away, Wen will be little more than his words to advance his legacy.

"I think that voices are demanding faster political reforms will grow more urgent and stronger, and Prime Minister Wen is considered these calls," said of the Daozheng, a veteran leader party official and former of the apparatus of control of press of China which has published articles urging support for the appeals of Wen political reform.

"But he also has his conservative critics", which is the end of the 1980s, said in a telephone interview.

"Points of view within the party are not a single, undivided piece of iron and Wen Jiabao represents the partisan forces of gradual but practical reform".

(Reporting by Chris Buckley; editing by Brian Rhoads)

Lebanon says he discovered Israeli spy devices (Reuters) (Yahoo!)

Beirut (Reuters) - the Lebanese army said Wednesday that he had discovered sophisticated monitors two Israeli in the mountains above Beirut that could have helped Israel monitor sites and target for attack.

The equipment was discovered in information passed to the Lebanese intelligence by "sources of resistance", he said in a statement, referring to the Shiite militant group Hezbollah.

The army said that Israel had planted devices Sanin and Barouk respectively mountain districts in the North and South of the capital.

They may establish targets and included lasers capable of up to 20 km (12 miles) coordinates, independent food and equipment for transmitting images.

A military source said the equipment dismantled Wednesday could also followed a large part of the border with neighboring Syria Lebanon.

Images published on the website of the Army (www.lebarmy.gov.lb) appear to show devices partly covered by stones on the slopes of the rocky hills.

Shortly after the army announces Israeli aircraft flew south Lebanon at low altitudes said resident cities.

But the Israeli army has issued a statement saying: "it is no unusual activity (military) in the box".

There are two weeks at the Lebanon said that Israel had exploded two communications devices, that he had planted in the South of the country monitoring remotely.

(Additional by Ori Lewis in Jerusalem;) (Editing by David Stamp)

"Don" keeps Susan Boyle to give the graphic top (Reuters) (Yahoo!)

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - "The Gift" has accumulated a fourth week non-consecutive No. 1 on the Susan Boyle United States pop album chart, Wednesday imprisoned rapper T.I. new versions of chart-topping streak ended steep.

Boyle sold 243,000 units of "The Gift" of the week that was completed on 12 December, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Its five-week tally stands at 1.43 million copies. His reign was interrupted by of Kanye West's new album, no. 14 has slipped into its third week.

"Speak now of Taylor Swift" held at no. 2 with 201,000 copies, taking its total to 2.3 million after seven weeks.

Christmas album "Glee" moved to a location no.3 with 193,000 copies and "Glee, music: season two: volume 4" album fell to three places no. 8 with 74 000.

"No mercy for the T.I." has begun at no. 4 with needed. This is his first studio album again miss the location no. 1 since 2004, when the "urban legend" debuted a peaked No. 10. His latest album, "Paper Trail of 2008," was her third album no. 1 in a row, bowing at the top of the tally 568,000 copies.

The second new entry on the Billboard 200 came to Daft Punk and note the duo for the upcoming Disney movie "" Tron: Legacy. "" The album is entered at no. 10 with 71,000, the week already chart position and sales of dance music act. The best previous week has come "Drugs of 2001" starting with 34,000 No. 44. "TRON: legacy" is also the first album to reach the top 10 since 2005, when score "Star Wars Episode III: the contrast of the Sith" debuted at no. 6 with 96,000. ""

Furthermore, "O Holy Night of Jackie Evancho" fell two no. 5 (149 000), "Pink Friday, Nicki Minaj" jumped two no. 6 (82,000), Josh Groban's "Illuminations" were also increased by two, no. 7 (75,000), and "Rihanna Loud" increased (71,000) No. 9.

Throughout the album sales totaled 10.21 million units, 11% from the previous week, but down 15% in week 2009 comparable sales. Year date album stand selling 291.45 million, down 13% compared to the same total at this stage last year.

Twitter financing business to 3.7 billion (Reuters) (Yahoo!) values

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Twitter raised $ 200 million in funding in a deal that values society microblogging to 3.7 billion, less than a year after that he began his first serious efforts to make money.

Investment from the Silicon Valley Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers venture capital firm and current investors, Twitter said.

The money will be used to Twitter grow the company, said in a post on his blog corporate Wednesday Twitter. Blog blog not specified and a spokesman declined to offer details.

Twitter, which was September, 175 million users is networking among new fast growing harvest Internet social services. Include Facebook and Zynga.

The company has added two new members of the Council - FlipBoard Director General Mike McCue and DoubleClick CEO David Rosenblatt.

Shifts are two months after the company four years provided the position of Chief Executive Dick Costolo, the architect of its advertising efforts, a sign that the money is a priority for the service.

Costolo told Reuters in May that Twitter provided to hundreds of advertisers for its system of advertising at the end of the year. He said previous assessment that $ 1 billion business meant that onus on Twitter to grow a business that can generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

Twitter had raised $ 160 million in four rounds of funding earlier.

AllThingsDigital first tours $ 200 million financing technology blog. Told that Kleiner Perkins fight global DST Russian investment firm. Twitter spokesman confirmed that the figures are accurate.

Twitter, which allows users to send messages text of 140 characters or Tweets disciples, is one of the most popular social networking Web and it is difficult for the Web services such as Google Inc. and Yahoo! Inc. established.

Investors watch service closely, hoping one day public shares of the company.

(Reported by Alexei Oreskovic.) Additional reporting by Jim Finkle. (Editing by Robert MacMillan)

YouTube wants Web watch manufacturer before new networks: report (Reuters) (Yahoo!)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Google Inc., YouTube is in discussions to buy Web show manufacturer before networks new in what would first foray of the video sharing site in the production of content, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

The proposed price was not disclosed, according to the New York Times, cites two people informed discussions.

Buy next new networks would make sense for YouTube, said ThinkEquity, analyst Aaron Kessler, especially because YouTube is heurtée copyright problems with certain products professionally videos that people have added to the site.

"They basically find more content they can monetize, especially if they can produce content themselves", he said. "You don't want to go full bore to become a media company that Google is not, but if you can selectively acquire some properties, it makes sense."

Representatives of YouTube and next new networks based in New York has declined comment.

YouTube has sought to increase its share of content produced professionally as it faces competition from him like Hulu, a joint venture with supporters include media News Corp, a primer for Walt Disney Co. and NBC, controlled by General Electric companies.

Viacom Inc. continued YouTube for 1 billion dollars, accusing the video site for protected videos play online without permission. Earlier this year, a federal judge in New York has launched the pursuit.

Fred Seibert, President and co-founder of new networks before, was a Creative Director at MTV belonging to Viacom, but not when the company continued to YouTube.

Next new networks started in 2007 and is located behind the comedy show barely political Web of the comic strip network online and Frederator Channel.

During the 2008 u.s. presidential election, barely political won millions of views his comedy starring "Obama Girl," a song and dance candidate amateur videos online at the presidential then Barack Obama.

This year, next new networks scored another video online hit with his parody "Bed Intruder Song," which was the top viewed YouTube 2010 page entry.

(Reported by Alex Dobuzinskis) (Editing by Robert MacMillan)

No need to screen despite heartburn (Reuters) (Yahoo!) esophageal cancer

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Although people with chronic acid reflux are more likely to develop the throat or esophageal cancer, a new study suggests the risk is too low to justify the systematic screening for cancer.

Researchers that the conclusions should reassure people with heartburn that their chances of developing esophageal cancer are minimal.

"For young men and women, the absolute risk of esophageal cancer is very low, and probably not something they need to worry, said researcher Dr. Joel h. Rubenstein, senior faculty of medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.".

And even for patients at risk relatively workplan - men aged over 60 with weekly heartburn heartburn and other symptoms - it is still too little evidence to recommend the systematic screening for cancer.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, is considered a first risk factor for cancer of the esophagus. Disorder, whose main symptom is frequent heartburn, allows the stomach acids back up into the esophagus, where it can damage the wall and a small number of cases, lead to cancerous changes.

Because of this, doctors often recommend that people with long, frequent heartburn undergo pre-cancerous changes with a range of camera-equipped enfiling esophagus, a so-called upper endoscopy.

There is, however, some guidelines advise specifically such screening.

The central problem is that while the experience of approximately 60 million Americans heartburn at least once per month and 15 million daily symptoms, only 16,600 Americans were supposed to be diagnosed with esophageal cancer this year.

Therefore even if gastroesophageal reflux sufferers are relatively more to others, the chances of a person with frequent heartburn developing esophageal cancer still risk is likely very low.

The new study, published in the American journal of Gastroenterology, showed that.

Government cancer registry information using U.S. and other public data, Rubenstein team believes that for women of any age with the gastroesophageal reflux disease, the risk of cancer of the esophagus is "extremely low". Women's 60 years with weekly heartburn, for example, it would be four cases of cancer per 100,000 women per year.

In General, risk a woman of esophageal cancer has was on a par with cancer risk human.

Men aged under 50 with gastro-esophageal reflux has also had a very low risk of esophageal cancer: among the 35 years, for example, the rate was one of the 100 000. But increased older men. Men 70 years with weekly heartburn, the annual rate of esophageal cancer would be 61 per 100,000 inhabitants.

It is still only one-third of the rate of cancer of the colon in the group age, but high enough that researchers said could justify screening. However, there is no evidence of research solids that cervical cancer esophageal border deaths from the disease.

"It's very controversial if the screening is effective," said Rubenstein. "We have evidence of good quality that it works."

The scarcity of esophageal, even among people with gastroesophageal reflux disease, cancer is obstacle key clinical trials to verify whether the screening reduces mortality from cancer, Rubenstein said. A trial would include the large number of patients showing a statistically significant effect.

Then why not undergo cancer esophageal testing just to be safe? Because like all screening tests, it carries risks, said Rubenstein.

For example, a false positive result would create anxiety useless and unnecessary testing monitoring. And endoscopic screening itself can have complications such as perforation esophageal or reactions to medications used during the intervention.

These risks are small, Rubenstein noted. But the risk of cancer is so low in young men and women, he said, that risk screening likely outweigh the potential benefits.

For older men with heartburn frequently, Rubenstein said that screening could be a reasonable option, but it is something that they would have to discuss with their doctor. "It is a personal decision," he said.

"The strength of this study, it is that clinicians sitting with a patient can now provide a best estimate of their individual risk of esophageal cancer, said Mr. Richard Sampliner, a gastroenterologist at the University of Arizona at Tucson."

Sampliner pointed out, however, that individuals vary in their anxiety about cancer - if, for example, they have known someone who died of the disease, and certain people with gastroesophageal reflux will push to "scope."

He also noted that while the esophageal cancer is rare, it is often fatal, especially when diagnosed at later stages.

Persons diagnosed when cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, 19% are alive five years later. This figure is 37% when cancer is still confined to the site original and only three per cent if it has spread to locations in the body at the time of diagnosis.

Rubenstein noted that anyone with which develops potential symptoms of cancer of the esophagus, such as loss of involuntary weight, vomiting and difficulty in swallowing, gastroesophageal reflux should not hesitate to consult their physician.

SOURCE: http://link.reuters.com/qux32r American Journal of Gastroenterology, line 7 December 2010.