dr. timothy johnson has more on this abrupt about face. >> reporter: a vast tan is the world's best selling cancer medicine but that could soon change dramatically in a move that could cost its maker the roche company billions of dollars. >> the government says it has not been shown to be safe and effective for breast cancer patients. the head of the cancer drugs for the fda said given the number of serious an life- threatening see effects the fda does not believe there is a favorable risk to benefit ratio. the fda's move comes after they failed to extend survival in four trials with breast cancer patients. roche is appealing the decision. so for now it will continue to be available. the drug has been cleared to treat other kind of cancer and even breast cancer patients can still get the drug if their doctors approve. the pig question to be answered is will private ensureers continue to cover the cost of it for breast cancer patients. medicare will continue to do so for now. it costs up to $57,000 a year for breast cancer patients. with this medical minute, i'm dr. timothy johnson. >>> wiki

dr. timothy johnson. >>> well, hmzfacebook founder mark zuckerberg owned the year 2010.onaire received. . >>> in the ,cñylast five days marylanders have died in-house fires. the quick thinking of an off duty firefighter e/9saved peopl how do you keep your family heated and at home safe. don harrison shows us how. >> reporter: most fires úoccur in december, january and february. one-third of all fire deaths in homes happen

dr. timothy johnson explains why. >> reporter: men and women are alike when it comes to gaining weight. they are at greatest risk of packing on too many pounds when they are young adults. a new study followed more than 3,500 men and women over 30 years. as they aged, both sexes gained weight but those who were highly physically active gained less weight than those who were not. for women high levels of activity were more than twice as effective in keeping weight off as in men. women who engaged in high activity gained 20 pounds over 20 years, while less active women gained 33 pounds. highly active men put on 2 pounds in 20 years -- 22 pounds in 20 years as opposed to 28 for less active ones. overall, the study finds keeping up high activity levels as a young adult can keep you slimmer as you head into middle age. with this "medical minute," i'm dr. timothy johnson. >>> food, toys and medicine are among the items that have been recalled in the past. new at 5:30, many people may not be getting all the information they need when it comes to recalls.

dr. timothy johnson. >>> and in other health news sugary wet sweet cereals are not what kids crab. many kids when given low sugar cereals enjoyed them and ate better he breakfast when they didn't eat a sugary alternatives. author of the study said parents should offer healthy cereal choice and add fresh fruit or table sugar to go ahong to make them more appealing. >>> it feels like christmas. and we have got things to get you in the holiday spirit of giving to make the season brighter for a child in need. >> we are asking for a few new unwrapped, and unopened toys for the 12th annual kindertime toy drive. we teamed up with the sin fume why orchestra. so if you have old instruments sitting around, bring them in. we have a list of drop off locations at abc2news.com. >>> all tough do is click on the kindertime link under the marketplace tab. >>> they are on their way to a christmas party and found themselves in the fights of their life. >> firefighters who saw the flames and heard the screams and went into rescue mode. >>> plus, president obama we will get to that later. >>> time for

dr. timothy johnson. >>> high school seniors are using marijuana than cigarettes in the past month. daily marijuana used increased among 8th, 10th and 12th graders. teens in all three grade exhibit more favorable attitudes towards the drug according to the national institute of on drug abuse. the drug czar blamed the rising use on publicity surrounding medical marijuana and marijuana was not the only drug that teen increasingly used during the past year. the study found that ecstacy rose in all three grades with increases among 8 and 10th graders. so alarming news for parents this morning. >>> now, maryland's most powerful doppler radar and the forecast certified most accurate by weatherate. >> good morning. k4r-6- 6:16. we are seeing cold but a lot of things to talk about for the upcoming week. we are dry right now. maryland's most powerful doppler radar and satellite showing clear skies. dropped to 19 in baltimore and it's 18 in york. 23 in easton and we have got teens and low 20s in for southern maryland with wind chills single digits to the scenes. feels like 11 right now. that'

dr. timothy johnson. >>> some area kids hard at work to build sweet homes. they can't keep their left-hand side offer them! and the full forecast coming up. >>> great spots for auer toy drive. david lavine here. why did do you this? 72 couple -- we believe in the community and nothing could be more important than making sure a chile has a gift on christmas. >> how long you number business? no we acquired the bank two yearsing. >> and things are going swimmingly now i hope? >> we hope -- >> don't use that term. >> are you from basketball to baseball two. sport animal. these toys around here, this is what it's all about. community coming together. >> absolutely. >> give me your locations. >> we're on east lombard, forest drive, york road and bare hills. >> that's a play everywhere. cfg, reach out and touch their banks so help us out. 12th annual toy drive going on live tonight through next tuesday. see you then! ÷ [ male announcer ] little oliver had a fog horn nose. it shattered his tissue with hurricane blows. no person or place was safe from the spray. but

dr. timothy johnson. >>> also on tonight's health alert president obama signed the nutrition bill into law. federal reimbursements for school lunches will increase by six cents per meal. first lady michelle obama has been a huge supporter of the bill as part of her initiative to combat childhood obesity. >>> are you looking for a good deal. we'll tell you whatnot to look for. there's some items that just never go on sale. >>> how to make sure what you give to charities this season is really received. we'll tell you donation dos and don'ts coming your way at 5:30.

dr. timothy johnson, abc news, boston. >> so brave to share her story.and we hope you'll weigh in on this. the conversation begins on our website -- abcnews.com/worldnews. and we'll continue the conversation right here tomorrow night, diane sawyer, dr. tim and diane asks the doctor himself will he now address this issue with his own family. dr. tim's answer tomorrow night here. >>> when we come back tonight on "world news," remembering a motown great who at first kept her face a secret. tonight you'll learn why. >>> the $800,000 mistake. tonight, we'll hear from those contestants and a new offer from the game show. should they take it? >>> later here, can you tell which one of these is real? what's going on? we ordered a gift online and we really need to do something with it... i'm just not sure what... what is it? oh just return it. returning gifts is easier than ever with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. plus i can pick it up for free. perfect because we have to get

dr. timothy johnson has the story of one woman's choice of what to do when her choices ran out. >> reportery was living the life she always imagined. a loving marriage, a fulfilling job, and a family complete with three daughters and four grandchildren. but what she did not plan on was the devastating diagnosis of terminal ovarian cancer. >> it made me angry, it made me sad. i didn't want to hear that. i wanted to hear that i was going to get strong and beat this. >> reporter: lois faced an agonizing decision. battle her cancer with aggressive chemotherapy, but no assurances of prolonging her life. or undergo less intensive chemo. >> i could have gone on treatment that would have put me back on the couch, sick. not working, not able to be with the kids. and i said no. i'd much prefer this less medically invasive way of operating. >> fair to say you're obviously more interested in the quality of your life than the quantity of your life? >> absolutely. and what i do is snapshots in my mind of meaningful moments. i don't have the camera in my hand but everything is important to me. i don't wan

dr. timothy johnson. >>> if you think that occasional cigarette doesn't hurt you, think again.someone else's smoke could cause heart disease. dr. regina benjamin says the 7,000 chemicals in each puff begin poisoning you immediately. more than 400,000 americans die from tobacco-related illnesses each year. >>> here's a look at your weather here at home. several inches of snow from minneapolis out to chicago. rain in the pacific northwest and northern california. 3 feet of snow in the cascades. up to a foot from the sierras into utah, idaho, and nevada. >> 60 in sacramento. 73 in phoenix. 44 in boise. 30 in minneapolis. 27 in detroit. upper 20s in the northeast. 45 in atlanta. it finally warms up just a bit in the south. 66 in miami. 51 in new orleans. 60 degrees in dallas. >>> the memory of john lennon is still looming large here in new york as the world looks back on his life and death. >> a steady stream of fans poured into central park yesterday to mark 30 years since lennon's murder. they descended on the imagine monument at strawberry fields, a garden dedicated to his memor