New developments in biotechnology made headlines in 1998, from gene therapy techniques that can engineer the characteristics of the unborn to the growth of human stem cells in the laboratory.

Such discoveries hold tremendous promise for "a brave new world" of medicine. They also open a Pandora's box of ethical questions more complex than any scientific formula.

The science of sexual dysfunction was given a huge boost by the introduction of Viagra, the first pill for treating male impotence. Emergency contraception was also in the news, with the entry into the marketplace of PREVEN, the first "morning-after" kit to prevent pregnancy after intercourse.

The silent threat of hepatitis C, growing numbers of young smokers, the problems of unregulated dietary supplements and the continuing debate about health insurance coverage also loomed large in the medical landscape.