Category: Cancer
Study Adds to Debate about Mammography in Older Women
Studies have shown that routine screening mammography does reduce breast cancer deaths in women aged 40 to 75. But screening also comes with downsides, which include the risk of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. A new study suggests that the risk of overdiagnosis with routine screening mammography is substantial for women in their 70s and older.
Skin cancer screening guidelines can seem confusing – three skin cancer researchers explain when to consider getting checked
Skin cancer affects about 6 million Americans yearly, more than all other types of cancers combined.
Prostate cancer treatment is not always the best option – a cancer researcher walks her father through his diagnosis
I understood from my work as cancer doctor that not undergoing treatment was an option. In some cases, that is the better choice. So I took it upon myself to educate my father on his disease and assist him with the life-changing decisions he would have to make. Our journey can give you a preview of what a cancer diagnosis can be like.
Immune cells that fight cancer become exhausted within hours of first encountering tumors – new research
A type of T cell called cytotoxic T cells can recognize the mutated proteins on cancer cells and should therefore be able to kill them. However, in most patients, cancer cells grow unchecked despite the presence of T cells.
The current explanation scientists have as to why T cells fail to eliminate cancer cells is because they become “exhausted.” The idea is that T cells initially function well when they first face off against cancer cells, but gradually lose their ability to kill the cancer cells after repeated encounters.
Women treated for breast cancer may age faster than cancer-free women
Among women diagnosed with breast cancer, the association with faster biological aging was most pronounced for those who received radiation therapy, while surgery showed no association with biological aging.
Aspartame: popular sweetener could be classified as a possible carcinogen by WHO – but there’s no cause for panic
So far, the regulators have all agreed that it’s safe for a person to consume 40mg of aspartame per kilogram of their body weight per day. That’s about 2.8g for a 70kg adult – and is much more than most people consume.
Pancreatic cancer: a personalised mRNA vaccine may boost effects of treatment
Half of the patients treated with the vaccine and immunotherapy combination saw an increase in a specific type of immune cell (called a T cell, which is known to protect against cancer).
The FDA’s rule change requiring providers to inform women about breast density could lead to a flurry of questions
Breast density matters for two reasons. Most importantly, dense breast tissue can hide cancer on a mammogram. About 40% of breast cancers will go unseen on mammography in the densest breasts, labeled “extremely dense breasts,” and about 25% will go undetected in heterogeneously dense breasts.
Breast cancer: progestogen-only and combined birth control both increase risk – here’s what you need to know
Until now, it was thought that only the combined hormonal pill carried a greater risk of breast cancer. But a recent study suggests that the progestogen-only pill (also known as the mini pill) and other forms of hormonal contraception also carry the same increase in breast cancer risk as the combined pill.
Seattle group reports TB vaccine advance
Temperature-stable TB vaccine is safe and provokes immune response By Brian Doctrow, Ph.D., National Institutes of Health. An experimental tuberculosis vaccine that can be stored at room temperature was safe and provoked an immune response in a Phase 1 clinical…
Turning 50? Here are 4 things you can do to improve your health and well-being
There are four things in particular that take on greater importance when you turn 50 – that go beyond general health advice that’s beneficial at any age, like staying active, eating well and getting enough sleep.
Lung cancer rates have risen among nonsmokers and young women — why?
The American Lung Association reports that while lung cancer rates have risen by 79% for women over the last 44 years, they decreased by 43% for men. And for the first time in history, there are more young women than men diagnosed with lung cancer.
Alcohol use is widely accepted, but even moderate consumption is associated with many harmful effects
Research increasingly shows that the dangers of alcohol have been downplayed and its benefits exaggerated. In fact, having even one drink a day can have a negative effect on your health.
With Stool Testing, Fewer Americans May Delay Colon Screening
For the U.S. health system broadly, and for uninsured patients in particular, stool tests are significantly less costly than colonoscopies. Stool tests are also less time-consuming and invasive.
A blood test that screens for multiple cancers at once promises to boost early detection
Testing to look for circulating tumor DNA in the blood is not new. These liquid biopsies – a fancy way of saying blood tests – are already widely used for patients with advanced-stage cancer. Doctors use these blood tests to look for mutations in the tumor DNA that help guide treatment.