Using A.I. to transform breast cancer care
(Susan Gubar/ New York Times) — How could a researcher in computer science improve future cancer care, I wondered, when a trip to Boston afforded me the opportunity to converse with Regina Barzilay, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the recipient in 2017 of a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, known as a “genius […]
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Even a little alcohol may raise cancer risk
(Nicholas Bakalar/ New York Times) — Even moderate alcohol consumption may increase the risk for cancer. Japanese scientists compared the drinking habits of 63,232 cancer patients in Japan with those of an equal number of healthy controls. All reported their average daily alcohol intake and the number of years they had been drinking. After controlling […]
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Treating heart abnormalities at the MUHC with radiation therapy
(Cindy Sherwin/ CTV News) — Radiation oncologists and cardiologists rarely collaborate, but the two medical specialties have come together at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), to mend broken hearts. The MUHC says patients with severe arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia, will benefit from a radiotherapy treatment that targets the abnormal parts of the heart that […]
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Using the DEXA Scan (Dual X-ray Absorptiometry) to measure bone health
(WebMD) — Testing your bone density — how strong your bones are — is the only way to know for sure if you have osteoporosis. One common test doctors use is called dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA or DEXA). DXA scanning focuses on two main areas — the hip and the spine. If you can’t […]
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Hair dyes and straighteners linked to higher cancer risk, especially for black women
(Patty Neighmond/ NPR) — New research raises concern about the safety of permanent hair dye and chemical hair straighteners, especially among African American women. The study was published Wednesday in the International Journal of Cancer. Previous research in animals has found links between certain chemicals in hair dye and straighteners and cancer. But findings from […]
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Zero gravity kills cancer cells
(Deutsche Welle) — Australian researchers are planning to send cancer cells to space, after initial research on Earth suggests microgravity has a remarkable effect on cancer cells. “A lot of people around me started getting cancer, and that really motivated me to investigate cancer cells,” Joshua Chou, biomedical engineering researcher at University of Technology Sydney, […]
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Scientists find caffeine, Xanax, and cough medicines in donor blood
(Tom Hale/ IFL Science) — If you receive a blood transfusion, you might also be receiving a free dose of caffeine, Xanax, and cough medicine. While the tainted blood is nothing to worry about for most people, it does give surprisingly accurate insights into the stresses and strains of 21st-century living. Researchers from Oregon State […]
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Woman says her dog sniffed out ovarian cancer 4 times
(Meghan Holohan/ Today) — In 2013, Stephanie Herfel moved from California to Wisconsin and, soon after, she noticed a surprising weight gain. Her diet and exercise hadn’t changed, yet she put on 60 pounds. When she started experiencing belly pain that doubled her over, she decided to visit an emergency room for answers. “It was […]
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Quebec’s college of physicians to investigate surgeries that remove incontinence sling
(Radio-Canada Enquête/ CBC News) — Quebec’s college of physicians is launching an inquiry into how surgeries to remove an incontinence sling are being performed in the province. An investigation by Radio-Canada’s Enquête found 31 women who had been implanted with suburethral slings felt the need to have the devices surgically removed in the United States […]
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Your brain on sugar: What the science actually says
(Amy Reichelt/ The Conversation) — We love sweet treats. But too much sugar in our diets can lead to weight gain and obesity, Type 2 diabetes and dental decay. We know we shouldn’t be eating candy, ice cream, cookies, cakes and drinking sugary sodas, but sometimes they are so hard to resist. It’s as if […]
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