Covid antiviral pill halves hospitalisations and deaths, maker says
(Hannah Devlin/ The Guardian) — An antiviral pill was found to reduce hospitalisations and deaths by half in patients newly diagnosed with Covid-19, according to results announced on Friday. If approved, the drug made by the US firm Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics would be the first simple oral medication shown to be effective against Covid-19, […]
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Highly effective ovarian cancer treatment could help thousands of women
(Andrew Gregory/ the Guardian) — Thousands of women with ovarian cancer could benefit from a revolutionary drug combination after it was shown to shrink tumours in half of patients with an advanced form of the disease. The pair of drugs – which work together to block the signals cancer cells need to grow – could offer a […]
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Tylenol during pregnancy? Here’s why researchers are urging caution
(Jeanine Santucci/ USA Today) –– Researchers are warning that taking Tylenol during pregnancy might have adverse effects on fetal development. There is growing evidence to suggest that exposure to acetaminophen can cause neurodevelopmental, reproductive and urogenital disorders, but much more research is needed to determine its exact effects, said Ann Bauer, an epidemiologist at the […]
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10 tips for coping with chemotherapy
(Sarah Lewis/ Healthgrades) — Chemotherapy—or chemo—affects everyone differently. It depends on the type and stage of cancer, your general health before starting chemotherapy, and the specific drug and dose. While there are countless drugs and combinations, there are a few common side effects and issues. Use these tips to help you cope with some of the […]
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7 in 10 gynecologic cancer patients report cannabis helped ease symptoms
(Angela Stelmakowich/ Healthing) — A small U.S. study involving 45 gynecologic cancer patients prescribed medical marijuana (MM) for symptom management found 71 per cent self-reported improvement in at least one symptom. Investigators considered patients prescribed MM from May 2016 to February 2019 and reviewed the formulation prescribed, usage patterns, length of use, symptom relief and […]
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Aspirin could cut risk of cancer deaths by 20%, study suggests
(Sky News) — Cancer patients who take aspirin as part of their treatment could cut their risk of death by 20%, according to a major review of studies. Researchers at Cardiff University said the medication – commonly used as pain relief – not only has “biological mechanisms” that help reduce mortality risk, but they also […]
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‘Important’ advance in tough-to-treat thyroid cancer
(Ed Susman/ MedPage Today) –– Treatment with cabozantinib (Cabometyx) significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with radioactive iodine (RAI)-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer, an interim analysis of a phase III study found. In the intent-to-treat population of COSMIC-311, median PFS was not reached with cabozantinib, as compared to 1.9 months with placebo (HR 0.22, 96% CI […]
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COVID-19 may trigger diabetes in some people
(Nicoleta Lanesse/ Live Science) — Emerging data hint that COVID-19 can trigger diabetes in some people, although the exact reason remains unknown. Scientists around the world noticed an uptick in new diabetes cases last year and, in particular, saw that some COVID-19 patients with no history of diabetes were suddenly developing the condition, Scientific American reported. The trend […]
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Organ transplants drop dramatically during pandemic
(Brian Owens/ CMA Journal) — Hospitals are slowly resuming non-emergency procedures as outbreaks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) wane across Canada. But for thousands of Canadians waiting for replacement organs, the pandemic continues to disrupt transplant operations and the supply of organs. The slowdown of procedures to free up resources for patients with COVID-19 “delayed […]
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Canadians seeing more doctors after hours but electronic medical-record use lags behind
(Canadian Press) — Family doctors in Canada are providing increased access to care compared with most of their counterparts in 10 other countries but still lag behind when it comes to using electronic medical records, findings of a survey show. The Commonwealth Fund Survey also found few doctors can share patients’ lab and diagnostic test […]
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