MONDAY, April 28, 2025 (HealthDay News) — In a sudden about-face, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it won't slash funding for the Women's Health Initiative, a major research project focused on preventing disease in older women.
The decision follows concerns about a move to end contracts supporting the whole study, which has tracked the health of tens of th...
TUESDAY, April 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — It’s well-known that a person’s immune system wears down over time, becoming less effective as folks progress through middle age and become seniors.
But that doesn’t appear to hinder the effectiveness of immunotherapy for cancer i...
Cancer survivors can reduce their ongoing risk of death by sticking to diet and exercise guidelines recommended by the American Cancer Society, a new study suggests.
Non-smoking survivors of obesity-related cancers had an overall lower risk of death if they adopted the ACS lifestyle recommendations following their treatment, according to findings published April 3 in the
Life is busy, and some folks simply don’t have time until the weekend to work out.
Turns out, that’s just fine for their health, a new study suggests.
“Weekend warriors” who cram their week’s exercise into one or two days appear to gain as much benefit as people who are physically active throughout the week, researchers reported April 2 in the
A new formula made with natural citrus oil could help cancer patients find relief from dry mouth, a common and painful side effect of radiation treatments.
The formula was created by researchers at the University of South Australia and Stanford University. It mixes limonene -- a citrus oil found ...
Virtual reality (VR) might be able to provide cancer patients significant pain relief, a new study says.
A small group of cancer patients reported a decrease in their pain after using VR headsets that allowed them to explore realistic underwater scenes, according to findings published recently in the ...
A high-tech T-shirt loaded with sensors can help track patients’ vital signs after their release from a hospital, researchers say.
The shirt could help people return home sooner to recover, based on findings from a small group of patients who wore the gadget-filled garment after urological surgery for cancer.
“Our patients found the T-shirt easy to use and over 90% repor...
More smokers are getting CT screenings for lung cancer, thanks to guideline changes that included younger people and those who’ve smoked less, a new study says.
However, significant gaps remain for these potentially life-saving scans, particularly among people with limited access to health care,...
Colon cancers have been steadily increasing among people younger than 50, even as cases have declined among seniors.
That’s why guidelines now recommend that colon cancer screening start at 45, five years earlier than previously advised, Dr. Jennifer Davids, chief of colon and rectal surgery at Boston M...
The best evidence yet that cutting-edge Alzheimer’s disease drugs might indeed ward off the degenerative brain disease has emerged from a small-scale study.
An experimental drug that clears amyloid beta from the brain cut the risk of developing A...
Considering a short-term health insurance plan as a cheap alternative to more costly comprehensive coverage?
You could be rolling the dice when it comes to cancer, a new study suggests.
People who opt for short-term limited duration (STLD) insurance tend to have their cancers diagnosed at a more advanced stage, when treatments are harsher and death more likely, according to a new st...
Newborns with a heart defect may have two strikes against their future health, rather than one.
Babies with heart birth defects appear to have a higher risk of developing childhood cancer, compared to those without a heart abnormality, researchers report in the journal Circulation....
Colon cancer is one of the most dangerous cancers affecting women today.
Despite its impact, many women miss early warning signs, mistaking them for everyday digestive issues or menopause. Understanding the risks, symptoms and importance of early screening could be life-saving.
Firefighters might face a higher risk of brain cancers caused by exposure to chemicals in fire extinguishers, a new small-scale study says.
Veteran firefighters appear to have a higher risk of brain tumors called gliomas, which can be caused by gene mutations linked to flame retardant chemi...
Female cancer survivors who walk and exercise more have a lower risk of dying from heart disease, a new study suggests.
One hour a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity reduced women’s risk of death from any cause by 40% and risk of death due to heart disease by 60%, results s...
A new risk prediction model can help identify people who are likely to develop early-onset colon cancer or small non-cancerous growths on other organs, researchers say.
The model relies on four factors associated with early-onset colon cancer: a family history of colon cancer, BMI, sex and smoking. (BMI is shorthand for body mass index, an estimate of body fat based on height and weight.)...
People put a lot of thought into getting a tattoo – the design they desire, the location they prefer and the message their body art will send to others.
Most don’t think about the impact their tattoo might have on their long-term health, but perhaps they should, a new study suggests.
Tattoos appear to increase a person’s risk of skin cancer between 33% and 62%, acc...
Preventive screenings for cancer declined during the pandemic, with lockdowns, social distancing and COVID-19 surges keeping many from needed mammograms and colonoscopies.
But breast and colon cancer screening numbers have since rebounded and have even surpassed pre-pandemic scree...
As electric vehicles (EVs) become more common on roads, they bring new health concerns for firefighters and the community, new research shows.
Researchers at the University of Miami's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center found that EV fires expose firefighters, vehicle owners and community residents to dangerous, heavy metals.
“While all fires pose exposure risks, EV fires el...
People who land in the ER after using hallucinogens are more than twice as likely to die in a handful of years, a new study says.
Psychedelics users treated at a hospital are 2.6 times more likely than average folks to die from any cause within five years, researchers reported in the Canadian Medical Association Journal<...
A rapid experimental genetic test can help guide the hands of surgeons as they delicately remove tumors from patients with brain cancer, new research suggests.
The test can measure the level of cancer cells in a tissue sample within 15 minutes, quick enough to give surgeons feedback while the patient’s still in the operating room.
Frequent exercise can help colon cancer survivors live longer, perhaps even outlasting average folks, a new study suggests.
Colon cancer patients who were very physically active had three-year survival rates that were slightly higher than the general population, researchers report in the journal
Many patients with incurable cancer aren’t getting care that could ease their suffering at the end of life, a new study suggests.
Close to half of patients with advanced cancer received aggressive cancer treatment within six months of their death, researchers found -- treatment that came at the expense of palliative and hospice care.
Adding a personalized mRNA vaccine to standard treatment could offer new hope for pancreatic cancer patients, a small yet promising study from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
The study followed 16 patients, including Barbara Brigham, who joined the trial after a routine scan discovered her early-stage pancreatic cancer.
Alongside surgery and chemotherapy, patients received a...
Cancer deaths among Black men and women in the U.S. have declined during the past decade in the United States, a new American Cancer Society (ACS) report says.
The cancer death rate decreased 49% among Black men and 33% among Black women between 1991 and 2022, according to ACS’ Cancer Statistics fo...
Women of color are less likely to receive prompt follow-up testing after abnormal mammogram results, a new study has found.
Minority women are less likely than white women to receive a same-day advanced imaging or biopsy after an abnormal mammogram, even though they have similar access to those s...
Cancer screenings can save lives by detecting cancer early, when treatment is most effective.
With an estimated 2 million new cancer cases expected in 2025, regular screenings are more important than ever, according to the American Cancer Society.
February is National Cancer Prevention Month, which make...
Patients with advanced cancers who checked in daily with their care teams electronically gained a better quality of life, a new study concludes.
This "patient-reported outcome" (PRO) strategy did not improve patients' survival, the study found. But it did help their care teams spot and treat issues such as pain and frailty earlier, easing daily symptoms.
Appalachia has a rich history and gorgeous landscapes, but it has also experienced rates of cancer incidence and death that outstrip those of much of the rest of America.
However, new data offer hope to the 26 million people living in the region: Cancer rates are falling, although not as steeply as elsewhere in America.
Still, “there are reasons for hope and opportunities to i...
It’s tough for a man to know what to do following a diagnosis of prostate cancer.
The treatment is often worse than the risk posed by the cancer itself, causing some men to suffer incontinence and impotence even though their tumor wouldn’t have killed them.
A person’s lifetime risk of cancer might be partly established before they are even born, a new mouse study says.
Researchers identified two distinct genetic states that arise during fetal development and are linked to cancer risk, according to a report published recently in
People of color now have less access to prescription opioid painkillers than white patients, an unintended consequence of efforts to stem America’s opioid epidemic.
Communities of color have a 40% to 45% lower distribution of commonly prescribed opioids, compared to majority white communities, researchers reported in a study published Jan. 23 in the journal
Four in every 10 cancer patients treated with chemotherapy develop severe peripheral nerve pain, a new evidence review suggests.
These patients might experience loss of balance and coordination, weakness or sensations of numbness, tingling, “pins and needles,” or burning, researchers ...
Daily low-dose aspirin can help prevent cancers from returning in about a third of colon cancer patients, a new study says.
Taking 160 milligrams of aspirin a day cuts the risk of cancer recurrence in half among colon cancer patients with a mutation in their PI3K genes, research...
Children, teens and young adults have a higher risk of dying from cancer if they were raised in a neighborhood that’s been historically subjected to discriminatory housing practices.
Young cancer patients have a 62% increased risk of dying if they live in a previously “redlined&...
Pumping iron and hitting the treadmill can improve your odds against cancer, a new evidence review says.
People with more muscle strength and better cardio fitness are less likely to die from cancer, researchers reported recently in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Menthol cigarettes are under fire in the United States for promoting smoking among Black Americans, with a number of cities and states banning the smokes.
In response, the tobacco industry has come up with “menthol mimics” that imitate the cooling effect of menthol, and smokers are taking note of the innovation, a new study published Jan. 14 in
The cancer death rate continues to decline in the U.S. but new cases are rising among women, potentially undermining progress against the nation’s second-leading killer, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society (ACS).