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Oncology
Covid-19 jabs could unlock new tumour treatment – US study
The Covid-19 mRNA-based vaccines that saved 2.5m lives globally during the pandemic could help spark the immune system to fight cancer, write Adam Grippin...
Guided missiles create super highway for targeted cancer treatment
A new generation of precision missiles – antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which are treatments that work like a Trojan horse, delivering chemotherapy to the interior...
First MS patient gets CAR T-cell therapy in UK trial
A biology teacher has become the first patient in the United Kingdom to receive CAR T-cell therapy to potentially treat multiple sclerosis (MS), with...
Low quality cancer drugs in Africa sparks call for tighter regulations
The number of people receiving treatment for cancer has risen dramatically in the past decade in many African countries, but regulatory bodies often don’t have the...
Increase in several cancers among adults of all ages – global study
While colorectal cancer is rising particularly fast among young adults, researchers have found that several other cancers have showed an increase in numerous countries...
Toxic BPA found in breast milk, but no SA law to stop exposure
In South Africa, there is no law preventing toxic chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA) from being used in most food packaging, even though research...
Common painkiller may have anti-cancer properties – UK study
Ibuprofen is a household name – the go-to remedy for everything from headaches to period pain – but recent research suggests this everyday drug...
Ultrasound holds promise for surgery-free cancer therapy
Ultrasound has long been used for helping doctors see inside the body, but focused high frequency sound waves are offering new ways of targeting...
Private sector to bail out NHLS in cancer test backlog
In a bid to slash its overwhelming backlog of cancer tests at its Johannesburg facility, the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) – which receives...
Cancer deaths to top 18m in 2050 – The Lancet
The global number of cancer cases and deaths between 1990 and 2023 showed a sharp increase, despite advances in cancer treatment and efforts to...
Low-dose radiation re-emerging as osteoarthritis therapy
Increasing numbers of radiation oncologists are now offering low-dose radiation for osteoarthritis in the hands, feet, knees, shoulders, elbows and hips, saying it’s becoming...
Hysterectomy ups stroke risk – meta-analysis of 2m women
The surgical removal of the uterus and both ovaries may come at a serious and overlooked cost to individual health, scientists from China suggest,...
Poor oral hygiene linked to higher cancer risk – NYU cohort study
Scientists say that failing to brush your teeth regularly could triple your risk of developing pancreatic cancer, after their study discovered discovered that harmful...
Rise of forgotten cancer in young people
Appendix cancer is a condition that, until recently, was so rare that most people never gave it a second thought, for decades being something that...
Dermatitis drug may be tied to increased cancer risk
People with atopic dermatitis who took the drug Dupixent had a four times greater risk of developing a rare skin cancer than those who...
FDA approves J&J’s non-surgical bladder cancer treatment
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Johnson & Johnson’s drug delivery system for a type of bladder cancer, offering a potential surgery-free option...
EU bans gel nail polish ingredient over fertility concerns
The European Union has banned a key ingredient in gel nail polish, with all 27 EU member states now being prohibited from using or...
Experts unpack potential cancer risk of tattoo ink
Recent studies have connected tattoos and cancers, including skin cancers, lymphoma and leukaemia, and although the research is early, and many unknowns remain –...
New science improves clarity of genetic cancer tests
Cancer treatment is becoming more personalised. By considering a patient’s unique genetic and molecular profile, along with their lifestyle and environmental factors, doctors can...
Breast cancer pill extends survival in seven-year trial – Lilly
A breakthrough therapy for advanced breast cancer also works well in the early stages, improving survival outcomes for patients, according to Lilly Oncology, which says its...
Free State team performs robotic surgery marathon
In a medical milestone, six Free State patients recently underwent robotic surgery at Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein in six days in a breakthrough...
Ovarian cancer blood test may ID disease early – British-US study
Scientists say they have developed a simple blood test to spot ovarian cancer early that could “significantly improve” outcomes for women with the disease,...
UK approves new bladder cancer treatment
Experts say a new treatment for advanced bladder cancer, which has just been approved by NHS England, could double survival time for patients and...
Gauteng Health ordered to treat cancer patients – immediately
The Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg) has instructed the provincial Department of Health to immediately provide cancer treatment to patients on a backlog list –...
Doctors' performance dips when not using AI to ID colon cancer – European study
Recent research found an alarming 6% drop in tumour detection rates when doctors performed procedures without artificial intelligence (AI) assistance, reports Fox News.
The study...
Why lung cancer is a ‘hidden epidemic’ in sub-Saharan Africa
It’s the deadliest cancer in the world, killing 1.8m people each year – more than any other cancer. But the official statistics suggest that isn’t...
Skin lightener cancer risk flagged in African study
Thousands of women risk developing cancer from skin-lightening products – freely available on the informal market, despite being regulated – according to a study...
Cancer risk could drop by 45% with vegetarian diet – US study
Recent evidence from a study by American researchers has reinforced the conclusions that diets packed with veggies and fruit are are strongly associated with...
Patients sue NHS trust after over-prescription of cancer drug for years
More than 20 patients in Britain who say their quality of life was wrecked when they were unnecessarily given a highly toxic cancer drug...
Cancer survival rates rise in England, Wales – London study
British researchers have said that the chance of surviving cancer for 10 years after diagnosis has increased by more than 24% in England and...
Cancer vaccine trial launched in NHS
NHS England is to fast-track patients with head and neck cancer on to a clinical trial for a new vaccine, using mRNA technology to...
Global study reinforces alcohol-cancer risk evidence
Does drinking alcohol increase the risk for pancreatic cancer? While researchers have long suspected it does, the evidence has remained inconsistent – until now,...
Smell of bleach led to brain tumour diagnosis for UK dad
A London father-of-two – who recently turned 40 – said an inexplicable and overwhelming smell of bleach five years ago had resulted in a...
Covid, flu can wake up ‘sleeping’ cancer cells – global study
A team of researchers has warned that dormant cancer cells in the body may be awakened by respiratory illnesses like Covid and the flu and start...
Most liver cancer preventable, Lancet Commission finds
As many as three in five liver cancer cases could be prevented, according to a report from The Lancet Commission on liver cancer, which...
Researchers move closer to a universal cancer vaccine – US study
A universal cancer vaccine may be inching closer to becoming reality, after University of Florida researchers suggested last week that findings from their recent...
AI brings back voice stolen by mouth cancer
When doctors told her they had to remove her tongue and voice box to save her life from the cancer that had invaded her...
FDA approves new lung cancer pill
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval to a first-of-its-kind pill for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
The medication, called sunvozertinib and...
Dirty air tied to brain tumours that can trigger other issues – Danish study
After following nearly 4m people over 21 years, Danish researchers have suggested that exposure to higher levels of air pollution over time was tied...
Weight gain tied to higher breast cancer risk – French cohort study
Obesity can cause various health issues – like type 2 diabetes and an increased risk of heart disease – and even lead to a...