Child sexual abuse in the United States exacts an enormous economic toll, researchers report. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health calculated that in 2015 alone, the costs associated with the aftermath of abuse exceeded $9 billion. That figure included costs associated with health care, child welfare, special education, violence and crime,… read on >
Not every food you eat has to be low-calorie when you want to lose weight. There are many nutritious and tasty foods that can help you feel satisfied, rather than deprived, and that’s important when you’re facing calorie restrictions day in and day out. The key to including them is careful portion control. Nuts are… read on >
Swimming is a great way to stay active and spend time with family and friends. But if you or a family member has an intestinal bug, it’s important to avoid a pool. While chlorine can help keep water safe from other germs, some diarrhea-causing germs can survive in chlorinated water for more than seven days,… read on >
Fish is a protein-rich food that may be very nutritious. But it can also harbor dangerous levels of mercury that could add it to the “do not eat” list for some people, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says. The FDA offers these suggestions for kids and women of child-bearing age: Don’t eat fish more… read on >
Children suffering from rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer of the muscle tissue, may have better chances for a cure if they have extended chemotherapy, a new study finds. In a phase 3 clinical trial, adding six months of low-dose maintenance chemotherapy after initial treatment extended the five-year survival rate from 74 percent to 87 percent, researchers… read on >
A cancer drug that boosts the immune system outperforms chemotherapy in fighting advanced lung cancer, a new trial shows. Keytruda (pembrolizumab) extended life four to eight months longer than chemotherapy in lung cancer patients whose immune systems had been duped by their cancer cells. “This trial shows that pembrolizumab used alone improves survival as opposed… read on >
A majority of women with an early form of a common breast cancer may be able to skip chemotherapy, depending on the results of a comprehensive gene test. The new study of nearly 7,000 women found that use of the already available Oncogene DX gene test could pinpoint those women who needed chemotherapy, and those… read on >
A new and highly targeted drug slowed the growth of advanced breast cancers by about an average of two months, researchers report. “The findings in this study show a modest benefit to a subgroup of women with estrogen receptor-positive tumors,” said Dr. Stephanie Bernik, a breast cancer specialist who wasn’t involved in the research. Estrogen… read on >
Genetic blood testing is showing potential as a means of catching some early stage cancers, researchers are reporting. For example, a panel of three different genetic tests was able to detect early stage lung cancer about half of the time in people who’d already been diagnosed with the disease. The tests also detected late-stage lung… read on >
Recalls of assorted foods and different brands of ice cream over the past few years have put a spotlight on the germ known as listeria. And though many of these cases happened during manufacturing, the potential for contamination is actually greater for foods after they’ve arrived at supermarkets and other food stores. And one item… read on >
