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 >
Women who’ve had a miscarriage are more likely to get pregnant and have a baby if they have adequate levels of vitamin D, new research indicates. “Our findings suggest that vitamin D may play a protective role in pregnancy,” said lead investigator Sunni Mumford, from the epidemiology branch of the U.S. National Institute of Child… read on >
You might want to pick up the pace when you head out for a stroll, suggests a new study that found that doing so may lengthen your life. In fact, compared with a slow pace, walking at an average pace appeared to reduce the risk of dying early 20 percent, while a faster pace seemed… read on >
