A shift in thinking means it’s OK to skip your monthly breast self-exam — but don’t miss your regular professional checkup and diagnostic imaging, health experts say. A periodic visual check in a mirror can be helpful, breast health experts from the Cedars-Sinai health system in California suggest. “Beginning at age 40, women with an…  read on >  read on >

The Biden administration said Wednesday that it plans to purchase $1 billion worth of rapid, at-home coronavirus tests and take other actions to quadruple the number of tests available to Americans by December. By the end of the year, the number of at-home tests should increase to 200 million a month, according to the White…  read on >  read on >

While mammograms have reduced deaths by detecting breast cancers when they’re small and easier to treat, it’s less effective for women with dense breasts. However, a new study finds that supplemental MRI screening can make a difference for these women, who are more likely to develop breast cancer. And new technology is being used to…  read on >  read on >

Child abuse and neglect can do significant and long-lasting damage, according to a six-decade review of British data. The analysis of records dating to the late 1950s found that children who experienced physical or sexual abuse were more likely to die early as adults. “Our work shows the long-lasting consequences that specific types of child…  read on >  read on >

Full vaccination with the two-dose Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been 90% effective in protecting against hospitalization for at least six months, a new study shows. That includes the time during which the highly contagious Delta variant has been circulating in the United States. For the study, researchers analyzed Kaiser Permanente Southern California data on more…  read on >  read on >