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FDA Approves First At-Home Test for Cervical Cancer
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first at-home test for cervical cancer screening, its maker Teal Health said on Friday, offering an alternative to Pap smears that need to be undertaken at a doctor's office. Pap smear tests have significantly reduced...
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Ovary Removal Protects At-Risk Breast Cancer Patients
Removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes appears to dramatically reduce the risk of death among breast cancer survivors who are genetically prone to cancer, a new study says. Breast cancer survivors carrying BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene variants had a 48% overall lower risk of...
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AI Tool Uses Selfies to Predict Biological Age
Doctors often start exams with the so-called "eyeball test" - a snap judgment about whether the patient appears older or younger than their age, which can influence key medical decisions. That intuitive assessment may soon get an AI upgrade. FaceAge, a deep learning algorithm...
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The Cancers on the Rise in Adults Under 50
Cancer before age 50 is rare, but increasing, in the United States and researchers want to know why. A new government study provides the most complete picture yet of early-onset cancers, finding that the largest increases are in breast, colorectal, kidney and uterine...
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Unnecessary Prostate Cancer Surgeries Declined
Some men would rather skip screening for prostate cancer due to fears that they'll be rendered impotent or incontinent from cancer surgery. But new research says those fears are unwarranted, thanks to improvements in the way doctors approach prostate cancer. The number of...
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Nicotine Pouch Use Doubles Among High Schoolers
The use of nicotine pouches nearly doubled among U.S. high school students between 2023 and 2024, a new study says. These pouches, inserted between the gum and lip, provide teenagers an opportunity to use nicotine in a discreet, easily concealed way, researchers said.About...
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Second Opinions Don't Delay Breast Cancer Treatment
It's natural to feel a wave of anxiety following a diagnosis of breast cancer. But women shouldn't let worries about delaying treatment deter them from seeking a second opinion on their diagnosis and treatment, researchers say. Patients who got a second opinion following...
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Men Fare Worse for 20 Top Health Problems Globally
Men are much more likely than women to die early from the world's 20 leading health problems, a new global study shows. Sickness and death were higher in men than women in 2021 for 13 of the top 20 causes of injury and illness, including COVID-19, traffic injuries, heart...
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New Test Could Double Leukemia Survival Rates
Testing positive for leukemia actually saved the life of 51-year-old Jan Leahy, a business process owner from Wimbledon, England. Leahy benefitted from a clinical trial evaluating a new bone marrow test that can detect a potential leukemia relapse months before standard...
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Immunotherapy Could Replace Invasive Cancer Therapy
A new clinical trial found that some cancers can be treated effectively with an immunotherapy drug alone, sparing patients from invasive surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York found that 80% of specific forms of...
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Study Links Ultra-Processed Foods to Early Death
The more ultra-processed food a person regularly eats, the higher their risk of an early death, a new evidence review has concluded. Each 10% increase in ultra-processed foods in a person's diet increases their risk of early death from any cause by 3%, researchers reported...
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Bacterial Toxin Linked to Young Adult Colon Cancers
Colon cancer cases have been increasing among younger adults, and now researchers think they've identified a potential culprit. A bacterial toxin called colibactin, produced by certain strains of E. coli, appears to alter gut DNA in a way that prompts colon cancer,...
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Nearly Half of Americans Breathe Unhealthy Air
Breathing the air in nearly half of the United States could be putting your health at risk.A new American Lung Association report shows that 156 million people live in areas with unhealthy air. The group's annual "State of the Air" report found that smog and soot pollution...
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Cooking Oil Linked to Aggressive Breast Cancer
New research conducted at Weill Cornell Medicine found that linoleic acid, a fat found in seed, vegetable and nut oils can affect breast cancer cells, causing them to multiply. Using linoleic acid regularly could increase the risk of triple-negative breast cancer in women,...
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Trump Admin Plans Ban on More Synthetic Food Dyes
The Trump administration is expected to take new steps to remove artificial food dyes from the U.S. food supply, officials say. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary are expected to share more details on Tuesday, CNN...
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Immune Therapy Effective in Older Cancer Patients
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 in seniors, a new study says. Seniors with...
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Harmful Chemicals Found in Kids' Mattresses
Babies and toddlers could be exposed to harmful chemicals while they sleep, due to compounds found in their mattresses, two new studies say. Air samples taken from 25 children's bedrooms revealed elevated levels of more than two dozen phthalates, flame retardants and other...
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Advanced Cancers Returned to Prepandemic Levels
Many Americans were forced to postpone cancer screenings - colonoscopies, mammograms and lung scans - for several months in 2020 as COVID-19 overwhelmed doctors and hospitals. But that delay in screening isn't making a huge impact on cancer statistics, at least none that can...
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Immunotherapy Keeps Fighting Lung Cancer When Stopped
Immunotherapy might help keep lung cancer at bay for months or even years after the treatment has been abandoned due to side effects, a new study says. Immune checkpoint inhibitors essentially take the brakes off the immune system, giving it free reign to hunt down and kill...
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Air, Light Pollution Raise Childhood Thyroid Cancer Risk
Babies exposed to air and light pollution have a higher risk of developing childhood thyroid cancer, a new study says. Airborne particle pollution and outdoor artificial light both increased babies' risk of developing thyroid cancer before they turned 20, researchers...
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CT Scans Can Increase Your Cancer Risk
Considering a trendy whole-body CT scan after hearing celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton and Jason Bateman tout their benefits? Weigh the cancer risk from the scan's radiation before making an appointment, a new study warns. CT scan radiation is expected to cause...
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Blood Test Can Predict Melanoma Recurrence
A new blood test can help predict if melanoma survivors will have a future bout with skin cancer, researchers say. The test looks for DNA fragments that are shed by tumors and float free in a person's bloodstream. About 80% of later-stage melanoma patients who had detectable...
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Home-Delivery Medical Meals Prevent Hospitalization
Home-delivered meals tailored to people's chronic illnesses can prevent hospitalizations, help folks remain healthy and save billions of dollars each year, a new study says. In "Food Is Medicine" programs, people with conditions like diabetes, heart disease or cancer receive...
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Natural Disasters Increase Cancer Risk
Natural disasters fueled by climate change might wind up increasing cancer deaths, a new study suggests. Rates of colon cancer diagnoses dropped during and after Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit Puerto Rico two weeks apart, as well as during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers...
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RFK Jr.: Some Cuts to CDC Will Be Reversed
Some recent cuts at U.S. government health agencies may be reversed, including a key program that tracks lead exposure in kids, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said last week. The lead poisoning prevention and surveillance branch of the U.S....