Health
How scientists determine whether a chemical is carcinogenic
People are exposed to numerous chemicals throughout their lifetimes. These chemicals can be from the air, foods, personal care items, household products and medications. Unfortunately, exposure to certain chemicals can cause harmful health effects, including cancer. Substances that cause cancer are called carcinogens. Familiar examples include tobacco smoke, radon, asbestos… Read
Why a new Alzheimer's drug is having a slow U.S. debut
The first drug to show that it slows Alzheimer’s is on sale, but treatment for most patients is still several months away. Two big factors behind the slow debut, experts say, are scant insurance coverage and a long setup time needed by many health systems. Patients who surmount those challenges… Read
Why are people turning to psychedelics like ayahuasca?
Ayahuasca is a psychedelic tea whose roots go back hundreds of years to ceremonial use by Indigenous groups in the Amazon region. It's widely used in South America where it is legal in several countries, including Peru and Brazil. But in the United States, it remains illegal because the brew… Read
Lung cancer rates have decreased for Marlboro Man, but have risen steeply for nonsmokers and young women
When many people think of an average lung cancer patient, they often imagine an older man smoking. But the face of lung cancer has changed. Over the past 15 years, more women, never smokers and younger people are being diagnosed with lung cancer. In fact, lung cancer is the leading… Read
From vaccines to AI: New weapons in the fight against cancer
Could humanity finally be gaining the upper hand in our age-old fight against cancer? Recent scientific and medical advances have added several new weapons to our arsenal, including personalised gene therapy, artificial intelligence screening, simple blood tests -- and potentially soon vaccines. Cancer accounted for nearly 10 million deaths --… Read
Life after leprosy, a long neglected disease
Dan Izzett has lived with leprosy's effects on his body for 70 years, and has lost much to what he calls an "ancient, fascinating, very unkind disease". The Zimbabwean former civil engineering technician and pastor was diagnosed at the age of 25 in 1972, but first contracted the disease when… Read
U.S. nuclear strike chief seeks cancer review of launch officers
The top U.S. Air Force general in charge of the nation's air- and ground-launched nuclear missiles has requested an official investigation into the number of officers who are reporting blood cancer diagnoses after serving at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. The illnesses became publicly known last week after The… Read
Under-funded WHO seeks reinforced role in global health at key meeting
The World Health Organization will push at its board meeting this week for an expanded role in tackling the next global health emergency after COVID-19, but is still seeking answers on how to fund it, according to health policy experts. The Geneva meeting sets the program for the U.N. agency… Read
World 'dangerously unprepared' for next crisis: Red Cross
All countries remain "dangerously unprepared" for the next pandemic, the Red Cross warned on Monday, saying future health crises could also collide with increasingly likely climate-related disasters. Despite three "brutal" years of the COVID-19 pandemic, strong preparedness systems are "severely lacking", the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent… Read
Vaccine misinformation spawns 'pure blood' movement
Vaccine skeptics blocking transfusions for life-saving surgeries, Facebook groups inciting violence against doctors and a global search for unvaccinated donors -- COVID-19 misinformation has bred a so-called "pure blood" movement. The movement spins anti-vaccine narratives focused on unfounded claims that receiving blood from people inoculated against the coronavirus "contaminates" the… Read
