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Cancer

Men ages 55 and older were disproportionately affected, the researchers found.

Alcohol-Related Cancer Deaths Have More Than Doubled in the United States Over the Past 30 Years, Study Suggests

While scientists say their findings don’t necessarily mean you need to cut alcohol from your life entirely, knowing the potential risks—especially if you’re already at an elevated risk of developing cancer—can help guide your decisions

No effective treatments currently exist for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

A Psychedelic Compound Found in ‘Magic’ Mushrooms Might Prevent Debilitating Nerve Damage and Pain Caused by Chemotherapy

A study in mice and human tissue suggests psilocybin protects against peripheral neuropathy, a common side effect of chemotherapy. The findings are so promising that researchers are starting a mid-stage clinical trial this year

The ration kept an individual's daily intake of sugar at around 40 grams, about ten cubes of sugar. After the restriction ended, consumption of the sweetener nearly doubled.

World War II Sugar Rationing Data Hints That Limiting Intake of the Sweet Stuff Early in Life Lowers the Risk of Dementia and Cancer

For roughly a decade leading up to September 1953, the United Kingdom limited sugar purchases. Scientists studied health outcomes in people born during the ration and right after

The team combined two operating tables to hold the snake's lengthy 110-pound body.

This 15-Foot Python Is the First Known Snake to Receive Electrochemotherapy for Cancer. Now, She’s Officially Free of the Disease

The pioneering treatment makes it easier for traditional chemotherapy drugs to penetrate cancer cells. After the procedure, the reptile, named Jodie Foster, made a speedy recovery

The trial only included people with melanoma, but experts say the same treatment approach could potentially be applied more broadly—to other types of cancer, as well as rare conditions caused by genetic mutations.

A New Personalized Cancer Vaccine Could Keep Skin Cancer From Coming Back, Drugmakers Say

The results, announced this week by Moderna and Merck, could pave the way for a new generation of treatments tailored to individual tumors

A saber-toothed cat skull found at the La Brea Tar Pits

Spinal Deformities in Saber-Toothed Cat Fossils Reveal How the Now-Extinct Felines May Have Spent Their Final Days

Researchers studied saber-toothed cat vertebrae found in the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. They identified a surprisingly high number of deformations, including signs of spinal nerve tumors, hinting at a dwindling population suffering the consequences of inbreeding

A catfish with melanoma, a kind of skin cancer

A Strange, Never-Before-Seen Cancer Seems to Be Spreading Among Catfish in a New England Lake

More than a decade ago, fishers and biologists noticed jet-black tumors on the skin of brown bullhead catfish in Lake Memphremagog. Genetic testing hints that they are caused by the first contagious cancer ever documented in fish

Aging populations are a major driver of the predicted increase in cancer incidents.

Cancer Cases Are Expected to Nearly Double by 2050, Warns the WHO. Low-Income Countries Will Be Disproportionately Affected

In a new report, the World Health Organization predicts that new annual diagnoses will rise from about 20.6 million today to almost 35 million by 2050. The biggest increases will be in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean region

About two-thirds of patients ages 40 and older with a common form of breast cancer might be able to forego chemotherapy—usually delivered intravenously—as part of their treatment plans.

This ‘Practice-Changing’ Gene Test Could Tell Doctors Which Patients With Breast Cancer Can Skip Chemo, Clinical Trial Suggests

Chemotherapy comes with debilitating side effects, including brain fog, nausea and nerve damage. New research suggests that many people with a common type of breast cancer need just radiation and hormone therapy to prevent recurrence

CAR-T cells are a patient's own T cells, a form of white blood cell, that have been genetically modified to recognize and destroy certain cancer or autoimmune cells that might otherwise be tolerated by the immune system.

How a Revolutionary Cancer Treatment Could Reset the Immune Systems of Patients With Autoimmune Diseases

Researchers are testing CAR T-cell therapy as a treatment for lupus, Graves’ disease and other conditions in which the body’s defenses go rogue

The HPV vaccine defends patients against cervical cancer. 

Could Australia Be the First Country to Eliminate Cervical Cancer? It’s on Track, but HPV Vaccination and Screening Rates Are Falling

The country implemented a national vaccination program to prevent the disease in 2007. New data show that in 2021, no women under age 25 were diagnosed with cervical cancer, marking a major milestone

Lung cancer cells, shown in green, growing in a mouse heart

Cancer Is Somehow Rare in the Heart. Turns Out, the Organ’s Rhythmic Beat Might Keep the Disease at Bay, a Mouse Study Finds

Less than 1 percent of cancers start in the heart, and disease that begins elsewhere seldom spreads to the blood-pumping organ. New research suggests mechanical force might have a protective role

An illustration of lymphocytes, or white blood cells in the immune system, which include T cells and other disease-fighting cells

You’ve Been Told to ‘Feed a Cold.’ Turns Out, Eating May Truly Boost Your Immune System Cells, According to a New Study

T cells, which target infection and disease, can become more effective after a meal. The finding might help improve cancer-fighting therapies and optimize our response to vaccines

Some cancer patients ring a bell to signal the end of their treatment and their return to normal life. But many would benefit from specialized long-term medical care to manage the ongoing effects of the disease and its treatments.

Cancer Survivors Are Living Longer but Still Have Complex Needs. That’s Why Doctors and Advocates Want Post-Treatment Care Plans

Survivors have a heightened risk of developing cardiovascular disease, pain, insomnia, psychosocial distress and new cancers. Many, patient advocates say, are not receiving adequate long-term care

Chris Buck at work in a kitchen lab

This Scientist Brewed and Drank His Own ‘Vaccine Beer’ to Combat a Dangerous Virus. It Seems to Have Worked

Blood tests revealed that the beverage elicited an immune response, according to preliminary research. But far more safety and efficacy testing would be needed before this vaccine could become available

HPV testing is crucial for cervical cancer prevention, but many people miss their exams. 

Testing Menstrual Blood for HPV Might Provide a Less Invasive Way to Screen for Cervical Cancer, a New Study Suggests

While the method shows promise, some experts say that other self-collection devices are more readily available

Tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption were responsible for 15 percent and 3 percent of all cancer cases diagnosed in 2022, a new study suggests.

Nearly Four in Ten New Cancer Cases Might Be Preventable, According to the World Health Organization

A landmark global study suggests that tobacco smoking, infection and alcohol consumption are the leading causes of preventable cancers

Though still in early stages, some experts say that A.I.-supported screenings could help save patients' health, time and money.

A.I. Could Help Doctors Spot Hard-to-Detect Signs of Breast Cancer During Routine Screenings, a Clinical Trial Suggests

Standard testing can miss some tumors, which are later diagnosed and called interval cancers. They’re often more aggressive than screening-detected disease

Ötzi the Iceman is housed at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, where conservationists periodically humidify his remains.

Ötzi the Iceman May Have Carried a Cancer-Causing Strain of HPV, a Common Virus Still Plaguing Humans Today

A new study, which also found evidence of the high-risk strain in 45,000-year-old remains, suggests HPV has evolved alongside humans for many millennia

Researchers investigated the associations between preservatives and the risk of developing cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Eating Large Amounts of Certain Preservatives Might Increase Your Risk of Developing Cancer and Type 2 Diabetes

Two studies tracked more than 100,000 participants over 14 years to reveal the trends. But they can’t confirm a direct link between eating these preservatives and developing disease, especially because some of the additives were eaten in foods that contain known carcinogens

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