ScienceHealth

Yet More Research Links Even Light Drinking to a Higher Cancer Risk

In a new study this week, researchers in Japan have found a link between lifetime drinking to an increased risk of cancer—only the latest bit of research to suggest that even light drinking over a lifetime can be bad for us. The study, published Monday in the journal Cancer, relies on data from a decades-long … Continued

ScienceHealth

Hair Dyes and Straighteners Might Be a Breast Cancer Risk, Especially for Black Women, Study Finds

If you’re a woman, regularly coloring or straightening your hair might come with a hidden risk, according to new government-led research. The study found a link between using permanent hair dye and straightening products and an increased risk of breast cancer in women, especially for black women. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health looked … Continued

ScienceHealth

A Woman’s ‘Velvety’ Palms Revealed Her Lung Cancer

A Brazilian woman’s strangely textured palms led to the discovery of a much more serious underlying health problem: lung cancer. According to a case report published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, the 73-year-old woman had visited a local dermatology clinic with complaints of itchy and painful lesions on the palms of … Continued

ScienceHealth

Astronauts’ Exercise Programs Could Help Cancer Patients Endure Chemotherapy

In a new paper this week, researchers are making a novel argument: Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and astronauts in space suffer similar health problems—including bone and muscle loss—and as such could benefit from similar training regimens. Author Jessica Scott, a senior scientist at the NASA Johnson Space Center who’s studied how spaceflight affects the human … Continued

ScienceHealth

Johnson & Johnson Recalls Baby Powder Over Possible Asbestos Contamination

Johnson & Johnson announced a voluntary recall of its talc-based baby powder products on Friday, after the Food and Drug Administration found traces of cancer-causing asbestos in sample testing. The recall follows legal losses and an investigative report linking asbestos exposure to the company’s talc products. The recall will affect only one lot of baby powder, … Continued

ScienceHealth

E-Cigarette Vapor Linked to Lung Cancer in Mice

A new study out Monday is yet more evidence that vaping isn’t the completely safe alternative to smoking it was once thought to be. The researchers claim to have found evidence, in mice, that e-cigarette vapor is capable of causing certain kinds of cancer. But there’s still a long way to go before we can … Continued

ScienceHealth

CVS and Walgreens Pull Heartburn Drug Zantac From Shelves Over FDA Carcinogen Warning

In mid-September, the Food and Drug Administration warned that a popular heartburn drug, commonly known by the brand name Zantac, could contain small amounts of a cancer-causing chemical. Over the weekend, the chain pharmacy CVS announced it would stop selling all versions of the drug, a move that follows a voluntary recall of the drug … Continued

ScienceHealth

Some Cellphones Reportedly Exceed FCC Radiation Limits—but Don’t Flip Out Just Yet

A new Chicago Tribune report on cellphone radiation sure sounds alarming: Popular smartphones were found to emit higher-than-allowed levels of radiation. But while some of the findings are definitely worth investigating further, there’s no reason to be freaked out about health risks for now. The Chicago Tribune, according to its comprehensive report, brought 11 new, … Continued

ScienceBiology

A Sexually Transmitted Cancer in Dogs Is Even Weirder Than We Thought

Our precious pooches can carry one of the strangest diseases known to exist—a sexually transmitted form of cancer that’s jumped from host to host for thousands of years. Now, a large group of researchers say they’ve unpacked the evolutionary history of this disease, all the way back to the first dogs in which it arose. … Continued

Earther

Judge Slashes Payout in Roundup Lawsuit, But Calls Monsanto’s Conduct ‘Reprehensible’

A federal judge in one of the lawsuits between pharmaceutical giant AG Bayer, which bought agrochemical giant Monsanto in 2018, and plaintiffs who claim its Roundup herbicide caused their cancer has slashed an $80 million payout, Reuters reported on Monday. According to Reuters, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco found that while evidence … Continued

ScienceSpace & Spaceflight

Astronauts Aren’t Dying From Space Radiation, New Research Suggests

Excessive exposure to the Sun’s harmful rays is an occupational hazard endured by astronauts, who run the risk of contracting cancer and heart disease as a result. At least that’s what we thought. New research shows that astronauts aren’t dying prematurely, but scientists caution that long duration missions will pose serious risks. A study published … Continued

Tech NewsPolitics

President Trump Promises to Cure Cancer If Re-Elected During Neo-Fascist Rally in Florida

President Donald Trump has made a lot of broken promises during his time in office. He promised to lower prescription drug prices, get Mexico to pay for a border wall, and he even said a 10 percent tax cut for the middle class was on the way before the 2018 midterms. That tax cut never … Continued

ScienceHealth

Harvard Scientists Make ‘Landmark’ Discovery in Synthesizing Anti-Cancer Molecules Found in Sea Sponges

Harvard and Japanese scientists say they’ve made a “landmark” discovery in cancer drug development. In a new study published Monday, they say they have finally found a way to synthesize in bulk a complex class of promising cancer-fighting molecules derived from sea sponges. Their new strategy has already helped speed up research into these molecules, … Continued

Earther

Monsanto Loses Another Roundup Cancer Trial, With Jury Awarding Over $2 Billion

Monsanto Co. lost a legal battle over its massively popular Roundup herbicide on Monday to the tune of $2.055 billion, with a jury in San Francisco ordering the court to pay out the stunning sum to a couple that said it caused their non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. That figure, which consists of $2 billion in punitive damages and … Continued

ScienceHealth

The HPV Vaccine Is Already Dramatically Lowering Rates of Cervical Disease

A new study out Wednesday in the BMJ is the latest to showcase even the short-term benefits of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. It found that the routine vaccination of preteen girls in Scotland, starting in 2008, led to drastically lower rates of cervical disease by the time the girls turned 20. That included conditions … Continued

Tech News

Researchers Demonstrate Malware That Can Trick Doctors Into Misdiagnosing Cancer

Hospitals, like the rest of us, are extremely online. The equipment we use, the data it discovers and the critical medical information it deciphers can all be connected to the internet — and if it’s connected, it needs to be carefully secured. A new report from Kim Zetter outlines the research done by Israeli academics … Continued

Earther

Monsanto Loses Roundup Cancer Trial to the Tune of $80 Million

A federal jury in California has awarded $80 million to a man who said Monsanto herbicide Roundup was a “substantial factor” in him developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma, CNN reported on Wednesday. It’s a major blow to the chemical manufacturer and its parent company, German chemical giant Bayer AG, which are facing hundreds of lawsuits related to … Continued

ScienceHealth

Johnson & Johnson Hit With $29.4 Million Verdict Over Its Talc Products

A woman who alleged that Johnson & Johnson products containing talcum powder were linked to her mesothelioma was awarded millions by a jury in California, Reuters reported Wednesday. The verdict follows a nine-week trial that began shortly after the start of the year. The jury, in a Superior Court in Oakland, found that the company’s … Continued

Tech News

Body of a Cancer Patient Left Radioactive Material at Arizona Crematorium

An Arizona crematorium was contaminated with radiation after the cremation of a patient who’d received radiopharmaceutical treatment, according to a new case study. Radioactive materials have a variety of uses in medicine, for both diagnosis and treatment. An occasionally overlooked matter is what to do with the body after the patient has died, a problem … Continued

ScienceHealth

GoFundMe Is Still Enabling ‘Garbage’ Cancer Treatment Scams, Study Finds

Medical crowdfunding has become a billion-dollar industry practically overnight, led by sites like GoFundMe. But yet another new study shows a dark side of the trend: Millions of dollars funneled to ludicrous, unscientific treatments for life-threatening diseases like cancer. Tragically, the study also found that many of the desperate people at the center of these … Continued