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Birth control has long term effect on hormone exposure

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine may be one step closer to understanding why past oral contraceptive use dramatically lowers the risk of ovarian and uterine cancers later in life.

20 Oct 2008

Beyond recognizing odors, a single neuron controls reactions

Babies will smile when they catch the scent of vanilla, but a whiff of rotting meat will send them into fits. From people to mice and flies to worms, animals of all kinds are born with likes and dislikes thanks to the evolutionary wisdom collected in their genes. But new research shows that some preferences are still surprisingly flexible at even the most basic level - that of the sensory neuron itself - and that our nervous system may be even more adaptable than we thought.

20 Oct 2008

Bristol scientist puts the brakes on breast cancer

Why do breast cells grow out of control? The answer could be a step closer thanks to a grant of around £200,000 from one of the UK's leading breast cancer research charities, Breast Cancer Campaign, to University of Bristol scientist, Dr Claire Perks.

20 Oct 2008

New guides to preventing and treating osteoporosis

Dr Maria Fiatarone Singh, geriatrician and Professor of Medicine and Exercise and Sport Science at the University of Sydney has written a series of exercise guides.

20 Oct 2008

Genentech announces phase III study of Avastin plus chemotherapy in adjuvant colon cancer will continue

Genentech, Inc. today announced that it has been informed by the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) that an ongoing Phase III study (NSABP C-08) of Avastin (bevacizumab) plus chemotherapy in patients with early-stage colon cancer will continue as planned.

20 Oct 2008

New hope for a better treatment for childhood cancer

Children who are diagnosed with cancer could benefit from better diagnosis and treatment in the future thanks to a new research project involving clinicians and scientists at The University of Nottingham.

20 Oct 2008

Universal vaccine could protect people and pets from deadly flu pandemics

A single vaccine could be used to protect chickens, cats and humans against deadly flu pandemics, according to an article published in the November issue of the Journal of General Virology. The vaccine protects birds and mammals against different flu strains and can even be given to birds while they are still in their eggs, allowing the mass vaccination of wild birds.

20 Oct 2008

Better TB vaccine in the pipeline

Scientists in the U.S. believe they have a vaccine in the pipeline that offers better protection from tuberculosis (TB).

20 Oct 2008

Hand, foot and mouth disease in China kills 3 children and sickens over 100 others

In the latest health scare in China three children have died from hand, foot and mouth disease and another 110 are sick - this is China's second outbreak of the virus this year in young children.

20 Oct 2008

Australia's asthma mortality rate one of the highest in the world

A new report has revealed that more people die from asthma in Australia than in Europe and says Australia's asthma mortality rates are one of the highest in the world - three times higher than in Europe but less than in New Zealand and the UK.

20 Oct 2008

Scouts to 'be prepared' with condoms and trips to sexual health clinics

The Scout Association in Britain will in future offer sex advice to their scouts in an attempt to prepare them for life.

20 Oct 2008

Chronic disease keeping older Australians out of the workforce

Chronic diseases such as diabetes and arthritis may be keeping more than 660,000 older Australians out of the workforce, Sydney University academics have found.

20 Oct 2008

New atlas maps geographical pattern of mortality in Great Britain

Researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Sheffield have created an 'atlas of death' which charts the geographical pattern of mortality in Great Britain. The full-colour atlas shows the wide variation in death rates from a variety of different causes, from heart attacks and cancer to suicide and murder, for over 1,000 neighbourhoods.

20 Oct 2008

Mumps making a comeback in Australia

Experts are concerned that mumps, once a thing of the past, may be making a comeback in Australia and they are blaming it on the absence of proper vaccinations during childhood.

20 Oct 2008

Many parents get their children's weight wrong

Australian researchers have found that parents are often mistaken in assessing whether their child is under or overweight and as many as 4 in 10 parents get it wrong.

20 Oct 2008

Junior doctors in Australia struggling to cope

A new study by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has found close to half of Australia's junior doctors think their heavy workload could compromise patient care.

20 Oct 2008

Polio could be wiped out in Nigeria thanks to improved vaccine

A recently introduced polio vaccine is four times more effective at protecting children than previous vaccines and has the potential to eradicate type 1 polio in Nigeria if it reaches enough children, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

19 Oct 2008