More than a quarter of pregnancies might be ectopic or end in miscarriage or stillbirth if the father-to-be is unhealthy and has three or more medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels. In a retrospective study of nearly a million pregnancies between 2009 and 2016 in the US, published […]
Cancer patients receiving immunotherapy drugs have a higher risk of heart problems
A study of over a thousand cancer patients treated with immunotherapy drugs has found these patients are at greater risk of heart problems, including death from heart attack or stroke. The patients had either lung cancer or malignant melanoma (a type of skin cancer), for which immune checkpoint inhibitors such as a programmed cell death-1 […]
Tanning beds and sunbathing may be associated with an increased risk of endometriosis
Tanning beds and sunbathing not only increase a woman’s chances of developing malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, but may also be linked to a greater risk of developing endometriosis, according to new research. A study of over 116,000 women in the USA, published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s […]
Artificial intelligence solution to a 50-year-old science challenge could ‘revolutionise’ medical research
Inside every cell, thousands of different proteins form the machinery that keeps all living things – from humans and plants to microscopic bacteria – alive and well. Almost all diseases, including cancer, dementia and even infectious diseases such as COVID-19, are related to the way these proteins function. Because each protein’s function is directly related […]
High blood pressure in midlife is linked to increased brain damage in later life
Higher than normal blood pressure is linked to more extensive brain damage in the elderly, according to a new study published in the European Heart Journal [1]. In particular, the study found that there was a strong association between diastolic blood pressure (the blood pressure between heart beats) before the age of 50 and brain […]
Study of COVID-19 levels in oncology staff suggests need for more extensive testing
Second study reveals impact of COVID-19 on oncology staff and their work A study of oncology staff carried out immediately after the spring peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK indicates that many had been infected with the coronavirus as they tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies. This included staff who did not show any […]
Study of emergency workers in New York City shows COVID-19 risk to firefighters and emergency medical workers
Firefighters and emergency medical workers in New York City were 15 times more likely to be infected during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the general public, according to a study published in ERJ Open Research. [1] The study, which includes almost all the 15,000 front-line workers at the Fire Department of […]
Artificial intelligence can help to improve prognosis and treatment for glioblastoma
In the first study of its kind in cancer, researchers have applied artificial intelligence to measure the amount of muscle in patients with brain tumours to help improve prognosis and treatment. Dr Ella Mi, a clinical research fellow at Imperial College London (UK) will tell the NCRI Virtual Showcase, that using deep learning to evaluate […]
Study estimates exposure to air pollution increases COVID-19 deaths by 15% worldwide
Long-term exposure to air pollution has been linked to an increased risk of dying from COVID-19 and, for the first time, a study has estimated the proportion of deaths from the coronavirus that could be attributed to the exacerbating effects of air pollution for every country in the world. The study, published in Cardiovascular Research […]
Inhibitor of KRAS gene mutation shows promise in lung, bowel and other solid tumours
Latest results from KRYSTAL-1 early clinical trial of adagrasib (MRTX849) New results from early clinical trials of a drug that targets a cancer-causing mutation in the KRAS gene have shown that it can shrink tumours and is well-tolerated by patients. In two presentations at the 32nd EORTC-NCI-AACR [1] Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, […]