Breast cancer drug, olaparib, depletes store of immature eggs in mouse ovaries

Fertility preservation counselling should be considered for young women before treatment with the drug, say researchers Australian researchers have shown for the first time that a new drug used to treat breast cancer patients damages the store of immature eggs in the ovaries of mice. The authors of the study, which is published in Human […]

First comparison of dangers of tobacco cigarettes, e-cigarettes and water pipes

Any smoking and vaping technique may increase risk of COVID-19 infection and death Smoking and vaping, whether by means of tobacco cigarettes, e-cigarettes or waterpipes, stiffens the arteries, causes inflammation and damages DNA, leading to a variety of health problems, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal [1]. In addition, smoking and […]

Embryo vitrification is safe but longer storage reduces chances of pregnancy success

Freezing and storing embryos during fertility treatment using a technique called vitrification is safe, although women are less likely to become pregnant and have a live birth the longer the embryos are stored, according to new research published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals. There have been concerns that […]

High blood pressure linked to increased risk of dying from COVID-19

Patients with raised blood pressure have a two-fold increased risk of dying from the coronavirus COVID-19 compared to patients without high blood pressure, according to new research published in the European Heart Journal [1]. In addition, the study found that patients with high blood pressure who were not taking medication to control the condition were […]

Benzodiazepine use before conception is linked to increased risk of ectopic pregnancy

Women who use a class of tranquilisers called benzodiazepines before becoming pregnant are at greater risk of ectopic pregnancies, according to a study of nearly 1.7 million women. The study, which is published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals, found that the risk of an ectopic pregnancy, where the […]

Men’s blood contains greater concentrations of enzyme that helps COVID-19 infect cells

Finding may explain why men with heart failure suffer more from the coronavirus than women Evidence from a large study of several thousand patients shows that men have higher concentrations of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in their blood than women. Since ACE2 enables the coronavirus to infect healthy cells, this may help to explain why […]

What are your chances of having a second IVF baby after fertility treatment for the first?

Women have a good chance of having a second child with the help of fertility treatment after the birth of their first child born this way, according to the first study to investigate this, published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals. Researchers in Australia calculated that after a woman […]

Androgen-deprivation treatments for prostate cancer could protect men from COVID-19

A study of 4532 men in the Veneto region of Italy has found that those who were being treated for prostate cancer with androgen-deprivation therapies (ADT) were less likely to develop the coronavirus COVID-19 and, if they were infected, the disease was less severe. The authors of the study, published in the leading cancer journal […]

Death rates from prostate cancer predicted to decline overall in EU but rise in Poland

Lung and pancreatic cancer death rates continue to rise in women Death rates from prostate cancer are predicted to fall in 2020 in the EU, largely due to better diagnosis and treatment, according to new research published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1]. In the latest predictions for cancer deaths in the […]

Aspirin linked to reduction in risk of several cancers of the digestive tract

Aspirin is associated with a reduction in the risk of developing several cancers of the digestive tract, including some that are almost invariably fatal, such as pancreatic and liver cancers. The largest and most comprehensive analysis to date of the link between aspirin and digestive tract cancers, published in the leading cancer journal Annals of […]