Vienna, Austria: A Dutch study of the effectiveness of breast cancer screening shows that, even with improved treatments for the disease, population-based mammography programmes still save a significant number of lives. The finding, presented at the eighth European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-8) in Vienna, will add further fuel to the debate about whether or not […]
MRI screening for women with a family history of breast cancer but no genetic predisposition is expensive but could be cost-effective for some
Vienna, Austria: Adding magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to standard breast cancer screening approaches is expensive, though it could be cost effective for a group of women who may not have inherited the breast cancer susceptibility genes, but who have a familial risk of developing the disease. This is the conclusion of research presented at the […]
Twenty-year results from national breast cancer screening programme show a significant drop in deaths, limited harm and reasonable costs
Vienna, Austria: Results from one of the longest-running national breast cancer screening programmes have shown that it has contributed to a drop in deaths from the disease, that any harm caused by the screening, such as false positives and over-diagnosis, has been limited, and that the costs have been reasonable. The Dutch population-based mammography breast […]
Dense breasts can nearly double the risk of breast cancer recurrence
Vienna, Austria: Women aged 50 and over with breasts that have a high percentage of dense tissue are at greater risk of their breast cancer recurring, according to Swedish research presented at the eighth European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-8) in Vienna. Dr Louise Eriksson and her colleagues from the Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden) found that […]
Pregnancy is safe for women with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer
Vienna, Austria: New research has shown for the first time that it is safe for women who have been diagnosed with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer to become pregnant, despite doctors’ previous fears that pregnancy could boost levels of oestrogen in the body and cause the cancer to return. In fact, the findings, to be […]
Fatty diets may be associated with reduced semen quality
Men’s diets, in particular the amount and type of different fats they eat, could be associated with their semen quality according to the results of a study published online in Europe’s leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction [1]. The study of 99 men in the USA found an association between a high total fat intake […]
New estimates predict nearly 1.3 million deaths from cancer in the EU in 2012, but the rate of people dying from the disease is declining
New figures estimate that there will be nearly 1.3 million deaths from cancer in 2012 in the European Union (EU) – 717,398 men and 565,703 women. Although the actual numbers have increased, the rate (age-standardised per 100,000 population) of people who die from the disease continues to decline. Writing in the cancer journal Annals of […]
Heart failure is associated with loss of brain cells and a decline in mental processes
Australian researchers have found evidence that heart failure is associated with a decline in people’s mental processes and a loss of grey matter in the brain. These changes can make it more difficult for heart failure (HF) patients to remember and carry out instructions such as taking the correct medication at the right times. The […]
Study finds convincing evidence that the combined oral contraceptive pill helps painful periods
A large Scandinavian study that has been running for 30 years has finally provided convincing evidence that the combined oral contraceptive pill does, indeed, alleviate the symptoms of painful menstrual periods – dysmenorrhoea. The research is published online in Europe’s leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction [1]. Although some previous studies and anecdotal evidence have […]
Global study sheds more light on role played by exercise, cars and televisions on the risk of heart attacks
A worldwide study has shown that physical activity during work and leisure time significantly lowers the risk of heart attacks in both developed and developing countries. Ownership of a car and a television was linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The findings come from the INTERHEART study, […]