The debate over circumcising baby boys

This November, voters in San Francisco are expected to weigh in on a controversial topic: whether parents should be allowed to circumcise...

My Turn: The academic debate over the causes of autism hits home for this family

Autism is an environmental disorder — at least in some cases. Just as lead paint chips can cause learning disabilities and radon in...

'Necessary Roughness' plays fast and loose with therapy

'Necessary Roughness'

Making a trachea from scratch

Andemariam Teklesenbet Beyene left a Stockholm hospital Friday, breathing through a manufactured trachea that was built with his own stem...

An injured ACL isn't a death knell for athletes anymore

Most athletic types would rather spend a month watching "Teletubbies" while reading Snooki's blog than suffer an injury. And when it comes...

Colorectal cancer screenings making a difference, CDC says

Increased screening during the last decade for colorectal cancer, the nation's second-leading cause of cancer deaths, has put a sharp dent...

Study urges more individual mammogram guidelines

Some women need mammograms more frequently than others, and guidelines should reflect those individual risk profiles, according to authors...

Chantix may raise heart-attack risk more than suspected

Chantix, a pill that can assist people who wish to stop smoking, appears to raise the risk of a heart attack or cardiac problem...

Cancer risks: Breast density score is a number from 1 to 4

Breast density would be included in a mammography report under a bill proposed in the California...

Women should know their breast density, study says; how many do?

Mammograms should be recommended to women based on several individual risk factors, such as age, family history and breast density,...

Not everyone's clear on HPV tests

Most women are familiar with the Pap smear — a test that detects precancerous changes in the cells of the cervix. They're less...

Radiation should follow a mastectomy for advanced cancer but often doesn't

Radiation after a mastectomy for advanced breast cancer is part of the standard treatment guidelines. But more than a decade after the...

Decline on autopsies may obscure understanding of disease

Television crime shows have helped popularize autopsies, but in reality these postmortem exams are becoming rarer every year. Today,...

A material to close deep wounds and promote skin regrowth

A biological Jell-O with a structure as precise as a microchip's could someday be the surgeon's patch to seal large, deep wounds and help...

A patient's social history isn't just checked-off answers

Ms. R., a retired nurse, lives with her husband in Dorchester.

Helping seniors live at home longer

Patricia McGinnis has six brothers and sisters who help her take care of their 89-year-old mother. Though their mother is alert and able...

Gripe water is safe for babies with colic, but no studies show that it works

Baby wrangling is a tough job in the best of circumstances. Add colic to the mix and … well, that borders on the cruel and unusual.

Weight-loss surgery may have best effect in less-obese patients

Weight-loss surgery has been reserved for people who are morbidly obese, with a body mass index of 40 or greater. However, both gastric...

The top six risk factors for weight-loss surgery

Weight-loss surgery is safe and effective for most people, but complications do occur. Researchers reported Wednesday that they had...

Pregnant women show an amazing lack of knowledge about childbirth options, study shows

Fewer pregnant women and their partners are attending prenatal education classes these days and appear to be quietly following whatever...

Child care is protective for children with depressed mothers

Child care may be a good choice to minimize the effects of a mother's depression on her young children, a new study shows.

Ovarian cancer screening does more harm than good, study shows

An 18-year study from the National Cancer Institute has found that widespread screening for ovarian cancer doesn't save lives but does set...

Extracting the facts about pomegranate pills

Legend has it that King Tut was fond of pomegranates, and so were the ancient Persians. They surely enjoyed the fruit in its natural form &#...

Despite concerns, most parents get their kids vaccinated

Parents worry about the safety of vaccines for their children even though most go ahead and have their kids immunized, researchers...

Gene mutations could cause autism in boys, another disorder in girls, researchers suggest

Autism spectrum disorders can be caused by as many as 300 or so rare genetic mutations, scientists reported Wednesday. The research strongly...

Alzheimer's disease screening coming to a corner near you?

Alzheimer's disease is progressive and incurable, but doctors say there is still value in having the disease diagnosed as early as possible....

Vitamin D levels should be higher in people taking certain osteoporosis drugs, experts say

Vitamin D works with calcium to strengthen bones. But adequate levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream also appear to boost the power of...

Clot-busting drugs help prevent disability after stroke, but few get the medications

Clot-dissolving medications can be given just after a stroke to break up the blood clot and restore blood flow and oxygen to the brain. That...

Tweaking flu vaccine may make it more effective

Outbreaks of swine and avian flu worry public-health officials. Having an inexpensive vaccine in plentiful supply is key to controlling an...