Behind the Headlines

Discovery could 'boost immune system's cancer fighting ability'

Friday Apr 17 2015

The media is awash with news of a breakthrough that is "turbocharging the immune system to kill all cancers" (The Daily Telegraph) and a "game-changing new way to fight cancer" (The Independent)...

Breath test shows promise in diagnosing stomach cancer

Tuesday Apr 14 2015

"A simple breath test could help predict whether people with gut problems are at high risk of developing stomach cancer," BBC News reports. The test is designed to detect a distinctive pattern of chemicals associated with the cancer…

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How dogs could sniff out prostate cancer

Monday Apr 13 2015

"Dogs trained to detect prostate cancer with more than 90% accuracy," The Guardian reports. Two trained bomb-sniffing dogs also proved remarkably successful in detecting compounds associated with prostate cancer in urine samples…

Fit middle-aged men have lower cancer risk

Friday Mar 27 2015

"Very fit men in their late 40s are less likely to get lung cancer and colorectal cancer than unfit men," says BBC News as it reports on a new US study…

News analysis: Angelina Jolie's surgery to 'cut ovarian cancer risk'

Tuesday Mar 24 2015

Writing in the New York Times, actress Angelina Jolie has announced that she has recently had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed as tests showed she had an estimated 50% chance of developing ovarian cancer…

Does light at night pose a health risk?

Monday Mar 16 2015

"Britons should fit blackout blinds and ban electronic gadgets from the bedroom to avert the risk of diseases such as cancer," the Mail Online warns…

A diet rich in veg and fish may reduce bowel cancer risk

Tuesday Mar 10 2015

"Becoming a pescetarian can protect against bowel cancer, new research suggests," the Mail Online reports. The US study found people who mainly eat fish and vegetables, and small quantities of meat, had a significantly reduced risk of bowel cancer…

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Healthy older adults carry leukaemia mutations

Friday Feb 27 2015

"DNA develops to acquire genetic mutations linked with cancer as you get older," The Independent reports. A study of samples of blood cells found that DNA in older people began to acquire mutations associated with leukaemia…

New HPV vaccine may protect against 90% of cervical cancers

Friday Feb 20 2015

"New HPV vaccine stops 90% of cervical cancers," the Mail Online reports. The vaccine, which protects against nine common strains of the cancer-causing human papilloma virus (HPV), has proved both safe and effective in a study involving 14,000 women…

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Sunlight UV damage to skin persists even after dark

Friday Feb 20 2015

"Moving immediately into the shade does not stop sun damage, as UV rays can continue damaging skin cells hours after exposure," The Guardian reports. A study has found evidence that damage to DNA can continue after initial exposure…