Barriers to genetic testing need to fall as knowledge of inherited cancer risks grows, surgeons say. Genetic testing should be made available for all patients diagnosed with breast cancer, according to guidelines published Thursday by the American Society of Breast Surgeons. The professional medical society has more than 3,000 members in the United States and…… MORE
Current and former employees of an Ohio nursing facility are accused of mistreating two patients in their care, including one who died as a result of the nurses’ actions, Attorney General Dave Yost said Thursday. A Franklin County grand jury indicted seven people who worked as nurses in 2017 at Whetstone Gardens and Care Center…… MORE
Don’t let your guard down: The US flu season is expected to continue for several more weeks, with activity across the nation now elevated, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday. A flu shot is still recommended for those who have neglected to get one, but the CDC estimated this year’s vaccine’s…… MORE
Glyphosate, an herbicide that remains the world’s most ubiquitous weed killer, raises the cancer risk of those exposed to it by 41%, a new analysis says. Researchers from the University of Washington evaluated existing studies into the chemical — found in weed killers including Monsanto’s popular Roundup — and concluded that it significantly increases the…… MORE
The race to fertilize an egg is a ruthless one — and now, scientists have shed more light on the punishing obstacle course attempted by hundreds of millions of sperm cells in their bid to get there first. Women’s reproductive tracts are shaped in a way that rejects weaker sperm, allowing only the fastest candidates…… MORE
Zei Uwadia, a teenage girl who defied expectations by walking while on life support, has died, according to a Facebook post by her mother. The teen had returned home from Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City on January 31, the day before her 17th birthday, after spending 467 days hospitalized. Zei died “at home, in…… MORE
President Donald Trump, 72, is in “very good health overall,” according to results from his physical examination, which were released on Thursday. Trump underwent a physical examination at the Walter Reed military hospital on Friday, performed and supervised by Dr. Sean Conley, physician to the President. At his physical exam last year, the 6-foot-3-inch Trump…… MORE
A pharmaceutical company that aggressively marketed a drug to nursing home residents now faces significant financial penalties as the result of an investigation by the Justice Department. Avanir Pharmaceuticals was the subject of a 2017 CNN investigation that found inappropriate and potentially fraudulent use of its main drug Nuedexta in elderly dementia patients since its…… MORE
Racial disparities in cancer deaths between black and white patients in the United States are receding — but more progress is needed to completely close the gap for some cancer types and age groups, according to a new study. Among men, the overall cancer death rate was 47% higher for blacks than for whites in…… MORE
A study published Monday revealed an alarming statistic: Eating a lot of unhealthy, “ultraprocessed” foods may shorten your life. Specifically, researchers found that a 10% increase in the consumption of ultraprocessed foods was significantly associated with a 14% higher risk of death from all causes. Eating a lot of ultraprocessed foods could be a marker…… MORE
