A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go to work

There will soon be no more bitter pills to swallow, thanks to new research by University of Leeds scientists (UK): a spoonful of sugar will be all we need for our bodies to make their own medicine. more  

Tamoxifen discontinuation rates surprisingly high in clinical practice

In the clinical practice setting almost a quarter of women treated for breast cancer stop tamoxifen within one year, a rate twice as high as indicated by previous studies. The new study, published in the March 1, 2007 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, says early termination of this highly effective breast cancer drug may negatively affect treatment efficacy. At 3.5 years, the study also reveals that over one third of women have ceased tamoxifen treatment. more

Adding radiation decreases breast cancer recurrence

Radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery for breast cancer reduces recurrence and prevents development of additional breast tumors in older women with early stage breast disease, according to a new study. Published in the March 1, 2007 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study suggests that women also benefit from the recommended five years of tamoxifen treatment for hormone responsive tumors. Among women over 65 and treated with breast conserving surgery, the risk of local or regional recurrence increased up to 3.5 times if they did not receive radiation after their surgery. more  

Activation of brain region predicts altruism

Duke University Medical Center researchers have discovered that activation of a particular brain region predicts whether people tend to be selfish or altruistic. more

Older women and teenage girls--who experience unwanted pregnancies--fail at equal rates to use contraception  

The perception that teenage girls with unwanted pregnancies have been less careful about contraception than older women has been dismissed by a study. more

Elderly brains get a boost from folic acid supplements  

Folic acid supplements can improve the memory and brain power of ageing brains, research shows. Men and women aged 50 to 70 who took daily supplements had similar mental abilities to contemporaries almost five years younger, The Lancet study found. more

Coffee shown to have positive and protective effects against disease conditions

Its caffeine can bring jitters and its color can stain teeth, yet moderate consumption of coffee—an all-world beverage if ever there was one—is being shown to have generally positive and protective effects on the emergence of disease conditions according to this month’s issue of Food Technology more

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