msnbc.com: Cancer

1 in 3 breast cancer patients overtreated

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 23:00:44 GMT

One in three breast cancer patients identified in public screening programs may be treated unnecessarily, a new study says.

Fawcett’s death spotlights a rare cancer

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 22:58:42 GMT

In a perverse twist of medical fate, Farrah Fawcett has become the poster girl for anal cancer, a rare disease often linked to a sexually transmitted virus.

Wine may help cancer patients handle radiation

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 16:37:01 GMT

A glass of wine a day may help breast cancer patients better tolerate radiation therapy and reduce its adverse effects, according to a new study by an Italian medical university.

Vegetarians show reduced cancer risk

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 16:10:29 GMT

Vegetarians are 12 percent less likely to develop cancer than meat eaters and the advantage is particularly marked when it comes to cancers of the blood, British researchers found.

NYT: Grant system undercuts major cancer leaps

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:56:48 GMT

One major impediment to progress against cancer, scientists agree, is the grant system itself.

New drugs could transform cancer treatment

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:13:55 GMT

A new class of drugs called ‘PARP inhibitors’ may be the most exciting development in cancer research in a decade or more: In just a few years, it could save thousands of lives.

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Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:13:55 GMT

Radiation not needed in common kids' cancer

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:23:36 GMT

Children can be treated for a common form of childhood leukemia without bombarding the brain with radiation, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

Judge orders reluctant teen to continue chemo

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:47:47 GMT

A Minnesota judge has ruled that a 13-year-old boy who fled the state to avoid chemotherapy must continue getting the treatment because it appears to be working.

Group disputes One A Day vitamin claims

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:32:35 GMT

A consumer advocacy group says it will sue Bayer Healthcare if it continues to claim its One A Day vitamins for men reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

NYT: At VA hospital, a rogue cancer unit

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:49:39 GMT

A rogue cancer unit at the veterans’ hospital in Philadelphia botched 92 of 116 cancer treatments over a span of more than six years — and then kept quiet about it.

Study: ‘Virtual colonoscopy’ an effective option

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:40:40 GMT

So-called virtual colonoscopies — done using souped-up x-rays — detect tumors and precancerous lesions almost as well as the more invasive colonoscopies, researchers find.

Memo to infrequent puffers: It's still smoking

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:38:47 GMT

As the number of ‘social smokers’ continues to rise, a new study aims to turn tobacco company research on its head, using industry data to find ways to help social smokers quit.

Forced chemotherapy helping boy, friend says

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:02:52 GMT

A family friend says X-rays show the tumor in the chest of a 13-year-old Minnesota boy who resisted treatment has shrunk significantly after court-ordered chemotherapy.

Most cancer patients seek natural remedies

Mon, 8 Jun 2009 18:20:38 GMT

Doctors are seeing a resurgence of cancer patients seeking nontraditional remedies to control their disease, even though the treatments aren't proven to be safe or effective.

10-year-old girl battles rare breast cancer

Wed, 3 Jun 2009 19:12:08 GMT

A 10-year-old Southern California girl with an extremely rare, adult form of breast cancer says she's sad that her hair is gone but she's trying to remain brave.

Exercise after 30 may curb breast cancer risk

Wed, 3 Jun 2009 17:56:40 GMT

After age 30, exercising for more than an hour a week may help cut a woman's chances of developing breast cancer, according to a new study.

Simple stool test may detect many cancers

Tue, 2 Jun 2009 13:32:50 GMT

Using just a stool sample, doctors may be able to detect colon and many other cancers of the digestive tract including stomach, pancreatic, bile duct and esophageal cancer.

Child cancer survivors not getting needed tests

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 14:30:54 GMT

New research finds that people who had radiation treatments for cancer as children are less likely than the general public or even their healthy siblings to get recommended screening tests.

Targeted drug promising against melanoma

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 13:48:58 GMT

An experimental drug has shown promise as a treatment for advanced melanoma, one of the deadliest of cancers, according to preliminary results from a small trial.

‘Cancer vaccines’ offer new way to fight disease

Sun, 31 May 2009 18:33:10 GMT

First there was surgery, then chemotherapy and radiation. Now, doctors have found success with a fourth way to fight cancer: using the body’s natural defender, the immune system.

Despite risks, tanning addicts soak up the sun

Sun, 31 May 2009 16:30:54 GMT

Soaking up rays can seem intoxicating — and that may explain why many otherwise health-conscious women keep getting tan.

Sun-related health risks you should know about

Sun, 31 May 2009 16:31:31 GMT

It's easy to tune out warnings about the sun, but that won't do our skin any favors, according to the latest research.

Prostate cancer yet another worry for women

Wed, 27 May 2009 12:28:10 GMT

Women worry about a lot — their children, relationships, jobs, health, hair and so on. But new research finds some women are worrying about something rather unexpected: prostate cancer.