Nanotech Cancer Risk Seen

Relax: your local brand is probably fine

(NEWSER) - The World Health Organization is sounding the alarm about yet another possible cancer-causer: your cell phone. But far less ominous items also crowd that list, including, yes, the humble pickle. Chinese studies have shown that populations which suffer a certain esophageal cancer also depend on fermented veggies for long periods each year. Scientists have linked the cancer to a fungi used in the fermentation process, and a 2009 review of such studies found that the regular consumption of pickled veggies doubles the risk for this form of cancer, writes Brian Palmer in Slate's Explainer column. More»

Sticking to advised limits would prevent thousands of cases

(NEWSER) - Drinking leads to at least 13,000 cases of cancer in Britain each year, a study finds—and thousands could be avoided if people would stick to alcohol guidelines. That UK-centric finding comes from a study that examined the tie between diet and cancer in eight European countries. Researchers discovered that among men, more than half of the cases of cancer of the upper digestive tract, colorectum, and liver attributed to alcohol in 2008 resulted from having more than two drinks daily; in women, more than 80% resulted from having more than one drink per day, the Guardian reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Don't go overboard on the candles, researchers warn. The fumes of paraffin wax candles can contribute to cancer and asthma, though it would take years of heavy use to cause a problem, the BBC reports. “An occasional paraffin candle and its emissions will not likely affect you,” says one scientist involved with the new study. More»

Just 3% of adult patients take part in studies

(NEWSER) - Cancer death rates have changed little in the past 40 years, and one big reason often goes unremarked on, experts say: only 3% of adult cancer patients participate in studies of treatments, the New York Times reports. More than a fifth of trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute couldn’t enroll a single subject, doctors found. “We can’t improve survival unless we test new treatments against established ones,” says one doc. More»

No need to obsess over every study, experts say

(NEWSER) - It can seem impossible to sort through the health news that comes out every day: Is coffee good for you? Is it bad? Does this or that give you cancer? The best solution, for now, may just be not to worry about it, Trine Tsouderos writes in the Chicago Tribune. Specific studies that seem to reveal a lot about a particular habit really don’t have much weight for the individual. More»