DNA Screening May Help Beat Ovarian Cancer

Childhood leukemia victims run low on methotrexate

(NEWSER) - Bad news for Americans with childhood leukemia: A critical medicine used to treat the disease is so hard to find that hundreds or thousands of kids could die, the New York Times reports. Methotrexate, typically used to treat leukemia in children aged 2 to 5, fell into short supply after an Ohio company stopped making it due to "manufacturing and quality concerns." Says an FDA official: "This is dire. Supplies are just not meeting demand.” More»

In fact, it can actually have negative impact

(NEWSER) - Bad news from a new cancer study: Not only does ovarian cancer screening not reduce the number of deaths from the disease—it also leads to unnecessary treatment for false positives. The 16-year study of 78,000 women found that doctors "were unable to detect ovarian cancers any earlier" in women who received annual screenings than in those who did not, says the study author. More»

They can cause PFCs to build up in the blood

(NEWSER) - Bad news for ski addicts who crave speed: The ski wax that makes skis go faster could cause cancer. Scientific American reports on new research that suggests ski wax users are exposed to perfluorochemicals, with potentially deadly results. Two recent studies found high levels of PFCs in the blood of the wax technicians working for World Cup teams, who inhaled fumes and airborne wax particles for some 30 hours a week during the five-month race season. Their median levels of one compound, called PFOA, were as much as 45 times higher than normal. More»

Breast cancer, ovarian cancer, melanoma yield to new approaches

(NEWSER) - New treatments for cancer—breast, ovarian, and skin—raised hopes at this weekend's meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago. The findings aren't enough for Robert Langreth of Forbes , who sees "serious questions about whether big drug companies may be rushing too fast." Judge for yourself.

• A single dose of radiation administered at the site of tumor removal deterred recurrence of breast cancer as well as the standard grueling course of radiation on the entire breast, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The pollen that irks you could also be saving you

(NEWSER) - If pollen leaves you cursing your runny nose and itchy eyes each year, take solace in this upside: Allergy, asthma, and hay fever sufferers have significantly lower risks of developing many cancers. New studies show that asthmatics are 30% less likely to get ovarian cancer, while kids with airborne allergies are 40% less likely to get leukemia. That may be because people sensitive to allergens have advanced immune systems, and expel cancer-causing toxins when they sneeze out irritants, say experts. More»