Dear Friends,
Welcome to my December news update with the pick of the most interesting stories in health and wellbeing over the last month. Please explore these new findings and be sure to share them with your friends, families and colleagues.
With warmest good wishes,
Dr Rosy Daniel
Uplifting Cancer News
Immunotherapy offers hope for men with prostate cancer
A major trial of an immunotherapy drug has shown it can be effective in some men with advanced prostate cancer. The men had stopped responding to the main treatment options. Researchers found that a small proportion of men, described as “super responders”, remained well even after the trial ended, despite a very poor prognosis before treatment. Last week it was reported the same drug had proved effective in treating advanced head and neck cancers.
Read the full BBC Article:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-50577728
Breast Cancer Early Detection
Simple blood test for early detection of breast cancer
Breast cancer could be detected up to five years before there are any clinical signs of it, using a blood test that identifies the body’s immune response to substances produced by tumour cells, according to new research presented at the 2019 NCRI Cancer Conference today (Sunday). Cancer cells produce proteins called antigens that trigger the body to make antibodies against them — autoantibodies. Researchers at the University of Nottingham (UK) have found that these tumour-associated antigens (TAAs) are good indicators of cancer, and now they have developed panels of TAAs that are known already to be associated with breast cancer to detect whether or not there are autoantibodies against them in blood samples taken from patients.
Read the full Science Daily Article:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191103125418.htm
Cannabis-based Medicines
Cannabis-based medicines: Two drugs approved for NHS
Two cannabis-based medicines, used to treat epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, have been approved for use by the NHS in England. It follows new guidelines from the drugs advisory body NICE, which looked at products for several conditions. Charities have welcomed the move, although some campaigners who have been fighting for access to the drugs have said it does not go far enough. Both medicines were developed in the UK, where they are also grown. Doctors will be able to prescribe Epidyolex, for children with two types of severe epilepsy – Lennox Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome – which can cause multiple seizures a day.
Read the full BBC Article:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-50351868
Carbon Dioxide Capture
Carbon dioxide capture and use could become big business
Capturing carbon dioxide and turning it into commercial products, such as fuels or construction materials, could become a new global industry, according to a study by researchers from UCLA, the University of Oxford and five other institutions. Should that happen, the phenomenon would help the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The research, published in Nature, is the most comprehensive study to date investigating the potential future scale and cost of 10 different ways to use carbon dioxide, including in fuels and chemicals, plastics, building materials, soil management and forestry.
Read the full Science Daily Article:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191107093927.htm
The Arts and Health
WHO Study – What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? (2019)
Arts interventions, such as singing in a choir to improve chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, are considered non-invasive, low-risk treatment options and are increasingly being used by Member States to supplement more traditional biomedical treatments. The Health Evidence Network (HEN) synthesis report on arts and health maps the global academic literature on this subject in both English and Russian. It references over 900 publications, including 200 reviews, covering over 3000 further studies. As such, the report represents the most comprehensive evidence review of arts and health to date.
Read the full WHO Article:
Loneliness and Health Risks
Loneliness may increase death risk in people with heart conditions
“Lonely heart patients at ‘increased risk of dying’ after leaving hospital,” reports The Independent. A survey of people with heart disease discharged from hospitals in Denmark found that those who said they felt lonely were more likely to report feeling depressed and anxious, report a lower quality of life and were almost 3 times more likely to have died within a year of being discharged.
Read the full NHS Article:
https://www.nhs.uk/news/heart-and-lungs/loneliness-may-increase-death-risk-people-heart-conditions/
To see lots more exciting news and evidence go to www.health-e-learning.org.uk and see the health-e-information platform.
Researcher – Sophie Daniel, Health and Wellbeing Trust
Images bought from iStock Getty images – https://www.istockphoto.com