Reuters: Health News

Roche's Tecentriq wins U.S. approval for aggressive breast cancer

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 12:58:33 -0500

Roche won U.S. approval on Friday of its immunotherapy Tecentriq to treat a significant slice of patients with aggressive triple-negative breast cancer, though the Swiss drugmaker still has work to do to prove its treatment's merit.

Pediatricians explain the how and why of genetic testing in children

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 11:32:45 -0500

(Reuters Health) - If a child has developmental disabilities or delays in motor, speech or cognitive function, a pediatrician may recommend a genetic consultation and genetic testing, doctors write in a new patient resource published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Hip exercises may improve walking, pain with knee arthritis

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 11:28:11 -0500

(Reuters Health) - Patients with arthritic knees can add hip-strengthening exercises to their workout to improve the ability to walk and maybe reduce pain, according to a research review.

As polio goal nears, Pakistan pushes against vaccine misinformation

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 10:39:16 -0500

As Pakistan closes in on eradicating polio, Prime Minister Imran Khan's office has urged the country's telecoms regulator to take action against misinformation spread on social media discouraging vaccination against it and other diseases.

Eight years on, water woes threaten Fukushima cleanup

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 08:33:07 -0500

Eight years after the Fukushima nuclear crisis, a fresh obstacle threatens to undermine the massive clean-up: 1 million tons of contaminated water must be stored, possibly for years, at the power plant.

Without vaccine, hundreds of children die in Madagascar measles outbreak

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 08:13:18 -0500

Two months ago, giggles floated through the home of fisherman Dada as his four-year-old son played ball outside with his two younger cousins on one of Madagascar's famed sun soaked beaches.

WHO chief unveils reforms, with more science, apps and an academy

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 04:10:43 -0500

(Corrects names of universities in 12th paragraph of March 6 story to "Nanyang Technological University Singapore and the CGFNS International" from "the National University of Singapore and IMD in Lausanne", following a correction by the WHO)

Dutch join backlash at expensive drugs by making their own

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 02:17:31 -0500

In a radiation-proof room at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, Emar Thomasa sits behind shielded glass as he carefully measures and mixes lutetium octreotate, an intravenous treatment for certain types of cancer.

Roche gets European approval for Tecentriq combo vs. lung cancer

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 01:20:59 -0500

Roche has received European Commission approval for its Tecentriq drug in combination with Avastin and chemotherapy as an initial treatment for people with a specific type of lung cancer, the Swiss pharma company said on Friday.

Knee surgery for torn cartilage may not be worthwhile

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 16:23:14 -0500

(Reuters Health) - Many middle-aged and older adults with torn cartilage and pain in their knee are not likely to benefit from so-called arthroscopic surgery, a review of past studies suggests.

Long-term obesity tied to higher dementia risk in healthy older adults

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 16:01:37 -0500

(Reuters Health) - Healthy older adults who have been obese for years may be at higher risk of developing dementia than their peers who aren't overweight, research from the UK suggests.

Seniors increasingly breaking bones while walking dogs

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 13:22:23 -0500

(Reuters Health) - Older adults who walk their dogs on a leash have been breaking bones at an increasing rate, with women and hip bones most at risk, researchers say.

Beer first or wine, either way might not be fine

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 13:15:50 -0500

(Reuters Health) - The old adage that drinking beer before wine prevents hangovers turns out to be a myth, German researchers say.

Battle against Ebola being lost amid militarized response, MSF says

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 11:02:59 -0500

The battle against Ebola in Democratic Republic of Congo is failing because ordinary people do not trust health workers and an overly militarized response is alienating patients and families, the medical charity MSF said on Thursday.

EU food agency must release glyphosate studies: court

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 06:12:01 -0500

The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) must disclose details of studies on the toxicity and carcinogenic properties of glyphosate, EU judges ruled on Thursday, cheering campaigners who want the weedkiller banned.

China reports new African swine fever outbreak in Guangxi region

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 05:25:52 -0500

China on Thursday confirmed a new outbreak of African swine fever in the Guangxi Autonomous Region, in the country's south, as the highly contagious disease spreads through the world's largest hog herd.

FDA finds asbestos in three Claire's cosmetics products

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 21:51:15 -0500

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration called on Congress to modernize rules for cosmetics safety on Tuesday after it issued an alert warning consumers not to use three cosmetics products sold by Claire's Stores Inc because they tested positive for asbestos, a known carcinogen.

U.S. bolsters 'Beagle Brigade' to sniff out deadly hog virus

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 18:57:44 -0500

The U.S. government will employ more dogs to sniff out illegal pork products at airports and seaports in an effort to keep out a contagious hog disease that has spread across Asia and Europe, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday.

Aerobic exercise eases depression, even in chronically ill

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 18:46:41 -0500

(Reuters Health) - People with chronic health problems who suffer from depression may find their mood improve when they do aerobic exercise, a research review suggests.

Allergan depression treatment fails studies, shares slip

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 18:27:51 -0500

Allergan Plc said on Wednesday its experimental add-on treatment for depression failed three late-stage studies, casting doubts over its drugs pipeline and sending the Botox-maker's shares down nearly 4 percent after the bell.