New Technologies Make Lung Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment Quicker and Safer

Many aberrations picked up on lung cancer screens are harmless and benign, but a dangerous few are not. 

Now, robotic technology might quickly and safely sort out the good from the bad, a new study suggests. That could be a big win for patients, said lead author Dr. Sebastian Fernandez-Bussy. 

"Lung cancer survival depends ...

Move Over, Cigarettes: Vapes Now the Leading Nicotine Danger for Kids

For decades, cigarettes in American homes were the bane of child health experts. 

But as their use has plummeted, a new foe has emerged: Vaping.

Looking at more than 92,000 U.S. poison control center reports of "nicotine exposures" in kids under the age of 6, researchers found that exposures from cigarettes and other traditional...

Getting a Scan? Time to Results Has Doubled Since 2014

A look at millions of medical imaging orders finds Americans are waiting twice as long now for their results as they did in 2014, with the biggest surge in wait times occurring recently.

Shortages of trained radiologists are to blame for the problem, with poorer communities being especially hard hit, researchers say.

“While tur...

Autoimmune Diseases Like Lupus, Psoriasis May Raise Cancer Risk

Cancer risk is higher for people battling autoimmune diseases, but the danger declines after they start taking anti-inflammatory medications, a new report finds.

Italian researchers reporting in the journal Cancers found a 32% increase in the odds for cancer in the first year after a diagnosis for an autoimmune disease such as lup...

DNA-Based Blood Test Could Help Guide Throat Cancer Treatment

People battling throat cancer may gain extra guidance on their treatment with DNA blood tests taken before and after tumor-removing surgery, a new study shows.

In a new trial involving 104 patients, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing helped doctors make decisions about the need for further treatment, researchers said.

The patients...

Could Low Birth Weight Raise Odds for an Early Stroke?

Being born especially tiny might confer a long-term rise in risk for stroke at a relatively young age, new data suggests.

The Swedish study couldn't prove cause-and-effect, but the association suggests that doctors might want to consider birth weight as a factor when assessing stroke risk in young adults, researchers said.

"Lower bir...