When it comes to deciding the age for starting mammography, family history of cancer should count more, according to an analysis of Swedish registries just published in JAMA Oncology. To identify the risk-adapted starting age [more]
The latest developments in the field of lung cancer were discussed last week in Barcelona (Spain) during the 20th edition of the World Conference on Lung Cancer organized by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). The focus of clinical studies ranged from screening to treatment of advanced disease. [more]
More convenient and less risky for patients than proper, traditional ones, liquid biopsies are being rapidly adopted; they can be performed on a serial basis and, in theory, give more complete information. However, doubts were [more]
An undesired effect of preventive screening for cancer is often overlooked: it’s not only the tendency to diagnose more and more cancers that would be likely to grow slowly – and to increase overdiagnosis – but [more]
To treat or not to treat? Different people respond in different ways to learning they have lesions that may or may not develop into threatening cancers. Charlotte Huff talks to ‘patients’, doctors and psychologists about [more]
The conclusions of the 2012 Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) could be wrong: the authors of the trial – published on the Journal of the National Cancer Institute – had found no [more]
May was awash with news stories about blood tests for prostate cancer. Reports that a new serum test called IsoPSA could predict prostate cancer more precisely than conventional PSA testing brought obvious interest. The new [more]
When it comes to breast cancer screening with mammography, are women receiving a coherent message about the best age to start and to stop, and about frequency? A survey examined the situation in the United [more]
The risk of developing breast cancer varies widely from woman to woman in ways we are increasingly able to define. Marc Beishon asks: Is it time to move to population screening for risk, and tailor mammography schedules – [more]
Tomosynthesis carries a great promise in improving cancer detection and reducing the number of false positives. As yet its drawbacks are: higher and longer radiation exposure, longer compression time and therefore longer lasting pain and [more]
Sustaining a good quality of life becomes harder as cancers progress. Advocates are saying their needs have gone unmet for too long, and are working with professionals to define what they need and how best [more]
Most people carrying harmful BRCA mutations only find out after they are diagnosed with cancer, and often not even then. Population screening is costly and the results can be hard to interpret. But should we [more]
A new conference looks at the social as well as individual implications of how we use diagnostic tests that cannot accurately pick out real from apparent threats. Improving the way we spot, report and explore [more]