There are no hospitals in space. The closest E.R. is back on Earth, and astronauts can’t exactly jump in a cab to get there. So what happens if the sun burps out a massive blast of radiation while an astronaut is space-amblin’ by? More »
I lived in Italy for nearly 20 years, and it’s difficult to imagine Italians tolerating anyone tampering with their precious tomato, the main ingredient in their all-important “gravy”. But they seem to be OK with the newfangled “Realtomato” showing up in their caprese salads and Margherita pizzas. More »
When she was five, Alannah Shevenell’s doctors discovered the cause of her fever, weight loss, and distended belly — a sizable tumour spreading throughout her body. After two failed surgeries and rounds of chemo, her doctors had just one option left; a risky surgery to replace six of her cancerous organs. More »
The ancient Greeks called the thapsia garganica plant “deadly carrot”, because their camels would eat it and quickly die. The Roman emperor Nero mixed it with frankincense to treat bruises. Until the early 20th century, it was used in a plaster to treat rheumatism — the side effects, however, were barely worth the cure. More »
You’d think that a tumour shrinking would be considered good news for anyone suffering from cancer. Maybe not. Scientists have found that a type of cancer treatment aimed at shrinking tumours can actually make them spread more efficiently and kill patients quicker. More »
Scientists use spectroscopy to examine the makeup of celestial objects. Now they’re taking the technology in a decidedly different direction and using it to detect ovarian cancer. More »
Nicotine patches significantly improved attention and memory in older people suffering from mild cognitive impairment, which often leads to Alzheimer’s, according to a new study. More »
Don Wright was diagnosed with myeloma — cancer in his blood cells and bone marrow — two weeks after running his first marathon. His doctor gave him a five-year survival estimate. Eight years later he has run 59 26.2-mile races in 41 states and takes just one pill per day to keep his cancer at bay. More »
A new sprayable reagent has been developed by Japanese researchers that makes small tumours, typically missed by CT scans, visibly glow within minutes of being applied — making them easier to spot and remove during surgery. More »
It doesn’t matter how advanced a breast cancer detection system is, it’s only effective if patients have access to it. So Nihon University has developed a portable unit that can be taken to those without access to a hospital. More »
