Mariano Barbacid, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas CNIO
Pancreatic cancer currently has one of the least optimistic prognosis, with just 5% of patients surviving five years after diagnosis. A recent study opens a door to hope.
Coral reefs contain an intricate web of predators and prey.
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Researchers have just discovered a new species of bacteria that cranks out a deadly toxin. In a common arrangement in the marine environment, a slug and alga both use this toxin for their own defense.
Improvements in heart health accounted for more than half of the improvements in our overall health.
From shutterstock.com
On the whole, we’re living longer and healthier lives, thanks to advances in medical care, as well as lifestyle changes. But there are major differences in the health experiences of different groups.
Researchers have discovered a lineage of yeast species that ignores the laws of cell growth.
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Yeast isn’t just important for the foods we consume. A rogue lineage of yeast species that evolves faster than any other is revealing secrets that may help illuminate the molecular causes of cancer.
Hospitals have a role to play too.
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The elements that make up each column of the periodic table share a set of common traits. Here, a chemist describes group 15 and the crucial role phosphorus, in particular, plays in cancer.
Activated platelets (purple) on their way to heal a wound.
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Most cancer research has been done in Europe, there’s minimal data on African populations.
A map of DNA with the double helix colored blue, the landmarks in green, and the start points for copying the molecule in red.
David Gilbert/Kyle Klein
You are probably familiar with graphics depicting the double helix structure of DNA. But have you ever seen a single DNA molecule standing straight?
Smartphones make great citizen research tools. We take them everywhere and they have the functions (GPS, accelerometers, camera, audio, video) to sense, share and mobilize data between consenting citizens.
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We blame electronic devices for our increasingly sedentary behaviours. So why not harness them to study our movement patterns and tackle urgent health crises?
Labor has committed to increase bulk billing for a number of Medicare items for cancer care.
AAP/Tracey Nearmy
Health has taken centre stage of the election campaign. Here’s what you need to know to make sense of the claims (and counter claims) of the major parties so far.
The median out-of-pocket expenses for breast cancer treatment is A$4,192.
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Not all drug development needs to start from scratch. Sometimes researchers discover that a drug developed for one disease can be used for another. Here a cancer drug may show promise for dementia.
Most people with oesophageal cancer are over the age of 60, and it is often only diagnosed in its late stages.
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It’s not unusual to be fed a whole lot of complex medical information by your doctor. Having an audio recording of the consultation that you can play later can help you take it in.
Law and science seek proof in similar ways, but at very different speeds.
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What is proof? In both law and science, it’s basically a consensus of experts – but they work at very different speeds. That means juries may reach verdicts on an issue before the science is settled.