Cost often influences breast cancer patients' decisions about surgery, even if they have good incomes and insurance, a new study finds.

"Eligible women with early-stage breast cancer often have choices for surgical treatments that are equally effective and result in excellent cancer outcomes," said lead study author Dr. Rachel Greenup. She is a surgeon at Duke Cancer Institute in Durh...

It's only been tried so far in guinea pigs, but researchers say a combination of a vaccine and a medicated cream could greatly lower recurrence of genital herpes.

The condition is very common, affecting about one out of six Americans between the ages of 14 and 49, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There's currently no cure and attempts to develop a vacc...

Many older men take testosterone to boost their sex drive, but new research suggests that postmenopausal women who struggle with a sagging libido might want to follow suit.

Applied topically, the hormone appears to increase women's sexual function and satisfaction, according to a new review of 36 clinical trials involving nearly 8,500 women.

Women naturally produce testoster...

Just 15 minutes can make a difference when someone is struck by a stroke, new research suggests.

The study included more than 6,700 patients in the United States and Canada who suffered an ischemic stroke (blocked blood flow to the brain) and were treated with anti-clotting therapy.

For every 1,000 patients whose treatment began 15 minutes sooner after their arrival at the h...

Obese children may be twice as likely to develop multiple sclerosis, a new study suggests.

And once obese children are diagnosed, they tend to have a poorer response to their initial treatment than average-weight kids do.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disorder caused by a misguided immune system attack on the body's myelin -- the protective sheath around nerve fi...

When a hurricane strikes, as tropical storm Barry did this weekend in Louisiana, most people worry about the immediate health dangers such a storm poses.

But new research suggests that the interruptions in radiation therapy caused by power outages may also lower the chances of long-term survival among lung cancer patients.

"While we could not analyze every potentially expla...

Know someone who just can't put down the controller in the middle of online games like Fortnite or League of Legends?

German researchers think they've developed a way to help break the compulsive habit.

In a new study, the research team reported that they've developed a short-term type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat gaming addictions. It combines components ...

Soon after a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer, drugs that lower levels of testosterone are often offered as treatment, since testosterone fuels the cancer's growth.

But a major new study suggests that this approach might have an unwanted side effect: Higher odds for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

"Our results suggest that clinicians need to raise their awarene...

In what specialists say could be a turning point in care, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the first drug to treat chronic sinusitis that involves the growth of polyps within the sinuses.

Dupixent (dupilumab) is given by injection every two weeks. It was approved to treat patients with nasal polyps and chronic rhinosinusitis -- defined as a prolonged inflamm...

A man who learns he has prostate cancer faces a difficult choice: whether to immediately treat the cancer despite potential side effects or wait and see if it's a slow-growing tumor that never needs treatment.

Men may soon have help making that decision.

Researchers from the United Kingdom report that they've created a urine test that can predict the aggressiveness of a pr...

In an effort to improve the lives of millions of people with asthma, researchers say they've completed the first mapping of lung and airway cells, which may lead to new therapies for the common lung condition.

The mapping reveals differences between airways in people with and without asthma, and in how lung cells communicate with one another, the study authors said.

Unders...

For people recovering from surgery or dealing with a painful injury, an expert suggests that there are a number of safer alternatives for managing pain than using potentially addictive opioids.

"Today, more than ever before, we have a host of other methods that can effectively lessen pain," Dr. James Grant, chair of the department of anesthesiology at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, sa...

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy is rare and thought to mainly affect people with hard-to-treat seizures, but a new study suggests that even people with well-controlled epilepsy may be at risk.

That was especially true if someone had missed their last dose of medication or was sleep-deprived, the researchers found. Drinking too much alcohol was also implicated in some of the sudden...

If you're looking to improve your heart health, getting regular exercise and eating healthy foods can definitely help, but new research says popping a daily vitamin D supplement won't.

The research -- a meta-analysis of 21 randomized clinical trials involving more than 83,000 people -- found no decrease in major cardiovascular events in people taking vitamin D supplements. There was ...

In most patients with metastatic colon cancer, the disease may have begun spreading throughout the body very early on -- when the original tumor was no bigger than a poppy seed, a new study suggests.

Metastatic refers to the most advanced stage of cancer, when the original tumor has spread to distant sites in the body.

Traditionally, that's been seen as a "late" event -- the...

A new study supports the notion that a drug used to control epilepsy and other disorders could make some young people more prone to suicide.

The medicine, pregabalin (Lyrica), comes from a class of drugs called gabapentinoids. Besides their use against epilepsy, these drugs are also used to treat nerve pain and anxiety disorders, as well as symptoms of Parkinson's disease. But accordi...

Radiation treatment for lung cancer can help extend lives, but it might also raise a patient's odds for heart attacks and heart failure, a new study shows.

Many patients may have no choice but to accept the risk: For about half of people diagnosed with the number one cancer killer, radiation remains the only viable treatment, the research team noted.

"This is alarming data -...

Monitoring a melanoma patient's progress is challenging. But a laser-based test might allow doctors to quickly screen the patient's blood to spot tumor cells roaming the body, a preliminary study suggests.

Those cells, known as circulating tumor cells, are "shed" from the original cancer site into the blood vessels or lymph system. They are considered a potential red flag. They could ...

A daily pill that can block transmission of HIV should be prescribed to people at high risk of infection with the AIDS-causing virus, according to a highly influential panel of experts.

The treatment -- called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) -- has proven highly effective at preventing HIV spread in clinical trials, an evidence review by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPST...

Spinach-loving seniors, rejoice. A new study suggests that -- despite doctor warnings to the contrary -- you can eat leafy greens rich in vitamin K if you are taking the blood thinner warfarin.

In fact, "I think all warfarin-treated patients would benefit from increasing their daily vitamin K intake," said lead author Guylaine Ferland. She's a professor of nutrition at University of ...

People with Alzheimer's disease who take opioid painkillers are more likely to develop pneumonia, Finnish researchers report.

The overall odds are 30% higher, especially in the first two months of use, the researchers found. And the risk is highest for those taking strong opioids such as oxycodone or fentanyl.

However, pneumonia risk also rose among Alzheimer's patients ...

Wendy Lybarger lived an hour's drive from the hospital where her breast cancer would be treated, so she was looking forward to a heaping helping of hassle.

For as many as six weeks, she'd have to travel there every weekday to receive radiation treatments after surgery to remove the small lump in her breast.

But then her doctor offered her another option -- more focused and f...

New research should reassure dads-to-be who've had testicular cancer that treatment with radiation or chemotherapy doesn't raise the risk of fathering babies with birth defects.

"Our research set out to investigate whether treatment for the most common cancer among young men leads to a higher risk of fathering a child with a birth defect and we saw no increased risk associated with ca...

When people who are addicted to opioids make the difficult decision to quit, the last thing they need to face are barriers to treatment.

Yet, a new "secret shopper" study suggests most addicts seeking a prescription for buprenorphine -- which helps people stop using opioids -- would have trouble even getting an appointment with a doctor qualified to dispense the drug.

When r...

Ever wonder why a drug that works for someone else doesn't seem to work for you? You might want to check your gut for the answer.

Gut bacteria that process more than 150 medicines have been pinpointed by researchers, who also identified genes that give the bacteria this ability.

The findings underline the role gut bacteria play in how well people respond to medications, acco...

Cutting-edge prostate cancer drugs that help extend life in the toughest cases might also be useful in fighting less aggressive tumors, two new clinical trials suggest.

Two drugs that interfere with cancer's ability to use testosterone for fuel, apalutamide (Erleada) and enzalutamide (Xtandi), are already approved for use against more advanced prostate tumors that don't respond to reg...

Adding a newer drug to standard hormone therapy lengthens the lives of younger women with advanced breast cancer, a new trial has found.

The drug, called Kisqali (ribociclib), is already approved for treating such patients -- based on earlier results showing it can delay the progression of their cancer.

This is the first evidence it can also extend their lives, said senior ...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration took a good look at the safety and effectiveness of CBD products on Friday, as it weighs how to best regulate the hemp-derived compound going forward.

During a public hearing that stretched for hours, the agency heard testimony from folks on all sides of the issue.

In opening the hearing, FDA Acting Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless said, ...

Reading the notes your doctor makes during your visit appears to be good medicine.

An online survey of 20,000 adults treated at three U.S. health systems that have made clinical notes available to patients for several years finds that those who actually read them may be more likely to take medications as prescribed.

Patients listed several benefits of reading the notes: 64&#...

Heart failure is a common ailment afflicting older Americans, and many take drugs called diuretics to rid the body of excess fluid buildup that can impede breathing.

Now, a team of Brazilian researchers say that, in some cases, it's safe for patients with stable heart failure to stop taking diuretic drugs.

"Patients don't like using diuretics because they feel they have to s...

"Superbugs" strike fear in the hearts of scientists who are racing to find new drugs to fight these dangerous infections, but British researchers now report they have developed a compound that could battle these antibiotic-resistant bacteria in an entirely new way.

The compound, a metal complex based on the element ruthenium, "works by binding to the cell wall of bacteria and disrupti...

Women who suffer a cardiac arrest in public are less likely than men to get resuscitation help from bystanders, and more likely to die, new research shows.

For the study, scientists analyzed data on more than 5,700 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests that occurred in a province of the Netherlands between 2006 and 2012. Women accounted for 28% of those cases.

Men were more li...

"Watchful waiting" is on the rise overall among U.S. men with low-risk prostate cancer, but black men remain less likely to opt for it, a new study finds.

For the study, researchers examined 2010-2015 data on more than 50,000 low-risk prostate cancer patients in the United States. The investigators found that black men were 16% less likely than other men to decide on watchful wai...

A widely used type of asthma medication may not work in more than half of patients who are prescribed it, new research shows.

Inhaled corticosteroids, which are designed to reduce airway inflammation, are recommended for all patients with persistent asthma.

But this medication's effectiveness may be limited to a type of inflammation that occurs in far fewer patients than onc...

Cannabidiol (CBD) has been receiving a lot of attention lately as a potential treatment for everything from epilepsy to anxiety. Now, researchers report it might also help curb the cravings that come with opioid addiction.

Like marijuana, CBD comes from the cannabis plant. Unlike pot, it does not produce a high.

The study included 42 men and women with a history of heroin a...

Java junkies can sniff out even tiny amounts of coffee, and the more they drink, the better they can smell it, British researchers say.

It's a discovery with powerful implications for treating people addicted to substances with a distinct smell.

"The higher the caffeine use, the quicker a person recognized the odor of coffee," said study leader Lorenzo Stafford. He is an ol...

Transgender women on gender-confirming hormone therapy have increased odds of breast cancer, but the overall risk is low and not as high as it is for the general female population, a new study finds.

Trans women are those who were declared male at birth but identify as female.

Previous research has shown that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases breast cancer risk in ...

To treat, or not to treat: That remains one of the tough conundrums for men with prostate cancer and their doctors, because some tumors may be aggressive, while others may take decades to cause harm.

Now, new research suggests that tracking specific changes in the number of chromosomes inside prostate cancer cells might help solve the riddle.

Besides giving new insights into...

THURSDAY, May 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Could people struggling with obesity make headway in their efforts to shed pounds without having to go under the knife?

New preliminary research suggests it's possible: A non-surgical procedure may help moderately obese people lose weight -- and keep it off.

Unlike standard weight-loss surgery, endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) r...

For years, many people suffering a stroke have not been able to get a critical drug due to time limits on its use. Now, a new study suggests that treatment time window can be doubled.

Experts said the findings could open up the treatment option for many more stroke victims.

The drug is called tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA. It can dissolve the blood clot causing a pers...

When it comes to opioid addiction treatments, money and race matter, researchers say.

White, wealthy Americans are much more likely to receive medication for their addiction than minorities and the poor, the new study found.

Racial and financial differences have only grown wider as the opioid crisis in the United States has worsened, even though opioid addiction rates are s...

Men who take medicines for an enlarged prostate can have years-long delays in their diagnosis of prostate cancer and more advanced prostate cancer when they're diagnosed, a new study finds.

The reason? Drugs in this class -- such as Proscar (finasteride) and Avodart (dutasteride) -- can drive down blood levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). That's the blood marker doctors period...

When men with prostate cancer have to take drugs that block the testosterone fueling their tumors, they can suffer a host of side effects that include impotence, bone loss, heart trouble and obesity.

But new research uncovers yet another possible downside to the treatment: These men may be at greater risk for dementia.

For any type of dementia, that risk increased 17%; f...

A severe and potentially disabling form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects up to 5% of women of childbearing age, an expert says.

Like PMS, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) may cause bloating, breast tenderness, fatigue and changes in sleep and eating habits. In PMDD, at least one of these symptoms also occurs: sadness or hopelessness; anxiety or tension; extreme moodine...

A gene therapy that tweaks the immune system might offer hope to people with blood cancer that has resisted standard treatments, a new preliminary trial suggests.

The cancer, called multiple myeloma, arises in certain white blood cells. It is currently incurable, but there are treatments that can help people live with the disease for years.

However, most people eventually pr...

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is widely used in the United States to help infertile couples have children. But there are a number of things people should know when considering it, an infertility specialist says.

"Many factors … can affect the success of an IVF cycle, but many people view IVF as their safety net that ensures they can have a child anytime," said Dr. Rashmi Kudesia...

Hormone-based treatment might improve social function in people with autism, a pair of new clinical trials suggests.

Both focused on vasopressin, a hormone that has been implicated in the brain's ability to manage social behavior.

In the first trial, vasopressin given as a nasal spray helped improve social responsiveness in kids with autism, said lead researcher Karen Parker...

Treating men with low-risk prostate cancer with just one high dose of radiation may be safe and effective, British researchers report.

Therapy for prostate cancer typically involves low-dose radiation given over several days or weeks. Conversely, high-dose radiation is given once through a set of tiny tubes inserted directly into the tumor.

"For low-risk patients, a single ...

For women with hormone-driven breast cancer, adding radiation to hormone therapy might keep their cancer from coming back for up to a decade, a new study finds.

Breast cancer didn't come back in the same breast for 97.5% of women who had radiation therapy plus hormone therapy compared to just over 92% of women who had hormone therapy alone, the researchers said.

In ...

Too many women with heart disease aren't heeding exercise guidelines, and that could translate into even more health problems down the road, new research suggests.

"Physical activity is a known, cost-effective prevention strategy for women with and without cardiovascular disease, and our study shows worsening health and financial trends over time among women with cardiovascular diseas...