Commonly prescribed sleeping pills are linked to manifold risk of premature death, says a study. These medications were also associated at higher doses with a 35-percent increased risk of cancer as compared with non-users, but the reason for this is unclear. Doctors led by Daniel Kripke of the Scripps Clinic Viterbi Family Sleep Center in La Jolla, California, looked at the medical records of more than 10,500 adults living in Pennsylvania who were … full story

Aspirin and other household drugs may inhibit the spread of cancer because they help shut down the chemical "highways" which feed tumours, Australian researchers said Tuesday. Scientists at Melbourne's Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre said they have made a biological breakthrough helping explain how lymphatic vessels - key to the transmission of tumours throughout the body - respond to cancer. "We've shown that molecules like the aspirin could effectively … full story

A genetic mutation appears to help survival rates in women who suffer from a common type of ovarian cancer, a new study released Tuesday found. The research appearing in the January 25 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed the mutations were found in six percent to 15 percent of women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Kelly Bolton of the National Cancer Institute, in Bethesda, Maryland and colleagues found … full story

US researchers said Wednesday they have found the first genetic mutation linked to an inherited form of prostate cancer, raising new hope of one day improving early screening for the disease. The mutation appears only in a small subset of prostate cancer patients, but those who inherited it showed 10 to 20 times higher risk of developing prostate cancer, particularly before age 55, the researchers said. The advance, described in the New England … full story

A large new European study finds that simply eating a lot of fruits and vegetables may not be enough to stave off the weight gain that often comes with age -- except for people who recently quit smoking. Researchers found that of nearly 374,000 adults in 10 European countries, who were followed for five years, those who ate the most fruits and vegetables were no less likely to gain weight once other factors -- like calorie intake and exercise habits … full story

A woman's lung cancer risk doesn't appear to be linked to the number of children she has, although some scientists had thought hormonal changes during pregnancy might protect against the disease. That's according to a new report that sums up 16 previous studies on the topic, which researchers have explored to get a better understanding of lung cancer and possible treatments. If lung cancer in women were tied to hormones the same way some breast … full story

Extra vitamin D and calcium may offer some protection against fractures in elderly people, but have little or no impact on cancer risk, according to a fresh look at the medical evidence. Some research has suggested that vitamin D, with or without calcium, might help stave off cancer, but recent trials have slashed those hopes. "It turns out that as a group, all of the micronutrient supplements have been disappointing," said Dr. Michael Pollak, … full story

People who have never smoked, but who live in areas with higher air pollution levels, are roughly 20 percent more likely to die from lung cancer than people who live with cleaner air, researchers conclude in a new study. "It's another argument for why the regulatory levels (for air pollutants) be as low as possible," said Francine Laden, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, who was not involved in the research. Though smoking is … full story

Those who say they cannot quit smoking, no matter how hard they try, could now blame their genes. Scientists have discovered a brain pathway which, if not functioning correctly, can lead to an uncontrollable desire to smoke, reports dailymail.co.uk. The fault lies in a receptor protein that is normally activated by the nicotine in cigarettes and dampens the desire for yet more of the drug. The team found that when rats were genetically changed … full story

Obesity comes with plenty of health risks but there’s one that’s perhaps not so well known — increased risk of developing liver cancer. Now, a team of researchers have confirmed in mice that obesity does act as a “bonafide tumour promoter”, and they have backed it up with real evidence. “Doctors always worry about our weight, but the focus is often on cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, both of which can be managed pretty well with existing … full story