Treatment: Subsidy to cut cost of treatment for killer prostate cancer
04 April 2022
A high-cost treatment for aggressive prostate cancer will now be available for more men who have the cancer causing BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, with the treatment Lynparza now subsidised. The $78,000 a year treatment will now cost $42.50 a month for gener... more
Tobacco: The vapes of wrath
04 April 2022
An increase in teenagers vaping at school, has prompted action from the West Australian Education Minister Sue Ellery, as principals report kids daring one another to use e-cigarettes in class. Ms Ellery has ordered the department to look into how to... more
Medical and Scientific: Scientists in DNA triumph
04 April 2022
Scientists have generated the first complete sequence of the human genome, that will pave the way for developing personalised medicine. The discovery published in the Science journal, will provide insights for tailoring medical care, for genetic dise... more
Treatment: Super meds script
04 April 2022
Lifesaving medicines used to treat cancer, kidney diseases and other illnesses will be customised for patients and made in Victoria, following a $23m investment from the federal government. On Monday, Scott Morrison will announce a funding boost for ... more
Treatment: Scalpel to waiting lists
04 April 2022
The Victorian government will invest $1.5bn into the “Covid catch up plan” to address the healthcare crisis, including funding for an extra 40,000 surgeries to be performed by March 2023. The action aims to clear the elective surgery waiting list and... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer genetics find proves a lifesaver
04 April 2022
Australian scientists are investigating genetic similarities to try to identify new cancer-causing mutations that may put women at risk of breast cancer. The BRA-STRAP study has scanned more than 300,000 blood samples taken from people with breast ca... more
Skin Cancer: Surging threat of sun exposed
31 March 2022
New international research has found that melanoma deaths are predicted to rise by 68 per cent in less than 20 years. The research also found that the rates of melanoma are higher in Australia and New Zealand than any other country, with 42 men per 1... more
Treatment: Giving hope to sufferers
30 March 2022
The federal government will now subsidise the cancer drug Trodelvy, following extensive lobbying for expedited access. The drug is used to treat women with a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis, however it costs up to $80,000 per treatment. Treas... more
Medical and Scientific: Stricter industry rules aim to protect breast implant patients
30 March 2022
New guidelines will come into effect for doctors performing breast implant surgery, as the national regulator cracks down on the multi-billion dollar cosmetic surgery industry. The new guidelines will aim to protect patients after years of complaints... more
Health Services: Medicines savings are just the tonic
30 March 2022
Cheaper medicines, PBS listing of a high-cost breast cancer treatment, access to MRI scans for regional and rural communities and additional pandemic funding, are some of the commitments made to health in the federal budget. Medicine prices will be r... more
Health Services: Scheme paves way for baby, toddler jabs
30 March 2022
A $1bn extension to the national vaccine rollout, including funding for babies and young children, is one of several commitments to health spending made by the Morrison government. Total health expenditure for 2022-2023 is $105.8 billion. This includ... more
Health Services: Plea to split bill on hospitals ignored
30 March 2022
The federal government has denied requests from state governments for an equal split of hospital funding, doubling down on previous commitments to boost hospital spending to $28.1bn over the next year. State governments argued that the pressures of C... more
Nutrition, Obesity and Physical Activity: Fake sugar cancer call
29 March 2022
New research has found a possible association between consumption of artificial sweeteners and an increased cancer risk. The observational study analysed 24-hour dietary records and data from more than 100,000 adults who self-reported their medical h... more
Supportive Care: $375M for WA cancer centre
28 March 2022
The Federal Government has announced that Western Australia will get a dedicated cancer treatment centre as part of a $375 million investment. The centre will be based on the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse in Sydney and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in ... more
Nutrition, Obesity and Physical Activity: How our daily cup of coffee is the healthy pick-me-up we need
28 March 2022
Research suggests that drinking coffee reduces the risk of suffering several health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and some cancers. A recently published 10 year study shows moderate coffee consumption is linked with a low... more
Nutrition, Obesity and Physical Activity: Warning to youngsters
28 March 2022
Researchers at Deakin University have found that toddlers who have a less healthy breakfast are more likely to be overweight by the time they start school. The study tracked 320 children at age 18 months, three and five years for the first 2000 days ... more
Skin Cancer: Apps can ‘spot’ a cancer on your skin
28 March 2022
An app that claims to detect the most common signs of skin cancer has been registered by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Users choose a location on the body map on the SkinVision app, then use a camera to get an instant risk assessment from an ... more
Supportive Care: Plan to stop medical bills bankrupting Australian cancer patients
24 March 2022
Hundreds of thousands of cancer patients financially crippled by medical gap payments of up to $22,000 would be saved by a plan for a “cancer care no gaps” scheme. Under the $76 million-a-year plan, the Medicare Safety Net would immediately kick in t... more
Skin Cancer: Tradies risking their lives as UV rays become a burning issue
24 March 2022
Australian tradies are being reminded to use sun protection, as new data reveals that one in four tradies rarely use sunscreen in summer and half do not use sunscreen in winter. This is despite six in 10 Australian tradies knowing someone who has dev... more
Supportive Care: Financial fix will aid cancer patients
24 March 2022
Advocates say a “cancer care, no gaps” scheme could support hundreds of thousands of cancer patients financially crippled by medical gap payments of up to $20,000. The proposed $76m per year plan would introduce a Medicare safety net that would activ... more
Medical and Scientific: Trial gives kids hope
23 March 2022
A world-first clinical trial is investigating a treatment for children living with Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T), a rare genetic disorder which increases the likelihood of those affected dying of cancer in their 20s. Claudia Giurgiuman, Chief Executive... more
Medical and Scientific: Potential lifesaving hope for vulnerable
23 March 2022
Queensland researchers have found that immunotherapy using T cells from COVID-19 survivors could potentially provide extra protection for immunocompromised people with COVID-19. While vaccination remains effective, Professor Corey Smith, the lead res... more
Treatment: Breakthrough treatment gives hope to cancer sufferers
22 March 2022
A radioactive drug used to treat advanced prostate, stomach and bowel cancers could now be available to more patients. Theranostics is a nuclear medicine treatment that can be used to treat prostate, gastrointestinal and neuroendocrine tumours that h... more
Tobacco: Doctors call to ban vapes ‘aimed at kids’
21 March 2022
Australian doctors are calling for a ban of non-nicotine vaping products designed to appeal to kids. The products cause unknown long term health consequences, while creating confusion that allows an e-cigarette black market to continue. The Herald ha... more
Treatment: Chemo improvement hope
21 March 2022
Australian researchers have found a new way to deliver chemotherapy that has the potential reduce the toxic side effects experienced by many cancer patients. Drugs are hidden within nanoscopic fatty membranes, or liposomes, which have the ability to ... more
Treatment: I want time with kids
21 March 2022
Advocates are calling for tucatinib, a drug that has the potential to treat aggressive breast cancer, to be subsidised on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). When the PBS listing was assessed last year, the independent committee found the incre... more
Nutrition, Obesity and Physical Activity: Obese cancer risk
21 March 2022
New research published in JAMA Oncology has found that the risk of bowel cancer for people who are overweight or obese may have been underestimated. The study shows the risk of cancer is higher, the longer a person is overweight, stressing the import... more
Treatment: New hope for ‘Jolie gene’ risk
18 March 2022
New research reveals the drug olaparib can be used to treat people with early-stage breast cancer who have mutations on the BRCA1 or 2 genes. The international OlympiA trial studied 1836 patients who have HER-2 negative breast cancer and these gene m... more
Tobacco: Ciggie tax a lifesaver
18 March 2022
New research has revealed that raising taxes on tobacco is associated with reduced neonatal and infant mortality. Studying the links between tobacco taxes and neonatal and infant mortality rates in 159 countries over 10 years, researchers found that ... more
Medical and Scientific: Imagion trials
18 March 2022
Imagion Biosystems has revealed that human trials of the MagSense breast cancer imaging product show that the “imaging agent is safe, well tolerated and is reaching patient’s lymph nodes”. Current nodal staging requires surgical removal of a patient’... more
Medical and Scientific: Australia to lead in drugs for cancer
17 March 2022
Australian researchers are seeking to develop life saving cancer drugs with a $61.2 million federal government investment into the genomic screening of cancer patients, as part of its Modern Manufacturing Initiative. The Australian Genomic Cancer Med... more
Health Services: Health at centre of ‘landmark’ overhaul
17 March 2022
To address ongoing stigma and discrimination, a new dedicated health centre for LGBTIQ+ people will open in Sydney. The NSW government has committed $4.2 million to ACON to establish a centre to provide primary care, mental and sexual health and canc... more
Supportive Care: Rare insight into a daily battle
16 March 2022
New Australian research has revealed that most parents of a child with cancer found the stresses, lockdowns and abandoned plans during the pandemic has helped others to understand the complex challenges they experience daily. Families affected by chi... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer fight boost
16 March 2022
The latest round of cancer research grants from the Victorian government will strengthen work to reduce the impact of cancer. One project will focus on reducing the impact of cancer cachexia, a disorder where patients experience extreme weight, muscl... more
Medical and Scientific: Imugene launches joint trial
16 March 2022
Biotech company Imugene is developing its tumour treatment HER-Vaxx through a research partnership with Merck & Co. The phase 2 trial of HER-Vaxx aims to test the safety and efficacy of HER-Vaxx for patients who have gastric cancer and have alrea... more
Tobacco: Campaign highlights health risk to teen vapers
15 March 2022
To prevent vaping amongst teenagers, the NSW government has launched a $300,000 education campaign. The campaign will feature the Get the Facts-Vaping Toolkit, containing resources and educational materials targeted at teachers, parents and students ... more
Medical and Scientific: Paths to recovery
15 March 2022
The federal government will invest $995,000 into improving the care of Australians diagnosed with blood cancers. The funding, given to the Leukaemia Foundation, will be used to develop five new care pathways that outline best practice for diagnosis, ... more
Treatment: Cancer drug gives hope
14 March 2022
Breast cancer patients have fresh hope with a new treatment reducing their risk of death by almost a third. The drug Lynparza, already subsidised in Australia for ovarian cancer has been shown to extend the lives of women with breast cancer. It is fo... more
Skin cancer: Genes link melanoma to auto-immune disease
14 March 2022
The discovery of a link between the genetic risk of melanoma and auto-immune disease could lead to better treatment for people with either condition, a new study by the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute has shown. “This finding doesn't mean p... more
Medical and scientific: Researchers ‘failing to declare pharma funds’
14 March 2022
A new study claims that one in four Australian medical researchers fails to declare important conflicts of interest in medical trials, such as payments from large pharmaceutical companies. The Journal of General Internal Medicine examined 120 clinica... more
Treatment: Dual treatment new hope for women with endometrial cancer
10 March 2022
The approval of a new combination therapy will provide another treatment option for women with advanced endometrial cancer. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has given final approval to the combination immuno-oncology therapy Keytruda plus L... more
Nutrition, Obesity and Physical Activity: The food fight of their lives
10 March 2022
Cancer Council Victoria is launching a new campaign calling on the Victorian government to protect children from advertising that promotes junk food and drinks linked to cancer and obesity. It comes as new research revealed that Victorian children ar... more
Tobacco: Vaping formula under a big cloud
08 March 2022
New data has revealed that banned ingredients have been detected in a third of vape liquids tested by Australia’s peak medicines body, with no nicotine-containing products passing strict labelling rules. In October the federal government put in place... more
Medical and Scientific: Early ovarian cancer quest
07 March 2022
Researchers from the Hudson Institute of Medical Research are investigating ways to treat a rare type of ovarian cancer, by unpicking the genetic “spelling mistake” that allows granulosa cell tumours to develop. This rare cancer grows from within the... more
Nutrition, Obesity and Physical Activity: Ban on junk food toys, games, prizes flagged in effort to tackle kids’ obesity
07 March 2022
Prizes, toys and mascots could be banned as part of a crackdown on junk food marketing to children as outlined in the newly released National Obesity Strategy. The strategy, agreed upon by state and federal governments aims to reduce the proportion o... more
Supportive Care: Top Health Problems
07 March 2022
Doctors, nurses and the general public are calling for major improvements to Australia’s public health system, following a massive surgery backlog, delayed diagnoses of cancer and other serious illness, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to COVID-19 ma... more
Supportive Care: Medical costs put patients under pump
07 March 2022
More than 1 million Australians are spending $1000 a year on out-of-hospital services and medication, resulting in significant out-of-pocket medical costs. Analysis from the Grattan Institute found that about 25,000 people paid an average of $3000 a ... more
Tobacco: Flushing out the vapers
04 March 2022
Principals are locking toilets during class time to avoid students using vapes and e-cigarettes, as a black market of e-cigarette products continues in schools. NSW Education Minister, Sarah Mitchell said the issues needs to be tackled with a range o... more
Tobacco: Schools lock toilets to battle surge in vaping
04 March 2022
Public, Catholic and independent schools across NSW are locking toilets outside of break times to prevent students vaping e-cigarettes. The action comes as NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell told budget estimates that e-cigarette use among young p... more
Screening and Immunisation: HPV jab could end screenings
04 March 2022
The HPV vaccination program has reduced the risk of cervical cancer so much that women may only need one smear test in their lifetime, according to a British expert. Research has found that the HPV vaccination offered to girls since 2008 has reduced ... more
Screening and Immunisation: Teens miss HPV jabs
04 March 2022
Tens of thousands of Victorian teenagers are behind on their HPV vaccinations, as COVID-19 restrictions forced school-based programs to be suspended. The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance released new data revealing that teen... more
Treatment: This chair is a lifesaver
03 March 2022
A revolutionary chair being developed at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre will help doctors better target cancer cells and allow patients more comfort during treatment. The initiative could also pave the way for mobile radiotherapy trucks, by scaling ba... more
Tobacco: ‘Grape’ vaping school shock
02 March 2022
Calls for tighter controls on fruit-flavoured vapes following the hospitalisation of a five-year-old after vaping with two seven-year-olds at his Geelong primary school. He was rushed to Geelong hospital coughing and vomiting and will undergo an x-r... more
Screening and immunisation: Pandemic made women sicker, figures show
02 March 2022
Since the onset of COVID-19 more women have got sicker, anxious and depressed. On Tuesday, twelve chief executives of Victorian women’s health services joined forces to demand an “immediate uplift” in government funding. Gender Equity Victoria reveal... more
Medical and scientific: $8m wins freedom for top medical minds
02 March 2022
Canberra’s Snow family has awarded a further three $8m medical research grants to give Australia’s brightest minds the freedom to pursue audacious, long-term research goals. The three winning research teams from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Inst... more
Treatment: New leukaemia drug on the PBS
25 February 2022
Australians diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia will be able to access an $18,000 drug via the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for just $42.50 per script from Tuesday. The drug Mylotarg has been listed on the PBS and can be used in combinatio... more
Medical and Scientific: Stealthy cancer fight
25 February 2022
Australian researchers are developing tiny particles that can be packed full of cancer treatments and snuck inside cancer cells to destroy them from within. Antibody drug conjugates are a new class of highly potent cancer drugs, designed to have the ... more
Treatment: Lucky breakthrough in rare blood cancer
24 February 2022
Researchers in Adelaide have found a new way to treat myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer that affects one in 100,000 Australians. Symptoms for the disease can be controlled with existing drugs in tablet form but they have side effects and do not remo... more
Alcohol: Put people ‘ahead of cheaper alcohol’
22 February 2022
Over 80 community leaders have called on the federal government to abandon plans to cut the price of alcohol, while alcohol industry leaders say that view is based on a report that “sensationalises Australians’ drinking.” In a letter to Josh Frydenbe... more
Medical and Scientific: Ovarian cancer advance
22 February 2022
Researchers in Melbourne are testing whether transforming rogue immune cells that allow cancer to survive can be a new way to treat the most aggressive form of ovarian cancer. The project is one of two sharing $550,000 from the Ovarian Cancer Researc... more
Medical and Scientific: Doctors demand results of chemist trial
22 February 2022
Before Queensland Health moves forward with its plan to allow pharmacists to diagnose and treat more than 20 serious conditions, doctors have asked for the release of the results of its trial allowing pharmacists to sell antibiotics for possible urin... more
Supportive care: At ‘breaking point’ as shortage of country doctors takes its toll
21 February 2022
A shortage of doctors is jeopardising the health of people living in the bush. A Senate inquiry into the state of GP and other health services for outer metropolitan, rural and regional Australians has received hundreds of submissions raising concern... more
Screening and immunisation: Don't mix up your cancer screening
21 February 2022
Confusion over cervical screening could be preventing women from detecting the signs of ovarian cancer. Ovarian Cancer Australia CEO, Jane Hill said research shows “nearly half of women believe that their cervical screening test also covers them for ... more
Tobacco: Is vaping really that bad for you?
21 February 2022
Smoking rates have halved in Australia since 1991 according to data from the 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey. However, according to the Australian National Institute of Health and Welfare, e-cigarette use by Australians aged 14 and older... more
Treatment: Ali’s new miracle crusade
21 February 2022
Ali Day’s breast cancer wonder drug campaign has high hopes for a vital subsidy. Trodelvy was approved for use in Australia after her campaign and is now under consideration for public subsidy to make it more affordable after initially being rejected... more
Nutrition and physical activity: $1b drain on health
18 February 2022
Unhealthy lifestyle choices and lack of exercise cost the health system nearly $1b a year, according to a new government report. Conditions contributing to the cost include $361m on coronary disease, $317m on type 2 diabetes and $122m on bowel cancer... more
Alcohol: European winemakers in fizz over labelled health warnings
15 February 2022
Winemakers in Italy and Germany are protesting against a plan to make cans and bottles of alcohol carry health warnings across the European Union. Members of the European parliament in Strasbourg will debate a range of cancer prevention measures incl... more
Public health: Cranberry fear
15 February 2022
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has issued an urgent medical recall for a popular brand of cranberry hard capsules due to a cancer-causing contaminant found in the product. The particular batch contains the known carcinogen ethylene oxide. The ... more
Supportive care: Patients dip into super savings to pay for vital drugs
15 February 2022
Cancer Council says that cancer patients are dipping into their superannuation to pay for treatment due to the slow listing of drugs on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme. Melanoma survivor Peter Gourlay drew on his retirement savings and help from h... more
Medical and Scientific: Genes hold cancer clue
14 February 2022
Researchers are assessing whether routine genetic testing used to diagnose common cancers can also be used to determine the treatments most likely to work for individuals. A new clinical trial will investigate personalised treatments for Australians ... more
Tobacco: State seizes $2m worth of vape products
14 February 2022
More than 100,000 illegal vaping products have been seized by NSW Health in the past 18 months, as health professionals raise concerns about the rising uptake among school students. Vicky Sheppeard, from the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District... more
Skin Cancer: Gone with the wind
14 February 2022
Cancer Council is warning Australians to avoid aerosol sunscreens, after research from Cancer Council, Griffith University and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) showed they provide ineffective sun protection on w... more
Supportive Care: Cancer fight’s new tool
14 February 2022
Australian researchers have developed a new dietary tool to quickly and accurately assess micronutrient levels aimed to help patients fight cancer. Chronic inflammation is now considered a risk factor for cancer. Flinders University PhD candidate Mit... more
Supportive Care: Dying shame to force up funding
14 February 2022
Doctors are sharing horror stories in a bid to get political parties to invest $20.5 billion into Australia’s public hospitals, saying underfunded public hospitals are buckling under pressures. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) warns there are... more
Tobacco: A deadly mixture
11 February 2022
Heavy drinkers and smokers are 35 times more likely to develop cancer than those who only drink or smoke. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has revealed that heavy smokers are seven times more likely to be diagnosed with mouth or throat... more
Treatment: Blood test breakthrough to improve cancer treatment
08 February 2022
The effectiveness of cancer treatments could be greatly improved by a simple blood test that would reveal which type of therapy would be most likely to eradicate an individual’s cancer cells. Researchers at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institu... more
Tobacco: ‘Poor-quality care’: vaping scripts on the rise
07 February 2022
More GPs are prescribing nicotine vaping products to people who want to quit smoking after restrictions on the importation of e-cigarettes were tightened and large fines introduced for illegally importing or selling the products. Data from the Depart... more
Public health: How to stay well and live longer
07 February 2022
Treating cancer costs the health system $10b a year but one in three cancers are preventable with a few simple lifestyle changes. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of 13 different cancers including bowel, breast and ovarian. Alcohol increa... more
Medical and scientific: Slow growth with sweat
07 February 2022
New research shows that exercise in cancer treatment can extend survival by 50 per cent – the equivalent of chemotherapy. Professor Rob Newton from Edith Cowen University has proven that exercise causes muscles to secrete anti-cancer proteins called ... more
Tobacco: Shops selling vapes to kids
07 February 2022
Retailers are being caught illegally selling vapes to young teens in spite of a recent nation-wide crackdown on the black market products. Dozens of tobacconists in Victoria are brazenly selling illegal vaping products to teens with many in Melbourne... more
Treatment: Treatment turns blood cells to ‘cancer killers’
04 February 2022
In 2010, doctors in St Louis treated Doug Olson’s leukaemia with an experimental gene therapy that transformed some of his blood cells into cancer killers. More than a decade on, there is no sign of cancer in his body. According to the University of ... more
Tobacco: Smoking gun
04 February 2022
Vaping is sweeping Victoria, with children as young as 10 the target of a police crackdown. Primary school teachers have been forced to warn year 5 and 6 students about the dangers of inhaling nicotine from vapes after children were given them by par... more
Obesity, nutrition and physical activity: Mega sugar madness
04 February 2022
Many of the most popular slushies contain more than eight day’s worth of recommended added sugar, with up to 49 teaspoons of sugar per serve. A new Victorian analysis found fast food chains and convenience stores are using incentives such as add-ons,... more
Medical and scientific: Cancer war in the DNA
04 February 2022
A high-tech genomics hub to be established in Adelaide will give South Australian cancer patients a better chance of survival through more personalised treatments. The federal government has announced a $15m investment to help SA Pathology to establi... more
Obesity, nutrition and physical activity: Coke ads strife
03 February 2022
Soft drink commercials could go the way of cigarette advertising as experts say graphic images showing heart disease and diabetes could help deter people from buying sugary drinks. US researchers asked 325 parents of children aged 2-12 to choose a sn... more
Skin cancer: Sun smart
02 February 2022
In the lead-up to World Cancer Day, Australians are being reminded that there is no such thing as a healthy tan. Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world with two in three Australians diagnosed by the age of 70. It is also o... more
Medical and scientific: Cancer crusaders to share in $9.6m grant
02 February 2022
World-leading Melbourne research to improve survival rates of children with cancer will receive an almost $10m boost. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt will award the group a $9.6m grant to assist their work over the next three years. The group inclu... more
Screening and immunisation: Cancer screening rates drop amid closures
01 February 2022
New Productivity Commission data has shown a decline in breast, bowel and cervical cancer screening of as much as 5 per cent during the COVID-19 crisis. Lockdowns and pandemic restrictions forced services including BreastScreen Australia to be tempor... more
Skin cancer: Aerosol cover-up
27 January 2022
Australians have been urged to avoid aerosol sunscreens that may contain cancer-causing substances and instead choose creams and lotions. There has been a spike in sunburn-related hospitalisations in January. With the highest melanoma rates in the wo... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: New plan to bear fruit
21 January 2022
A new Vic Kids Eat Well campaign has launched, aiming to transform healthy food and drink options in Victorian schools. Vic Kids Eat Well supports schools and community organisations to take simple steps, such as avoid sugary drinks, improve healthy ... more
Medical and Scientific: Operation robot
21 January 2022
Artificial intelligence could be used to help identify cancers, prevent paralysis, diagnose complex conditions quickly and take the pressure off strained hospitals and health workers. Google Health is using its existing image-recognition technology t... more
Medical and Scientific: Tax plan to draw medical research
20 January 2022
Australians diagnosed with rare cancers and other illnesses may have greater access to clinical trials and innovative treatments under a plan to offer automatic tax breaks to run clinical trials. A federal government proposal would grant pharmaceutic... more
Supportive Care: Ambulance ration plan as surgeries postponed
20 January 2022
Health professionals warn that some urgent cancer and heart surgeries are being postponed and that within weeks ambulance transfers could be significantly limited, following the “code brown” emergency implemented in response to the Omicron wave, whic... more
Supportive Care: Code brown hits as treatments put on hold
20 January 2022
The announcement of a “code brown” for Victoria’s hospital system has resulted in several screening and treatment appointments being cancelled, including breast cancer screening. Several patients are reporting cancellations, delays and service chaos ... more
Treatment: Urgent call to breathe new life into lung cancer treatment
19 January 2022
New research has identified widespread gaps in the services and infrastructure for Australia’s treatment of lung cancer, prompting calls for an overhaul. The study, led by Curtin University researchers, found that there were no treatment centres in A... more
Tobacco: Vaping tsunami for kids
19 January 2022
Cancer Council Queensland says that authorities have been ignoring a growing childhood vaping crisis, as research shows children who vape are five times more likely to take up smoking. Cancer Council Queensland has been advocating for stronger action... more
Treatment: ‘Game-changing’ cancer drug approved
18 January 2022
A new drug for advanced ovarian cancer has been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. The drug, Zejula, is a PARP inhibitor, that will be available to women who have responded to existing chemotherapy and surgical treatments. Previously P... more
Treatment: Cancer pill relief
18 January 2022
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved a new treatment for women with advanced ovarian cancer. The PARP inhibitor drug Zejula has been approved for women with advanced, high grade ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer ... more
Tobacco: GPs air serious concerns on vapes
18 January 2022
An increase in children requiring medical intervention for harmful conditions related to vaping is concerning GPs in Queensland. Gold Coast Medical Association president and GP, Dr Sonu Kaikerwal said she was concerned about children using vaping pro... more
Tobacco: Fear close access to shops is big lure for kids
18 January 2022
An investigation has revealed that at least 17 specialist vape stores are within 1km of South East Queensland high schools, resulting in concern from medical and education authorities about the lack of controls around vaping products and e-cigarettes... more
Screening and Immunisation: Mammogram funds help women with obesity
18 January 2022
Researchers at the University of Western Australia have been awarded $800,000 of federal funding to target obesity-related barriers to breast cancer screening. Approximately 40 per cent of women attending screening for the first or second time do not... more
Screening and Immunisation: $10m for cancer research, screening
17 January 2022
The federal government will invest $10m into cancer research, via a national program that aims to increase participation in breast, bowel and cervical cancer screening. Health Minister Greg Hunt said, “This research is critical because the more we ca... more
Screening and Immunisation: Cancer screening programs get $10m boost
17 January 2022
The federal government is providing $10m funding to eight research projects, to identify new and innovative approaches to improve participation in breast, bowel and cervical cancer screening. Health Minister Greg Hunt said that that while participati... more
Tobacco: Vaping scourge a new battleground
17 January 2022
Kids as young as ten are using e-cigarettes, as vaping is now rated by teachers as the most serious disciplinary issue they have faced. Education Minister, Grace Grace, will push for a national health promotion campaign at the next meeting of the nat... more
Supportive Care: Telehealth boost to ride out Omicron wave
17 January 2022
The federal government has again announced changes to telehealth, reinstating temporary specialist inpatient telehealth services involving video and phones, and allowing specialist doctors to treat patients in hospital via telehealth and provide long... more
Tobacco: Criminal activity despite new laws
17 January 2022
Despite strict new laws coming into effect in October 2021, illegal use of nicotine vaping products continues. From October 2021, consumers needed a valid medical prescription to purchase or import vaping products, a move that the Therapeutic Goods A... more
Treatment: Boost for children’s cancer
10 January 2022
The federal government has invested more than $1.5m into clinical trials to treat children diagnosed with rare cancers. The funding will support researchers at the University of NSW to trial combination precision-guided therapies for high-risk childh... more
Support: Children with cancer finally eligible for COVID vaccine
10 January 2022
Children aged five to 11 are now eligible for the paediatric COVID-19 vaccine, an important step for children who are immunocompromised, including those undergoing chemotherapy. Professor Robert Booy, an infectious diseases physician at the Universit... more
Support: $40m boost for breast cancer support
10 January 2022
The federal government has invested $40m into the McGrath Foundation’s breast cancer care nurse program, to support 20,000 Australians experiencing breast cancer for the next three years. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the funding would support t... more
Tobacco: Smoker rate dips amid Covid cloud
15 December 2021
Australian smoking rates have reached an all time low, with data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showing that 10.7 per cent of adults smoked a cigarette daily during the pandemic. Cancer Council Australia warns that these figure... more
Tobacco: Banned vaping products seized in ACT
09 December 2021
A joint operation conducted by the Therapeutic Good Administration and ACT Health seized 4590 vaping products from three businesses in Canberra in October and investigations are continuing. Testing revealed two in three of the products contained bann... more
Medical and scientific: Hospitals brace for cancer case surge
09 December 2021
Victoria’s overstretched healthcare system is bracing for a surge in advanced cancer cases and demand for urgent treatment as the impacts of the backlog of missed screenings and diagnoses are likely to be felt in the healthcare system for months and ... more
Medical and scientific: Covid is hiding our cancer rates
09 December 2021
Figures released by the Cancer Council Victoria’s Cancer Registry, (VCR) show 2420 fewer Victorians were diagnosed with the most common cancer types in 2020. VCR director, Professor Sue Evans said the figures meant that more people were at risk of de... more
Medical and scientific: Progress in child cancer treatment
07 December 2021
Cancer Council Queensland researchers, collaborating with clinicians from the Queensland Children’s Hospital and the Perth Children’s Hospital, have revealed their findings on incidence and survival in childhood central nervous system (CNS) tumours i... more
Medical and scientific: New drug ‘starves’ cancer cells
06 December 2021
New research has found a drug that “starves” cancer cells to death by depriving them of iron. Cancer cells need a lot of energy, most of which is generated in the mitochondria, the “engine” of the cell. Scientists from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Cent... more
Public health: Aussies improving cancer outcomes
02 December 2021
Cancer survival rates in Australia continue to improve and the rate at which Australians are being diagnosed with cancer has been declining since 2008. While the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report shows a downward trend in the rate of ... more
Public health: More live on after cancer
01 December 2021
Research shows that cancer survival rates in Australia are improving although the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on cancer diagnosis and treatment will not likely be known for several years. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) repo... more
Tobacco: Caution over vaping
30 November 2021
According to Australian researchers, doctors should be cautious about prescribing nicotine e-liquids for vaping as a means to help a patient quit smoking. The Therapeutic Goods Administration published a new standard last month making e-liquids with ... more
Skin cancer: Lockdown neglect raises skin cancer risk
29 November 2021
A study has revealed a potential rise in skin cancer among millions of Australians is being attributed to Covid-19 lockdowns. A long-term health threat may have emerged with those living in the more heavily locked-down states of Victoria and NSW putt... more
Screening and immunisation: Test drive for lung cancer screening
29 November 2021
Queenslanders will be the first to test drive a lung cancer screening service. Funded by the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, a truck converted into a mobile lung cancer multi-platform research facility boasting state-of-the-art equipment will ... more
Medical and scientific: Heartburn cancer risk
26 November 2021
According to research by Flinders University, a common medication used to treat heartburn, reflux and ulcers could lessen the effectiveness of lung cancer immunotherapy drugs. The study, published in Nature’s British Journal of Cancer, investigated t... more
Tobacco: Vaping can alter your DNA
25 November 2021
A study warns that vaping is linked to changes in DNA that can cause diseases such as cancer. The University of Southern California study included 82 healthy adults, including vapers, with and without a history of smoking. The study found that advers... more
Public health: Non-virus deaths show decline
25 November 2021
According to the latest mortality rate data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), public health measures put in place to reduce COVID-19 have probably depressed deaths from respiratory diseases and related causes. Professor Adrian Es... more
Public health: Sharp drop in illness health rates
24 November 2021
Fatality rates from major diseases such as cancer, infectious disease, heart disease and injuries have declined in recent years according to a report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The report found that cancer contributes the la... more
Skin cancer: Slip, Slop, Slap message lost
22 November 2021
The sun-safe message is being ignored or forgotten by young people leading to calls for a major new campaign to address the problem. Data shows one in five 18 to 24 year-olds now use no sun protection. Cancer Council chief executive, Tanya Buchanan s... more
Occupation and environment: National Asbestos Awareness Week
22 November 2021
Monday 22 November is the start of National Asbestos Awareness Week 2021. This year’s campaign challenges complacency by reminding tradespeople and home renovators that the danger of asbestos is far from over. Asbestos was only banned in Australia in... more
Research: Cancer link breakthrough
19 November 2021
Scientists in Queensland are at the forefront of the fight against women’s cancers with QIMR Berghofer leading the latest research that has found genetic links for endometrial cancer that will lead to tailored treatments. The study, led by Associate ... more
Public health: WHO urges more will to halt cervical cancer blight
19 November 2021
The World Health Organization has called on wealthier countries and vaccine manufacturers to assist poorer countries and follow Australia’s lead in aiming to eliminate cervical cancer. Last year the WHO launched a plan to eradicate cancer’s most trea... more
Treatment: Hole new cancer hope
18 November 2021
A new type of surgery is being trialled in Melbourne that “punches holes” in the cells of pancreatic tumours so the body can launch its own attack on the cancer. Surgeons at the Epworth and Alfred Hospitals are testing whether using electrical curren... more
Tobacco: Tackling teen vaping
16 November 2021
At least one in seven teens are vaping and it has become a parental nightmare linked to serious health issues including hospitalisations and deaths. Cancer Council NSW says parents need to be informed before speaking to teens about vaping. Research h... more
Tobacco: Call for retail smokes sale ban
16 November 2021
Australian state governments must sent an end date for the sale of cigarettes through shops including supermarkets according to health experts. University of Queensland researchers, in an article in the Medical Journal of Australia, said that anti-sm... more
Tobacco: Take cigarettes off shelves to support quitters: experts
16 November 2021
It is highly unlikely Australia will hit its draft target of less than 5 per cent of the population smoking by 2030 unless it takes significant steps to reduce supply, including curtailing retail sales, experts warn. Writing in the Medical Journal of... more
Screening and immunisation: DIY test key to cervical cancer
16 November 2021
Cervical cancer is on track to be eliminated in Australia within the decade and the nation is set to become the first to give the option to self-collect a testing sample in a move designed to break down the final barrier to women who are not screenin... more
Skin cancer: Early start key to being sun smart
15 November 2021
One in three Tasmanians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 75 but the sun smart message is getting through. Data from the University of Tasmania’s Menzies Institute of Medical Research and a study by PhD student Bruna Silva Ragaini look... more
Treatment: New pill offers hope for rare cancer
15 November 2021
A breakthrough cancer drug will buy time and save hundreds of thousands of dollars for Australians living with a rare stomach and bowel cancer. Qinlock, a new oral pill that slows the spread of tumour cells listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schem... more
Environment: Councils rally against asbestos plans
09 November 2021
Waste giant Cleanaway will apply to start processing asbestos at its Ravenhall tip in Melbourne’s west. This is opposed by two councils that say it is another example of the western suburbs being used as a dumping ground. However, Cleanaway said its ... more
Screening and immunisation: Cervical cancer vaccine success
08 November 2021
A ground breaking vaccine developed in Queensland is being lauded overseas for preventing hundreds of cervical cancers and almost eradicating the disease in young women. A study published in The Lancet found cervical cancer rates in the UK were 87 pe... more
Tobacco: China tries to kick world’s biggest habit
04 November 2021
Despite a campaign against tobacco by President Xi Jinping’s wife, the number of deaths in China caused by smoking is set to rise by more than 40 per cent in the next 20 years. More than a quarter of people in China over the age of 15 are smokers and... more
Research: Scientists honoured for cracking secrets from Covid to cancer
04 November 2021
Cracking the genome sequence of COVID-19, a therapy for the most aggressive form of breast cancer, and synthetic skin that accelerates the repair of human tissue were among achievements honoured in Australia’s top science prize. Oncologist Sherene Lo... more
Public Health: Helping 'in their blood'
04 November 2021
While demand for blood donations is at its highest in 10 years, the number of appointment cancellations from donors is at a record level. Australian Red Cross Lifeblood says 33,000 blood donations are needed each week but cancellations due to the COV... more
Screening and Immunisation: Secure your screen date
03 November 2021
Cancer Council WA has issued an urgent call for young women to make the most of the potentially life-saving cervical screening test, with the launch of a new campaign. According to new data, more than half of eligible West Australians aged between 25... more
Medical and Scientific: Prostate product clears hurdle
03 November 2021
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has provided the first regulatory approval for Illuccix, a prostate cancer imaging product from Telix Pharmecuticals. It is the first commercially approved PSMA-PET imaging agent available in Australia. It i... more
Treatment: Cancer sleeper agents
02 November 2021
Australian cancer researchers are investigating why chemotherapy and radiation make some cancer cells “go to sleep” and “reawaken” instead of killing them, in the hope of improving response rates from standard treatments. Dr Shom Goel, a laboratory s... more
Tobacco: Push for e-cigs on prescription
01 November 2021
In a world first, Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) could start prescribing medically licensed electronic cigarettes to smokers. The updated guidance comes despite global concerns about the effects of commercially sold e-cigarettes and the popu... more
Treatment: PBS listing for multiple myeloma drug
01 November 2021
The subsidised listing of a new treatment for multiple myeloma offers new hope for patients. Australians being treated for the blood cancer have previously received the drug Darzalex, or daratumumab by infusion over several hours at a treatment centr... more
Treatment: Cancer drug will cost less
01 November 2021
Australians being treated for prostate cancer will now have access to the treatment Nubeqa at an affordable price. The new pill will be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for patients with non-metastatic castration resistant carcinoma... more
Supportive Care: Lives at risk as pressure builds on hospitals
29 October 2021
The latest annual report from the Victorian Department of Health reveals that almost every part of the health system is failing to meet key performance targets, due to unprecedented patient demand and already stretched health services. Key performanc... more
Skin Cancer: Our suntan desire ‘alarming’
28 October 2021
“Alarming” new data from a national Cancer Council poll reveals that two in five Australians want a suntan. 40 per cent of the survey participants said they would like to get a tan, and 62 per cent reported having a tan. Head of SunSmart and Cancer C... more
Supportive Care: We’ll act on health crisis
27 October 2021
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has promised “to act” in response to the state’s rural and regional health crisis. He said the government was building 80 healthcare facilities, two thirds of which are in rural NSW. He said of the “8000 new doctors, nur... more
Skin Cancer: Slap, slop slip on tanning
27 October 2021
A Cancer Council survey has found that 40 per cent of Australian adults still actively seek a suntan, despite the risk of developing skin cancer. The 2019 Summer Sun Protection Survey found that a further 62 per cent reported having tanned skin thems... more
Medical and Scientific: $40m to tackle cancer head on
26 October 2021
A new $40m Brain Cancer Centre at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) will enable scientists to research promising new treatments for Victorian brain cancer patients. WEHI Director, Professor Doug Hilton said the facility w... more
Supportive Care: When one doctor’s opinion is deadly
26 October 2021
More than 1,300 Australians unnecessarily die from blood cancer each year because they live in under resourced rural or regional towns, says the Leukaemia Foundation. Chief Executive of the Leukaemia Foundation, Chris Tanti, said that delayed diagnos... more
Treatment: Pioneering trials offer fresh hope
25 October 2021
An Australian oncologist has had success in targeting chemo-resistant stem cells to control ovarian cancer. His team will conduct follow up research that aims to identify biomarkers on stem cells so more patients, including those newly diagnosed, can... more
Medical and Scientific: Older breast fear
25 October 2021
Older mothers are encouraged to be vigilant about changes to their breasts during pregnancy and breastfeeding as a breast cancer expert warns those over the age of 35 are six times more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer. Surgeon Carissa Phill... more
Alcohol: Year 12s struggling
25 October 2021
The latest DrinkWise survey has shown that year 12 students are drinking, smoking and experiencing eating disorders as their mental health deteriorates. The study found that 14 to 24 per cent of students are turning to starving themselves, drinking, ... more
Treatment: Rebates on claims list for IVF genetic disorder tests
25 October 2021
The Federal Government is adding another breast cancer treatment to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), said to benefit approximately 1,600 Australians a year. Verzenio (abemaciclib) will be listed for expanded use in combination with the drug ... more
Screening and Immunisation: Breast density check-up
25 October 2021
BreastScreen SA will inform women participating in mammograms of their individual breast density, as part of a six month research study. Higher breast density is a risk factor for cancer and can reduce the visibility of cancers on a scan. BreastScree... more
Treatment: Funding boost for cancer research
22 October 2021
A multidisciplinary team is investigating personalised therapies, as a potential treatment for glioblastoma, a brain cancer with a five year survival rate of less than 5 per cent. Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Head of Neurosurgery Professor Kate Drummon... more
Screening and Immunisation: Thousands of undetected cancer cases
22 October 2021
Almost 3500 cancer diagnoses were missed in Victoria between April 2020 and mid-August 2021, causing concern around the pressure on the state’s health system and the expected surge in people needing treatment. Data from the Victorian Cancer Registry ... more
Supportive Care: ‘Steaming turd’: Top doc blasts system
20 October 2021
Adelaide cardiothoracic and trauma surgeon Craig Jurisevic has said patients are “waiting dangerously long for live saving surgery”. He has stopped all clinical activities at the Royal Adelaide Hospital until resources are improved, saying that “unti... more
Supportive Care: Lack of staff stifles ICU surge capacity
20 October 2021
A survey of Australia’s ICU directors has found that a sharp drop in trained ICU staff in the past year, means that less than half of the nearly 3000 extra intensive care beds provided to meet COVID-19 demand can be used. The survey found that there ... more
Screening and Immunisation: Prostate cancer screening guidelines ‘put lives at risk’
20 October 2021
The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) is calling for updated screening guidelines, as deaths from prostate cancer rise. PCFA say current clinical guidelines are outdated, as new technology that can improve diagnosis and reduce the fear o... more
Supportive Care: ‘These are really sick people’: My week working on a Sydney COVID ward
19 October 2021
Sydney oncologist Nicholas Wilcken has described how he was reassigned to a COVID ward at his hospital during the recent outbreak. “I’m learning quickly,” he writes. “The reason I am doing this is that at my hospital there is a lot of COVID. So much ... more
Treatment: Cannabidiol considered
18 October 2021
The use of cannabidiol as a potential cancer treatment should be further explored according to some British researchers. Researchers at Watford General Hospital studied the case of a woman in her 80s who refused standard treatment for lung cancer. On... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Junk food firms still target kids
18 October 2021
New research from Cancer Council reveals that junk food companies are exploiting loopholes in their marketing codes to push unhealthy food to children. The study investigated six years of complaints made about junk food marketing to children and foun... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Ads for junk food ‘exploit children’
18 October 2021
New research from Cancer Council has found that junk food companies are exploiting loopholes in marketing codes to push products to children, demonstrating that the system fails to protect young people. The Australian study found that only 12 per cen... more
Medical and Scientific: Confusion slows rollout of third jabs for the vulnerable
15 October 2021
The rollout of third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to immunocompromised people has been limited, as pharmacists waited for clear advice on reimbursement. 500,000 Australians, including cancer patients, are now eligible for a third dose following evid... more
Supportive Care: ‘Long Covid’ to hit hospital demand crisis
15 October 2021
Doctors are warning that an expected rise in COVID-19 hospital admissions as the country reopens after lockdowns, could dramatically reduce elective surgeries and lead to patients being turned away, unless there is a funding overhaul. Modelling for t... more
Supportive Care: Court win highlights plight of sacked cancer sufferers
13 October 2021
A decision by the Federal Circuit Court regarding the rights of employees to take leave for cancer treatment has highlighted the pressure many cancer patients feel to quit their jobs. Liz Tapping reached a financial settlement with her employer after... more
Medical and Scientific: Booster shots on way for vulnerable
11 October 2021
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has approved a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for severely immunosuppressed Australians. ATAGI has advised that those with compromised immunity, including those receiving treatments ... more
Screening and Immunisation: Luck key to shock cancer diagnosis
11 October 2021
The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) is calling for prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing guidelines to be updated. Jurgen Dous had been having regular PSA testing until 2012, and was told by his GP that they were no longer necessary.... more
Supportive Care: Premier to be tested as bill finds support
11 October 2021
New coronial data reveals that one in five suicides in the over 40s age group are people with a terminal illness. This data comes as twelve NSW Labor MPs have said they will co-sponsor a bill to legalise voluntary assisted dying, supported by the Hea... more
Tobacco: Vapes can be ‘toxic’
11 October 2021
A new study from the Telethon Kids Institute and Curtin University testing 65 “nicotine-free” e-liquids, found that liquids used for vapes contain toxic chemicals. The researchers tested the chemical composition of the e-liquids before and after an a... more
Supportive Care: Girl’s cancer highlights postcode ‘lottery’
06 October 2021
A New South Wales parliamentary inquiry has heard that cancer outcomes in Australia are among the best in the world, except for those in rural and regional areas. The inquiry is examining the state of rural and regional healthcare after a series of d... more
Public Health: Fall in breast cancer deaths
05 October 2021
Since BreastScreen Australia was introduced in 1991, breast cancer related deaths have decreased. A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare revealed that, the mortality rate for women aged 50-74 was 41 per 100,000 in 2019 compa... more
Screening and Immunisation: Breast cancer screening delays may be deadly
05 October 2021
An estimated 20,000 cancer cases will be missed because of COVID-19 disruptions. Melissa Blythe is one of many women whose regular mammogram was rescheduled in May 2020. She noticed a difference in her breasts, and following scans, was diagnosed with... more
Treatment: Radar saves lives
05 October 2021
New Australian radar technology allows surgeons to find and remove tiny breast tumours more accurately. The reflector is inserted into the tumour days before the operation, so surgeons can probe to find “the cancerous needle in a haystack”. This remo... more
Obesity, Nutrition, and Physical Activity: Fighting moves
05 October 2021
A new study has found that exercise can help the body attack cancer cells and suppress the growth of tumours. Obese prostate cancer patients participated in a 12-week exercise program, as part of the study from Edith Cowan University. Blood tests rev... more
Alcohol: Booze heightens the risk of breast cancer
05 October 2021
New analysis reveals that 50 per cent of breast cancer cases among Australian women could be attributed to alcohol and weight gain. Breast and melanoma surgeon, Dr Heidi Peverill said increased alcohol consumption, a lack of exercise, being overweigh... more
Supportive Care: Fear over cancer, cardiac deaths
01 October 2021
Emergency doctors are fearing a rise in cancer and cardiac deaths if Victoria’s hospital system is soon overrun with Covid-19 cases. In a new paper, Melbourne emergency doctors and researchers from Monash University flag concerns a flood of cases fol... more
Supportive Care: Overrun hospitals ill-prepared
01 October 2021
Doctors have warned that the health system is so overburdened by Covid-19 that people are dying from other treatable conditions as patients are stuck in ambulances and the corridors of emergency departments, unable to access a hospital bed. Surgical ... more
Tobacco: Vape crackdown begins
01 October 2021
Today new changes have come into effect making it illegal to access nicotine vaping products without a prescription. Royal Australian College of General Practitioner President Karen Price said vaping products would only be prescribed to people to ass... more
Tobacco: Vaping import ban in effect
01 October 2021
Tobacconists are vowing to dodge a crackdown on the importation of illegal e-cigarettes while some Australian teenagers have taken to TikTok to protest the new laws enforced from today. The Australian Border Force now has the power to seize packages ... more
Treatment: Breakthrough research lowers pancreatic cancer’s resistance to chemo
30 September 2021
New research has found a potential new treatment for pancreatic cancer that primes cancer cells by targeting a molecule that inhibits the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs and led to a 50 per cent reduction in tumour spread. Researchers at the Garv... more
Screening and Immunisation: Fears cancers overlooked as lockdown bites
30 September 2021
There are concerns that up to 20,000 cancers may have gone undiagnosed as a new report from Cancer Australia finds that the number of cancer related diagnostic procedures in Australia plummeted last year with COVID-19 restrictions. The research exami... more
Screening and Immunisation: Deaths down by 8000, but cancer time bomb awaits
30 September 2021
The overall death rate in Australia declined by 8001 people in 2020, however deaths linked to alcohol consumption increased by 8.3 per cent and there was concerning drop in diagnostic and other services for cancer. This new mortality data released by... more
Screening and Immunisation: Blood test hope for cancer warning
29 September 2021
A promising new blood test may help detect ovarian cancer in its earliest stages, allowing tumours to be surgically removed before they spread. Griffith University and University of Adelaide researchers have developed a reliable way of screening usin... more
Treatment: Playing goodbye to a deadly cancer
29 September 2021
A world first clinical trial being run out of Adelaide is providing new treatment options for people with a chronic myeloid leukaemia diagnosis. Professor Timothy Hughes’ team is trialling the drug asciminib, as a first treatment option in newly diag... more
Treatment: Cancer study success
28 September 2021
Researchers at the Australian National University have discovered a low-cost and non-toxic potential cancer treatment that could provide a new alternative to chemotherapy. The clinical trial of the Complete Freund Adjuvant treatment, which uses dead ... more
Treatment: The $20 treatment that could shrink cancer tumours
28 September 2021
Australian research published today has shown that an unconventional cancer treatment that costs $20 could shrink tumours and make patients more comfortable. The treatment injects a slow-release solution of dead mycobacteria into tumours to kick-star... more
Treatment: Trial offers new hope to treat brain cancer
27 September 2021
A groundbreaking new trial is testing a targeted and personalised approach to improve survival rates for the most common malignant brain tumour among adults – glioblastoma multiforme. The government’s Australian Brain Cancer Mission, in partnership w... more
Tobacco: Alarm at school kid vape craze
27 September 2021
The Lung Foundation has said that a vaping epidemic, spurred on by social media trends, is damaging the lungs of young Queenslanders. The foundation is calling for the over-the-counter sale of vapes and e-liquids to be banned in Australia. The call f... more
Tobacco: Business hits ‘nanny state’ vape changes
27 September 2021
The government’s crackdown on e-cigarettes is a load of hot air according to the Tasmanian Small Business Council. Under new rules, vape users will require a prescription before they can purchase e-cigarette products from overseas or over the counter... more
Medical and Scientific: Courageous campaign
24 September 2021
Northern Territory residents can donate non-regenerative organs to medical research after the territory’s parliament passed new reforms. The amendments to the Notifiable Diseases Act 1981 and the Transplant and Anatomy Act 1979 follow an advocacy cam... more
Supportive Care: Feds’ cash for cancer
23 September 2021
Australian families affected by prostate cancer are expected to benefit from $2.25 million of federal funding into a world first trial for survivorship care. More than 200 men will participate in the trial to test the clinical and cost effectiveness ... more
Alcohol: Tax booze, save lives
23 September 2021
The World Health Organisation says that raising taxes on alcohol could prevent thousands of cancer deaths per year. 180,000 cancer cases and 85,000 deaths every year were estimated to be caused by alcohol according to WHO research. WHO says that incr... more
Treatment: Orchid’s cancer hope
22 September 2021
Researchers from the Centenary Institute have found that a compound extracted from a commonly grown orchid could be a potential new treatment option for prostate cancer. The researchers examined erianin, a natural bibenzyl compound present in the orc... more
Treatment: Radiation risk
22 September 2021
Radiation therapy used to treat breast cancer could increase the risk of heart disease in younger women, according to new research. The study found that women with left-sided breast cancer who had radiation therapy between 1985 and 2008 had more than... more
Supportive Care: Covid stalls cancer care
20 September 2021
Forty-two per cent of Australian cancer patients said their treatment had been disrupted by COVID-19 according to a survey by NSW researchers. Forty-three per cent of health care workers said they had experienced delays in delivering cancer care. The... more
Skin Cancer: New hope in cancer fight
20 September 2021
Australian researchers have discovered a new approach to treat early-stage melanoma. While advances in immunotherapy drugs have improved the prognosis of more than half of those diagnosed with melanoma, there are no immunotherapy drugs approved for u... more
Supportive Care: This is the historic moment MPs gave you the right to choose
17 September 2021
Voluntary assisted dying will become legal in Queensland following a historic decision by the state’s parliament. The new legislation, coming into effect in 2023, will enable Queenslanders who face a terminal illness that is expected to cause death w... more
Screening and Immunisation: Lockdowns slow checks, say doctors who fear late and missed diagnoses
16 September 2021
Doctors warn that Sydney residents are delaying crucial screenings and blood tests as the lockdown continues. The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) say screening in Sydney for abnormal cholesterol levels, heart conditions, and certa... more
Medical and Scientific: Antibiotic cancer link
16 September 2021
Scientists have identified a possible link between antibiotics and breast cancer growth. Researchers treated mice using five antibiotics, and the broad-spectrum antibiotic cefalexin on its own, to investigate how disrupting the balance of bacteria in... more
Supportive Care: Cardiac, cancer care delays as COVID patients fill hospitals
14 September 2021
Victorian cardiac and cancer patients are already experiencing delayed care and it could worsen if hospitals are overrun with COVID-19 patients, warn doctors. As hospitals pause elective surgeries for all but the most urgent category one and two pati... more
Skin Cancer: New tech to fight cancer
14 September 2021
New technology to improve the early detection and treatment of Australia’s deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma, is being trialled across Australia. 3D body scanners will be rolled out by the Australian Cancer Research Foundation in Queensland, Ne... more
Alcohol: Alcohol ‘halo’ a marketing ploy
13 September 2021
Cancer Council is warning consumers not to be fooled by alcohol companies who promote alcohol products as healthier or better for you. They say promoting alcohol as “healthy” or “better for you” is a marketing tactic by alcohol companies who know tha... more
Treatment: Brave Ali’s cancer drug wish granted
13 September 2021
Australian women diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer will soon have access to a revolutionary new drug. The Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods has listed Trodelvy as a treatment for women with advanced metastatic triple-negative ... more
Treatment: Blood cancer patients face funding, donor crunch
13 September 2021
COVID-19 disruptions and a funding crunch have made it difficult for Australians undergoing treatment for blood cancer to access life saving stem cell transplants. Patients are matched with genetically suitable stem cell or bone marrow donors locally... more
Treatment: Find is hope in breast cancer fight
13 September 2021
A breakthrough new method of classifying breast cancers could be used to predict which treatments will work in individual women and their response to immunotherapy. Researchers at the Garvan Institute discovered 50 distinct cancer, immune and connect... more
Treatment: Hi-tech thesis in minutes
10 September 2021
A young researcher is using nanotechnology to drive anti-cancer drugs to their destination and improve treatments for ovarian cancer. Yesterday, Cintya Dharmayanti’s presentation “Highway to health: driving towards personalised ovarian cancer treatme... more
Medical and Scientific: Warning over lung disease
09 September 2021
A new campaign to raise awareness of the symptoms of lung disease or lung cancer and increase early diagnosis has launched. Every year more than 13,200 Australians are expected to be diagnosed with lung cancer according to Lung Foundation Australia’s... more
Medical and Scientific: Late diagnosis concerns
09 September 2021
The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) is calling for a review into government testing guidelines, following an increase in late diagnoses of prostate cancer. PCFA reported that 38 per cent of men found out they had prostate cancer when i... more
Skin Cancer: Future GPs get hands-on help
06 September 2021
General practitioners in Tasmania are being given hands-on experience in suturing wounds, conducting biopsies and removing skin cancers in a new skin cancer workshop. Workshop trainer Dr Elkerton said “a lot of GP registrars haven’t had the opportuni... more
Skin Cancer: Men get warning on melanoma
06 September 2021
Rates of melanoma among men from regional Victoria have increased by more than a third in the past ten years. Cancer Council Victoria has launched an urgent advertising campaign warning men not to delay getting a skin check. The latest data shows alm... more
Tobacco: How primary school children get hooked on nicotine vapes
03 September 2021
Vaping products that deliver puffs of liquid nicotine disguised with flavours are being used by young Australians who have never smoked cigarettes before. The latest research and anecdotal evidence of increasing use of vaping products has parents and... more
Public Health: Perth’s steep rise in men’s deadly cancer
03 September 2021
Perth’s inner suburbs, Bunbury and Mandurah have all recorded a steep increase in prostate cancer diagnoses, compared to the national average. The national average is 150 new prostate cancer cases per 100,000 men according to the Australian Bureau of... more
Medical and Scientific: Shining a red light on blood cancers
03 September 2021
Australians are “in the dark” on blood cancer symptoms, resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatment. Research commissioned by the Leukaemia Foundation found four in five Australians cannot identify the symptoms of blood cancer. A third of Australian... more
Medical and Scientific: Blood cancer hard to see
01 September 2021
A survey conducted by the Leukaemia Foundation revealed that 78 per cent of Australians can not confidently identify the symptoms of blood cancer. Recurrent infections, increased fatigue, night sweats and bone pain are some of the symptoms to look ou... more
Screening and Immunisation: Abreast of test results
30 August 2021
Mammogram results through BreastScreenNT will now be connected to My Health Record. Following assessment by two consultant radiologists, breast screen results can be uploaded to My Health Record accounts, providing women with faster access to their r... more
Occupation and Environment: Wittenoom visitors dicing with death
30 August 2021
The Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) has launched a community education campaign to discourage visitors to the site of a former asbestos mine in Wittenoom, Western Australia. Research has shown residents and tourists are still visiting W... more
Tobacco: Support for cigarette ban
30 August 2021
A new study suggests that more than half of Australians support ending the retail sale of cigarettes within the next 10 years. Research from Cancer Council Victoria surveyed 2,774 Australians and found that a total of 1,466 respondents (52.8 per cent... more
Tobacco: No butts about laws
30 August 2021
The Queensland government will ban smoking in more areas and apply advertising restrictions to more tobacco products. Herbal cigarettes, pipes, loose smoking blends and flavouring for tobacco products will be subject to advertising restrictions under... more
Treatment: Brain power in 3D models
30 August 2021
Researchers are using a patients’ own cells in a form of 3D printing material to make a model of their tumour and use it to test the efficacy of potential treatments for brain cancer. Scientists extract a “chunk” of the tumour from a patient with gli... more
Research: Gene age risk link
27 August 2021
The impact of a person’s genes on their risk of developing common diseases wanes with age according to new research from the University of Oxford. The study followed 500,000 people in the UK and found that a person’s genetic risk is highest early in ... more
Supportive Care: Surgeries delayed by virus
25 August 2021
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) warns more Australians are likely to become seriously ill and die as COVID-19 restrictions delay diagnoses of cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. They warn that Australia’s healthcare system is facing a... more
Screening and Immunisation: Screening find
24 August 2021
A new study has revealed that finding breast cancer via a screening test or in between regular screening could depend on the age-specific impact of risk factors. Researchers found that a family history of breast cancer had a larger effect on cancer d... more
Treatment: Fight cancer from within
24 August 2021
A world first device, barely bigger than a grain of rice, that can deliver chemotherapy from inside a tumour may help treat pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic tumours have limited blood vessels and are encased in a tough fibrotic layer, which can prevent ... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Cancer risk, obesity link
24 August 2021
Research from the University of Texas has found that pregnant women who are obese, may be raising the risk of bowel cancer in their children once they become adults. The study monitored more than 18,000 pairs of mothers and their children for 60 year... more
Supportive Care: Parents say jab site risk to kids
24 August 2021
Parents of children being treated for cancer are urging SA Health to relocate adult COVID-19 public vaccination services within the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. They are concerned the vaccination clinics expose children undergoing chemotherapy to... more
Tobacco: Vape kids the next smokers: research
23 August 2021
Cancer Council and the Australian Council on Smoking and Health are calling for an urgent crackdown on vaping, following research that showed 14-year-olds who vaped were five times more likely to take up smoking by age 17. The study followed 10,000 t... more
Medical and Scientific: Missed by doctors, AI diagnosis saves a life
23 August 2021
An online artificial intelligence (AI) program that cross references a patient’s medical data and family history against a database of 250,000 other men is being used to diagnose men with prostate cancer. Danny Hansen, a man with a family history of ... more
Treatment: New drug hope for prostate cancer
23 August 2021
A landmark global study has found that a revolutionary drug, talazoparib, can freeze the progression of advanced prostate cancer. The drug, already proven to be effective in women with advanced breast cancer, could benefit thousands of men a year. Th... more
Skin cancer: Allergy shines light on sunscreen labels
23 August 2021
A Sydney mother has called for skincare brands to list all ingredients on their products following her three-year-old’s allergic reaction to a well-known sunscreen. This call comes as the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration announced that the... more
Supportive Care: Robot guides cancer training
23 August 2021
A new robot is allowing breast cancer nurses to continue vital training despite COVID-19 restrictions. A pilot program delivered by the McGrath Breast Care nurses program, uses iPads on wheels controlled by nurses in hospital wards, to allow nurses i... more
Supportive Care: Elective surgery backflip as cases found in wards
20 August 2021
NSW Health has reversed a decision to cancel thousands of elective surgeries at private hospitals as positive COVID-19 cases continue to be found within hospital wards in Sydney hotspots. A letter from NSW Health clarified that category 2 surgeries c... more
Screening and Immunisation: COVID delays linked to more deaths as staff redeployed
19 August 2021
Experts warn that the suspension of breast cancer screening in NSW due to the COVID-19 outbreak could put women at greater risk. Associate Professor Peter O’Brien, Chair of the Radiation Therapy Advisory Group, said he was particularly concerned abou... more
Public Health: Cancer rise disturbing
19 August 2021
New data shows that the number of women dying from breast cancer has increased dramatically, from 14,693 to 20,030 cases in the past decade. The National Breast Cancer Foundation’s analysis of the Institute of Health and Welfare’s data, shows the dia... more
Alcohol: Cancer link to alcohol
19 August 2021
Korean researchers have found that frequent drinking may be a more significant risk factor for gastrointestinal cancers than the quantity of alcohol consumed in a session. The study of more than 11 million people found that 300,000 people developed g... more
Skin Cancer: Slip, slop, slapdash
18 August 2021
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will investigate sunscreen products sold in Australia after a US study found some products contained potentially cancer causing chemicals. The TGA said they are “testing samples of sunscreen products contain... more
Screening and Immunisation: Clinic closures ‘playing with women’s lives’
18 August 2021
MPs and health professionals are urging the NSW government to reverse the temporary closure of breast screening services across NSW. On Monday, BreastScreen NSW announced the temporary suspension of all routine breast screening due to the risk of the... more
Public Health: Covid in hospitals
17 August 2021
Positive COVID-19 cases have been found in at least three NSW hospitals, including the oncology ward at Sydney’s St George Hospital. The five cases in the oncology ward at St George Hospital, include three inpatients and two full vaccinated staff mem... more
Screening and Immunisation: Breast screen suspension to put women ‘at greater risk of death’
17 August 2021
A report to be released today by the Radiation Therapy Advisory Group, will highlight the risks of delayed cancer screening and diagnosis. The report anticipates that when normal screening resumes, “patients will present with more advanced cancers be... more
Medical and Scientific: Telix Pharma is on the cusp of first US FDA approval
16 August 2021
Australian biotech company Telix Pharmaceuticals is on the cusp of getting approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for its product Illuccix. The company is a global leader in next-generation molecularly targeted radiation products, includin... more
Screening and Immunisation: AI technology catches prostate cancer early
16 August 2021
Advancements in artificial intelligence technology can assist the early discovery of prostate cancer and improve the chances of men starting treatment earlier. Dr Elliot Smith, the founder of Maxwell Plus, an AI diagnostic tool specifically for prost... more
Screening and Immunisation: Australia could see the end of cervical cancer
16 August 2021
The Department of Health has declared that Australia is on track to become the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer. The Medical Services Advisory Committee recently recommended self-collection be made universally available. Accord... more
Tobacco: Vaping prescription deadline nears
16 August 2021
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is urging e-cigarette users to book an appointment with a doctor before new laws banning the importation of nicotine vaping products without a prescription come into effect on 1 October. The laws will requir... more
Skin cancer: New cancerous chemical found in sunscreen
13 August 2021
Haereticus Environmental Laboratory (HEL), an American chemical testing laboratory, has written to the US medicines regulator, the FDA, asking it to pull all sunscreens that contain the active ingredient octocrylene. The laboratory claims this ingred... more
Public Health: Chemo bungle’s next step to safety
13 August 2021
SA Health has chosen a computerised prescribing system, seven years after a chemotherapy bungle affected 10 cancer patients. It will be delivered by Allscripts Australia, the company that delivered the controversial EPAS electronic patient record sys... more
Screening and Immunisation: Some breast screen clinics shut in Sydney
10 August 2021
More than 20 free breast screening clinics across Greater Sydney have been temporarily closed, as local health districts redeploy staff to support the NSW COVID-19 response. The BreastScreen NSW website stated, “For the safety of our clients, a numbe... more
Screening and Immunisation: Delay in deadly diagnosis
10 August 2021
Australians who have not seen their GP during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to what health groups are calling “symptom hesitancy”, may be living with undiagnosed cancer. During the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, there were 148,000 fewer diagnostic ... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Coffee benefit
10 August 2021
A new study from Imperial College London showed that a cup of coffee a day could help prevent liver cancer, but alcohol consumption remains a major risk factor for several cancers. The researchers investigated the association between food and nutrien... more
Treatment: Imugene deal boosts fight against cancer
06 August 2021
Cancer treatment company Imugene, has unveiled a new research partnership with biotech company Celularity, to unlock a revolutionary new treatment for solid tumours. The new treatment combines Imugene’s immunotherapy candidate, onCARlytics, with Celu... more
Treatment: Hope in cancer battle
04 August 2021
Monash University scientists are striving to confirm the discovery of two proteins thought to be crucial to the growth and spread of cancer cells. Their results could enable screening of potential new targeted treatments for triple-negative breast ca... more
Treatment: Cancer therapy’s personal touch
04 August 2021
The MoST-LLy clinical trial at the Royal Adelaide Hospital is now providing access to genomic screening for people with blood cancers. It will initially investigate a range of treatments for patients with aggressive lymphoma, studying response or res... more
Tobacco: Push to get tough on under-age vaping
03 August 2021
In a motion in the Legislative Assembly, Labor backbencher Dr Marisa Paterson is calling on the ACT government to expand efforts to prevent young people from taking up e-cigarettes and lobby the federal government for tougher regulation. Dr Paterson ... more
Skin Cancer: Sunscreen recalled over cancer concerns
03 August 2021
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has urgently recalled the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen Spray SPF 50+ aerosol sunscreen product, after traces of the chemical benzene were found in some batches. The TGA said, “Exposure to benze... more
Screening and Immunisation: Cervical cancer self-screen ‘will remove fear, save lives’
03 August 2021
Experts are calling on the federal government to establish universal access to self-collection for cervical screening. The Medical Service Advisory Committee recently endorsed changes to the national cervical screening program that allows women to co... more
Research: Social media riddled with bad cancer advice: report
03 August 2021
A new US study reveals that a third of the most popular articles about cancer treatment on social media contain misinformation, much of which is potentially harmful. Expert medical panels reviewed and assessed the claims for breast, prostate, lung an... more
Occupation and Environment: Uranium mine cancer inquiry ‘lacked input’
02 August 2021
A Northern Territory government inquiry that found that there was insufficient evidence that the Ranger uranium mine caused high rates of cancer and stillbirths, could have been improved if stronger contributions from Aboriginal people were sought. T... more
Tobacco: Cig sales go up in smoke
30 July 2021
Philip Morris Australia, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, has said that cigarette sales could end in Australia within 15 years. Managing Director, Hannah Yun said that ending the sale of traditional tobacco products relies on the greater acceptance ... more
Treatment: Ovarian cancer cure hope
29 July 2021
Women with the most deadly type of ovarian cancer may now be eligible for new game-changing targeted drugs, following new research from scientists at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. The research found tumours in some ovarian ... more
Public Health: Labor to ditch cancer, dental pledges
28 July 2021
After pledging a $2.3 billion package to assist out of pocket costs for cancer patients at the 2019 election, Federal Labor is now looking to reduce it. The package included $600 million to improve access to diagnostic imaging, and $433 million to fu... more
Obesity, Nutrition, and Physical Activity: Exercise can slow cancer
28 July 2021
A new study from Newcastle University in England has shown that a single workout session releases certain molecules into the bloodstream to help reduce the effect of cancerous tumour growth. Leading scientist Dr Sam Orange said, “We saw a rise in lev... more
Alcohol: Alcohol firms ‘pitch booze to kids on social media’
28 July 2021
A study in the journal Public Health Research and Practice has found that 28 per cent of Australia’s top alcohol companies’ Instagram accounts, and 5 per cent of their Facebook accounts are failing to enforce age appropriate controls, making their ad... more
Support: Cannabis trial for cancer patients
27 July 2021
Queensland researchers are conducting a series of trials to test whether different formulations of medicinal cannabis can improve advanced cancer patients’ quality of life and overall wellbeing. The Mater-led studies aim to provide high-quality evide... more
Screening and Immunisation: Fresh hope for ovarian cancer fight
26 July 2021
University of Queensland researchers have developed a new test that could potentially detect ovarian cancer years earlier than traditional blood tests. The test reads exosomes, or “handwritten letters” which cancer cells send to normal cells to sprea... more
Public health: Census will question us about our health
26 July 2021
Australians will be asked about their long-term health conditions for the first time in next month’s national Census. Data will be collected to determine if people have experienced asthma, diabetes, cancer, dementia and kidney disease. Census spokesp... more
Tobacco: Flavoured cigs hard to give up
22 July 2021
There are renewed calls for a national ban on flavoured tobacco products following new research revealing that smoking menthol cigarettes makes it harder to quit. A study following 6000 Americans trying to quit smoking, showed that those who used men... more
Obesity, Nutrition, and Physical Activity: Weighing up the costs
21 July 2021
75 per cent of Australian men are considered above a healthy weight range, with many struggling with emotional eating. Foods that are often turned to for emotional eating include those high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat which may be putting men a... more
Occupation and Environment: Unhealthy roads
21 July 2021
Research on 700 international studies undertaken by the US Institute of Health Effects has found that living, working, or attending school near a very high trafficked road can elevate your risk of heart disease, stroke, preterm birth, immune damage, ... more
Supportive Care: Life and death question revived
20 July 2021
A draft bill to legalise euthanasia in NSW could cause disagreement among the Coalition, as some Liberal MPs push Premier Gladys Berejiklian to rule out a conscience vote on voluntary assisted dying. The bill, drafted by Independent MP Alex Greenwich... more
Tobacco: Kids’ smoke screens
19 July 2021
Teenagers are participating in dangerous and illegal vaping TikTok challenges, as video showing teens using vape smoke to make shapes gain millions of views. Videos also show teens in school uniforms admitting to “vape addictions” or providing inform... more
Medical and Scientific: new early-stage breast cancer test
19 July 2021
Private equity company KKR is set to make an additional investment into Australian healthcare provider GenesisCare, which is offering a new precision medicine test for women diagnosed with early-staged breast cancer. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), ... more
Treatment: ‘Guided missile’ for rare cancers
15 July 2021
A “one-two punch” breakthrough method of treating rare and incurable forms of cancers, could be available for patients within two years. Dr Mitra Safavi-Naeini, Research Lead at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, is investiga... more
Medical and Scientific: PharmAust in cancer research deal
13 July 2021
Biotech company PharmAust, is partnering with the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute to investigate the efficacy of the drug monepantel (MPL) as a treatment for the cancer-inducing virus, human t-lymphotropic virus-1 (HTLV-1). The virus targets the immu... more
Medical & Scientific: Boost to hearing research
12 July 2021
A listening device to help children with hearing problems caused by childhood onset neurofibromatosis is being trialed, following a $2.2 million research grant. The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute received funding from the Medical Research Futu... more
Medical & Scientific: Brain map start-up gets $40m boost
12 July 2021
Australian start-up Omniscient Neurotechnology has raised $40 million in series B financing, with the funds allocated to a portfolio of medical device and research solutions aimed at helping people with disorders including Alzheimer’s diseases, depre... more
Tobacco: Fines to top $11m under tighter vaping product safety guidelines
12 July 2021
New minimum safety and quality standards are being introduced, which will see businesses supplying nicotine vaping products hit with fines of up to $11 million from October. The new regulations are part of an overhaul of vaping regulations in Austral... more
Treatment: New drug combination for men with prostate cancer
12 July 2021
A new combination of prostate cancer drugs could cut deaths and shrink tumours for men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Research published in The Lancet, suggested that patients given two different pills were three times more likely to experience comp... more
Tobacco: Vaping side effects unclear
12 July 2021
Researchers don’t yet understand the impacts of popular vaping and e-cigarettes products on young people, as there is little medical data tracking their effects. A recent study from Monash University’s School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine ... more
Medical & Scientific: Big win on medical cannabis
12 July 2021
Scientists at Agriculture Victoria have uncovered the genetic code of medical cannabis through advanced DNA work. This will enable researchers to select the best traits of the medical cannabis by breeding improved strains to make the most effective p... more
Medical and Scientific: Tech to catch prostate cancer early
08 July 2021
Researchers from St Vincent’s Hospital and RMIT University in Melbourne have found a way to detect prostate cancer even before symptoms present. They developed an artificial intelligence software to analyse CT scans in just seconds and the technology... more
Treatment: Child brain cancer hope
07 July 2021
Australian researchers have been able to cure mice of medulloblastoma, a form of childhood brain cancer, using drugs already in use for the treatment of other cancers. In an international collaboration led by Melbourne’s Walter and Eliza Hall Institu... more
Support: Bush life’s bad for the health
07 July 2021
Research from the Leukaemia Foundation has found that the challenges for Australians with blood cancers from remote and regional areas in accessing treatment are meaning they can experience a higher level of mortality. “If a family lives in a regiona... more
Skin Cancer: Eyes 10 times more sensitive to UV light than skin
07 July 2021
Research from the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation has found that eyes are 10 times more sensitive than skin to the sun’s UV rays. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, 10 per cent of all skin cancers occur on the eyelid. Prolonged exp... more
Medical and Scientific: Gut churn a cancer help
06 July 2021
Research from SA Health and Medical Research Institute and Flinders University has found that chemotherapy destabilises the gut microbes of patients suffering solid organ cancer including the increase in pathogenic bacteria previously linked to an in... more
Alcohol: ACT has ‘low awareness’ of alcohol-cancer link study shows
06 July 2021
A survey from the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) has found that many people are not aware of the link between alcohol consumption and cancer. Only a quarter of respondents knew of the link between alcohol and breast cancer, more... more
Obesity, Nutrition, and Physical Activity: Smoking gun for junk food packaging
06 July 2021
University of WA researchers have called for mandatory health warnings similar to those on cigarettes to be applied to junk food in a bid to manage obesity in Australia. The new report also recommends limiting access to fast food outlets, making the ... more
Screening: Ethical concerns over cancer test
06 July 2021
Cancer specialists have raised concerns over a clinical trial in Melbourne that is screening patients for cancer using an unapproved test. Independent cancer experts say it is not accurate enough to be relied upon. The Melbourne institute has been ru... more
Treatment: Researchers fight to save childhood
05 July 2021
Adelaide oncologists and researchers have received $2.4 million in funding to improve current treatment processes for children diagnosed with neuroblastoma. One study, led by Professor Yeesim Khew-Goodall, will work to identify the molecular drivers ... more
Treatment: Double tap for cancer
05 July 2021
A study has found that combining two existing types of radiotherapy could halve the speed at which incurable prostate cancer progressed, extending the life expectancy of patients by at least six months. “We found going early with these treatments all... more
Occupation and Environment: Campaign for national ban on PFAS ramps up
05 July 2021
Unions have ramped up their campaign to get the federal government to introduce legislation to formally ban the use of toxic PFAS foam. They say little action has happened since the national regulatory body for industrial chemicals ‘sounded the alarm... more
Treatment: Children to get personal cancer plans
02 July 2021
All Australian children diagnosed with cancer could soon be eligible for tailor made treatments following successful trials in treating children with high risk cancers. The Zero Childhood Cancer National Personalised Medicine Program (ZERO) is design... more
Obesity, Nutrition, and Physical Activity: A walk on the tired side
01 July 2021
Australian research has found that moderate levels of physical activity can undo the health effects of poor sleep. Inactive insomniacs were found to have a 57 per cent higher risk of early death including being 45 per cent more likely to die from can... more
Screening and Immunisation: DNA to target cancer genes
30 June 2021
Next year, in a world first program, ten thousand young Australians aged between 18 and 40 will be given access to a free genetic test to see whether they carry cancer causing genes. The genetic screening will screen for the hereditary breast and ova... more
Obesity, Nutrition, and Physical Activity: Likely to pay a fat price
30 June 2021
A report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has found that people paying off a mortgage are among those more likely to be overweight or obese. Other social factors impacting this risk include education, occupation and where someone is ... more
Screening and Immunisation: Cancer test alternative
29 June 2021
Collecting their own samples to be used for cervical cancer screening can make women feel more in control of their own health, researchers say. Author Nicola Creagh and her team from the University of Melbourne interviewed 45 participants and 18 prac... more
Tobacco: Smoking out black market bandits
28 June 2021
Criminals are making more than $800m on the sale of illicit tobacco, with hundreds of stores in Victoria being found selling it. A new report by KPMG showed that 2.2 million kilograms of illicit tobacco was consumed nationally last year, with busines... more
Supportive Care: It’s treatment air
28 June 2021
An analysis of Medicare and private health insurance data has found that often it is considerably cheaper for patients to fly interstate for surgery. It also found that privately insured Australians are having to access their superannuation and other... more
Medical and Scientific: Breakthrough in cancer detection
28 June 2021
A paper in the journal Annals of Oncology has detailed a trial of a blood test that can detect more than 50 types of cancer. The test involves looking for cell-free DNA (cfDNA) shed by tumours in the blood. Genomic sequencing is used to detect certai... more
Tobacco: Nicoteens alarm
25 June 2021
Dozens of Victorian tobacconists have been found to be selling illegal vaping products to children, including kids in school uniforms. Staff were seen not asking for ID when selling to students, or providing receipts. At one tobacconist, students we... more
Treatment: First-time PBS listing for mesothelioma
23 June 2021
Drugs Opdivo and Yevoy, which work in tandem, have been given an expanded listing on the PBS to include treatment for inoperable or unresectable malignant mesothelioma. The listing will start on 1 July, and federal Health Minister Greg Hunt expects 7... more
Treatment: Brain cancer drug ‘encouraging’
22 June 2021
After years of research, Lisavanbulin, a new drug being trialled on British patients has been found to shrink tumours in Glioblastoma patients by 90 per cent. After "encouraging" early results at the trial being led by the Royal Marsden NHS Foundatio... more
Obesity, Physical Activity, and Nutrition: Study carves out red meat cancer link
21 June 2021
A new study published in the journal Cancer Discovery has identified the impact of diets rich in red meat in causing colorectal cancer through specific patterns of DNA damage. The analysis of DNA from 900 patients with colorectal cancer showed a muta... more
Skin Cancer: 3D Cancer Cops
21 June 2021
In a world first study, led by Associate Professor Victoria Mar, of Monash University, 3D images of the skin of 15,000 Australian’s will be studied by researchers aiming to create an algorithm that can project who will suffer skin cancers and melanom... more
Obesity, Physical Activity, and Nutrition: Age calculator shows us failing test of time
21 June 2021
Insurer AIA has developed The Vitality Age Calculator aiming to prompt people to consider taking small steps to improve their health and wellbeing. The calculator asks participants a range of questions about their exercise, diet, smoking, and alcohol... more
Treatment: Breakthrough drug to treat brain cancer
17 June 2021
Working with scientists in the US, Australian biotech company Patrys has developed the first antibody drug that could treat brain cancer. The therapy works by passing through a membrane transporter called ENT2, allowing the drug to penetrate into cel... more
Medical and Scientific: Access boost for cancer drug
17 June 2021
From 1 July, 800 extra Australians with stage IV advanced or metastatic clear cell variant renal cell carcinoma will be able to access the drug Carbometyx, previously a $120,000 a year drug, for $41.30 a script, or $6.60 for patients with a concessio... more
Medical and Scientific: Gadget aided in op recovery
15 June 2021
Research from the University of Manchester has found that fitness trackers could unintentionally improve recovery times after major cancer surgery. The research participants who were wearing a Fitbit and provided an exercise program six weeks prior t... more
Medical and Scientific: New cancer drug
15 June 2021
A new radiopharmaceutical drug, which has been designed especially for ovarian cancers that are resistant to traditional therapies has proven to dramatically decrease the size of tumours and limit their growth in pre-clinical trials. The new drug can... more
Tobacco: A hot issue for smokers
15 June 2021
The UK has announced a new bill will be introduced to parliament this week, which will see “smoking kills” warnings needing to be placed in red ink on individual cigarettes. Any manufacturers who do not follow the new rules would face jail time and s... more
Medical and Scientific: Computer doctors to find cancer
15 June 2021
A world-first study is being run by Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital BreastScreen service in which five AI candidate algorithms will be pitted against human interpretation in the hopes of improving screening accuracy of the national screening progra... more
Tobacco: Vape craze a real drag
11 June 2021
The NSW Secondary Principals’ Council says that vaping is leading to students exhibiting “really edgy behaviour” after a senior schoolboy at Waverly College was suspended for allegedly running a “pyramid scheme” using fellow kids to distribute the va... more
Medical and Scientific: Hope in the fight against prostate cancer
11 June 2021
The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) has co-funded a new clinical trial aimed at preventing the deaths of 3000 Australian men a year. The trial will investigate the effectiveness of new radiotherapy treatment with existing forms of immu... more
Nutrition and Physical Activity: Time to tax drinks making us fat and sick
10 June 2021
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has demanded a tax on high-sugar drinks and shown support for an increase in alcohol prices. AMA president Dr Omar Khorshid said the group would call for a 20 per cent tax on high-sugar beverages in a bid to c... more
Alcohol: Alcohol linked to cancer
09 June 2021
A study, published in Addictive Behaviours, has found telling people that alcohol causes cancer makes them want to drink less. Author Simone Pettigrew, from The George Institute for Global Health, had 8000 adults complete three surveys. She said alco... more
Occupational and Environmental: College ‘cleared of cancer’
08 June 2021
Health experts have ruled out the possibility of a “cancer cluster” at a Gold Coast school, concluding that there were “no environmental exposures of concern”. But not all parents at St Andrews Lutheran College are convinced, with one saying there wa... more
Medical and Scientific: More funding is the first step to win-win outcome
08 June 2021
After decades in which mental health has been poorly funded and marginalised, one expert is confident plans to redress this — at least at a federal level - bode well for improvements in mental health treatments. ‘‘Mental illness is one of the top-thr... more
Medical and Scientific: Hospitals yet to sit test of endurance
08 June 2021
Australians will be warned their hospitals would have failed a true stress test if COVID-19 cases had been anywhere near as numerous as was feared 15 months ago. The new Australian Medical Association president, Dr Omar Khorshid, who makes his first ... more
Medical and Scientific: Businesses can provide rewards for vaccinated
08 June 2021
Australian businesses can offer cash and other rewards to citizens who have received COVID-19 vaccines, under a significant change to the medicine regulator's advertising rules. The new regulations, which will be in place until December 2022, will al... more
Medical and Scientific: Lung cancer chemo clues
08 June 2021
Australian researchers have uncovered a reason why lung cancer is resistant to chemotherapy treatment. A team from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and ANZAC Research Institute has uncovered a mechanism that helps lung cancer cells resist sta... more
Research: New breast cancer drug
07 June 2021
A new drug reduces the recurrence of some genetic forms of breast cancer by 42 per cent if caught early enough. Results from the OlympiA clinical trial shows the drug olaparib significantly reduces breast cancer recurrence in those patients who have ... more
Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition: Melburnians actively pursue lockdown benefits
07 June 2021
New research has revealed many Melburnians have used Covid restrictions as a "reset switch" for making positive health and wellbeing changes, and a third are exercising more and 40 per cent are eating better than they were at the start of last year. ... more
Medical and Scientific: The twin pandemics
04 June 2021
Manufacturers of unhealthy products aren't letting the crisis go to waste. When public health advocates put out a call last July for examples of unhealthy industries seeking to capitalise on the disruption, they received several hundred documented ex... more
Medical and Scientific: Can an app save you from cancer?
04 June 2021
Google have recently revealed plans to roll out an artificially intelligent, medically approved search engine for your skin that could name a rash or issue a warning about a suspicious mole. But while experts have largely welcomed its move, they also... more
Medical and Scientific: Hospital pass for patients
03 June 2021
Tens of thousands of West Australians awaiting elective surgeries such as hip and knee replacements or cancer screening are in limbo after Mark McGowan announced nonurgent procedures would be slashed in response to hospitals “being overrun with patie... more
Medical and Scientific: Early test may spot cancer
03 June 2021
Men with a family history of prostate cancer should be given early screening in their early 40s, research suggests. A 57-year study of more than 6.3 million men led by the German Cancer Research Centre found their risk of late-stage or fatal prostate... more
Nutrition, Obesity and Physical Activity: Flying by the seat of your pants is risky
02 June 2021
Sitting is now considered “the new smoking'' with scientific evidence shows that sitting for too long — a ‘sedentary lifestyle' — can increase the risk of chronic health problems such as heart disease, obesity, stroke, diabetes and some cancers (espe... more
Medical and Scientific: High hopes for pancreatic cancer
02 June 2021
PanKind Foundation, the peak body for pancreatic cancer in Australia, hopes to change outcomes with a goal of tripling the survival rate by 2030. “It seems audacious if you’re a researcher, and it seems not very impressive if you’re a patient — it’s ... more
Medical and Scientific: Promising WA research being trialled
02 June 2021
Tripling the survival rate of pancreatic cancer in the next nine years is a lofty goal, but Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research is up to the challenge. The Nedlands-based institute is tackling the biological barrier that makes pancreatic canc... more
Tobacco: NT smokers lag behind
02 June 2021
A group of leading Australian health organisations have ranked the NT government last out of every state and territory on efforts to combat smoking over the past 12 months, as part of their annual Dirty Ashtray Awards for World No Tobacco Day. Austra... more
Skin cancer: Sunscreen tests shock
31 May 2021
Almost 80 US brands of sunscreen, including some that appear to be sold in Australia, have been found to contain the cancer-causing chemical benzene. Valisure, a US company that chemically tests generic medicines and other products to make sure they ... more
Alcohol: Campaign targets alcohol’s cancer risk
31 May 2021
A new Cancer Council survey of 1500 people shows that less than one-fifth of respondents recognise that alcohol represents a cancer risk, despite it being linked to at least seven types of cancers, including breast, liver, mouth, throat and bowel. Th... more
Medical and Scientific: Cells kept alive to plot their demise
31 May 2021
Researchers have been able to grow pancreatic tumour cells in a petri dish and keep them alive for almost two weeks in a groundbreaking development that has enabled scientists to develop promising new therapies for pancreatic cancer. By growing a pan... more
Medical and Scientific: Icon Care plans regional oncology push as part of broader expansion
28 May 2021
Australia's largest cancer care provider, Icon Group, says there is a lack of access to top care facilities in regional Australia, where it plans to open more centres. Icon is also pushing across the Tasman with the expansion of its chemotherapy comp... more
Occupational and Environmental: Stone-cold facts about silicosis
26 May 2021
There is a rising number of West Australians diagnosed with silicosis. Silicosis is a progressive lung disease caused by a silica build-up in the lungs and breathing passages, causing permanent scarring. There is currently no cure. Cases in Australia... more
Medical and Scientific: Silent killer early tests can’t beat
26 May 2021
In Australia, four women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every day. Three will eventually die of the disease. However, even if diagnosed through an early detection screening test today, women diagnosed will likely still have the same fate. That is ... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Teens running out of options to hit exercise goal
24 May 2021
Most teenagers are not exercising as much as health guidelines call for, with many saying they are too starved of choice to get active at school. Cancer Council data reveals just one in six children aged 12 to 17 get enough physical activity, sparkin... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Kids missing out on active lifestyle
24 May 2021
Cancer Council is calling for increased support for younger Australians to get active, following data that reveals just one in six Australian secondary school children aged 12 to 17 meet the recommended guidelines of one hour of physical activity eve... more
Medical and Scientific: Emergencies take priority
21 May 2021
Clearing Victoria's overcrowded emergency departments will take priority over cutting record elective surgery waiting lists as the state tries to avoid a worsening health crisis. With 30 per cent of emergency department patients not being treated in ... more
Medical and Scientific: Drug firms asked can you do ‘Aussie made’
21 May 2021
Drug manufacturers will be invited to submit plans to make mRNA vaccines like the COVID-19 Pfizer and Moderna jabs in Australia from Friday. The Morrison government will put out an eight-week “approach to market” which it hopes will boost the nation’... more
Medical and Scientific: Don’t leave it too late
20 May 2021
Australians need to prioritise their health and get back into regular routines after research found many were putting off their appointments. Conflicting priorities such as family and work needs or being timepoor are to blame. Osana Preventative Heal... more
Medical and Scientific: ‘Virtual doctors’ leave rural hospitals in crisis
20 May 2021
Four people have died in serious incidents without doctors present at Western NSW hospitals in the past year, an inquiry has heard. The inquiry heard virtual consultations are increasingly used in hospital emergency departments where there are no doc... more
Obesity, nutrition and physical activity: Yoghurt aids cancer fight
19 May 2021
Eating yoghurt every day helps lower the risk of liver cancer, research shows. Data from 5000 people found they reduced their risk of liver cancer 5.4 per cent if they ate 40g of yoghurt a day. Researchers, writing in the journal Nutrition and Cancer... more
Medical and Scientific: Imugene’s ‘holy grail’ cancer therapy
19 May 2021
Immuno-oncology company Imugene has penned a licensing patent deal with a California-based cancer research centre City of Hope for a novel cancer therapy that targets solid tumours. This immunotherapy transforms T cells – the natural disease fighters... more
Medical and Scientific: Monash partnership to fight tumours
19 May 2021
Commercialisation partnership BioCurate has teamed with Monash University to launch a new oncology start-up, Pio Therapeutics (Pio Tx), with the aim of increasing the effectiveness of immunotherapy via the development of an antibody called PIO-001. T... more
Medical and Scientific: Number 2 plan to beat cancer
18 May 2021
A little poo may prove a lifesaver for children fighting cancer. SA Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) researcher Dr Hannah Wardill is working on strategy to prevent children who have a bone marrow stem-cell transplant ending up with orga... more
Medical and Scientific: New state laws target ink link to cancer
18 May 2021
The state government will push ahead with new laws requiring tattoo artists to certify that ink used on customers is not carcinogenic. A plan to amend the Poisons Act relating to the use of tattoo ink, requiring suppliers to certify that pigment does... more
Medical and Scientific: Fake breasts could kill me
18 May 2021
A dance instructor whose breast implants were recalled because of a cancer link has spoken out to warn other women of the dangers as new research shows a growing number of women are having problems with the implants. These implants have been linked t... more
Tobacco: Graphic tilt at smoking
17 May 2021
Tasmania has the second highest rate of smokers in the country and a confronting new advertising campaign has been launched to get the number down. Quit Tasmania’s new campaign, Voice Box, uses graphic images of a real laryngectomy procedure to highl... more
Medical and Scientific: Marvel for children’s cancer
17 May 2021
A new class of drugs is showing signs of overcoming some of the most devastating forms of childhood cancer after groundbreaking Australian results. Using a combination of two new drugs Australian researchers have been able to cure high risk neuroblas... more
Medical and Scientific: Breast cancer overdiagnosis fears quashed
17 May 2021
Women who avoid mammograms due to fear of overdiagnosis and overtreatment are dicing with death, as early cancer detection outweighs harms and saves lives. A report released today in the Medical Journal of Australia highlights that while overdiagnosi... more
Treatment: Viralytics band back for cancer start-up
14 May 2021
Led by Malcolm McColl, the group recognised for the immuno-oncology success story Viralytics, ImmVirX is attempting to develop a therapy harnessing a patient's own immune system to treat colorectal, ovarian, and gastric cancers. The company is invest... more
Screening and Immunisation: Hope remains after cancer trial ends in letdown
14 May 2021
The results of the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening, a three-decade ovarian cancer study have revealed that while screening women detected the disease before they developed symptoms, it did not save lives. The result led to research... more
Tobacco: Workers to carry tax bill burden
13 May 2021
The nation’s taxpayers are shouldering the burden of paying for the federal government’s budget plans, accounting for the highest share of tax revenue this century as company tax receipts collapse in the wake of the pandemic. By 2022-23, GST collecti... more
Screening and Immunisation: Potential for lung cancer program
13 May 2021
Australia's lung cancer community is celebrating the Morrison government's promise to invest in plans for a potential national lung cancer screening program. But it says the $6.9 million being put towards it is relatively "modest", and national scree... more
Medical and Scientific: Tax breaks for Aussie patents – that’s an idea
12 May 2021
Companies that develop patents in Australia will receive tax reductions under an initiative to promote the manufacturing sector and innovations in the medical and biotech sectors. Dubbed the “patent box”, the initiative will see corporate profits tax... more
Medical and Scientific: Boost for sufferers of rare, chronic illnesses
12 May 2021
The 2021 budget announced a number of costly medications to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. “Since coming to government, we have listed more than 2600 medicines on the PBS, an average of one each day,” Mr Frydenberg told parliament. “This has put... more
Medical and Scientific: Catching those in middle who fall through the net
12 May 2021
The establishment of a nationwide network of multidisciplinary adult mental health clinics will be the most farreaching implication for Australian healthcare arising from this budget. The $487m commitment to establish 40 mental health centres modelle... more
Medical and Scientific: No more dodging Medicare levy slug
12 May 2021
A loophole that dissuades people earning more than $90,000 a year from taking out private health insurance could be closed. Workers who earn over $90,000 as singles or more than $180,000 as families have to pay a higher Medicare levy if they don’t ha... more
Medical and Scientific: Funding for trials, access to new drugs
11 May 2021
The dying wish of a brave woman seeking to help others battling aggressive breast cancer has been heard by the federal government, with funding for clinical trials and support for faster access to new drugs. Today's federal budget will include $5m to... more
Medical and Scientific: Warning on implant cancer risk
11 May 2021
Health authorities have issued an urgent warning for thousands of women who have had breast implants after a link was found to a rare cancer. Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) has been detected in a small number of w... more
Tobacco: Vaping’s myths need to be extinguished
10 May 2021
The revelation that students in Canberra are being approached near schools to buy vaping equipment should be deeply concerning for the entire community. Vaping has been touted as a safer alternative to smoking and a useful tool in helping people to q... more
Tobacco: Parents ‘feeling powerless’ about vaping
10 May 2021
A Canberra mum has said she and other parents were "feeling powerless" in tackling the rise of vaping among teens after her son was reportedly approached for vaping liquids. It comes after a number of ACT schools have told The Canberra Times there wa... more
Screening and Immunisation: Shawls offer cultural connection, safety
10 May 2021
A new program that encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman to undergo breast cancer screening in the ACT will change lives, and provide them with an added sense of safety and dignity, community leaders say. The inaugural ACT "Beautiful... more
Medical and Scientific: Protein therapy to fight prostate cancer
10 May 2021
Scientists have discovered that a key protein may be the secret to treating prostate cancer patients with “miracle” immunotherapy drugs. Clinical trials have now begun – with the goal of unleashing cancer-killing white blood cells to attack the tumou... more
Medical and Scientific: Morrison in budget cash appeal to women
10 May 2021
The federal government will more than double funding for domestic violence prevention to at least $680 million, while also unveiling $354 million in new money for women’s health programs in Tuesday’s budget. The women’s healthcare package will increa... more
Medical and Scientific: Lymphoma warning on breast implants
10 May 2021
Sixteen Victorian women have developed cancer from breast implants, sparking a major health warning. Tens of thousands of women have had the implants. The rare cancer of the immune system has been linked to widespread use of common “textured” implant... more
Medical and Scientific: Labor says the budget pitch to women is too little, too late
10 May 2021
Federal Labor has criticised the Morrison government budget measures on childcare, health, economic security and domestic violence to support women as "managing a political problem" and coming too little, too late. There is more to be revealed on Tue... more
Medical and Scientific: Help for women to join business world
10 May 2021
New commitments to encourage female leadership in the corporate sector and boost the number of women entrepreneurs will be included in Tuesday’s budget, as the Morrison government attempts to change a perception it has a problem with women. The measu... more
Medical and Scientific: Health boost for women
10 May 2021
A massive $354m boost for women’s health is set to “pave the way” for better health outcomes. The package, detailed in the Sunday Herald Sun, includes $100m for improving cervical and breast cancer screening programs. Breast Cancer Network chief exec... more
Medical and Scientific: Early breast cancer alarm
10 May 2021
A trailblazing blood test that could warn women in their 30s they are at high risk of developing breast cancer is under development in Australia. The test, which is likely to cost less than $100, has been described as a landmark step towards preventi... more
Medical and Scientific: A $354m spend for women
10 May 2021
The moves to improve the long-term health outcomes for females will be a centrepiece of Tuesday’s Budget. A drug designed to stop women going in to premature labour will be listed to remove the $300 cost of treatment, while more than $100m will be po... more
Obesity, nutrition and physical activity: Marketing sugar high on agenda
10 May 2021
Beverage companies are spending big advertising sugary drinks, with a new study showing almost double is spent marketing these products than other drink options. The report, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, looked... more
Medical and Scientific: Bitter Pill
07 May 2021
SA Health have made an urgent announcement regarding its electronic patient record system, Sunrise which has started adding an extra digit to prescriptions, turning 10mg doses into 100mg. While SA Health officials said they are not aware of any curre... more
Tobacco: How are young people accessing vapes?
06 May 2021
Parents, school principals, youth centres and researchers have sounded the alarm bell about the rise in young people taking up e-cigarettes across the country. In Australia between 2016 and 2019, current e-cigarette users aged 15-24 increased by abou... more
Medical and Scientific: TGA approves new cancer treatment
06 May 2021
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has registered a new medication to treat a particularly aggressive and advanced type of prostate cancer. Lynparza is manufactured by biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, and has for years been used to treat peop... more
Alcohol: Deadly love of alcohol
06 May 2021
Alcohol kills more Australians than illicit drugs and is involved in almost half of all drug-injury deaths, new data shows. The latest national coroner’s report shows booze was the primary cause of 482 deaths and a contributing factor in 968 other fa... more
Medical and Scientific: Fewer survivors as liver cancer takes rising toll
06 May 2021
Advocates are calling for greater public awareness of risk factors for liver cancer amid rising instances of the condition, which sees fewer than one in five survive for five years after diagnosis. The most common form, hepatocellular carcinoma, is t... more
Screening and Immunisation: Producing best vax is just the shot for NSW
05 May 2021
Some of the most effective COVID-19 vaccines that produce the fewest side-effects could be manufactured in NSW under a plan launched by the state government. Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Tuesday announced she had tasked the state’s Chief Scientist t... more
Medical and Scientific: MRNA research gets $2m injection
04 May 2021
As governments race to establish domestic supply of so-called messenger RNA vaccines amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Queensland's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology has received new federal funding for RNA and DN... more
Research: Nano deliver for cancer
04 May 2021
Bowel cancer survival rates could be improved if chemotherapy drugs were delivered via tiny nanoparticles directly to tumours instead of being taken orally. This is the finding, published in the journal Carbohydrate Polymers, of an Indian and Austral... more
Tobacco: Pupils vaping on the rise
03 May 2021
Canberra teenagers have been warned about being approached to buy e-cigarettes with one school principal saying vaping rates had been "steeply rising". Youth centres, doctors and researchers have also reported an increase in young people vaping. Meri... more
Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition: Weight of evidence
28 April 2021
Almost 80 per cent of hospitalised COVID-19 patients in the US have been overweight or obese, according a US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study released last month. “The risks of hospitalisation, intensive care unit admission, inv... more
Medical and Scientific: Saving 275,000 cancer victims
27 April 2021
Half of the more than 550,000 Australians expected to die from cancer in the next decade could be saved or have their lives extended if patients with rarer types of the disease had better access to emerging treatments and technology. In 2030 alone ab... more
Tobacco Issues: $10bn goes up in smoke
22 April 2021
More than £6bn ($10.8bn) was wiped off the combined market value of Britain’s big tobacco companies yesterday in response to concerns that the Biden administration is considering cutting nicotine in cigarettes to non-addictive levels. Officials are c... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer ward reopened following major refurb
21 April 2021
Part of the Canberra Hospital will be accessible on Wednesday for the first time since 2019 following the refurbishment of its oncology ward. The ageing Canberra Hospital facility received a major upgrade in order to provide more single-bed rooms, re... more
Medical and Scientific: Call for leukaemia ‘cluster’ inquiry
21 April 2021
Geelong-based senator Sarah Henderson has called on the state government to investigate a potential cancer cluster at Barwon Heads. At a public hearing into high levels of leukaemia along Bellarine Peninsula, Senator Henderson said chief health offic... more
Medical and Scientific: It adds up for prostate risk
21 April 2021
A calculator that tells men their personal risk of developing prostate cancer could save thousands of lives. Researchers at Oxford University say their online tool can help GPs prioritise high-risk patients for scans while reassuring others. It is de... more
Medical and Scientific: Libs call for clarity on endoscopy waits
20 April 2021
Canberra Liberals are calling on the ACT government to clarify how wait times for endoscopy examinations will be reduced, following revelations at least two people have developed cancer while waiting more than a year to be seen. The Canberra Times la... more
Medical and Scientific: Closing rural gap in cancer treatments
20 April 2021
A new clinical trials project is working to narrow the city country divide and ensure regional cancer patients receive the best treatment. In an Australian-first pilot program, Alfred Health will on Tuesday launch its clinical trial program in region... more
Medical and Scientific: Costly battle against a killer
19 April 2021
Leading cancer researcher David Thomas is urging the Federal government to attract pharmaceutical giants to the country with public private partnerships to provide lifesaving genetic tests and new treatments. Professor Thomas, head of cancer research... more
Medical and Scientific: Health premiums hit Vics hardest
19 April 2021
Victoria has the most expensive private health insurance in the nation. An investigation shows differences of up to $500 a month on premiums depending on where customers live and work in Australia. Big savings were available to those whose employer h... more
Medical and Scientific: Leaders get personal in poll pitch
19 April 2021
Tasmania's political leaders made their state election campaign “launches” personal, with Labor's Rebecca White questioning how Peter Gutwein “sleeps at night” and the Premier revealing a personal toll from pandemic leadership. Ms White placed health... more
Medical and Scientific: Medical care not covered
19 April 2021
Kate McKenzie was aged just 20 when doctors discovered thousands of precancerous polyps in her bowel. She later developed rare Desmoid tumours and brain cancer. The Brisbane mum is now relying on charity to raise money to fund a $100,000-a-year treat... more
Tobacco: Leave your vapes at the border
19 April 2021
New Zealanders are welcome, but not with their e-cigarettes, explains Michael Bailey. This week, the first direct flight between New Zealand and Australia is scheduled to touch down in Hobart. Recently, New Zealand brought into effect laws which lega... more
Screening and Immunisation: 'Frightening' test wait
16 April 2021
Canberra health professionals have revealed that the wait list for endoscopy examinations in the ACT has now exceeded 7,200 people with at least two people having developed cancer while waiting more than a year to be seen. According to the most recen... more
Medical and Scientific: Common pill’s dose of hope
15 April 2021
New research undertaken by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research has found that hormones released by a woman during pregnancy triggered changes in tissue surrounding cancer cells. These changes include uncontrolled inflammation, tissue remodelling... more
Supportive Care: Older cancer patients denied best remedies
15 April 2021
The University of Melbourne has revealed that Australians over the age of 65 are often given less access to acute treatments, information about side-effects and options for clinical trials. As a result, a new source of information has been developed ... more
Medical and Scientific: High hopes to produce cannabis
14 April 2021
As demand for pain relief medicine has grown, a new $400m medicinal cannabis growing and production facility is planned for Queensland. The facility, which will be near Towoomba will be one of the biggest in the world and could produce 500 tonnes of ... more
Tobacco: Vaping ‘out of control’
12 April 2021
Teachers have labelled the dangerous vaping craze sweeping Victoria’s schools as “out of control”. The Herald Sun has uncovered dozens of online posts in which students from schools across the state brag about vaping in toilets, classrooms and on sch... more
Medical and Scientific: Massive GP wait times blowout a legacy of lockdown
08 April 2021
International border closures have exacerbated a Statewide GP shortage — blowing out waiting times at some practices to several days and increasing pressure on already busy emergency departments. GPs are also struggling to catch up on examinations de... more
Research: New cancer therapy bid
07 April 2021
New therapeutic approaches to fighting liver cancer should be explored, new research suggests. Researchers from the Centenary Institute in Sydney have discovered that the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 gene family is “strongly implicated” in the development ... more
Tobacco: Smuggling statistics are a smoking gun
07 April 2021
Illegal tobacco consumption has skyrocketed in the past few years. One in five cigarettes consumed in Australia is now illegal – the highest level ever recorded, according to analysts KPMG. Australia’s illegal tobacco trade is now bigger than ever, i... more
Medical and Scientific: Jail health service ‘can’t keep up with rising cohort’
05 April 2021
The state’s inmates are prematurely ageing up to 15 years faster than the rest of the population, according to a new report that warns health services are struggling to keep pace with the ballooning prison population. The report also found some inmat... more
Medical and Scientific: $280m bid to give cancer hope
05 April 2021
Thousands of Australians battling advanced and rare cancers would gain access to lifesaving medical trials and avoid unnecessary chemotherapy or radiation if the Federal Government invested $280m in a groundbreaking test, research shows. Over five ye... more
Research: Paracetamol doesn’t work
05 April 2021
It is the most used pain medication in the world but a new study published in the Medical Journal of Australia has found paracetamol is little better than a dummy pill for most conditions. In Australia, sales of the over the-counter drug have soared ... more
Tobacco: Health alarm at surge in teenage vaping
04 April 2021
Black-market sellers use social media platforms TikTok and Instagram to sell teens e-cigarettes, which are often sold in fruit and confectionery flavours that appeal to young people. Vaping is a problem for teenagers and schools, says Quit Victoria d... more
Medical and Scientific: Thousands throw support behind brave cancer mum’s petition
04 April 2021
A Sydney mother-of-two with terminal breast cancer has amassed more than 22,000 signatures on her petition to get better access to genomic screening and cutting edge oncology drugs. Alison Day shared her story two weeks ago, calling for fully funded ... more
Medical and Scientific: Vaccine probe over blood clot case
03 April 2021
Australia’s medicines regulator has launched an investigation into a probable link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and a 44-year-old man who was hospitalised with blood clots more than a week after receiving the dose. The Therapeutic Goods Administra... more
Tobacco: Smoking bans to hit Peninsula beaches
03 April 2021
Smoking will be banned at some of Mornington Peninsula’s most popular beaches and public areas in a bid to reduce the tens of thousands of cigarette butts littering the coastline. The beaches and foreshore areas at Rye, Safety Beach and Mount Eliza w... more
Medical and Scientific: CSL boost as drug cleared of cancer links after scare
02 April 2021
CSL has a new ray of hope in its research pipeline, with an experimental haemophilia drug it acquired last year cleared of any links to cancer following a scare in its clinical trial. UniQure was in phase 3 trials for the product and had released str... more
Medical and Scientific: Calls to ease rules on cannabis access
02 April 2021
Sufferers of chronic pain, cancer patients, people with epilepsy, and people with multiple sclerosis are all crying out for easier, subsidised access to medicinal cannabis products to help manage their conditions. But the existing system in Tasmania ... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer conundrum
01 April 2021
Women with aggressive breast cancers are unable to access a groundbreaking treatment for chemo-resistant tumours at an affordable price, even though other cancer types are subsidised. Many patients are self-funding courses of the immunotherapy drug K... more
Alcohol: Raise a few less glasses for chance at better sight
01 April 2021
Drinking alcohol in moderation is linked to a lower rate of cataract surgery, research published in the journal Ophthalmology suggests. Those who drink up to 14 units a week are nearly a quarter less likely to have surgery to remove cloudy patches fr... more
Medical and Scientific: Cervical cancer: the 7-year ditch
01 April 2021
Australia is poised to give the world a masterclass in eliminating a cancer that causes extreme suffering and death for women across the globe. It is aiming to eliminate cancer of the cervix in seven years, an extraordinary goal given the World Healt... more
Medical and Scientific: Breast cancer breakthrough
31 March 2021
Perth researchers have discovered the cause of one of the deadliest forms of breast cancer in a breakthrough that could save thousands of lives. Researchers sought to identify why a sub-group of hormone sensitive breast cancers were particularly aggr... more
Nutrition and Physical Activity: Move or die
31 March 2021
One in every 11 premature deaths in rich countries is caused by inactivity. Led by experts at the Pennington Biomedical Research Centre in Louisiana, scientists reviewed the medical literature on inactivity and death and disease and found the relativ... more
Supportive Care: No cash for cancer test
31 March 2021
The Therapeutic Drugs Administration (TGA) has been criticised for being too slow to approve drugs, while thousands of seriously ill people are unable to afford a test that could save their life. A special investigation by The Courier-Mail has found ... more
Skin Cancer: Rare childhood skin cancer rocks family
30 March 2021
A pesky skin tag on the back of Hayden Price’s head turned into the most shocking diagnosis. At just seven years old, the schoolboy had melanoma that had spread to his lymph nodes. The latest data from Cancer Council Queensland shows that there were ... more
Medical and Scientific: Breast cancer drug subsidy boost
29 March 2021
Breast cancer patients will have access to a lifesaving medicine on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from next month, slashing the cost of treatment from $50,000 to a few hundred dollars. The listing of a generic version of fulvestrant is a win for... more
Tobacco: Kids poisoned by e-cigs
29 March 2021
At least 17 children aged five and under have been exposed to dangerous levels of nicotine in e-cigarettes or vaping liquids – almost all requiring hospitalisation – over the past three years, new figures reveal. Data obtained by The Advertiser from ... more
Medical and Scientific: Breast cancer research set back years
25 March 2021
COVID-19 has delivered a devastating blow to breast cancer researchers, setting back the race for a cure by years. The pandemic closed science labs, delayed clinical trials, resulted in breast screen numbers plummeting and significantly reduced chari... more
Occupational and Environmental: Asbestos disease funding slashed
25 March 2021
The head of a community group that helps people with asbestos-related diseases says he has been blindsided after funding was slashed by tens of thousands of dollars. Asbestos Diseases Society of South Australia (ADSSA) president Peter Photakis said o... more
Medical and Scientific: Three little pigs tactic in cancer battle
24 March 2021
Strong walls are not just vital in building – it seems they may play a role in stopping the spread of cancer. Breakthrough research by the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) has found stiff lipids can help stop cancer spr... more
Medical and Scientific: Chronic pain specialists weed out the scripts
23 March 2021
Doctors are being told not to use medicinal cannabis to treat patients with chronic pain and that there is no solid evidence it is effective as Australia’s medical regulator approves its 100,000th cannabinoid script. The recommendation from the peak ... more
Medical and Scientific: Mater research breakthrough in rare blood cancer fight
23 March 2021
A cancer breakthrough developed in Brisbane is expected to give new hope to patients suffering a rare and deadly form of blood cancer that affects the brain and nervous system. The dual precision treatment designed at Brisbane’s Mater Hospital by hae... more
Skin Cancer: Melanoma mapped
22 March 2021
Melbourne researchers have discovered how melanomas change genetically as they morph from early to late-stage disease, paving the way for new therapies to treat the most deadly stage of cancer. Cancer research is typically done on tissue of early-sta... more
Screening and Immunisation: New HPV test key to cancer elimination
19 March 2021
A do-it-yourself test for human papillomavirus that an expert says resembles a ‘‘really long earbud’’ could reduce deaths from cervical cancer among those who do not have access to screening, particularly Indigenous women. Experts from the Cancer Cou... more
Occupational and Environmental: New former ABC base
19 March 2021
The controversial former ABC headquarters in Brisbane’s inner west has been sold with the waterfront site earmarked for a “premium residential community”. Consolidated Properties Group paid $43.5m for the 1.5ha site at 600 Coronation Drive, Toowong, ... more
Medical and Scientific: AI breakthrough in brain cancer diagnosis
18 March 2021
The treatment and diagnosis of brain cancer is being revolutionised by Australian researchers using artificial intelligence to take more accurate images of the brain, in the hopes it will speed up diagnosis and eliminate unnecessary surgery. Royal Au... more
Medical and Scientific: ANU to shut Nobel-winning arm
18 March 2021
The Australian National University plans to shut its research in neuroscience, the field in which it won its first Nobel prize, as it reels from a 2020 deficit of $200m and heads towards its debt ceiling. The university’s vice-chancellor, Brian Schmi... more
Medical and Scientific: My dad deserved to die with dignity
17 March 2021
Rose Morton is urging South Australian politicians to immediately pass a Bill that would make voluntary assisted dying legal, saying it would help people suffering from terminal illnesses and their grieving families. Ms Morton, of Banksia Park, said ... more
Medical and Scientific: Mandurah hard hit by cancer
17 March 2021
Rates of prostate cancer in Mandurah are among the fastest growing in the country, a damning new online calculator has revealed. And men face an “unacceptable” 24 per cent higher risk of dying from prostate cancer in some regions across Australia. Th... more
Medical and Scientific: High rural cancer risk
17 March 2021
Men face an “unacceptable” 24 per cent higher than average risk of dying from prostate cancer in some parts of Australia, a damning new online calculator has revealed. The STARGATE tool developed by the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia shows m... more
Research: Cancer survivors unaware they can seek flexible hours: study
15 March 2021
Employees with cancer want access to flexible work arrangements – such as part-time or remote work – when they are able to return to their duties, but many are unaware they have the right to request this. A Macquarie Business School lecturer who stud... more
Medical and Scientific: Prostate surgeries excessive
15 March 2021
Thousands of prostate cancer patients are undergoing radical surgery without having consultations to give them the option of radiotherapy with less severe side effects. A new analysis of the way prostate cancer is treated in Australia has prompted do... more
Medical and Scientific: Latitude offers payment plans for cancer test
15 March 2021
Specialised Therapeutics Australia (STA), has signed a new deal with IPO hopeful Latitude Financial Group, which will provide interest-free payment plans for up to two years for a genomic test for breast cancer that costs $5000. The multi-gene test, ... more
Medical and Scientific: Patients are dying when there is the technology to save them
15 March 2021
More than 30,000 people with advanced cancer are being denied access to cutting-edge genomic screening that can match their cancer to targeted drugs that will extend or even save their lives. While a funded trial is under way at the Garvan Institute,... more
Occupational and Environmental: Over my dead body!
15 March 2021
A former employee is suing the University of South Australia for unfair dismissal, claiming he was fired after complaining about high levels of chemicals leaching from preserved bodies in the anatomy department. Mr Parry’s lawsuit is for compensation... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer cam a game changer
12 March 2021
A pill containing a tiny camera that can detect tumours is set to revolutionise the diagnosis and treatment of bowel cancer. The cancer cam — known as a colon capsule endoscopy — is swallowed by patients and takes pictures of the lining of the bowel ... more
Medical and Scientific: TAL Life guilty of breach of good faith
11 March 2021
Insurer TAL Life breached its duty to act with “utmost good faith” when handling a claim under an income protection policy by a consumer who had been diagnosed with cancer. In a referral to ASIC of a case study in the financial services royal commiss... more
Screening and Immunisation: Late jab is less useful
11 March 2021
Vaccinating people over the age of 26 against a sexually transmitted virus that causes cancers might not be worth it, researchers say. Researchers used two mathematical models that simulated HPV infection and cervical cancer, as well as six non-cervi... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer patients to follow guides
10 March 2021
Cancer patients are among those next in line to receive scarce COVID-19 vaccines, but are being warned to consult their doctor first. Cancer Australia on Wednesday issued vaccination guidelines for cancer patients, including a detailed question and-a... more
Skin cancer: World-first treatment for cancer
09 March 2021
A Queensland doctor has launched a world-first trial of a promising drug treatment in patients with a neglected, rare and extremely deadly skin cancer known as Merkel cell carcinoma. Princess Alexandra Hospital cancer specialist and researcher Wen Xu... more
Tobacco: Senators blast lobbyist’s tobacco ‘link’
08 March 2021
The National Retail Association has shrugged off claims it misled the Senate inquiry into e-cigarettes, saying it is not legally required to disclose who funded its campaign that supported Philip Morris’ position on vaping. National Retail was the ta... more
Tobacco: Big Tobacco’s latest smokescreen – nicotine isn’t that bad for you
08 March 2021
Marlboro cigarettes maker Altria Group wants to enlist an unlikely partner in convincing consumers that nicotine isn’t as bad as they think – its regulator. The company asked the US Food and Drug Administration to tackle misperceptions about nicotine... more
Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition: Calls for Aussies to pass the salt
08 March 2021
Australians continue to overdo their salt intake by eating almost double the recommended one teaspoon per day, sparking a call from scientists for mandatory regulations. The disturbing findings come from research by The George Institute for Global He... more
Supportive Care: Five-star treatment
08 March 2021
A growing demand from cancer sufferers seeking out treatment ‘on par’ with Melbourne has forced an Albury-Wodonga facility to fast-track upgrades to patient accommodation. A unit connected to the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre – which services... more
Tobacco: Taskforce busts tobacco growers
08 March 2021
Authorities have made one of the biggest tobacco busts on record, uncovering more than $84 million in illegal crops on farms near the NSW-Victorian border. The enormous find puts a big dent in a growing area of influence for organised crime groups ar... more
Skin Cancer: Teens’ burning issue
02 March 2021
Victorian teens are becoming sunburnt rather than sun smart due to a lack of awareness of the sun’s dangers, new data shows. Teenagers made up a third of the 177 people sent to hospital for sunburn treatment this summer, and Heather Walker, of Cancer... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer spike likely after Covid put life in lockdown
02 March 2021
There could be a surge in cancer diagnoses in the next year, after researchers in Victoria estimated that thousands of cases went undiagnosed during the state’s COVID-19 restrictions. An estimated 2530 cancers were delayed or missed during the six-an... more
Occupation and Environmental: Toxic PFAS firefighting chemicals to be banned in NSW
01 March 2021
The state government will ban firefighting foams containing PFAS chemicals, bringing NSW into line with Queensland and South Australia where foams containing the dangerous toxins are already outlawed. The ban will be announced today by NSW Environmen... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer diagnoses missed during pandemic curbs
01 March 2021
More than 2500 cancer diagnoses were missed in Victoria during the state’s coronavirus restrictions last year, with a steep fall in the detection of prostate, skin and breast cancers, along with head and neck tumours. Modelling by the Victorian Cance... more
Medical and Scientific: Vaccine myth-buster team targets ‘celebrity’
01 March 2021
A team of “mythbusters” is taking on anti-vaxxer celebrities and influencers over spreading fake facts about COVID-19 on social media. The 30-strong team was quietly set up within the Department of Home Affairs last year to tackle fake facts peddled ... more
Tobacco: Sneaky vaping devices disguised as pens
01 March 2021
A southside high school has taken tough action and suspended a group of students for using sneaky vaping devices that look like highlighter pens. Beenleigh State High School principal Matt O’Hanlon, who was crowned last year’s Queensland Principal of... more
Tobacco: Illegal e-cigarettes poisoning hundreds of kids
26 February 2021
A tripling in child nicotine poisonings that left one having a seizure and 200 hospitalised has been fuelled by sales of illegal e-cigarettes. The Daily Telegraph has obtained exclusive footage of some of the 26,000 “vapes” seized by NSW Health inspe... more
Medical and Scientific: Breast cancer breakthrough
26 February 2021
Breast cancer patients given a common beta-blocker at the time of diagnosis are almost twice as likely to be alive five years later. The findings from a retrospective study of 4000 women add to growing evidence a medication typically given to reduce ... more
Obesity, nutrition and physical activity: Slushie sugar hit alarming
24 February 2021
Popular fast-food slushies contain up to 41 teaspoons of sugar and in some cases more than double the amount claimed on health labels, a new study has revealed. The shocking results come from samples of sugary frozen drinks sold at McDonald’s, KFC, 7... more
Medical and Scientific: Clinical trials a dose of hope
24 February 2021
Perth haematologist Professor Chan Cheah is a leader in the Blood Cancer Research Western Australia 2016 collaboration, which continues to run multiple clinical trials for WA blood cancer patients at three sites in Nedlands. For many people, experime... more
Medical and Scientific: Breast cancer MP gets the needle
24 February 2021
Breast cancer sufferer and Labor MP Peta Murphy has become one of the first immunocompromised Australians to receive the coronavirus vaccine, telling others the jab is “safe”. Ms Murphy has had radiation treatment and is now on hormone therapy and ot... more
Medical and Scientific: Labor MP with breast cancer volunteers for COVID-19 jab
24 February 2021
Labor MP Peta Murphy, who is undergoing treatment for metastatic breast cancer, volunteered to get her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in front of dozens of journalists and television cameras to show other people with underlying health conditions it... more
Medical and Scientific: Medicinal cannabis fiasco
22 February 2021
Tasmania’s system of allowing patients access to medicinal cannabis is probably the worst in the world. If you examine and compare it to other nations or states, our system is draconian and hampered by red tape. Despite recommendations from a senate ... more
Occupational and Environmental: Fears of toxicity in water
18 February 2021
Banana Shire residents could have previously ingested PFAS chemicals in drinking water, claims a former employee of a power station touted as “nil discharge” when it was constructed. Last week, CS Energy revealed toxic PFAS chemicals had been detecte... more
Medical and Scientific: Pancreatic cancer find
18 February 2021
Researchers at UniSA have found a way to detect and target pancreatic cancer before it is too late. UniSA PhD candidate Ashleigh Hull is investigating whether a receptor commonly found on the surface of pancreatic cancer cells may serve as a “biologi... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer treatment services to expand
16 February 2021
The federal government has announced it would invest $45.5 million over five years in the expansion of cancer treatment capacity throughout regional Australia by enhancing existing and building new health infrastructure, with radiation therapy servic... more
Medical and Scientific: New hope for child tumour
15 February 2021
A new combination treatment for the most aggressive and deadly childhood cancer will soon be tested on children after it eradicated cancer in animals with the brain tumour. And it has been the donations of tissue from Australian children who have die... more
Supportive care: Cap parking for cancer patients
15 February 2021
The WA Government has been urged to cap hospital parking at $5 a day for cancer patients and their carers. Cancer Council WA says the move would reduce the financial burden faced by the 33 West Australians diagnosed with cancer every day. CCWA chief ... more
Medical and Scientific: Drug hope for blood cancer
15 February 2021
One hundred cancer sufferers are involved in a world first $2m Adelaide-based trial of next-generation drugs to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Researchers are conducting the first frontline clinical study that is set to revolutionise the trea... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer saviour
12 February 2021
One of the world’s groundbreaking cancer medicines will be produced in Melbourne, after the remarkable success of genetic-engineering technology in saving Australian patients. The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is now the key Asia-Pacific site to manu... more
Medical and Scientific: Boost for cancer therapies
12 February 2021
Melbourne scientists are being backed to find the next generation of cancer breakthroughs. A project to gene-engineer a patient’s own immune cells so they turn against breast, lung and ovarian tumours is among 21 medical programs to share in a $10m c... more
Skin Cancer: Skin cancer warning
12 February 2021
A simple scan could save your life. This is the key message of a new national day urging Australians to take care of their skin and get regular skin scans. National Skin Check Day will take place on February 25. Cancer Council Tasmania chief executiv... more
Medical and Scientific: Boost for cancer therapies
11 February 2021
Melbourne scientists are being backed to find the next generation of cancer breakthroughs. A project to gene-engineer a patient’s own immune cells so they turn against breast, lung and ovarian tumours is among 21 medical programs to share in a $10m c... more
Medical and Scientific: Doomsday doc leads cancer campaign
11 February 2021
ABC broadcaster and celebrity doctor Norman Swan, who was once the resident health expert on reality TV show The Biggest Loser, is the new face of a bowel cancer screening campaign funded by the state government. The Health Report host was paid “a no... more
Medical and Scientific: High-risk factors in fatal cases identified
10 February 2021
Cancer, chronic kidney disease, diabetes and hypertension are the four main comorbidities leading to death from COVID-19, a study by scientists at Griffith University has found. The researchers analysed four global databases from 14 countries that he... more
Medical and Scientific: Nine unis in vision for city and three precincts
09 February 2021
The head of the Greater Sydney Commission wants to see the city transformed into three leading global precincts with at least three universities in each area and the ability to attract global brands. Speaking at the Sydney Summit, a conference on the... more
Research: ‘So lucky’ to be alive after melanoma game-charger
09 February 2021
A new study published today in the peer-reviewed medical journal Nature Medicine has shown that a short course of immunotherapy drug treatment before surgery is effective in preventing the deadly spread of the disease in melanoma patients who are at ... more
Medical and Scientific: AI set to help find cancers
08 February 2021
Artificial intelligence could soon help doctors spot bowel cancers more easily. Currently, doctors looking for cancers survey the bowel using colonoscopy but in a tenth of cases growths are so small that they fail to spot them. However, a new system ... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer treatment hope
08 February 2021
A breast cancer drug is being investigated for its potential to treat prostate cancer, in one of four new research projects funded by The Hospital Research Foundation Group. University of Adelaide research fellow Maggie Centenera will help guide trea... more
Nutrition, physical activity and obesity: Sugar alert for youths
08 February 2021
Teenagers and young men are the targets of a new in-your-face advertising campaign designed to shock them about the realities of sugary drinks and expose how hooked they can become. The national Full of Crap campaign being launched on social media by... more
Medical and Scientific: ‘Horrific’ hospital allegations must be addressed: Barilaro
05 February 2021
Deputy Premier John Barilaro has described allegations in the Herald about the state of regional hospitals in NSW as ‘‘horrific’’. Mr Barilaro said some of the reports, which included allegations that public health officials were covering up and fail... more
Medical and Scientific: Drug-driving laws unfair on the sick
05 February 2021
Every day in South Australia’s courts there is injustice occurring. Drivers using cannabis, approved by their doctor for medicinal purposes, are finding themselves convicted of drug-driving offences and losing their licence for three months and longe... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer still the big C on our island
05 February 2021
Yesterday was World Cancer Day. But in fact, every day is world cancer day for us at COSA and Cancer Council, because every day we are reminded of the importance of taking action to eliminate cancer from our lives. But it is important to understand t... more
Medical and Scientific: Sufferers fall prey to social media myths
04 February 2021
Dangerous cancer myths have taken root in Australia, with Cancer Council data showing too many people believing misinformation spread on social media. Almost two-thirds of people believed animals could sniff out cancer and two in five thought cancer ... more
Medical and Scientific: New cancer weapon
04 February 2021
The latest frontier in cancer treatment is seeing Melbourne doctors scanning the genetics of their patients’ tumours to shed new light on their individual disease, saving lives. Although the use of genomics in cancer care is still rare in Australia, ... more
Medical and Scientific: SA leads the way in brain cancer trials
04 February 2021
Human clinical trials for a world-first drug candidate to treat the most aggressive form of brain cancer are set to get under way this year. Researchers from the University of South Australia developed the new drug, called Auceliciclib, to treat glio... more
Support: Apartment tower to include men’s shed
04 February 2021
A two-story warehouse will be transformed into a 12- storey residential tower with a ground floor “men’s shed’’ for the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. The City of Melbourne has approved a $26m plan to demolish the warehouse at 69-75 Racecourse Road, ... more
Medical and Scientific: Bladder cancer treatment boost
03 February 2021
People with bladder cancer who receive a shorter, more intense course of radiotherapy have a lower risk of the disease returning, research has found. The shorter course should be adopted as the new standard of care, experts said, particularly because... more
Medical and Scientific: Wretched health of regional hospitals
03 February 2021
Patients and medical staff across NSW have sounded the alarm about a crisis in the state of country hospitals, telling of wards that look like they’ve been hit by tornadoes, hospitals requesting people bring their own bandages and doctors trying to m... more
Occupational and Environmental: Former rail worker with asbestosis sues for $865k
03 February 2021
Former Mackay rail worker Byron May, 75, is suing his former employer for $865,000 in an effort to ensure some comfort in his final days as he battles deadly asbestosis. Maurice Blackburn Lawyers has filed a statement of claim in the Supreme Court of... more
Research: Ray of light in cancer fight
03 February 2021
Scientists have revealed that working outside can cut the risk of women developing breast cancer. The key is the body’s increased production of vitamin D when in sunlight. Danish Cancer Society research, published in the journal Occupational & En... more
Medical and Scientific: Diagnoses up by 30pc
02 February 2021
Blood cancer has become the second-most diagnosed cancer in Australia and the second-most common cause of cancer-related deaths, according to new figures released by the Leukaemia Foundation. The number of blood cancer diagnoses soared by 30 per cent... more
Tobacco: Young cut down on smoking, ice abuse
01 February 2021
The most positive changes in drug use trends are emerging among Australian youths and young adults, Rural Health Tasmania chief Robert Waterman has said. The National Drug Strategy Household Survey Report 2019 found youth smoking rates dropped from 1... more
Tobacco: Iso turns Americans back to cigarettes
01 February 2021
Altria Group, the company that owns Marlboro, says that decades of annual declines in cigarette sales came to an abrupt halt last year. Sales that were expected to fall by 4 to 6 per cent instead levelled off in 2020, the company’s figures show this ... more
Occupation and Environmental: School parents alarmed at sewage plant toxic leak
01 February 2021
Parents at a Gold Coast school subject to a cancer cluster investigation say they are concerned about a chemical leak of a now banned substance less than 2km away. A probe was launched in September after per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were... more
Medical and Scientific: Screening, treatment cut cancer deaths 20%
01 February 2021
Improvements to the screening and treatment of cancer have reduced cancer deaths in Australia by more than 20 per cent between 1996 and 2015, saving 107,000 lives, a Cancer Council NSW study reveals. The study found there were 20.6 per cent fewer can... more
Medical and Scientific: Doctors crisis: billions fail to fix GP shortages
01 February 2021
Rural and regional communities face a critical shortage of doctors despite billions of dollars in taxpayer funds having been spent on the problem over more than a decade, as medical graduates shun general practice and seek to become specialists. The ... more
Tobacco: Primary kids vaping
01 February 2021
An expert is calling for parents to be vigilant after primary school teachers have found children as young as 11 vaping at school. Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia director Paul Dillon said while e-cigarette users are generally older,... more
Medical and Scientific: Health system lags nation
28 January 2021
Tasmanian public hospital patients face longer waits for both emergency and elective treatment and suffer more adverse outcomes than patients interstate. The Productivity Commission’s Annual Report on Government Services compared state health systems... more
Tobacco: Childhood, smokes push up inflation
28 January 2021
Rising childcare and cigarette costs have pushed the inflation rate a little higher than economists had expected in the final quarter of 2020, leaving the overall increase in prices last year at just under 1 per cent. A 12 per cent rise in tobacco ex... more
Medical and Scientific: Donors pledge $600m to UQ in fundraiser
27 January 2021
The University of Queensland’s first major fundraising campaign has collected $600m in donations for research, teaching facilities and student scholarships, beating its target by $100m. The campaign, chaired by eminent UQ researcher and former Austra... more
Medical and Scientific: Research leads to trio of honours
27 January 2021
Thousands of Australians have benefited from Professor Emily Banks' work in public health but they may never know who they are. The head of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health has saved countless lives through her research on s... more
Medical and Scientific: Short drive takes an age: vast differences in city’s life spans
27 January 2021
Despite just 25 minutes travel time between Bidwill and Cherrybrook, there’s a yawning gap between those two Sydney neighbourhoods on the most basic of indicators: lifespan. In Bidwill’s local public health area the median age of death was 69 years b... more
Medical and Scientific: Ovarian cancer stalwart recognised
27 January 2021
Paula Benson first volunteered her professional skills to Ovarian Cancer Australia in 2006, three years after her own cancer diagnosis. This led to more than a decade of leadership within the organisation, which she chaired between 2011 and 2018 and ... more
Medical and Scientific: Sick hospitals need urgent fix
25 January 2021
Immediately reinstating 100 closed public hospital beds — and committing to adding a further 600 across WA — tops the pre-election wish list of the State’s peak medical body. The Australian Medical Association (WA) is also calling on both major parti... more
Medical and Scientific: MLC joins cannabis laws calls
25 January 2021
Labor says the Tasmanian government is ignoring its own Upper House when it comes to medicinal cannabis legislation and it is causing unnecessary suffering. Huon MP Bastian Seidel said the Legislative Council passed a motion in November last year tha... more
Skin Cancer: Blokes in the spotlight of new campaign
21 January 2021
Men are being urged to swallow their pride and slap on some sunscreen after it was revealed less than a third regularly did so to protect themselves from the sun. They also spend more time outdoors and exposed to UV light, despite knowing the risks. ... more
Medical and Scientific: Relief out of reach
21 January 2021
A dying man is begging for medicinal cannabis to be made readily available. Peter Fielding, who is dying of oesophageal and lung cancer says cannabis is the only thing that eases his pain. While medicinal cannabis is legal, patients must obtain permi... more
Occupational and Environmental: Man sues state over asbestos exposure
21 January 2021
A 75-year-old man with cancer as a result of asbestos exposure has begun an $800,000 legal action against various government entities. Daniel Connolly, from Emu Park, filed the workplace injury lawsuit to the Rockhampton Supreme Court last month agai... more
Medical and Scientific: Drug for cancer a help for diabetes
19 January 2021
A drug developed for cancer treatment is being repurposed in the hope it could help stop diabetes patients from suffering a heart attack or stroke. The drug, which is being designed to treat solid and blood cancers, is being trialled in the fight aga... more
Medical and Scientific: Hormone therapy to combat breast cancer
19 January 2021
Breakthrough Adelaide research is tipped to revolutionise the treatment of the most common breast cancers. Adelaide University researchers have discovered that male sex hormones have the potential to combat oestrogen receptor-driven breast cancers, w... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Stop the sugar-coating
19 January 2021
The lack of clear and accurate labelling on children’s food products has stymied parents’ choices for decades. In choosing what they take to be the “healthy choice”, parents have unwittingly fed their children highly processed foods rich in added sug... more
Medical and Scientific: Giant leap in cancer battle
18 January 2021
Experts have hailed a “quantum leap” for women with ovarian cancer as a breakthrough treatment was given the go-ahead yesterday. The drug niraparib was approved for use by British regulators in the biggest improvement in 30 years for ovarian cancer t... more
Medical and Scientific: How your sex choices put you at risk
18 January 2021
While it is well established that a virus transmitted through oral sex can cause oral cancer, a new study published in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, has detailed how the nuances of this intimate practice can affect r... more
Medical and Scientific: New screening test for prostate
18 January 2021
An innovative new screening program is helping men monitor their health by ‘predicting’ their risk of developing prostate cancer. Australian medical technology company Maxwell Plus is using artificial intelligence (AI) to determine the likelihood of ... more
Medical and Scientific: Precious medical breakthrough
18 January 2021
Researchers are “exhilarated” that the new and unconventional use of the tiniest diamonds to measure heat in living cells could lead to better diagnostic tools and thermal therapies for cancer. Australian scientists have been involved in the medical ... more
Medical and Scientific: Strong demand for specialist nurses to fill worker shortfall
18 January 2021
New training opportunities are regularly being introduced for nurses, amid severe worker shortages in every area of speciality. Australian College of Nursing chief executive Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward says the shortage of specialist nurses comes de... more
Medical and Scientific: Tassie’s terrible state of health ‘worst in nation’
18 January 2021
The health of many Tasmanians is in dire straits, a new report shows, with the state recording poor grades on smoking rates, stress levels, body mass index and blood pressure. Australia’s Health Report: When Health Care Meets Self Care branded Tasman... more
Research: Aspirin boosts cancer survival
18 January 2021
Taking aspirin three times a week increases the chances of surviving breast and bladder cancer by up to a third, a study has found. The over-the-counter pill is taken by millions daily to protect against heart disease and strokes because it thins the... more
Skin Cancer: Slide in slip, slop, slap
18 January 2021
Queensland is sitting on a skin cancer time bomb with more than half of adults and nearly as many children being sunburnt in figures that show the state has forgotten the Slip, Slop, Slap message. In a shocking report card, Queensland Health data sho... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer test scores $4m for biotech
15 January 2021
Early-stage biotech BCAL Diagnostics has closed a $4 million pre-IPO capital raise led by Citadel Group’s Mark McConnell, which will fund clinical trials for a breakthrough low-cost breast cancer detection blood test. The funding round for BCAL comes... more
Medical and Scientific: Bay’s high take-up of medical marijuana
14 January 2021
The Fraser Coast’s only authorised prescriber of medicinal marijuana sees more than 270 patients after just one year in the field, proof of the rising demand for the drug in the region. Hervey Bay’s My Cannabis Clinic founder Dr Shahnur Rahman treate... more
Research: Brew a better prostate
13 January 2021
Drinking more coffee could lower men’s risk of developing prostate cancer. Research has found every extra daily cup is associated with a 1 per cent lower risk of the disease. The study compared the risk of prostate cancer associated with coffee consu... more
Medical and Scientific: Boost for breast care
13 January 2021
Breast cancer nurses have received a $3m boost after the federal government made a major contribution to the Jane McGrath Foundation. The government donation comes in addition to $38m in funding to lift the number of breast care nurse positions from ... more
Medical and Scientific: McGrath foundation’s $3 boost
12 January 2021
Breast cancer nurses have received a $3m boost after the federal government made a major contribution to the Jane McGrath foundation. The money will be used to fund a survey among patients on breast care nurse support, with feedback informing the dev... more
Tobacco: Vaping lights up smokers
12 January 2021
Youngsters who vape are three times more likely to become regular cigarette smokers. Researchers studied children and young adults and found vaping was a gateway to smoking as it causes a nicotine addiction. E-cigarettes deliver nicotine in vaporised... more
Medical and Scientific: Parents push for a report
11 January 2021
Parents at a Gold Coast private school say they will continue to push for a building biology test to be completed immediately, after a probe into an alleged ‘cancer cluster’ was launched. The Gold Coast Public Health Unit (PHU) is investigating links... more
Medical and Scientific: Health Palliative care unit lacking at Westmead
11 January 2021
Palliative care advocates say terminally ill patients in western Sydney are missing out on acute and holistic end-of-life care, as Westmead Hospital marks more than a decade without a dedicated palliative care unit. The hospital faces urgent calls to... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer passed from mother to baby
11 January 2021
Doctors in Japan have discovered that mothers can pass cancer to their babies during labour through fluid inhaled as they give their first cries. A team led by doctors at the National Cancer Centre in Tokyo found two cases in which cervical cancer in... more
Medical and Scientific: High costs are bad medicine
11 January 2021
Almost 50 high-cost medicines have been approved for government subsidy but never made it on to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, an investigation by The West Australian has found. And the problem is about to get worse under new reference pricing r... more
Skin Cancer: Slip, slop, slapdown
17 December 2020
Nine popular sun-protection products are exposing Australians to sunburn because they take too long to apply to get the right UV protection. The alarming discovery was made by Queensland University of Technology researchers, who examined nine commerc... more
Medical and Scientific: Virus cops a spray
17 December 2020
A nasal spray is being rolled out in Melbourne in an attempt to stop coronavirus in cancer patients and other highly vulnerable people who may not be protected by COVID-19 vaccines. The landmark Melbourne trial may also have benefits for the wider po... more
Medical and Scientific: Push to clear backlog in surgery, screening
17 December 2020
Emergency rooms emptied, cancer screening fell, elective surgeries were delayed, prescriptions for mental health drugs grew and calls to crisis support lines soared as COVID-19 upended the lives of millions of Australians. These are just some of the ... more
Medical and Scientific: Hospital walk-ins dive in pandemic
17 December 2020
Patients presenting at hospital fell by 38 per cent at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the health effect from physical distancing service restrictions likely to be felt for years. New data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare ... more
Medical and Scientific: Labor’s health policy overhaul
14 December 2020
Chris Bowen, the Shadow Minister for Health, has flagged a major overhaul of Labor’s approach to health policy ahead of the election, including bringing more young people into the private system and reforming Medicare without large spending increases... more
Medical and Scientific: Medical research to get $311m
14 December 2020
Doctors have welcomed a $311m boost to research into dementia, cancer and aged care to be announced in Melbourne today. Health Minister Greg Hunt will unveil funding for 12 grants into medical research to be paid from the commonwealth’s $20bn Medical... more
Medical and Scientific: Redland surgeon inquiry in limbo
14 December 2020
An independent probe into a Redland Hospital surgeon who potentially failed to detect patient cancers is not expected to be completed until mid-next year – 18 months after problems were first made public. The Courier-Mail revealed in January that 100... more
Medical and Scientific: Revolutionary probe device
14 December 2020
A British surgeon has developed a revolutionary device that could prevent thousands of bowel cancer deaths by eliminating the need for an intimate test. About 16,000 people die of the disease in the UK each year, partly because many are reluctant to ... more
Occupation and Environmental: I want to go on a trial to save my life
14 December 2020
WA has the highest rate of mesothelioma in the world, with 4.4 cases per 100,000. About one in three houses in WA has asbestos but there is no way to find out if a house contains it unless samples are sent for testing. There are concerns of a new wav... more
Skin Cancer: Skin cancer checks falling short
14 December 2020
South Australians have good intentions when it comes to protecting themselves from skin cancer but fall short when it comes to putting that into practice. A survey by life insurer TAL found 54 per cent of South Australians would take every measure to... more
Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition: Diet, exercise fell victim to pandemic
11 December 2020
Victorians ate more, felt stressed and changed their exercise habits during the pandemic, research has revealed. They also struggled to connect with loved ones and ceased hobbies. But families reportedly ate more veggies and spent time cooking at hom... more
Medical and Scientific: Time to catch up on your delayed checks, say GPs
10 December 2020
The new President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Dr Karen Price says Australians need to catch up on cancer screening and chronic health condition checks in 2021 or risk hiding health problems, after many people delayed see... more
Alcohol: Drink limits lowered
09 December 2020
COVID-19 has already put a dampener on Christmas, and now Australians are being told they have to drink four fewer alcoholic drinks a week to meet health guidelines. The National Health and Medical Research Council delivered the sobering news just tw... more
Alcohol: Alcohol guide: limit to 10 drinks a week
09 December 2020
Adults should not drink more than 10 standard drinks a week and keep it at four on any given day in order to reduce the risk of alcohol-related health issues, according to new national guidelines. That's a reduction from the previous weekly limit of ... more
Alcohol: Health Brewprint
09 December 2020
Australians are being advised not to have more than 10 standard drinks in any given week — and no more than four on any day — under new national alcohol guidelines. Pregnant women and people under the age of 18 should not drink at all, according to t... more
Alcohol: Push for more health warnings on alcohol
09 December 2020
Medical experts are calling for alcohol to come with similar warning labels as cigarettes, saying there is currently “no punishment for killing people”, but the alcohol industry says Australians already understand the risks. After the National Health... more
Alcohol: Sober truth: Alcohol limit slashed by almost 30pc
09 December 2020
Australia’s chief scientific body says adults should drop their alcohol consumption from 14 to 10 standard drinks a week, a cut of almost 30 per cent. ‘‘We’re not telling Australians how much to drink. We’re providing advice for people who want to en... more
Alcohol: 10 drinks a week the new maximum
09 December 2020
A maximum 10 standard drinks a week is recommended for those who want to reduce their risk of alcohol-related harm under new national guidelines adopted by the federal government yesterday. Professor Anne Kelso, the chief executive of the National He... more
Medical and Scientific: US giant in push for more biotechs
09 December 2020
Nasdaq-listed genomics giant Illumina is hoping to help spawn a new generation of cutting-edge Australian biotech startups as it cements its place as a long-term research partner for local businesses. The $US50 billion ($67 billion) genetic sequencin... more
Alcohol: Bar brawl over new limits on alcohol
07 December 2020
The alcohol industry is going to war with Australia’s peak health advisory group, saying its latest push to reduce the recommended consumption of standard drinks from 12 to 10 per week has no basis in science and is a “nanny state crusade” to treat d... more
Medical and Scientific: A wee bit of a cancer breakthrough
07 December 2020
Patients could soon be offered a groundbreaking urine test that can spot bladder cancer after it proved 100 per cent accurate in trials. The pioneering liquid biopsy could replace the dipstick test used by GPs as a first check for the life-threatenin... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer survivors offer vaccine hope
07 December 2020
People who survive multiple separate instances of cancer are believed to hold the key to a future cancer vaccine that could be just a few years away. Researchers at the scientific institute WEHI, RMIT University and the University of NSW, together wi... more
Medical and Scientific: De Belin cancer fight
07 December 2020
Jack de Belin’s three-year fight to clear his name has been overshadowed by the shock revelation he has undergone surgery for testicular cancer. The 29-year-old is believed to have found a lump in his testicle earlier this year. Testicular cancer is ... more
Medical and Scientific: Prostate treatment relief
07 December 2020
Men having radiotherapy for prostate cancer could be spared one of the treatment’s most distressing side effects. More than 16,500 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in Australia and while surgery to remove the gland is one option, whi... more
Medical and Scientific: Testing time for blokes
07 December 2020
Routine checks and testosterone patches are the new normal for men who are diagnosed with testicular cancer — an issue that has suddenly found the spotlight after NRL player Jack de Belin’s recent diagnosis. De Belin is understood to have found a lum... more
Skin Cancer: Cover up or risk spike in sunburn
07 December 2020
With the mercury on the rise, it’s a great time to hit the beaches and soak up some vitamin D. But new data shows that despite almost 30 years of SunSmart messages, a third of South Australians end up with sunburn at least once. Cancer Council SA’s 2... more
Skin Cancer: Plea to can a risky tan
04 December 2020
Almost one in two Australians ended up with a tan last summer, prompting renewed warnings about the dangers of sunburn. Cancer Council Australia’s 2019 Summer Sun Protection Survey found 46 per cent of Australians got a tan last summer. Males were mo... more
Medical and Scientific: Fees are what’s up, doc
04 December 2020
More than two million Australians couldn’t afford to see a doctor or get their scripts filled this year as rising medical out-of-pocket costs undermine Australia’s “free” health system. The unaffordability of health care just got worse after the Aust... more
Tobacco: Vape liquid dangers revealed in new study
03 December 2020
More than one in five electronic cigarette liquid mixtures contain nicotine, despite it being illegal in Australia, and people who vape are being exposed to an array of harmful chemicals that could be acutely toxic. They are they findings from a Curt... more
Tobacco: E-cig makers target kids
03 December 2020
WA children and young people are being targeted to buy e-cigarettes by manufacturers using cartoon characters, child friendly flavours, discounts and free shipping, alarming research reveals. Cancer Council WA audited 30 Australian websites selling e... more
Research: Tanning a bigger risk
03 December 2020
Tanning beds are known to increase the risk of skin cancer, but new research published in Human Reproduction Journal shows they could also cause another debilitating disease. Academics in Arizona found using a solarium six times or more a year could ... more
Research: Life just as good for cancer survivors, study finds
03 December 2020
For many cancer survivors, life is just as good as it is for those who have not had cancer. Research published in BMC Medicine on Tuesday found that posttreatment, the majority of cancer survivors rated their quality of life almost as highly as those... more
Medical and Scientific: Healthy future in $740m hospital revamp
03 December 2020
The $740 million plans for an ambitious Western Sydney hospital redevelopment, which will eventually include a state-of-the-art health and academic precinct, have received the state government green light. Approved by NSW Planning on Monday, The Live... more
Medical and Scientific: Be safe in the shade
03 December 2020
The first weekend of summer after a challenging 2020 has prompted the Cancer Council to launch its latest campaign to warn West Australians about the risks of skin cancer. Cancer Council WA chief executive Ashley Reid said incidental exposure to the ... more
Research: Cancer link to flu death
02 December 2020
Cancer survivors are at greater risk of needing hospital treatment for the flu, or even dying from the virus, even several years after their diagnosis, according to a study published in The Lancet. The largest study of its kind looked at the medical ... more
Skin Cancer: Lax on skin cancer
30 November 2020
Sunkissed Victorians say they would do anything to protect their skin from cancer but few follow through, new research has revealed. Almost 60 per cent of Victorians say they would take “any measures” to protect themselves from developing skin cancer... more
Medical and Scientific: Brave Maria’s message of love and hope
30 November 2020
Mix 102.3 newsreader Maria Gaban was 38 and breastfeeding her third child when she received a diagnosis of breast cancer. The prognosis was positive and and almost two years on from treatment Gaban is relishing life as mum. Her message is a simple on... more
Medical and Scientific: Full throttle on cancer
30 November 2020
Cancer clinical trials must be accelerated in the same way the COVID-19 vaccine was fast-tracked to fight the country’s biggest killer, says one of Queensland’s leading oncologists. While hitting the pause button and putting all focus on ending the p... more
Medical and Scientific: Parents’ actions praised
30 November 2020
Quick thinking by George Maddern’s parents, who suspected sunlight as the cause of their son’s pain, mean the family has been given the best chance of keeping their 18-month-old boy safe, their specialist says. Dr Anna Le Fevre of the Victorian Clini... more
Occupation and Environmental: Kakadu cancer ‘not linked to radiation’
30 November 2020
Higher rates of cancer and foetal deaths found in Aboriginal communities living near the Ranger uranium mine cannot be linked to ionising radiation, a six-year investigation has found. The NT Health-led investigation started in 2014 to look at a clus... more
Research: Drug hope in hungry cancer cell discovery
30 November 2020
The way cancer cells feed on glucose and amino acids has Adelaide at the centre of international research to develop individual, precision treatment through metabolic drugs. A study involving the SA Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), the... more
Research: Key to unlocking long life
30 November 2020
A blood test to check how well you are ageing has been invented by SAHMRI researchers with research published in the journal Autophagy – and now they are working on ways to wind back the clock. The test examines how well the cells are keeping house, ... more
Skin Cancer: CQ teens at risk from deadly burning issue
30 November 2020
Shocking statistics show higher-than-average numbers of adults and children are seeking treatment for sunburn at regional hospitals. In another damning statistic for the region, a quarter of children got sunburnt two or more times in the past year. T... more
Tobacco: Ban plan lights fuse
27 November 2020
Smoking and vaping are set to be banned in public spaces across central Melbourne — and the plan has already lit up outrage in some quarters. The City of Melbourne wants to outlaw smoking “throughout the majority of public spaces” over the next five ... more
Research: Tassie devil cancer study
25 November 2020
Researchers are hopeful new insight into how Tasmanian devil facial tumours evolved over the past two decades will help save the iconic marsupials. The research may explain why the carnivores have become endangered so quickly and shed light on the ev... more
Medical and Scientific: Australian-first cancer facility to open in Sydney
24 November 2020
New technology, to be unveiled today at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse in Camperdown, will allow implants for reconstructive surgery to be created more quickly, with the process occurring entirely in Australia. The implants will initially be created usi... more
Research: Halving cancer risk
24 November 2020
Breast cancer screening can halve older women’s risk of dying from the disease, research published in the British Journal of Cancer suggests. Women who attend at least one mammogram are 37 per cent less likely to die from breast cancer. And for over-... more
Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition: Newborns at risk from obesity and smoking
24 November 2020
Mackay mothers are more likely to be overweight and smokers while pregnant, leading to riskier pregnancies and endangering the health of their newborns. An investigation into 2247 births found a number of health risks facing women and their children ... more
Research: Star-ving for success: Study shows health ratings prompt producers to lift their game
23 November 2020
Health star ratings on food packaging don’t just help consumers make better choices; they’ve also now been proven to encourage manufacturers to switch to healthier ingredients to bump up their score, prompting calls for the system to be mandatory. A ... more
Medical and Scientific: Australian COVID-19 nasal spray starts new $11.7m trial
23 November 2020
A breakthrough Australian nasal spray that not only stops COVID-19 but also prevents the common cold and influenza has been given government funding to start human trials. Developed by Australian biotech company Ena Respiratory, the blockbuster preve... more
Research: Cancer risk cut by taking vitamin D
23 November 2020
Taking vitamin D supplements could reduce the risk of cancer by up to 38 per cent, a study carried out at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and published in the journal JAMA Network Open suggests. Researchers found that the chance of advanced or... more
Treatment: Drug combo saves cancer patients from chemo
23 November 2020
Thousands of leukaemia sufferers could be spared chemotherapy thanks to a new two-in-one treatment that’s been found to keep twice as many patients free of the disease. The drugs also cause fewer side effects, meaning patients can carry on with life ... more
Treatment: Proton therapy ‘better’ for kids’ cancer
23 November 2020
Doctors believe proton therapy radiation, a treatment that attacks cancerous tumours with beams of magnet-controlled protons, could help save the lives of about 700 Australians each year. However, the life-saving treatment won’t be available in Austr... more
Treatment: Transplant drug hope
20 November 2020
A new topical medication could help organ transplant recipients who are 100 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinomas due to immune system suppressors. The new drug, which has been developed at the University of Queensland could help prev... more
Nutrition: Vitamin D a key to cancer fight
20 November 2020
New research undertaken by Dr Paulette Chandler at Harvard University has revealed that people taking daily vitamin D supplements were 17% less likely to be diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. The study of 25,000 people over five years inclu... more
Tobacco: Clock ticking on vape laws
19 November 2020
New rules aimed at reducing vaping should include a time limit for doctors prescribing nicotine-containing vaping products, according to the nation’s peak medical body. The Australian Medical Association also wants the scripts, which become prescript... more
Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition: Kids exposed to gambling ads
19 November 2020
Personal data from children as young as five is used to bombard them with gambling, alcohol and fast food advertisements, a new report has found. Aggressive marketing tactics from companies are exploiting children’s regular use of video games, viewin... more
Medical and Scientific: Labours of love take on cancer
18 November 2020
New research has found each full-term pregnancy reduces the risk of endometrial cancer by about 15 per cent. It’s well known having a full-term pregnancy reduces a woman’s risk of developing endometrial cancer, but research from Brisbane’s QIMR Bergh... more
Medical and Scientific: Going nuts for a cure
18 November 2020
It’s one of the major illnesses killing Australian men — and new international research has found just a handful of nuts each day could be the secret to preventing prostate cancer. Eating an extra gram of nuts a day can decrease the incidence of pros... more
Occupation and Environmental: Battle diminished for firies with cancer
16 November 2020
ACT volunteer firefighters who develop cancer after years on the job will be more likely to get workers' compensation after an inquiry. The federal government on Friday announced it had accepted all six recommendations from a legislative review into ... more
Obesity: Calls to junk ads
16 November 2020
There are calls for “predatory” junk food advertisements to be banned on government-owned property as WA battles rising levels of obesity. A report released yesterday by health agencies including the Cancer Council and Telethon Kids Institute said th... more
Occupation and Environmental: Local discovers toxic pollution in waterway
16 November 2020
Alarming levels of contamination have been discovered in an Illawarra waterway by a member of the public, sparking an investigation by authorities into the lethal cocktail of pollutants. Extremely high levels of poisonous heavy metals and carcinogeni... more
Occupation and Environmental: Secret deal: public paid triple for toxic site
16 November 2020
The NSW government paid three times as much as the valuer general’s estimate for a parcel of highly contaminated land near Parramatta that earned a Sydney property developer a $15 million windfall in a matter of months. In a series of transactions th... more
Skin Cancer: Slip-up on sun safety
16 November 2020
Aussie millennials are slacking off on sun safety and experts fear their lax attitudes could be putting their kids at risk. Despite the fact they grew up with Sid the Seagull’s Slip, Slop, Slap message, one in four young parents admit they get sunbur... more
Tobacco: Ampol makes vaping pitch
13 November 2020
An Australian convenience store and petrol station retailer says it would be happy to train staff to suggest e-cigarettes as an alternative to normal cigarettes in a bid to help reduce the smoking rate. Ampol, owner of Caltex and Foodary outlets, urg... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer can't wait: the hidden side effects of the pandemic
13 November 2020
A new report has shown Australia learnt a short sharp lesson about the management of cancer during the first wave of COVID-19. For a month, at the height of the panic, cancer services were dramatically reduced as the health system pivoted to prepare ... more
Medical and Scientific: Virus puts pressure on cancer testing
13 November 2020
Testing rates for prostate cancer fell by almost one-third in the ACT at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, new research has revealed. A report released by Cancer Australia on the impact the pandemic had on lung cancer and prostate cancer found rat... more
Tobacco: Tobacco excise props up rising cost of living
12 November 2020
New research on the cost of living shows shows prices on everyday necessities growing far more quickly than those of life’s little luxuries. Across the seven years, the prices for all goods increased by 14 per cent. But for essentials, prices rose by... more
Medical and Scientific: Patients pay price for drug delays
11 November 2020
Cancer patients in Australia are missing out on life saving new medicines available overseas because it takes four times longer for them to be subsidised here. An extra 800 cancer patients a year could be treated with breakthrough immunotherapies if ... more
Occupational and Environmental: Cancer clue on asbestos
11 November 2020
Flinders University is leading a study to find alternative treatments and improve early detection of malignant mesothelioma, with 650 Australians struck down by the deadly disease last year. The lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure can develop mor... more
Tobacco: Stamp out funding for big tobacco
11 November 2020
Super funds that don’t support big tobacco will now be easier to identify thanks to a new stamp alerting customers to those that are smoke-free. VicHealth on Wednesday launches the “tobacco-free finance pledge stamp” as a way for firms to let the pub... more
Tobacco: Fatal levels of nicotine
23 October 2020
Tens of thousands of illegal e-cigarette devices and liquids containing nicotine have been seized by state authorities – and many contain the substance at fatal levels. Poisons information lines are receiving dozens of calls about nicotine poisoning ... more
Medical and Scientific: Hospital visitor bans multiply heartache
22 October 2020
Cancer and palliative care support groups say it is deeply troubling that many Victorian hospitals are enforcing tougher visiting rules than required by the government. ‘‘We are hearing multiple cases from distressed carers who are calling us to say ... more
Medical and Scientific: New unit for Bay
21 October 2020
Above Hervey Bay Hospital’s emergency department is an entire floor which is not yet in use. One Nation candidate for Hervey Bay, Damian Huxham, says if elected, he will fight for the area to be turned into an oncology unit. He said “After seeing fir... more
Medical and Scientific: Gut link to prostate cancer
21 October 2020
Men with inflammatory bowel disease may need extra checks for prostate cancer. Research published in the journal Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases analysed international data and found that those with conditions including Crohn’s disease and ulc... more
Medical and Scientific: Firm rejects breast cancer drug subsidy
21 October 2020
Terminally ill breast cancer patients will have to pay $1600 a month for a lifesaving treatment, after the drug company rejected a government subsidy. Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca was granted a subsidy for its drug Faslodex in July through the ... more
Medical and Scientific: Dexus expands health exposure
21 October 2020
Office heavyweight Dexus has flagged a significant push into healthcare property and has teamed with its specialist fund to snap up the Australian Bragg Centre in Adelaide from private developer Commercial & General for $446.2m. Dexus joined with... more
Medical and Scientific: COVID in kid cancer ward
20 October 2020
Authorities say it’s unclear how a child in the Melbourne Royal Children’s Hospital’s oncology ward contracted COVID-19. Victoria’s Health Minister Martin Foley said on Monday it appeared the child had low levels of infection and tests were being und... more
Research: Living in the shade on skin cancer risks
20 October 2020
Up to one in four Queenslanders significantly underestimate their risk of developing potentially deadly melanoma, a study has found. Those at highest risk – people aged over 65, of European ancestry, with high numbers of moles and fair skin – are wor... more
Skin Cancer: Kids get slappy happy
20 October 2020
Primary school students will slip, slop and slap their way through spring thanks to an online learning program. Generation SunSmart teaches Victorian educators about sun protection and saw enrolments soar during lockdown with registrations more than ... more
Medical and Scientific: Longer lives without more quality living
19 October 2020
A baby born in Australia today is expected to live six years longer than its parents — but poor health would reduce the quality of the time gained, research has revealed. The latest findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study, published in the B... more
Medical and Scientific: Doctors demand an easing of restrictions
17 October 2020
A group of more than 500 Victorian doctors has urged Premier Daniel Andrews to end current lockdown restrictions and abandon mandatory wearing of face masks and a 5km limit on movement when he announces the next step of easing on Sunday. The group, c... more
Medical and Scientific: Early checks save lives
15 October 2020
Juggling family stresses, bills and COVID pressure – Australians are ignoring their midlife health checks which experts warn can save them from the nation’s leading illnesses. Doctors and health experts warn that people in their 40s and 50s are faili... more
Medical and Scientific: Aussie breakthrough aiming to tear down cancer ‘shield’
14 October 2020
Scientists have invented a drug they hope could be a “gamechanger” for the treatment of pancreatic cancer by breaking down a fibrous “shield” around cancer cells that makes them resistant to treatment. The drug, known as AMP945, is set to be trialled... more
Alcohol: A drink a day keeps the doctor in play
13 October 2020
Drinking one alcoholic beverage per day has been found to increase the risk of liver cancer by 48 per cent in people over 45, according to new research. A recent study conducted by Cancer Council NSW and published in the British Journal of Cancer has... more
Medical and Scientific: Breast checks key to survival
13 October 2020
Northern Territory women are being urged to learn about prevention, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, a condition one in seven will get by age 85. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and doctors and health experts are urging people to g... more
Medical and Scientific: Kids need to be sunnies smart
13 October 2020
Get your kids to wear sunglasses. That’s the message from eye experts who say that Australian children could fall prey to a host of vision impairments if they neglect sun protection. Growths on the eye tissue such as pterygium and pingecula, cancers ... more
Tobacco: Stub out habit for good
13 October 2020
Smokers could be forced to buy cigarettes from pharmacies or even need a prescription to get their hands on them as part of a bold new aim to stub out the unhealthy habit for good. The restriction of cigarette sales will be among the strategies explo... more
Skin Cancer: Influencers still seeking killer tans
12 October 2020
Sydney’s “beautiful people” are risking skin cancer by using secret solariums — despite them being illegal since 2014. They were banned due to their shockingly high levels of radiation, but solarium “speakeasies” still flourish, with one offering eig... more
Research: Deadly cancer genes found
12 October 2020
Melbourne researchers have discovered three genes linked to aggressive forms of prostate cancer. The breakthrough has raised hopes of a test to identify men who are most at risk and shed some light on the behaviour of a disease that kills about 60 Au... more
Alcohol: Study highlights drink link to cancer risk
12 October 2020
Just seven standard drinks a week can increase the chance of getting cancer by 10 per cent for those aged over 45, a major study has found. The Cancer Council NSW study of more than 226,000 Australians found alcohol was directly linked to the risk of... more
Medical and Scientific: Dying women told NO for a third time
12 October 2020
A terminal cancer patient has had her request to quarantine with her Queensland family rejected for a third time, even after producing evidence from her doctors that her terminal skin cancer made her a high health risk for hotel quarantine. The state... more
Medical and Scientific: Lab grows mini-brains
12 October 2020
Scientists are growing real human mini-brains to test possible cures for childhood brain cancer. The Children’s Cancer Research Unit at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, is turning stem cells into human brain cells, which are then given br... more
Medical and Scientific: Proteomics’ cancer test bid
12 October 2020
Perth medi-tech company Proteomics is about to begin developing an improved diagnostic method for the most common form of oesophageal cancer. Proteomics has partnered with Brisbane-based QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute to deliver the detect... more
Research: Experts baffled by private v public prostate cancer therapy
12 October 2020
Men seeking treatment for prostate cancer in Australia’s private health system are much more likely to have radical treatment than their peers in the public system, according to a study in Victoria. The results, published in the Medical Journal of Au... more
Tobacco: Smoke alarm no match for exempt casinos
12 October 2020
The NSW government has defended its decision to exempt Crown’s forthcoming Sydney casino from certain smoking regulations, as anti-smoking campaigners accused the casino operator of putting profits ahead of the health and safety of workers and patron... more
Medical and Scientific: Long wait for surgery
09 October 2020
Breast cancer patients could face long wait times for reconstructions due to restrictions on elective surgeries, a support organisation says. Following the COVID outbreak, Breast Cancer Network Australia surveyed more than 2300 Australians diagnosed ... more
Medical and Scientific: Downturn in testing
09 October 2020
COVID-19 restrictions resulted in a significant downturn of Australians going for breast and cervical cancer screening tests in the first half of 2020, a new report has found. While more than 70,000 mammograms were performed in Australia in March 202... more
Medical and Scientific: Hidden health cost of COVID
09 October 2020
More than half a million Australians have been pushed back on elective surgery waiting lists due to the COVID pandemic. In Victoria, waiting lists have blown out by a massive 40 per cent, with 56,039 people waiting for surgery. As a result of the ear... more
Medical and Scientific: Vulnerable Victorians suffering
09 October 2020
Sick and vulnerable Victorians have become “collateral impacts” of COVID19, according to an expert. Associate Professor Kate Burbury, a haematologist and chief medical officer at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, says many Victorians have been left ... more
Research: Move to moderate
09 October 2020
Moderate exercise can be just as effective as high-intensity training to keep older adults healthy, new research in the British Medical Journal shows. Research led by Norwegian University of science and Technology researcher Dorthe Stensvold, and pub... more
Tobacco: Calls for a total ban on smoking
09 October 2020
Peak health charities are for the first time publicly calling for designated smoking areas in pubs and clubs to be phased out by the State Government. The Heart Foundation Queensland and Cancer Council Queensland are urging the incoming Queensland go... more
Medical and Scientific: Alarm over screening test drops
08 October 2020
The pandemic may claim more lives as collateral damage as people put off having potentially life-saving cancer screening tests, experts warn. Data released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed between January and June there ... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer fears follow shock COVID data
08 October 2020
Tens of thousands of Queensland women missed out on lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screenings in the early half of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The worrying data, released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, has spar... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer screening rates plummet 98% in a month due to pandemic
08 October 2020
Lifesaving cancer screening tests have plummeted in Australia during the coronavirus pandemic, fuelling fears of a surge in delayed diagnoses and avoidable deaths. A stark new report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare on the impact of ... more
Medical and Scientific: Collapse in breast cancer screening
08 October 2020
The coronavirus epidemic led to a collapse in the number of women having life-saving tests for cancer, according to Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data. "While more than 70,000 mammograms were performed in March 2020, this fell to around ... more
Medical and Scientific: COVID not a lone danger
08 October 2020
The intense focus on the coronavirus throughout 2020 has distracted from other medical issues — some of them extremely serious. Additionally, lockdowns and concerns over contracting or spreading the coronavirus have led many to postpone or cancel imp... more
Medical and Scientific: Fears of cancer surge
08 October 2020
Testing numbers for some of Australia’s most common cancers rapidly declined during the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic, suggesting Australia could have a cancer storm on its hands. Experts are concerned without early detection and regul... more
Medical and Scientific: Testing time for cancer screening
08 October 2020
Tests for common cancers plummeted during the first months of the coronavirus pandemic, raising fears that Australia could have a cancer storm brewing. There were more than 70,000 mammograms for breast cancer screening in March but the number fell to... more
Medical and Scientific: Ovarian cancer drug subsidy
07 October 2020
The world’s largest maker of healthcare products will have to pay out more than $140m to settle lawsuits over claims that its baby powder caused cancer. Johnson & Johnson has agreed to the payout to resolve more than 1000 lawsuits after four year... more
Medical and Scientific: Fake tumours new tool to beat cancer
07 October 2020
A lab-grown tumour could hold the key to testing and improving treatments for women with ovarian cancer. An international team of researchers has created a 3D model of the deadly cancer outside the body which can re-create how tumour cells grow. It’s... more
Medical and Scientific: Big cancer compo bill
07 October 2020
The world’s largest maker of healthcare products will have to pay out more than $140m to settle lawsuits over claims that its baby powder caused cancer. Johnson & Johnson has agreed to the payout to resolve more than 1000 lawsuits after four year... more
Medical and Scientific: Bristol to pay $18b in heart drug push
07 October 2020
Bristol-Myers Squibb says it will buy biotech MyoKardia in a $US13.1bn ($18.2bn) deal aimed at expanding the cancer-drug powerhouse’s line-up of heart drugs. The all-cash deal would snag MyoKardia’s promising experimental heart drug, which if approve... more
Medical and Scientific: Healthy handout
07 October 2020
Victoria will receive $50m for a new state-of-the-art melanoma centre at The Alfred hospital, to give cancer patients world-first access to new treatments. The Victorian Melanoma and Clinical Trials Centre is expected to be treating patients by 2022.... more
Medical and Scientific: High cost of ovarian cancer drug slashed
07 October 2020
Women with advanced ovarian cancer will be able to obtain a subsidised drug treatment for only $41 a script as part of $375.5m allocated in the budget towards listing medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Lynparza, also known as olaparib, ... more
Medical and Scientific: Kidults on parents’ cover until aged 31
07 October 2020
Young Australians will be able to stay on their parents’ private health insurance until they turn 31 under a measure designed to prop up ailing health funds. And the number of Medicare-funded mental health consultations accessible to Australians will... more
Medical and Scientific: Ovarian cancer drug listed on PBS
07 October 2020
Hundreds of patients with ovarian cancer are being given affordable access to a groundbreaking drug that was previously restricted to those who had failed conventional treatments, such as surgery and chemotherapy. Lynparza, which costs more than $140... more
Treatment: Medicines added to PBS list
06 October 2020
People suffering from liver cancer, a range of eye conditions and Parkinson’s disease will save thousands on medication bills under changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. More than $230 million will be dedicated to expanding the scheme as par... more
Medical and Scientific: Research and jobs hit in university cash crunch
06 October 2020
Research on cures for heart disease, stroke, cancer, brain injury and motor neurone disease are being paused or cancelled and key researchers are losing their jobs, as the university revenue crunch starts to bite into science. Scientists say the dama... more
Medical and Scientific: Breath test for cancer
06 October 2020
The ability to use a person’s breath analysis for rapid and accurate early-stage testing for cancer has taken a leap forward. Flinders University researchers have progressed a method to test exhaled breath, which accurately identified head and neck c... more
Research: Genetic testing suggests alternative treatments
06 October 2020
A life-saving program has used genetic testing to find treatments that shrink or stabilise aggressive tumours in children with rare cancers. Research on the ZERO Childhood Cancer program, published in Nature Medicine today, found the testing of the g... more
Treatment: Liver cancer treatment gets PBS funding
06 October 2020
Australia will become the first country in the world to publicly fund a new combination treatment for a deadly form of liver cancer in a $230 million promise in Tuesday’s federal budget. The commitment will expand the listing, Tecentriq and Avastin, ... more
Tobacco: Busting myth of ‘harmless’ e-cigarettes
02 October 2020
E-cigarette users are three times more likely to take up conventional smoking than those who don’t vape, a new report suggests. The study led by Australian National University, in collaboration with University of Melbourne researchers, also found ex-... more
Medical and Scientific: Medicines caught in dock dispute
01 October 2020
Breast cancer treatments and antibiotics are among more than 25 containers of vital medicines stuck on ships off Australia’s coast that can’t be unloaded due to industrial action on the wharves. Dennis Bastas, the chief of Australia’s biggest medicin... more
Medical and Scientific: Medicines ‘at risk’ in port crisis
01 October 2020
Cancer physicians and pharmaceutical companies have raised concerns the crisis on the waterfront could result in drug shortages as talks between the parties over a peace deal drag on. Patrick Stevedores and the Maritime Union of Australia were locked... more
Medical and Scientific: New breast cancer hope
01 October 2020
Breast cancer will overtake prostate cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia this year. And without more money for research, 30,000 women will die of the cancer in the next decade, new calculations from the National Breast Cancer Fo... more
Research: Evidence vaping is ‘a gateway to conventional smoking’
01 October 2020
Vaping is a “gateway” to conventional smoking with those using e-cigarettes three times as likely to take up tobacco, a new study reveals. Lead researcher and epidemiologist Emily Banks said there was “insufficient evidence” that vaping could help sm... more
Tobacco: Vaping as a way to quit cigarettes up in smoke
30 September 2020
Using e-cigarettes triples the chance of a non-smoker taking up cigarettes, research shows. An Australian National University report released today found there was “insufficient” evidence that e-cigarettes help smokers quit, bolstering concerns that ... more
Medical and Scientific: Dock and a hard place
30 September 2020
Anthony Albanese has refused to condemn a wharfies go-slow delaying medical supplies bound for Sydney as cancer specialists warn the stoush will have a “shocking” impact on patients. It has been argued the Maritime Union of Australia’s industrial act... more
Medical and Scientific: Twins take on cancer
30 September 2020
Melbourne twins are taking part in a new Australian study which aims to draw on the closeness of twins to identify factors in early life that may predict the wider risk of breast cancer. By using twins’ matching DNA and their shared upbringings as a ... more
Research: ‘No benefit’ to radiotherapy after prostate surgery
30 September 2020
Thousands of men could be spared the ordeal of having radiotherapy after surgery for prostate cancer, scientists said last night. The treatment is used to eradicate cancer cells and to try to ensure tumours do not return. But research published in Th... more
Research: Whistleblowers lift lid on tobacco loophole
30 September 2020
Former employees of the Australian tobacco industry have revealed how it uses a loophole in the law to give incentives to retailers and drive sales. They told researchers how the loophole enables tobacco companies to engage in relationship marketing ... more
Medical and Scientific: High hopes but medics still mull over drug buzz
29 September 2020
The Australian Natural Therapeutic Group facility, near Armidale, is about to start producing medicinal cannabis oil on a commercial scale – the first such manufacturing licence granted in the state. The company’s chief executive, Matthew Cantelo, sa... more
Research: Worry over tongue cancer rates in young people
29 September 2020
There has been an alarming rise in the number of young people, particularly women, being diagnosed with tongue cancer, a disease predominantly found in older men with a history of smoking or heavy drinking. Researchers from the cancer hospital Chris ... more
Medical and Scientific: Computers for cancer
28 September 2020
A Silicon Valley software company is developing a blood test that uses machine algorithms to detect more than 50 types of cancers. The American biotech giant Illumina has announced an $8bn deal to purchase the Grail liquid biopsy, due to hit the mark... more
Medical and Scientific: Boost for cancer patients
28 September 2020
Blood cancer patients will have better access to lifelong treatments and more tailored support as part of a multimillion dollar boost in next month’s Federal Budget. Health Minister Greg Hunt will today commit more than $600,000 to the Leukaemia Foun... more
Medical and Scientific: ‘Perplexing’ rise in tongue cancer among young women
28 September 2020
Researchers have detected an alarming rise in tongue cancers among young Australian women who have none of the known risk factors for the potentially deadly condition. Tongue cancers have increased 385 per cent over 32 years in women aged from their ... more
Medical and Scientific: Radiation limit to time on the Moon
28 September 2020
As the US prepares to return humans to the Moon this decade, one of the biggest dangers future astronauts will face is space radiation, which can cause lasting health effects from cataracts to cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Though the Apollo ... more
Medical and Scientific: Specialist nurses in short supply as training options widen
28 September 2020
New training opportunities are regularly being introduced for nurses, amid severe worker shortages in every area of speciality. McGrath Foundation chief executive Holly Masters says there is a dire shortage of breast cancer nurses. Before COVID-19, t... more
Medical and Scientific: Targeting big health challenges
28 September 2020
A new partnership combining research, clinical care and a drive for innovation aims to address some of the greatest health challenges of our time. The Adelaide Health Innovation Partnership brings together the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (C... more
Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition: A lazy nation killing itself
28 September 2020
Laziness is killing tens of thousands of Australians a year and costing the health system $4.5 billion annually. But the good news is one in every six deaths is preventable, and tens of thousands of Australians could avoid dying from our biggest kill... more
Research: Blank checks health fear
28 September 2020
A massive drop in patients presenting at hospital emergency departments has raised fears people may be neglecting serious health checks because of the pandemic. But researchers believe the fall also is a sign that isolation may have led to fewer inju... more
Tobacco: Teen vaping health alert
25 September 2020
One in five young people have tried or used e-cigarettes in the past 12 months, prompting renewed calls for stricter laws on illegal nicotine sales. Quit Victoria is leading a push for tighter laws to protect youths from buying e-liquids and cigarett... more
Tobacco: Pharmacy-only e-cigarette decision slammed
24 September 2020
Retailers, convenience store owners and “smoke-free” advocates have blasted the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s interim decision to allow Australians to buy nicotine-based e-cigarettes from pharmacies if they have a script from their doctor. The T... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Sugar, spice and not all that nice
24 September 2020
Baby foods are hiding nasty sugars and misleading parents who think they’re healthy, according to a study. Research by the Cancer Council Victoria has found baby foods are using packaging and health-focused names to spruik products that are full of p... more
Tobacco: Retailer fury at vape pharmacy sale plan
23 September 2020
Retailers have urged the Morrison government to scrap its plan to sell vaping products in pharmacies with a prescription, warning the “deliberate exclusion” of small businesses from selling the “less harmful” products was “unconscionable, illogical a... more
Tobacco: Prescription e-cigarettes get green light
23 September 2020
Australians will be able to buy nicotine-based e-cigarettes at chemists with a script from their doctor, under an interim decision made by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. The proposal, which will be open to public consultation before a final de... more
Tobacco: Effect is plain to see for smokers
23 September 2020
Plain packaging has moved smokers to buy cheaper cigarettes – and to consume more of them. As a result, James Cook University researchers are calling for cigarette price increases. Head of Economics and Marketing Riccardo Welters said plain packaging... more
Research: Below the belt study vital
23 September 2020
Despite bladder cancer being equal to malignant melanoma as a cause of death for West Australians and prostate being the most common cancer in men, Fiona Stanley Hospital urological surgeon Dickon Hayne says “below the belt” cancers continued to be o... more
Tobacco: Teens’ vaping health horror
23 September 2020
Students as young as 13 are suffering from severe vomiting and others report chronic bouts of diarrhoea caused by an alarming spike of vaping in high schools. Medical experts have revealed some teens are ingesting as much nicotine contained in a pack... more
Research: Cancer return cut by a quarter
22 September 2020
A new treatment for patients with a common type of breast cancer has cut the risk of recurrence by a quarter, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology has shown. The treatment involves patients taking the drug abemaciclib along with horm... more
Medical and Scientific: Pandemic kick-starts cancer care
22 September 2020
Cancer has become one of the first diseases to show how medicine will benefit from COVID-19. The pandemic has significantly disrupted cancer care, but as the model has been shaken up good ideas have fallen out. Cancer Australia yesterday published a ... more
Tobacco: Plain packets up in smoke
22 September 2020
New research suggests that plain packaging — banning colours, logos, and trademarks from product packaging, and replacing them with health warnings — might actually lead smokers to buy more cigarettes. In a study published today in the journal Nature... more
Research: Miracle drug for lung cancer
21 September 2020
People with lung cancer have been given hope following a major breakthrough involving Australian researchers. A promising wonder drug, Lorlatinib, has just been tested in an international trial for patients newly diagnosed with ALKpositive Non-Small ... more
Tobacco: Twiggy ciggie report – savings beat costs
21 September 2020
Banning the sale of tobacco to anyone under 21 in Tasmania would cost the small to medium business sector up to $1.5m a year, an economist has found. However, the report — commissioned by anti-smoking advocate Andrew “ Twiggy” Forrest — suggests the ... more
Research: Cancer patients alert
18 September 2020
Cancer patients are more likely to die of their disease if they use common antacids at the same time as immunotherapies, a groundbreaking Australian study, published in the Journal of Clinical Cancer Research has found. Flinders University researcher... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer testing rates for cancer drops
16 September 2020
Pathology testing rates for conditions such as cancer has fallen by more than 10 per cent in the ACT due to the coronavirus pandemic. Medical experts have said they're alarmed by figures that reveal testing rates remain down in 2020 compared to the s... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer won’t wait for COVID-19 to end, experts warn
15 September 2020
COVID-19 is thought to be the first disease in the modern era to disrupt cancer services in Australia as fears over coronavirus turned people away from check-ups and surgery. At its height the pandemic drastically reduced cancer services with the eff... more
Medical and Scientific: Virus fears led to dramatic drop in cancer diagnoses
15 September 2020
The diagnosis and treatment of three of the most common cancers plummeted with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a review of Medicare data by Cancer Australia has found. Concerned that people were delaying medical screening and treatment, Cancer Au... more
Skin cancer: Playing it safe in the sun
15 September 2020
The sun’s out and so is the skin cancer message for NSW schoolkids. Children will be taught how their choices at a young age could help them avoid skin cancer as part of an updated program being rolled out in the state’s schools from Tuesday. The “no... more
Tobacco: Park and breathe
15 September 2020
Inner Melbourne’s newest park is set to be smoke-free when it opens later this year. A City of Melbourne survey has found overwhelming support for a smoking ban at Market Street Park in the CBD. Nearing completion, the park runs between Collins Stree... more
Tobacco: Financial worries a reason to change
14 September 2020
Burglaries, low profit margins and hefty licence and insurance costs are key reasons Tasmanian retailers give up selling cigarettes, a study has found. The Department of Health study found that financial rather than ethical concerns were the most com... more
Medical and Scientific: Fear can be killer
14 September 2020
Victorian men are skipping potentially lifesaving cancer tests because they fear catching COVID in doctors’ clinics and hospitals. Royal Melbourne Hospital gastroenterologist Andrew Metz said fewer men were doing bowel screen tests at home and going ... more
Medical and Scientific: Wonder drug puts Jaxon on his feet
14 September 2020
Jaxon Hach was given just months to live after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Genetic testing showed Jaxon, who was diagnosed with cancer aged 18 months, had a mutation where a piece of the chromosome containing a gene called NTRK breaks off a... more
Medical and Scientific: Doctors warn over lack of screening
14 September 2020
The nation’s leading doctor and pathology groups have raised the alarm that healthcare services face being overwhelmed in coming years as people who have delayed vital screening checks due to the coronavirus pandemic present for treatment. Over 30 ma... more
Medical and Scientific: Men told: take bowel cancer test
14 September 2020
Victorian men are being urged to screen themselves for bowel cancer, with two thirds of eligible men passing up the chance for lifesaving detection. Cancer Council Victoria screening program manager Kate Broun said people spending more time at home p... more
Tobacco: Target on cigs sales
14 September 2020
With 560 Tasmanians needlessly dying as a result of smoking each year, advocates for increasing the age for buying cigarettes say the state has “nothing to lose and everything to gain”. Despite Tasmania leading the way in smoking restrictions, tobacc... more
Medical and Scientific: Tattoos left in the past
11 September 2020
Pinprick ink dots for breast cancer radiotherapy are now a thing of the past, thanks to new technology. At present in South Australia, virtually all breast cancer patients get several small tattoos to help the radiation therapist deliver treatment to... more
Tobacco: Anti-smoking funds plummet as hard evidence grows
10 September 2020
Spending on anti-smoking public health campaigns has plummeted over the past decade as health experts say Australia risks losing its momentum on tobacco control. The article in the journal Public Health Research & Practice calculates that spendin... more
Medical and Scientific: Dying cells in cancer battle
10 September 2020
An ambitious bid to hunt and destroy cancer tumours – using their own decay as a scent to land a lethal blow – has started on patients at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. The APOMAB technology uses antibodies which home in on a specific protein given off... more
Medical and scientific: Applause for Suda cancer treatment
09 September 2020
Shares in Perth-based Suda Pharmaceuticals have soared after the company announced it had received an Australian patent for its cancer treatment. Suda has repurposed the drug Anagrelide, a blood disorder medication, to treat certain solid tumour canc... more
Medical and Scientific: Doctor raises $47K for cancer research
07 September 2020
A Rockhampton doctor has been recognised for his work contributing to cancer research. The Australasian GastroIntestinal Trials Group’s fundraiser of the year award was given to medical oncologist Matthew Burge for his raising money for gastrointesti... more
Medical and Scientific: Zero blood-cancer deaths by 2035 is the new target
07 September 2020
An action plan to help Australia reach zero blood-cancer deaths by 2035 is set to be backed by government, in the hope it will accelerate help for the silent pandemic. It comes as new figures show blood cancer is diagnosed in Australia every 31 minut... more
Medical and Scientific: Confusion on cancer screening in regions
07 September 2020
Cross-border community members living just inside Victoria say they are being shut out of breast cancer screening services, despite SA Health claiming they are still welcome. Two women were told the closest breast screening service available was in H... more
Health Services: Keeping the fight front and centre
07 September 2020
WA cancer patients who previously had to travel across Perth for care will be able to access the State’s first private “one-stop shop” early next year. Hollywood Private Hospital will open a radiation oncology centre alongside established services, i... more
Medical and Scientific: Bequests boost UTAS kids cancer research
07 September 2020
Groundbreaking cancer research technology acquired by the University of Tasmania will position the state as a medical leader, scientists say. The Cytek Aurora flow cytometer will allow Tasmanian scientists to more than triple their capacity to unders... more
Medical and Scientific: One-way traffic to jail
07 September 2020
Illicit drug users who turn to trafficking will likely go to jail, warns one of South Australia’s most experienced judges, who has denounced the ubiquitous and serious societal problem. A Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia spokeswoman said was... more
Medical and Scientific: Shell-shocked Victorians count cost of lockdown
07 September 2020
Half of Victoria has been left mentally scarred by the strict lockdown, with higher levels of depression and anxiety among the young, exclusive new polling reveals. Polling of over 1000 Victorians by research firm Dynata for the Institute of Public A... more
Tobacco: Smoke ban would need inmate support
07 September 2020
As the ACT government rolled out its comprehensive outlook for improving the health and welfare of prisoners, one persistent problem within the Canberra prison system was unaddressed: smoking. The ACT and Western Australia are the only jurisdictions ... more
Medical and Scientific: Unlock access for sick Tasmanians
04 September 2020
Tasmania is the only jurisdiction that has not agreed to participate in the Special Access Scheme through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Instead, Tasmania administers a Controlled Access Scheme. Under the Controlled Access Scheme, any pa... more
Research: Bee venom kills cancer: study
03 September 2020
Bee venom is effective in killing aggressive breast cancer cells, a new Australian study, published in Nature Precision Oncology journal has found. Results revealed the venom — from honeybees sourced in Western Australia, England and Ireland — rapidl... more
Medical and Scientific: Spotlight shines on blood cancer
03 September 2020
September marks Blood Cancer Awareness Month and the Leukaemia Foundation is warning Australians that diagnoses are on the rise. According to the Foundation, diagnoses for one of Australia’s most common and deadly types of cancer have risen 38 per ce... more
Tobacco: MP backs vaping to help smokers quit
01 September 2020
A state Coalition MP has called for his own government to legalise vaping by allowing the sale of nicotine e-cigarette liquid in NSW. Michael Johnsen has launched an online petition calling for the state government to legislate in favour of vaping to... more
Medical and Scientific: The ‘orphan’ cancer that kills so many there are few survivors
01 September 2020
Pancreatic cancer has long been an orphan disease, orphaned because it is so deadly there is no army of survivors to advocate for it. It’s estimated that this year 3933 Australians will be diagnosed with this cancer and 3300 will die of it. ‘‘We reco... more
Medical and Scientific: Biopsy discovery
28 August 2020
An innovative technique to improve cancer treatments using tumour biopsies less than 30 minutes after they’re taken has been developed by the University of Queensland. The cutting-edge technique was developed after researchers found fresh biopsies re... more
Occupation and Environment: I hope this helps more people
28 August 2020
A Perth woman has been awarded more than $1 million in damages from James Hardie Industries’ compensation fund in the first West Australian mesothelioma case to run to judgment since 2011. The case marks a major victory for WA mesothelioma sufferers,... more
Public Health: Cancer could be hidden killer of pandemic
27 August 2020
Doctors who fear a spike of cancer deaths could be a legacy of the pandemic are urging West Australians not to stay away from their GP or hospital. A drop in the number of people attending health appointments has prompted warnings that deaths from ca... more
Medical & Scientific: Widow wins a battle for access to health records
27 August 2020
SA Health has been ordered to hand over medical documents to the wife of a man who died following a cancer misdiagnosis – 14 months after his family started its battle to access the records. Lynda Burg, of Brahma Lodge, sought information relating to... more
Tobacco: Quit while you’re in iso
26 August 2020
While many Aussies have turned to unhealthy habits to get them through COVID, smokers are using it as an opportunity to finally boot tobacco. Quit smoking resources have recorded big spikes since March, with either coronavirus itself or its many impl... more
Medical and Scientific: Ovarian cancer fund fail
26 August 2020
An early detection test for ovarian cancer would save the lives of more than 8000 Australian women in the next decade, however research funding has fallen fatally behind other diseases. A landmark report into the state of ovarian cancer in Australia ... more
Research: Fat can kill cancer cells
25 August 2020
A fat attack may be the way to beat prostate cancer. Landmark research at the SA Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), University of Adelaide and the Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing found prostate cancer cells can be stopped... more
Medical and Scientific: Let’s win this cancer battle
25 August 2020
An early detection test for ovarian cancer would save the lives of more than 8000 Australian women in the next decade, however research funding has fallen fatally behind other diseases. A landmark report into the state of ovarian cancer in Australia ... more
Research: Child cancers hasten ageing
25 August 2020
Having cancer as a child or young adult can accelerate the ageing process by about 25 years, a study published in the journal Cancer has found. Researchers looked at 60 cancer survivors who got the disease when they were young, at an average age of 2... more
Tobacco: It’s official: e-cigarettes go up in smoke
25 August 2020
Australia’s health regulator has formalised a ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, rejecting suggestions they present a safer alternative for smokers and people trying to quit. In a final decision published yesterday, the Therapeutic Good... more
Treatment: Prostate cancer drug free
24 August 2020
Australian men at risk of dying from prostate cancer can now get a breakthrough lifesaving drug for free. The $55,000-a-year treatment, called Nubeqa (darolutamide), has extended the life of men in a clinical trial by five years, but was knocked back... more
Medical and Scientific: Surgery could cut cancer risk
24 August 2020
Young women who have surgery to cut their risk of ovarian cancer could now avoid an early menopause, thanks to a new technique that saves the ovaries. Surgeons first carry out an operation to remove the fallopian tubes, where many ovarian cancers are... more
Research: Blood may hold key to cancer
21 August 2020
The blood of the elderly helps cancer spread, while the blood of the young keeps it contained, scientists say. Research suggests that along with other reasons ageing makes us susceptible to tumours, blood can play a role in propagating cancerous cell... more
Public Health: Don’t delay, see doctor today
21 August 2020
A new campaign is urging Victorians not to delay seeing a doctor after a scary drop in cancer notifications. The Cancer Council Victoria will next week roll out the Don’t Delay campaign after new data revealed the number of people diagnosed with mela... more
Medical and Scientific: Trans clinics highlight risk of teen girls developing cancer
21 August 2020
Teenage girls who identify as transgender boys are being warned of a potential cancer risk from gender clinic medical treatment and told that they may later wish to have their uterus and ovaries removed to eliminate this possibility. Patient informat... more
Skin Cancer: New perspective on cancer
20 August 2020
Students will be transported into lungs to try to kill cancer cells with various treatments as part of a new virtual-reality game that aims to teach youth that it is easier to prevent skin cancer than cure it. Excite Science this week launched its Ma... more
Public Health: High cost but who’s listening?
19 August 2020
The reality dawning on doctors, that hundreds more cancer and chronic disease sufferers will probably die because Melbourne’s stage four lockdown is scaring people away from taking medical tests, could prove a tipping point in scrutinising the trade-... more
Tobacco: Schools smoking ban call
19 August 2020
The Heart Foundation and other leading health bodies are calling for the next NT government to ban smoking on school grounds amid a rise in the number of Territory schools allowing staff to light up on campus. NT Tobacco Control Action Committee stat... more
Research: Copper-bottomed kids’ cancer fix
19 August 2020
It is the deadliest of childhood cancers but a discovery by Australian researchers has found it could be destroyed by an already available drug. Tests by researchers from the Children’s Cancer Institute at the University of NSW has found a treatment ... more
Tobacco: Group backs vaping green light
18 August 2020
Vaping should be legalised to help Tasmania cut smoking rates while helping the health system and economy, a retail group says. The Australian Retail Vaping Industry Association (ARVIA) said research had shown vaping was up to 95 per cent less harmfu... more
Research: Cancer drug offers hope
17 August 2020
Scientists at Monash University have offered a glimmer of hope to brain cancer sufferers after discovering a drug that could lead to a potential treatment for the deadly disease — including one of its most aggressive forms. Researchers claim the drug... more
Medical and Scientific: Small cap stepping up cancer fight
17 August 2020
Locally-listed small cap biotech company Prescient Therapeutics hopes to shift the conversation around cancer from treatments to cures, as it invests in a new-age technology showing early success in helping terminal patients called CAR-T. On Friday t... more
Health Services: Boost to cancer services
17 August 2020
A much-needed radiation cancer treatment facility will be established at Nambucca Heads under a $45.5 million commitment from the Federal Government to expand cancer services. This means the hundreds of cancer patients living in Nambucca Heads will n... more
Tobacco: Smoking cuts NT lives short
14 August 2020
The average Territorian is likely to die 14 years earlier than other Australians and is almost twice as likely to die a potentially preventable death, recently released data has shown. Mortality statistics released by the Australian Institute of Heal... more
Research: Breast cancer hope
14 August 2020
A new treatment for an aggressive breast cancer that often kills young women is on the horizon after a breakthrough. The often fatal cancer affects 3000 mostly younger women every year and unlike other types of breast cancer, there is no new age trea... more
Research: Cancer cell trial success
13 August 2020
A Queensland clinical trial is showing great success in the treatment of a very deadly brain cancer. The results of the phase I clinical trial have been published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Researchers have found that patients wh... more
Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition: Early signs obesity levels thinning
13 August 2020
There are tentative signs Australia could be on the cusp of beginning to reverse very high levels of childhood obesity, with the proportion of young people overweight or obese declining in the past three years. The Australian Institute of Health and ... more
Public Health: Cancer deaths tied to lockdown
12 August 2020
Hundreds more Victorians are likely to die from cancer and serious illnesses because of fears about COVID-19 and Melbourne’s lockdown causing people to skip health appointments and miss early disease diagnoses, medical professionals warn. New Cancer ... more
Public Health: COVID fixation risks a broader health crisis
12 August 2020
The singular focus on coronavirus will lead to many more deaths from cancer, heart disease, suicide and infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, according to a growing number of medical experts. In the UK it is estimated three million people have mi... more
Treatment: New hope in cancer treatment
10 August 2020
A revolutionary treatment in Brisbane is giving terminal brain cancer sufferers – who with traditional treatment would struggle to survive more than a few months – hope of spending years with their families. Icon Radiation oncologist Associate Profes... more
Tobacco: Schools struggle with new vaping
10 August 2020
Disposable e-cigarettes packed with high concentrations of nicotine have become the latest dangerous craze among school students. One principal has spoken out about the use in schools of the highly addictive pods, which are brightly coloured, come in... more
Tobacco: Hearty call to cut back on smoking
10 August 2020
Based on statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Australian Bureau of Statistics, the cost to the NT for healthcare attributable to smoking is $103 million per year and is $13 million per year for rheumatic heart disease. H... more
Medical and Scientific: Boy beats cancer but ‘cure’ hurts heart
10 August 2020
The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute is leading a study to identify children and adults who are likely to develop heart disease posttreatment. The trial will use genetic biomarkers, or clues, and medical imaging to pinpoint which children are at... more
Medical and Scientific: Bad medicine Chemists cashing in
10 August 2020
Prescription medicine prices are being bumped up almost fourfold because of additional charges by pharmacies. A Herald Sun investigation shows that under a deal reached between the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the federal government, chemists are ... more
Tobacco: Cigs giant cries foul on illegal tobacco
07 August 2020
British American Tobacco has used the COVID-19 pandemic to push for a freeze on excise duty increases from next month, claiming international border restrictions are fuelling an emerging illegal tobacco black market. The multinational giant said high... more
Research: Popular blood pressure drug increases melanoma risks
06 August 2020
A popular drug used to treat high blood pressure has been linked to an increase in serious skin cancer in older Australians, according to a new study published in the journal Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology. It has been linked to 2... more
Research: Drug’s skin cancer fear
05 August 2020
A popular high-blood pressure drug has been linked to increased skin-cancer risk in older Australians. Hydrochlorothiazide – one of the most prescribed high-blood pressure drugs – contained photosynthesising properties that could make skin more sensi... more
Screening and Immunisation: Breast screen clinic open
04 August 2020
BreastScreen NT will open for breast screening for the women of Central Australia from August 10 until October 2. All women aged 50 to 74 years are encouraged to access this free service every two years. “A screening only takes a few minutes and it c... more
Occupation and Environment: Phone tower sparks fear
04 August 2020
Residents are protesting against a proposed Telstra 4G mobile tower flagged for Ilparpa, Alice Springs, with the potential construction of a 31.4m mobile tower being planned for their boundary. Telstra regional general manager Nic Danks said a propos... more
Tobacco: Smoking dopes
03 August 2020
Smuggled tobacco products are being sold illegally on the streets of Adelaide, with organised crime gangs believed to be raking in profits generated from the “low risk, high reward” industry. The black market is undercutting lawful cigarette retailer... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer fallout fears
03 August 2020
Patients presenting to Victorian medical clinics have plummeted by up to 40 per cent as fear of rising coronavirus cases stop people from seeking potentially lifesaving help and referrals to cancer clinics have plunged. Australian Medical Association... more
Medical and Scientific: Screen for genes to prevent cancers
03 August 2020
Genetic testing for all women over 30 would prevent millions of deaths from breast and ovarian cancer globally and be cost effective in medium and higher income countries. That is the conclusion of international research published in the journal Canc... more
Health Services: Help for cancer patients
31 July 2020
Cancer patients will soon have access to a new specialist nurse following the expansion of the Federal Government’s Prostate Cancer Nurses Program. The nurse will work across four GenesisCare radiation oncology centres in Adelaide to provide care and... more
Tobacco: Time to talk about phasing out sale of tobacco products
31 July 2020
This year marks the 70th anniversary of two major studies that confirmed smoking causes lung cancer, and next year will be the 40th anniversary of a landmark report that confirmed exposure to second-hand smoke also causes lung cancer in non-smokers. ... more
Medical & Scientific: Being diligent with men’s wellbeing
29 July 2020
Experts agree the most common health issues Australian men face can be curbed or managed better if patients get regular health checks to pick up problems in people not yet experiencing symptoms of disease. With many conditions developing slowly over ... more
Medical & Scientific: Cancer cases fall during pandemic
29 July 2020
A large fall in cancer referrals during the pandemic has prompted a specialist to urge people to see their GP soon. Oncology specialist Professor Alhossain Khalafallah, who directs the Specialist Care Clinic at Ulverstone, said he estimated a fall in... more
Medical & Scientific: It’s time to reconnect with your health – don’t neglect your breast health
29 July 2020
With restrictions easing and life returning to relative normality in Western Australia, it is now time to stop postponing vital health checks, and for women aged over 40 that means it’s time to reconnect with your breast health. Having regular mammog... more
Medical & Scientific: Outlook linked to how long we live
29 July 2020
A QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute study has revealed that being a pessimist can cut an average of two years from life span, though being an optimist did not extend life expectancy. Lead researcher, Dr John Whitfield from QIMR Berghofer’s Ge... more
Medical & Scientific: Time to book in with your GP
29 July 2020
Western Australians are encouraged to stay on top of their health with a visit to their general practitioner now COVID-19-related measures have relaxed in the state. Australian Clinical Labs National Clinical Director Associate Professor Chris Barnes... more
Medical and Scientific: Op news bit of a bummer
28 July 2020
Plastic surgeons want Medicare to pay for cutting edge fat implant operations. The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons says a procedure known as autologous fat grafting should be subsidised by taxpayers so it can be used on breast cancer survivors... more
Medical and Scientific: Funds boost for SA smarts
28 July 2020
Cancer tracer maker Ferronova have won $828,000 in Federal Government Funding in the third round of grants from the $45m BioMedTech Horizons program. Ferronova’s specialist polymer-coated iron oxide nanoparticles, made to global standards at a lab in... more
Research: Discovery on cancer
28 July 2020
Queensland scientists say the discovery of new cellular immunotherapy targets for a deadly head and neck cancer caused by human papillomavirus could lead to better survival rates. The type of head and neck cancer – oropharyngeal cancer – can affect t... more
Tobacco: Vapers facing ban in city’s smoke-free zones
28 July 2020
Vaping is likely to be banned in 11 areas of Melbourne’s CBD and surrounds. The move would extend the definition of smoking, under local laws, to include e-cigarettes. The City of Melbourne has been working for months to extend its localised smoking ... more
Tobacco: Lobby group slams vaping ban
27 July 2020
A bid to ban vaping in inner city smoke-free areas has been slammed by a business lobby group as unscientific. Melbourne City Council wants to amend its laws in line with state legislation controlling the use of e-cigarettes. A meeting on Tuesday wil... more
Treatment: New hope with radiation treatment
23 July 2020
Tasmanian cancer patients will benefit from new, state-of-the-art equipment that will deliver highly accurate radiation treatment in Launceston. The equipment was delivered through the state and federal government’s Commonwealth Radiation Oncology He... more
Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition: Extra protein a fat lot of good
20 July 2020
High-protein diets and supplements are very much on trend. People of all ages are obsessed with proteins and believe that eating plenty of them will be instrumental to losing weight and gaining muscle mass and staying healthy. Not only are people eat... more
Medical and Scientific: $18.8m for health
20 July 2020
Australia’s most promising research into treatments for cancer and other diseases will get a major cash boost to fast-track their development. The Morrison Government yesterday announced it was spending $18.8 million to accelerate the discovery of be... more
Research: Hormone therapy fights disease
20 July 2020
Hormone replacement therapy could protect against common illnesses, a study suggests. Women taking HRT to cope with the menopause had a greater variety of beneficial bacteria in their urine, potentially cutting their risk of urinary tract infections.... more
Research: I will avenge you
20 July 2020
Cancer scientist from Newcastle University and the Hunter Medical Research Institute, Dr Matt Dun, has been researching medicinal cannabis to kill cancer cells, including leukaemia and DIPG cells, without harming normal cells. After three years of re... more
Tobacco: ATO in huge tobacco haul
20 July 2020
More than 131 tonnes of illicit tobacco has been seized in Australia in the past financial year, with crooks trying to dodge $171 million in tax. The Australian Taxation Office took and destroyed the illicit tobacco in the 2019-20 financial year. Wit... more
Research: Donor group cancer killers
17 July 2020
Perth researchers have identified a specific pool of donors whose cells can be successfully used to treat children with leukaemia. The research by Telethon Kids Institute, University of WA and Curtin University published today analysed “natural kille... more
Medical and Scientific: RMIT tower at centre of cancer fears for sale
17 July 2020
The RMIT University building investigated over fears of a cancer cluster among staff in 2006 has been listed for sale. RMIT Building 108, also known as The Tivoli, made headlines in 2006 after a series of brain cancer cases emerged at the building, w... more
Tobacco: QLD, NT going up in smoke, but falling
17 July 2020
Queenslanders and Northern Territorians continue to smoke tobacco at a higher rate than those in any other Australian state or territory, but daily smoking numbers are down nationwide. The findings are included in the latest National Drug Strategy Ho... more
Medical and Scientific: Subsidies for compression garments
16 July 2020
Multimillion-dollar subsidies for compression tights will help people deal with incurable lymphoedema, including around 20 per cent of women with breast cancer. The Federal Government has committed an ongoing $2m a year nationally while the State Gov... more
Alcohol and Tobacco: Cannabis use up as alcohol, tobacco fall
16 July 2020
The number of cannabis users in Tasmania has increased by 50 per cent in a decade, although the number of people smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol has fallen, new figures show. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s National Drug Strateg... more
Alcohol and Tobacco: Smokers stubbing out, data reveals
16 July 2020
People aged 14 to 29 are less likely to smoke, drink alcohol or consume illicit drugs than previous generations, a health report shows. A study of 22,000 people also revealed a drop in the non-medical use of painkillers and opioids, but found a rise ... more
Alcohol and Tobacco: Young give drinks, drugs a miss but try vaping
16 July 2020
Young Australians are turning away from alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, consuming them less than their parents’ generation in a trend that has public health experts baffled. The Australian Health and Welfare Institute’s National Drug and Alcohol Surve... more
Tobacco: Smokes rebate jackpot for remote retailer
16 July 2020
A government-backed remote retailer established to promote healthy eating has been earning hundreds of thousands of dollars annually through incentives for selling tobacco products. The company, Outback Stores, has collected at least $20m in rebates ... more
Tobacco: Smoke signals reveal change
16 July 2020
Almost two-thirds of Victorians have never smoked a cigarette, with females least likely to take a puff. More people are also choosing not to light up, with an extra 200,000 smokers giving up the habit in 2019 compared with more than a decade ago. Th... more
Research: HPV ‘causes prostate cancer’
15 July 2020
Some prostate cancers are “highly likely” to be caused by human papillomavirus, according to a review on the topic. For the new paper, published in the journal Infectious Agents and Cancer, researchers from the University of NSW reviewed 26 studies o... more
Medical and Scientific: Play your part to prevent bowel cancer
13 July 2020
There are ways to prevent bowel cancer, though many are not taking that opportunity. Part of preventing bowel cancer may be as simple as taking aspirin. Recently, a 10-year follow-up of people who had inherited a high risk of developing bowel cancer ... more
Medical and Scientific: Eight workers test positive in second Alfred outbreak
13 July 2020
The Alfred hospital has moved to restrict access to its COVID-19 ward after eight healthcare workers tested positive, sending hundreds of staff into 14-day isolation in the hospital’s second outbreak since the pandemic began. A healthcare worker at t... more
Research: Risk analysis
13 July 2020
A Medical Journal of Australia study published in early 2020 explored lifetime risks for five types of cancer – prostate, breast, renal and thyroid cancers and melanoma. By comparing the difference between 1982 figures (where there were no screening ... more
Tobacco: Mini vape menace a kids crisis
13 July 2020
Sydney tobacconists are selling illegal miniature throwaway e-cigarettes with kid-friendly flavours, which are giving their young users 300 nicotine hits for just $15. The under-the-counter e-cigarettes called Cuvies are being sold throughout Sydney ... more
Research: Gene hope for women
10 July 2020
Australians are surviving to a healthy old age despite having genes that cause cancer or heart disease, a breakthrough study has found. It means women who have genes linked to breast and ovarian cancer, may be having breasts and reproductive organs r... more
Tobacco: Principals fume over rising nest of vapers
06 July 2020
Principals have written to parents warning them of a significant increase in vaping among teenagers, with teachers catching students in year 7 using vapes in Sydney. NSW Secondary Principals’ Council president Craig Petersen said vaping was now a maj... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer therapy blue dot zapped
06 July 2020
In a Queensland first, a new technology is available at GenesisCare cancer treatment centre at Chermside, Brisbane. AlignRT is a unique radiation therapy system which tracks a patient’s positioning before and during their therapy, to assist with set-... more
Tobacco: Vape of things to come: the rise of the nico-teen
06 July 2020
Hundreds of thousands of Australians who import liquid nicotine from overseas have won a six-month reprieve from new rules that would have put them at risk of hefty fines, but the battle over vaping is far from over. Now public health experts and vap... more
Tobacco: Where there’s smoke
02 July 2020
A major international seller of e-cigarettes will push ahead with plans to open 20 stores across Australia, despite the Federal Government announcing tougher restrictions on the importation and sale of nicotine products. Spokesman Nibhik Gupta of New... more
Research: Training cells to find and destroy
02 July 2020
Adelaide’s Centre for Cancer Biology is leading research into a new therapy for brain cancer, training the body’s own defence cells to detect and kill the diseased ones. The approach has worked for leukaemia and other blood cancer treatment. In allia... more
Research: Melanoma breakthrough
02 July 2020
Scientists have discovered that high levels of a protein found in human melanoma cells could be the reasons patients do not respond well to treatment. Research by Australia’s QIMR Berghofer found high levels of the protein CD155 in melanoma cells mad... more
Research: Melanoma discovery
01 July 2020
Queensland scientists have discovered that high levels of a protein found in human melanoma cells could be the reason patients do not respond well to treatment. New research by QIMR Berghofer found high levels of the protein CD155 in melanoma cells m... more
Tobacco: Vapers welcome delay to nicotine ban
30 June 2020
Canberra vaping stores have welcomed moves by the federal government to delay a ban on importing liquid nicotine. The ban was set to come into effect on 1 July but has since been pushed back by health minister Greg Hunt until 1 January following oppo... more
Tobacco: Hunt gives in to backbench on vaping ban
29 June 2020
Health Minister Greg Hunt has delayed plans to impose a $200,000 fine on Australians who import liquid nicotine and will review the government’s policy on smokers who use vaping to give up cigarettes after a backbench revolt. The ban, which the Thera... more
Research: Social smoko shock
29 June 2020
Social smokers who light up only occasionally over a drink with friends may be doubling their chances of an early death. Startling new research shows smoking as few as six to 10 cigarettes a month can still cause serious harm. Strokes, heart attacks ... more
Tobacco: Govt gives vapers an e-cigarette extension
29 June 2020
The federal government has thrown a lifeline to people using e-cigarettes with nicotine as a means to ending their smoking addiction. Nicotine vaping products are currently banned under state and territory regulations. Earlier this month, Health Mini... more
Tobacco: Backbench lights up over vaping ban
26 June 2020
The Morrison government is facing an open backbench revolt over the decision to ban personal imports of the liquid nicotine used for vaping, with 28 Coalition MPs signing a letter condemning the restrictions announced last week. The restriction has b... more
Medical and Scientific: Clinic’s ‘overdoses’
26 June 2020
Cancer patients may have been subject to doses of radiation at a Bendigo clinic that were too strong or too weak to safely fight their disease, health authorities fear. As investigations stepped up into the Quality Cancer Care clinic yesterday, it em... more
Medical and Scientific: Roundup payout gives litigants hope
26 June 2020
A decision by the German maker of the controversial weedkiller Roundup to pay out almost $16 billion to settle thousands of US lawsuits has given hope to litigants in Australia. Maurice Blackburn is leading one of several Australian class actions aga... more
Medical and Scientific: Roundup still on sale, Bayer to fight suit
26 June 2020
Bayer will keep selling its weed killer Roundup in Australia and fight local litigation against the product, despite agreeing to pay up to $US10.9 billion ($15.8 billion) to settle tens of thousands of claims in the US alleging it causes cancer. Exec... more
Research: Cancer drug in virus trial
26 June 2020
Melbourne researchers are behind a new international trial using an anti-cancer drug in the hope it could save the lives of seriously ill COVID-19 patients. Researchers from the Hudson Institute of Medical Research in Clayton have been probing whethe... more
Tobacco: Canavan fights vaping ban
26 June 2020
Former minister Matt Canavan is leading a charge to overturn the government’s ban on e-cigarettes and nicotine vaping refills. Senator Canavan and fellow Queensland MP George Christensen have created a petition to encourage people to protest the ban ... more
Tobacco: Senator breaks ranks over vaping
25 June 2020
Senator Matt Canavan is calling for Australia to legalise e-cigarettes after the Morrison government moved to ban the importation of vapes and nicotine refills unless prescribed by a doctor. The Nationals senator from Queensland has started a petitio... more
Tobacco: Nicotine vaping imports banned
25 June 2020
Australia has closed the door on e-cigarettes, banning the personal importation of the devices and nicotine refills for vaping devices from July 1. The 12-month import prohibition closes the last remaining legal avenue for buying nicotine refills, af... more
Research: Life-saving cancer research given big boost
25 June 2020
Researcher Marian Burr uses the power of the human body’s immune system to find new treatments for cancer. Her life-saving work into how our own bodies can hunt down and eradicate cancer has now been given an $8 million boost. The fellowship funding ... more
Research: Diet may help cancer fight
25 June 2020
A drastic diet may make chemotherapy more effective for breast cancer patients, evidence has found. Participants of a study who ate very little for the four days leading up to the treatment were more likely to see their tumours shrink by more than 90... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer clinic care fears
25 June 2020
Thousands of cancer patients face a distressing wait after revelations they may have been mistreated or misdiagnosed at a regional treatment clinic. An investigation has begun into whether radiotherapy was conducted by suitably qualified staff at Qua... more
Medical and Scientific: Boost for cancer ID
24 June 2020
Scientists experimenting with a new way of identifying the source of mystery cancers are among researchers to share in $35.9 million to tackle rare diseases. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt will announce the funding boost for 17 research projects t... more
Medical and Scientific: Brain cancer hope for kids
23 June 2020
Australia will join an international clinical trial to test a new daily pill which uses targeted therapies that bypass healthy cells in children with brain tumours, the biggest cancer killer of young Australians. Leading the clinical trial is Profess... more
Research: Tailor-made vaccine cancer hope
23 June 2020
Personalised vaccines, when given in combination with a drug that boosts the body’s natural defences to fight cancer, have shown “promising signs” in early clinical trials of patients with advanced cancers. Researchers have found the experimental tre... more
Tobacco: Ban on e-cigarettes in Australia from July
23 June 2020
Vaping nicotine in Australia is set to end as the Federal Government moves to ban the importation of e-cigarettes. From 1 July, it will be illegal to important e-cigarettes and refills containing nicotine liquids or salts. Retailers and users of e-ci... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer now the leading cause of Aboriginal deaths after spike
22 June 2020
Cancer has overtaken circulatory disease as the leading cause of Indigenous deaths in NSW and Victoria, prompting a new campaign aimed at improving screening, treatment and lifestyle factors. The latest data from the NSW Cancer Institute shows the nu... more
Public Health: Question: Where have all the diseases suddenly gone?
22 June 2020
According to the doctors of Adelaide’s Forward Medical GP Clinic, it’s time to assess the fallout of social distancing. Dr Uri Scelwyn said, “One of the frightening statistics was that, during the COVID lockdown, GP consultations across Australia wer... more
Research: Yoghurt can slash your risk of bowel cancer
22 June 2020
Men who eat yoghurt twice a week are 19 per cent less likely to develop abnormal bowel growths, a precursor to bowel cancer, a study in the Gut journal has found. This is likely due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Sunday Herald Sun, 21/06/2020,... more
Tobacco: E-cigarette ban extends
22 June 2020
The Federal Government is extending a ban on the importation of e-cigarettes containing vaporiser nicotine unless prescribed by a doctor. The ban will remain in place for 12 months to allow for public consultation on the regulation of nicotine produc... more
Tobacco: Hunt bans nicotine vaping
22 June 2020
Importing nicotine liquid for electronic cigarettes will be banned by 1 July in a move vaping advocates say will cost lives. The new regulation will ban all personal importation of nicotine liquids. Pharmacies or medical suppliers would be able to im... more
Medical and Scientific: Survivors’ call for better after-care
18 June 2020
Men who have survived prostate cancer don’t feel supported after their treatment, with more than a third saying they want more comprehensive after-care. A landmark 15-year study of male patients and survivors also revealed most men continued to repor... more
Research: QLD blood cancer breakthrough
16 June 2020
A breakthrough by Queensland researchers offers new hope for sufferers of a highly deadly blood cancer. The research findings will be published today in the international journal Nature Communications. QIMR Berghofer has identified how an early genet... more
Treatment: Kids win in cancer first
15 June 2020
More than a dozen kids have had lifesaving cancer treatment at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital, after it was made freely available for the first-time last year. The revolutionary treatment, called chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy – or C... more
Health Services: $23m for prostate program
15 June 2020
Victorian hospitals are set to benefit from increased staffing after the federal government announced a $23 million investment into its prostate cancer nurse program. The funding will employ additional specialist nurses at 24 health services and canc... more
Public Health: Cancer fear as testing dips during COVID-19
15 June 2020
Breast cancer surgeons are reporting a 40 per cent drop in breast cancer diagnoses over the pandemic months, sparking a warning that thousands are unaware they are living with the disease and the delayed detection will lead to more deaths than COVID-... more
Public Health: Alarm bells as cancer testing plummets
15 June 2020
Cancer testing plummeted during the coronavirus pandemic and is yet to recover to normal levels, prompting fears that thousands of Australians could be missing the window for early diagnosis. Nationally representative figures from major private patho... more
Research: Aspirin key in bowel cancer: study
15 June 2020
Most people aged 50 to 70 should be taking aspirin daily to help ward off bowel cancer. A long-running global study involving the Royal Melbourne Hospital, published in the Lancet this week, has indicated that taking aspirin for just a few years can ... more
Research: $12m boost for cancer research
15 June 2020
The Morrison Government is providing more than $3.5 million to Cancer Council NSW to research what demand will look like for cancer treatment over the next five years. It is one of the six projects researching five-year patterns in cancer that will s... more
Tobacco: Cold water on smoking ‘heated sticks’
11 June 2020
Smoking giant Philip Morris has had a setback in its bid to sell a new tobacco product in Australia: “heated sticks”, it says are an alternative to vaping and smoking that produce fewer and lower levels of toxic chemicals than cigarettes. The heated ... more
Research: Cancer trials offer real hope
11 June 2020
A breakthrough treatment for prostate cancer by Melbourne specialists has delivered “stunning” results. Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre has been running trials for the state-of-the-art method using radioactive molecules to detect and treat prostate can... more
Public Health: New $500m health centre just the tonic
11 June 2020
The treatment of cancers next to the brain, eye and spinal cord, as well as deadly tumours in children, will become much more precise and effective with the creation of Australia’s first proton therapy centre in Adelaide. In a major boost to people f... more
Alcohol: Virus drives women to drink
09 June 2020
An increase in women turning to the bottle during COVID-19 and a more than 300 per cent spike in online alcohol advertising clicks are being investigated by a Flinders University researcher, Jessica Thomas. A recent ABS survey showed 17 per cent of w... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer research funding boost
09 June 2020
The search for a cure for childhood brain cancer has received a multimillion-dollar boost from the Federal Government. Research trials into treatments for melanoma, as well as reproductive and gynecological cancers, will also benefit from the $13.6 m... more
Research: Fast-killing cancer risk
09 June 2020
People who eat fatty foods over a prolonged period are at risk of a fast-killing cancer that is growing in prevalence. New QIMR Berghofer research indicates that the high-fat diet could induce early Barrett’s oesophagus, a precursor condition to oeso... more
Research: Cancer cells have met their match
05 June 2020
Australian researchers have found a way to stop cancer cells becoming resistant to treatment in a major breakthrough that could extend the lives of patients. When researchers blocked the resistance process in an experimental model of pancreatic cance... more
Treatment: Cancer drug buying time
05 June 2020
A glimmer of hope has been given to metastatic breast cancer sufferers with a drug that can slow the progression of cancer being made available to more people in Australia. The Breast Cancer Network will today announce a new access program for the dr... more
Research: Genetic screening cancer hope
02 June 2020
Genetic screening could spot thousands of cases of prostate cancer that would otherwise go unnoticed until it is too late, research suggests. A pilot study led by doctors at the Institute of Cancer Research in London found that DNA testing in GP surg... more
Tobacco: Regions light up the most
02 June 2020
South Hedland has been revealed as the worst town in WA for smoking, closely followed by four in the Goldfields. According to the latest Australia’s Health Tracker by Area: Smoking Rates Report, Boulder, Kambalda, Coolgardie and Norseman tied behind ... more
Medical and Scientific: Terminally ill rush to assisted deaths
01 June 2020
Doctors say they are seeing a surge of terminally ill people asking to end their lives at home amid fears the coronavirus crisis could thwart their hopes for a swift, painless death surrounded by loved ones. Figures show more than 300 applications ha... more
Health Services: Hospitals’ $2.4bn deal
01 June 2020
Tasmania has signed a record $2.4 billion deal with the Federal Government to lock in extra hospital funding for five years. It will boost the state’s current hospital funding by $400 million, ensuring more cash for doctors, nurses and services. The ... more
Health Services: Additional $7.3bn for hospitals
01 June 2020
Victorian hospitals will receive an extra $7.3 billion in federal support over the next five years after a new funding deal was finally locked in. The commonwealth’s share of funding for Victorian hospitals will swell to $32.4 billion by 2025 in a na... more
Occupation and Environment: NE Link to exceed pollution standards
01 June 2020
Vehicle emissions along the $16 billion North East Link will exceed the state’s new air pollution standards, with the Eastern Freeway also predicted to fail pollution checks as an extra 100,000 vehicles come onto the road each day. Air pollution mode... more
Research: Cancer booted
01 June 2020
A rugby ball-shaped nanoparticle supercharged with cancer-killing drugs could revolutionise the treatment of one of the most common brain tumours in children. The microscopic nanoparticle will directly attack medulloblastoma tumours, which is in cont... more
Screening and Immunisation: Screening reduces high cost of cancer
01 June 2020
Women who do not attend regular breast screenings are more likely to face out-of-pocket costs if diagnosed with cancer than those who do, research has found. A Monash University study found women who had regular screenings were more likely to detect ... more
Tobacco: Cook pushes to stub out ciggies
01 June 2020
Health Minister Roger Cook wants smokers to know exactly what’s in cigarettes, saying he did not want “a new generation of smokers” as he flags pushing for regulative reform. Mr Cook said this week there needed to be “full disclosure” of individual c... more
Tobacco: Govt makes grants to anti-smoking programs
01 June 2020
The ACT government will award nearly $900,000 to three community anti-smoking programs, as part of efforts to curb smoking rates in vulnerable communities. The funding, announced on World No Tobacco Day, will support programs designed to reach groups... more
Tobacco: Match lights ire
01 June 2020
Social media influencers are helping Big Tobacco get the next generation of Australians smoking. A Sunday Mail investigation has found the companies are using devious tactics to get around laws banning advertising – with Facebook, Twitter and TikTok ... more
Tobacco: Smokers quit over virus worry
01 June 2020
There has been a surge of smokers trying to quit amid concerns they are more likely to suffer severe complications from coronavirus. Health Minister Greg Hunt said more than 24,000 people downloaded the Department of Health’s Quitbuddy app between Ja... more
Tobacco: Tassie’s smoking shame
29 May 2020
The national response to COVID-19 should prioritise the reduction of smoking among disadvantaged communities, researchers say, as some Hobart suburbs continue to house the most smokers nationwide. Research released from the University of Victoria’s M... more
Tobacco: Why vaping gums up the works
29 May 2020
Just a few months vaping may raise the risk of gum disease. E-cigarette smokers have communities of bacteria in their mouths that closely match those of people with gum disease, a study has found. The findings from the study suggest chemicals from th... more
Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition: Study doubts star system
28 May 2020
Shoppers are being misled about the healthiness of many junk foods, researchers fear. A Deakin University food labelling study, published in the journal Nutrients, found three-quarters of heavily processed food and half of discretionary foods with he... more
Medical and Scientific: Fears over delayed diagnoses
28 May 2020
Undiagnosed people with cancer are losing precious time by putting off GP visits during the coronavirus pandemic. The Leukaemia Foundation is predicting a dramatic spike in the number of people diagnosed with blood cancer in coming months as people w... more
Tobacco: Don’t ignore the other pandemic
27 May 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken over our lives and our attention. However, there is another older pandemic also recognised by the World Health Organisation – and that is tobacco smoking. The tobacco smoking pandemic claims six million lives worldwide... more
Public Health: The hidden victims of pandemics
27 May 2020
Some experts believe in counting excess death in measuring the impact of coronavirus on people’s health helps everybody glean a fairer and more accurate picture of the country’s ultimate mortality rate. It captures not only the COVID-19 deaths but al... more
Occupation and Environment: Overhaul of toxic material rules ‘could spell disaster’
27 May 2020
Decisions about whether new chemicals entering the Australian marketplace pose a danger to consumers or workers will be left in the hands of private industry from next week, as a major overhaul of chemical regulation takes effect. Changes to the rule... more
Screening and Immunisation: Cancer test wait times blow out
27 May 2020
The life-threatening six-month wait for a colonoscopy to diagnose bowel cancer has become even longer thanks to COVID-19 and lives could now be at risk. Before the pandemic, Australians with a positive bowel screen test were waiting six months or lon... more
Research: Dog cancer trial raising hope
26 May 2020
A new cancer treatment being trialled on dogs has raised hopes for human patients, with initial results showing 30 per cent of the canines went into complete remission. Curtin University has developed the treatment and is conducting the trial with ca... more
Medical and Scientific: Scientists look to boost ovarian cancer survival
26 May 2020
Queensland scientists are trying to find ways to diagnose ovarian cancer earlier and more accurately in the hope of boosting the survival rate. Last year, 1046 Australian women died from ovarian cancer, while 1510 were diagnosed with the disease. Glo... more
Research: Ferronova nails $3.5m funding for cancer trials
26 May 2020
Forronova, the Australian company developing a technology to speed up the early detection of the spread of cancer, has received $3.5 million funding as it plans human trials for oral, breast and colorectal cancers. The technology – a hybrid smart mag... more
Treatment: T-cell discovery in cancer fight
25 May 2020
A therapy that has revolutionised the fight against blood cancer is being adapted to help fight solid tumours such as lung and breast cancers. Researchers at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre are trialling a new take on CAR T-cell therapy – a type of... more
Tobacco: On-the-spot fines loom for shops selling contraband cigarettes
25 May 2020
Illicit tobacco seizures have soared and under-the-counter sales at suburban shops are rampant with concerns that rising taxes will continue to fuel the black market. It comes as the federal government considers whether to form a new task force that ... more
Medical and Scientific: Scared sick to flood system
25 May 2020
Hospitals are set to be swamped by a wave of patients suffering serious conditions left to fester during the coronavirus pandemic. An audit of doctor appointments across Victoria and NSW shows a looming crisis for patients and specialists dealing wit... more
Research: Boost for push to end breast cancer
25 May 2020
The National Breast Cancer Foundation of Australia has awarded $10 million to research into treatment and early detection in a push to meet a target of zero breast cancer deaths by 2030. The not-for-profit has picked 16 research projects to fund. Eig... more
Research: No sugar coating it
25 May 2020
An alarming new look at the impacts of type 2 diabetes has found Australian sufferers are at a higher risk of developing other chronic diseases than previously thought. In a report released by the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute today, research sh... more
Screening and Immunisation: Fresh breast cancer hope
25 May 2020
Australian researchers hope a soon-to-be-trialled breast cancer vaccine will stop recurrences of the disease and eventually be used to fight other common cancers. The jab will not prevent cancer in the first place but will be given to people who have... more
Medical and Scientific: Calls for action on elective surgery
22 May 2020
Patient advocates and doctors are urging governments to devise a plan to catch up on elective surgery after the coronavirus shutdown added an estimated 400,000 people to hospital waiting lists. State governments have given hospitals in NSW and Victor... more
Tobacco: Can’t quit? Could be genetic
21 May 2020
If you have struggled to give up smoking, the reason you’ve failed could lie in your genes. Professor Sulev Koks, from Murdoch University and the Perron Institute, said variants in the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene was strongly associated with high... more
Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition: Walking or cycling cuts early death risk
21 May 2020
Walking, cycling and taking the train to work rather than driving may help reduce the risk of early death from heart disease and cancer, new research suggests. The findings are base on a study of more than 300,000 commuters in England and Wales over ... more
Medical and Scientific: Johnson & Johnson to stop selling talcum baby powder in US
21 May 2020
Johnson & Johnson, besieged by lawsuits, will stop selling baby powder made with talc in the US and Canada, citing a decline in customer demand amid safety concerns about one of its most famous products. J&J has been facing lawsuits alleging ... more
Research: Hope is now truly in sight
20 May 2020
Queensland researchers have unlocked some of the mysteries surrounding a rare form of melanoma in the eye, hopefully paving the way for the development of more effective treatments. Scientists from the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and th... more
Research: Health dose of funds
20 May 2020
Victorian medical experts will receive almost half of a $400 million federal funding boost for research tackling everything from binge eating and online depression treatments to dementia screening and genetic cancer risks. It is expected 267 research... more
Medical and Scientific: Call for Queanbeyan respite funding certainty
20 May 2020
Locals pushing for a respite facility for younger people with terminal illness in Queanbeyan are calling for the state and federal governments to come to the table with ongoing funding for running costs, to ensure their efforts don’t fall at the last... more
Occupation and Environment: Byron Bay’s 5G hang-up
19 May 2020
Greens-dominated Byron Shire council has bowed to conspiracy theorists who are fighting against implementation of high-speed internet. Protesters have been fighting to prevent Telstra workers from accessing the company’s 5G tower in Mullumbimby for t... more
Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition: Food ads are load of junk
18 May 2020
The State Government is looking to ban junk-food advertising on State-owned assets and premises in a bid to curb WA’s obesity epidemic. It has been urged to take immediate action to address the crisis after a report this week revealed one in 10 hospi... more
Medical and Scientific: Australia faces a backlog of 400,000 elective surgery cases
18 May 2020
Postponing elective surgery during the pandemic in Australia has created a backlog of almost 400,000 cases, according to an international study published in The British Journal of Surgery. After six weeks of complete restrictions, limited elective su... more
Medical and Scientific: High hopes for dope
18 May 2020
Medicinal cannabis could be available from chemists without a prescription from early next year – with the controversial move pitting doctors against patient groups. The nation’s medicines watchdog has opened public consultation after pressure from a... more
Research: A rearguard action
15 May 2020
Scientists have developed a “game changing” new test that can detect prostate cancer without the need for the uncomfortable alternative. The 15-minute scan means people can avoid having to undergo rectal examinations, according to researchers. The “p... more
Research: QUT test finds ‘hidden’ cancers
14 May 2020
In a potential world-first discovery, Queensland researchers have developed a saliva test that can detect hidden throat cancer in patients who show no symptoms. The discovery was made during a HPV-prevalence study which included 665 health individual... more
Research: New brain cancer hope
13 May 2020
Researchers have developed a brain cancer drug that can cut through the brain’s protective coating in a major breakthrough that could save thousands of lives. Brain cancer has among the lowest survival rates of cancer, with just 4 per cent of people ... more
Alcohol: GPs set a challenge: reduce drink intake
13 May 2020
Doctors are concerned more people are turning to alcohol, sedatives and illegal drugs as they deal with stress caused by the isolation and upheaval of the coronavirus pandemic. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners is warning that sub... more
Screening and Immunisation: Screen Time
12 May 2020
Early breast cancer screening can slash the risk of dying from the disease by more than 40 per cent, a new study has revealled. The study stresses the importance of women having regular mammograms. Screening allows doctors to use an X-ray to spot tum... more
Skin cancer: Skin checks neglected during pandemic
12 May 2020
Melanoma experts are worried skin checks have been put into a holding pattern during the coronavirus pandemic, with many people avoiding trips to their doctors. The delays are concerning Melanoma Patients Australia chief executive Victoria Beedle, wh... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Fast food marketing ploys are bad taste
11 May 2020
The fast food industry has been accused of using marketing strategies to cash in on the pandemic lockdown. Domino’s Australia is promoting “5 reasons to eat pizza in isolation”, Red Rooster is featuring “social distancing” in its promotions and McDon... more
Public Health: Don’t stop blood tests
11 May 2020
The number of blood tests recorded across Australia has halved during the pandemic. Pathologists and cancer experts say people should still be getting tested when needed. Full blood tests from private pathologists plunged 60 per cent in April compare... more
Research: More babies spend longer in the womb since vaccine
11 May 2020
The introduction of the HPV vaccine in 2007 is likely to have prevented 2000 Australian babies from being born prematurely over eight years, findings of a research study have found. In 2007, Australia was one of the first countries to provide a vacci... more
Research: Ovarian cancer’s $16m aid
08 May 2020
More than $16 million will be invested into medical research projects to better understand ovarian cancer, which is predicted to kill 1000 women by the end of this year. The devastating disease has the lowest survival rate of all female cancers. The ... more
Tobacco: ‘Not convinced’: CBD vaping ban put to public
07 May 2020
Opponents and proponents of vaping will have a chance to lobby Melbourne City Council before it decides whether to ban e-cigarettes from smoke-free areas. The public will have about a month to make submissions to the council on a local law to make va... more
Tobacco: Mills backs legalised vaping to stop smoking
07 May 2020
The Northern Territory could become the first jurisdiction in Australia to legalise vaping should fledging political party Territory Alliance seize power at the upcoming election. Under the party’s policy, laws would be introduced to regulate e-cigar... more
Medical and Scientific: Breast cancer ‘kill’ trial
07 May 2020
A cancer drug that can “kill” sleeping cancerous cells and increase the effectiveness of current treatments offers hope to breast cancer patients. Venetoclax is being tested on patients after lab research found it could attack and kill cancerous cell... more
Public Health: Fear leads to illnesses not being diagnosed
06 May 2020
More than 60,000 patients a day are missing out on vital medical tests – and doctors fear a tsunami of illnesses could overwhelm the heath system after COVID-19. The dramatic decline in medical testing and health presentations has led to GPs, pharmac... more
Research: Aspirin cuts cancer risk
05 May 2020
Taking aspirin just once a week could slash cancer risk by over a third, experts claim. Scientists looked at 113 studies into digestive cancers including stomach, oesophageal, bowel and mouth. Results showed regular aspirin use – one or two pills a w... more
Public Health: Don’t die of fear
04 May 2020
Seriously ill Victorians are risking their lives by refusing to go to the hospital or call an ambulance over fears of COVID-19. Melbourne hospitals have also reported a fall in patients. These concerns have promoted a plea from medics for unwell Vict... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Probe into sky high food costs
04 May 2020
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is launching two separate inquiries into the exorbitant food prices charged in remote indigenous communities. The States and Territories will also explore how they can address the shocking cost inequality that is leading... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer cases could hit 20, inquiry told
04 May 2020
Up to 20 people may have developed cancer after being exposed to contaminated soil at a school on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula, a federal inquiry has heard. But a senate committee investigating whether there was a cancer cluster in Barwon Heads and... more
Public Health: Fears over low test rate
04 May 2020
Cases of cancer and other serious illnesses could rise because of a fall in testing at the height of the coronavirus crisis, experts say. The biggest private pathology laboratory in Canberra is doing 450 fewer tests for cancer a week than it did last... more
Public Health: Patients pay off with test rebate
01 May 2020
Tens of thousands of patients with rare cancer will get a faster diagnosis from today with new Medicare rebates making sophisticated molecular tests affordable. Each year more than 52,000 people are diagnosed with rare cancers, and 25,000 die from th... more
Public Health: Our sick divide
01 May 2020
Public health spending across Sydney’s western epicentre is a startling $800 per person less than in other regions despite the area’s growing population, leading to huge disparities in cancer treatment across Sydney. Figures tendered at a parliamenta... more
Tobacco: Vaping ‘damages arteries’
01 May 2020
Vaping may damage blood vessels in a similar way to smoking, raising the risk of a heart attack or stroke. A study in the Journal of the American Heart Association has found concerning signs of stiffened arteries in young people who use e-cigarettes.... more
Medical and Scientific: Hospital staff isolate after patient positive
30 April 2020
Two dozen staff at Sunshine Hospital in Melbourne’s west have been sent home to isolate after a patient who underwent emergency surgery later tested positive to COVID-19. The incident has renewed calls by the Australian Medical Association for mandat... more
Treatment: Surge in home chemo demand
29 April 2020
Demand for chemotherapy at home is rocketing amid the COVID crisis as vulnerable patients try to minimise public contact. Health fund Bupa, which covers the home treatment in all policies where chemotherapy is included, has seen demand surge in the p... more
Screening and Immunisation: Flu shot rationing as shortage hits nation
29 April 2020
Doctors’ groups say it is unacceptable that they are being forced to ration flu vaccination as they battle a severe nationwide shortage caused by distribution failures and record demand. While a record 16.5 million flu vaccines have been secured this... more
Research: Genetic skin cancer links found
28 April 2020
Australian researchers have played a lead role in an international study that has more than doubled the number of genetic regions linked to melanoma, a skin cancer that kills more than 1700 Australians a year. The study identified 33 new genetic regi... more
Treatment: Race against the clock to save cancer kids
27 April 2020
A mercy mission is being planned to collect desperately needed nuclear medicine used to threat children with high-risk cancers across Australia. Organised by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), the $100,000 emergency o... more
Public Health: Cancer detection fears amid social distancing
27 April 2020
Cancer referrals at Australia’s leading oncology centres have plummeted by up to 30 per cent, fuelling concerns seriously ill people may be going undiagnosed. The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre said referrals for patients were down by a third this mon... more
Tobacco: COVID:19: it’s another good reason to quit smoking
27 April 2020
Smoking when you are stressed causes a vicious cycle, because smoking actually increases your stress hormones. So the more you smoke, the more stressed you’ll feel and the more you’ll feel like a cigarette. Worse still, smokers are at greater risk wh... more
Treatment: Hoarding worsens medicine shortage
27 April 2020
Almost 600 medicines, vaccines and vital cancer treatments are in short supply, with stocks of 75 of them critically low, thanks to COVID-19 panic-buying. The shortages, which existed before the coronavirus emerged, have grown by 33 per cent in the p... more
Tobacco: Virus a new reason to give up smoking
23 April 2020
With the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the influenza season on the horizon, there really has never been a better time to quit smoking. We know that smoking can put you at greater risk of getting chest infections and influenza, and emerging... more
Research: Biotech scores Gilead partnership
23 April 2020
Melbourne-based biotech oNKo-Innate has scored a major three year research partnership with global biotech giant Gilead and its subsidiary Kite to further develop its immunotherapy research. The business, founded by PhD scientists Jai Rautela and Nic... more
Public Health: Cancer goes undiagnosed as people avoid their docs
23 April 2020
Cancer and other chronic diseases are going undiagnosed as Australians fearful of COVID-19 avoid their doctor – and those most at risk are not using new telehealth solutions. Since new telehealth rebates were introduced on March 13, there have been m... more
Public Health: Cancer diagnoses concerns as visits to doctors drop off
23 April 2020
Cancers and heart disease are going undiagnosed as people avoid visiting a doctor during the COVID-19 outbreak, doctors say. Doctors around the country are reporting a significant drop in cancer diagnoses in April. They have also raised concerns abou... more
Medical and Scientific: We’re on the road to freedom
22 April 2020
The Prime Minister declared “we are already on the road back” to reopening society, as he unveiled a “gradual restart” to elective surgery, with category two and some category three procedures able to go ahead after the Anzac Day weekend. Post-cancer... more
Medical and Scientific: Elective surgeries given the go-ahead
22 April 2020
Elective surgeries suspended during the coronavirus pandemic will resume on Monday as hospitals reopen about a quarter of waiting lists. Post-cancer reconstructive procedures will be one of the surgeries in focus, as Prime Minister Scott Morrison sai... more
Medical and Scientific: Restrictions stay for at least three more weeks
22 April 2020
Elective surgeries suspended during the coronavirus crisis will start again on Monday, with hospitals expected to re-open about a quarter of operating waiting lists, including post-cancer reconstructive procedures. Category two and three elective pro... more
Medical and Scientific: Surgery set to restart
22 April 2020
Elective surgery will resume next week after Scott Morrison announced the National Cabinet had decided to ease virus restrictions. The reopening is largely thanks to extra personal protective equipment secured by the Federal Government and the slowin... more
Research: Early cancer checks are key
21 April 2020
Screening for bowel cancer at a younger age based on family history could improve early detection and in some, help prevent the disease, scientists say. An analysis by researchers in the US suggests almost all patients between 40 and 49 years of age ... more
Research: Adelaide uni strikes cancer test agreement
21 April 2020
Sienna Cancer Diagnostics and the University of Adelaide have announced a licencing partnership around a process which has the potential to detect a sugar molecule only present in cancer cells. University of Adelaide and Griffith University researche... more
Treatment: Inside our empty hospitals
20 April 2020
With COVID-19 infections remaining low in WA, 544 as of yesterday, the Australian Medical Association has called on the Health Minister to restart some elective surgeries — something Roger Cook says he is supportive of, confirming he backs a phased a... more
Research: Health pills no shortcut
20 April 2020
Taking vitamin supplements does not guarantee a healthier, longer life and in some cases can increase the risk of serious illness. A 20-year US Institute of Health study found those who take supplements to have the same likelihood of early death as p... more
Treatment: New breast cancer drug
20 April 2020
US regulators have approved a new drug, Tukysa, for an aggressive type of breast cancer that can spread to the brain. The Food and Drug Administration said the twice-daily pill is for people with what is known as HER2-positive breast cancer that has ... more
Health Services: Clinpath extends home tests service
17 April 2020
Clinpath Pathology’s at home collection services have been extended to include anyone that needs to undertake regular testing, including cancer patients. Clinpath Marketing’s engagement lead Charlie Robinson said, “It is imperative that regular medic... more
Research: Aspirin ‘cuts cancer risks’
17 April 2020
Taking aspirin just once or twice a week could lower the risk of getting several deadly cancers, scientists have claimed. The over-the-counter painkiller is believed to block an enzyme which helps tumours to form. Italian researchers looked at a rang... more
Screening and Immunisation: Taskforce could ease medical restrictions
16 April 2020
A high-level taskforce has been set up to advise the Palaszczuk Government about when some cancer screening services can restart, though it will depend on whether the state’s protective equipment is considered adequate amid the continuing coronavirus... more
Screening and Immunisation: Elective surgeries and screening set to restart
16 April 2020
Some states are preparing to resume elective surgeries and health screenings after services were suspended to make hospital beds and equipment available for an expected influx of coronavirus patients. Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said, “We... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Good health a casualty of lockdowns
16 April 2020
Getting more sleep, eating healthier food, and exercising more is getting tougher in the lockdown period for many, a YouGov survey of 2085 Australians has found. More than one in three respondents (35 per cent) said they were doing less exercise now ... more
Treatment: Get set for 18-month wait on surgeries
14 April 2020
Nearly half a million people needing surgery could be waiting 18 months or longer as all non-urgent elective surgery has been cancelled, with some men currently being unable to get surgery for prostate cancer. Waiting times for elective surgery were ... more
Medical and Scientific: Alfred cluster probe bid
14 April 2020
A fatal coronavirus cluster at The Alfred hospital should be the subject of an inquiry to help avoid any other mass hospital infections, as sources claim cancer patients at The Alfred may have been infected by COVID-19 for days without being tested a... more
Health Services: Angst over closure of IVFs
14 April 2020
IVF clinics around Australia have stopped most egg collection and embryo transfers due to national guidelines around non-urgent elective procedures. Hobart-based fertility doctor Bill Watkins, said exceptions would be made at his clinic for cancer pa... more
Medical and Scientific: ‘Concerned’: number of health workers with virus doubles
14 April 2020
Almost 160 Victorian healthcare workers have been infected with coronavirus, a figure which has doubled in a week, prompting the state’s peak medical body to demand an explanation from authorities. The Australian Medical Association’s state president... more
Medical and Scientific: Virus cases spreading inside NSW hospitals
14 April 2020
COVID-19 clusters are blooming within several Australian hospitals, as the virus spreads between staff, patients and their visitors from untraceable sources. Undetected coronavirus cases have infiltrated wards and units at Westmead Hospital, The Alfr... more
Tobacco: WHO warns on tobacco industry role in vaccine
14 April 2020
The World Health Organisation has warned governments about engaging with the tobacco industry over the development of coronavirus vaccines. British American Tobacco said this month, that it had made a breakthrough in developing a potential plant-base... more
Alcohol and Tobacco: Raise your glass to a dry isolation
09 April 2020
Drinking alcohol and smoking are common ways to cope with stress, uncertainty or boredom and reaching for a drink or cigarette can feel like an escape. Alison Lai, chief executive of the Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council of Tasmania, says all ... more
Medical and Scientific: Alfred cancer ward staff return after outbreak
08 April 2020
Dozens of medical staff at The Alfred have been cleared to return to work following a cluster of COVID-19 cases in the oncology ward. A spokeswoman for The Alfred said it could take weeks or even months before the source of the infection was determin... more
Public Health: Breast best in health battle
06 April 2020
Women who breastfeed have a lower risk of developing ovarian cancer, a study has found. The international study involving QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute researchers discovered ovarian cancer risk may be cut by almost 25 per cent in women w... more
Treatment: Immunotheraphy offers melanoma breakthrough
06 April 2020
A decade ago, a diagnosis of advanced or stage four melanoma was effectively a death sentence within six to nine months. Leading medical oncologist, Associate Professor Alex Menzies from Melanoma Institute Australia, believes immunotherapy – using th... more
Medical and Scientific: 100 staff isolated as fatal hospital cluster probed
06 April 2020
The Alfred Hospital is at the centre of a coronavirus cluster, having so far claimed three lives, while the origin of the outbreak remains unknown. The hospital has since ordered 100 staff members to go into isolation while investigation continues in... more
Tobacco: Smokers face increased risk
06 April 2020
Smokers are at greater danger of COVID-19, according to new research. Early data from China and Italy suggests smokers may face twice the risk of having a severe case of coronavirus. Quit director, Dr Sarah White, said the combination of a reduced im... more
Medical and Scientific: Alfred virus cluster as third patient dies
03 April 2020
The death of a woman in her 60s on Wednesday night was the sixth coronavirus fatality in Victoria. The woman was admitted to The Alfred about five weeks ago for treatment and tested positive to COVID-19 on Friday. Her death has intensified concerns a... more
Medical and Scientific: Cluster spread across cancer ward
03 April 2020
The sixth Victorian to die from COVID-19 was part of a cluster of 15 cases linked to The Alfred hospital’s cancer ward. On Thursday, The Alfred revealed a woman in her 60s had become the third inpatient in the haematology and oncology ward to succumb... more
Medical and Scientific: Westmead radiation therapists test positive for COVID-19
03 April 2020
Two radiation therapists at Westmead Hospital’s Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre have been diagnosed with COVID-19, sending two cancer patients and roughly 20 radiation oncology staff into quarantine. In a statement Western Sydney Local Health Distr... more
Tobacco: Chance for smokers
02 April 2020
Smokers have an opportunity to kick their habit during this time of spatial distancing as a combination of influenza and COVID-19 are likely to have a greater impact, including higher hospitalisation and death rates, on them over the coming months. E... more
Medical and Scientific: Revealed: 15 dead from three sources
02 April 2020
Three-quarters of all deaths in Australia resulting from the coronavirus pandemic are linked to just three sources of infection — the Ruby Princess and three other returning cruise ships, an aged care facility and the cancer treatment ward of a major... more
Tobacco: COVID-19 risk greater for smokers
01 April 2020
Tasmanian respiratory researcher Dr Sukhwinder Sohal has warned smokers of the serious risk posed to them from coronavirus, urgently warning Tasmanians to give up the habit. Dr Sohal’s team at the University of Tasmania has just published research fi... more
Medical and Scientific: Hospital virus deaths were cancer patients
30 March 2020
Two cancer patients at The Alfred Hospital Melbourne, died on Wednesday 25th March after having been infected with COVID-19. The two men, aged in their 70s were being treated for blood cancers in the Alfred’s oncology department. The hospital confirm... more
Obesity, Nutrition, and Physical Activity: Fat lot of good for poor Aussies
26 March 2020
Inequality in obesity levels between the rich and poor is resulting in more than 3500 extra deaths and adding $1 billion to Australia’s public health expenditure each year. The study is the first to estimate the human and economic costs of Australia’... more
Research: Radioactive scans could be life savers
24 March 2020
An improved prostate cancer scan, called a PSMA-PET/CT scan, could save lives by detecting those at risk of recurrence. The study found using a radioactive molecule, which sticks to prostate cancer cells and lights them up during a scan, to be 27 per... more
Research: High-tech health hub
23 March 2020
South Australia’s health industry is reaching for the next frontier of cancer treatment and the impact will be far-reaching, saving lives, accelerating science and technology businesses, and enhancing the new world of radiation and clinical research.... more
Tobacco: E-liquids enticing the young
16 March 2020
Cancer Council WA is calling for a ban on all e-cigarette liquids amid concerns of some Perth retailers displaying fruit and flavoured e-liquids next to kids toys and sweets. Make Smoking History manager, Libby Jardine said these products were eviden... more
Research: Kid brain cancer boost
16 March 2020
Perth researchers have been awarded a $200,000 grant to develop a less toxic treatment for childhood brain cancer. Dr Nicholas Gottardo and the team at the Telethon Kids Institute are developing a therapy that uses the patient’s own immune system to ... more
Tobacco: City to consider no-vaping zones
13 March 2020
Melbourne City Council is set to ban e-cigarettes in existing smoke-free zones in parts of the CBD. Eleven no-smoking areas will be set up if the council passes an amendment next Tuesday night. Lord mayor Sally Capp said, ‘‘E-cigarettes are relativel... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Better health is all about the nuts
11 March 2020
Every Australian would need to eat an extra 9kg of nuts each year to help lower their risk of cardiovascular diseases, some types of cancer and type 2 diabetes, new research shows. The University of Wollongong study, published in Public Health Nutrit... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Snack attack: students hit with 2800 junk food ads
11 March 2020
Sydney students view up to 2800 advertisements for junk food while travelling to and from school each year, prompting Cancer Council NSW to call for a ban on such ads being displayed on government property. Research published by the Sax Institute yes... more
Tobacco: Senator calls for import ban on liquid-nicotine products
11 March 2020
Australia needs to ban the importation of liquid nicotine for use in e-cigarettes to protect young people’s health, South Australian Senator Stirling Griff says. But the nation’s leading retail lobby says such a move would drive people back to tradit... more
Tobacco: Pushing poison
11 March 2020
Illegal liquid nicotine is being sold throughout Melbourne despite a host of laws banning the poisonous e-cigarette products. In frustration at inaction by government authorities, Quit Victoria last week visited several CBD stores to purchase alleged... more
Medical and Scientific: Well-suited treatment
09 March 2020
A new artificial intelligence assisted technology means one prostate cancer expert can provide a tailor-made treatment. Dr Amy Teh said the new radiotherapy treatment meant fewer side effects and a better experience for her patients. “You can actuall... more
Tobacco: Vape shops obey the law
09 March 2020
Audits of 31 licensed e-cigarette and vaping retailers in Adelaide have registered no serious breaches of new packaging and advertising laws. In March 2019, the e-cigarette industry in South Australia became more regulated. Advertising and point-of-s... more
Occupation and Environment: Firefighting foam linked to cancer
04 March 2020
A landmark finding that there is ‘‘good evidence’’ toxic firefighting chemicals potentially cause harmful health effects including cancer has undercut the federal government’s claim that the risks are ‘‘minimal’’ and left it exposed to the threat of ... more
Skin Cancer: New hope for skin cancer patients
02 March 2020
Melanoma patients forking out more than $100,000 for advanced cancer treatment will now be able to access cheaper medicines. From today, the Morrison Government has added a host of Opdivo (nivolumab) treatments to the medicines that are on the Pharma... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Delivery apps blasted for junk food
02 March 2020
Public health advocates have denounced the move by food delivery companies Uber Eats and Deliveroo to partner with convenience stores to deliver junk food. Two weeks ago, BP service stations expanded their ‘‘Couch Food’’ range in a partnership with D... more
Alcohol: Truth about a glass half full
02 March 2020
A study has found people order more wine at a restaurant when a 370ml glass is placed in front of them, rather than a 300ml one. Study author Mark Pilling, from the University of Cambridge’s Behaviour and Health Research Unit, said: “Pouring wine fro... more
Tobacco: Vape imports up in smoke
02 March 2020
A crackdown on Australians who illegally import nicotine vaping products online is imminent, in a move set to reignite debate over whether e-cigarettes are helpful for smokers who need help to quit. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt is seeking to tig... more
Research: Breast Cancer Find
28 February 2020
Australian researchers have played a key role in the world’s biggest genetic analysis of breast cancer risk, laying the foundations for the development of new preventive drugs and earlier treatments. Geneticist Georgia Chenevix-Trench, of the QIMR Be... more
Tobacco: Retail gift incentives to boost tobacco sales
27 February 2020
Tobacco companies are offering cash and gift incentives to retailers to boost sales of cigarettes, with one shop owner admitting to getting a $1000 bar tab to throw a party for staff, new research out today reveals. A national Cancer Council probe in... more
Screening and Immunisation: Device picks up cancer precursor
27 February 2020
An electronic nose has been found to accurately detect a condition which precedes oesophageal cancer. The device can pick up Barrett’s oesophagus, a condition where healthy cells in the food pipe are replaced by abnormal ones, and often a precursor t... more
Screening and Immunisation: No benefit in screening
26 February 2020
Women aged 75 and older do not benefit from regular breast screening mammograms, researchers have reported. Although studies clearly show mammograms starting at age 50 prevent breast cancer deaths, until now, doctors have had little evidence about wh... more
Supportive Care: Bold bid to cut cancer deaths
26 February 2020
New blood cancer forecasts recommend the country change its approach to the disease to avoid dire outcomes. Leukaemia Foundation chief executive Bill Petch flew to Tasmania this week to discuss the “big year” ahead in the fight against blood cancer. ... more
Research: Cancer researchers find a pot of gold
26 February 2020
Australia's world-leading minerals industry has taken the next step in its successful industry positioning campaign with new ads showing how Australian gold is helping in the fight against cancer. The next stage of the Minerals Council of Australia’s... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Cancer weight gain risk
26 February 2020
Women are gaining more than 20 kilograms after a breast cancer diagnosis and it’s increasing the chance their cancer will return. Researchers from NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University and ICON Cancer Centre, Sydney Adventist Hosp... more
Treatment: $1m for nine researchers to unravel killer diseases
25 February 2020
Nine Adelaide researchers have been awarded a total of $1 million in grants by the Hospital Research Foundation to fight deadly diseases and improve the health and wellbeing of the community. The foundation is the largest non-government funder of med... more
Treatment: Govt rejects judging benefits of chemo use
24 February 2020
A $5000 test that can indicate whether a breast cancer patient needs chemotherapy has been rejected for a government subsidy even though it would mean thousands of women could avoid cancer treatment. The Government’s Medical Services Advisory Committ... more
Tobacco: Crime licks its lips as tobacco tax soars
24 February 2020
The nation’s police forces and Border Force have warned that a string of tax increases on tobacco, aimed at cutting Australia’s smoking rate, has encouraged organised criminals into the market just as the excise on a single cigarette is poised to hit... more
Tobacco: NZ to ban vaping ads
24 February 2020
New Zealand will introduce laws banning all advertisements of e-cigarettes and the sale of such products to people under 18 in a move to regulate a market that has been under pressure globally. The Bill, posted on the health ministry’s website, also ... more
Supportive Care: Plea for more action to tackle insidious cancer
24 February 2020
Women with ovarian cancer wait an average of 32 weeks for a diagnosis, national figures have found. And 1500 women in Australia will be diagnosed with the disease this year. It comes as calls are renewed for more research and funding into the disease... more
Screening and Immunisation: Cancer hope in urine test
24 February 2020
A simple urine test could spot bladder cancer 10 years before symptoms appear, according to a major study led by the World Health Organisation. Detection of bladder cancer is usually very poor. If it is spotted at the earliest stage, there is a 90 pe... more
Tobacco: Parents fear e-cigs
20 February 2020
Three out of four Australian parents are scared their children might try e-cigarettes, with many calling for a ban on flavoured vaping products that may appeal to teens. A Royal Children’s Hospital poll of parents found 87 per cent supported a ban on... more
Medical and Scientific: High hopes for cancer drug
17 February 2020
Biotech Noxopharm says a clinical trial suggests its experimental drug was able to extend the average lifespan of 32 men with terminal prostate cancer. The men were treated with Noxopharm’s Veyonda in combination with Novartis’ $6 billion experimenta... more
Medical and Scientific: More sex, more risk of cancer
17 February 2020
Sex does not cause cancer, but a sex-centric lifestyle might. According to a new study, those who had 10 or more sexual partners during their lifetime were 91 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than women with one or zero partners. “Pre... more
Medical and Scientific: Drug can disrupt kids' cancer
17 February 2020
Australian research may have uncovered a clue — and a drug — to treat a cancer deadly to children under five. Professor Maria Kavalaris, from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Bio Nano Science and her team found tumours contained an increased number of... more
Medical and Scientific: Childhood cancer cases to rise by 7pc
17 February 2020
Australia's childhood cancer rate is projected to jump another 7 per cent by 2035 after rising 1.2 per cent a year in the decade to 2015. The slow, but steady rise, follows a 10-year period when childhood cancer incidence rates in Australia were stab... more
Skin Cancer: How a quick walk puts you at risk
17 February 2020
You need to apply sunscreen for your morning commute, school run or trip to the shops — or greatly increase your risk of getting skin cancer, new research has found. While fewer people are sunbaking on the beach, new research shows two in three still... more
Tobacco: GPs hit 'big tobacco' on vaping products
17 February 2020
Doctors are fighting an application by global tobacco giant Philip Morris International to sell its ‘‘heat not burn’’ products in Australia, warning there is ‘‘no evidence’’ the product is any safer than smoking cigarettes. The Royal Australian Colle... more
Research: Bold $100m cancer plan
13 February 2020
Research, new equipment and improved screening will be the centrepieces of an audacious plan to abolish breast cancer within a decade. The National Breast Cancer Foundation aims to raise $10 million a year for the next 10 years to achieve zero deaths... more
Treatment: Decoding a cure for rare cancers
12 February 2020
Cancer patients suffering from rare or aggressive forms of the disease could soon be able to specifically tailor treatment to their genes, making it easier to attack the disease. A new genomic sequencing test, led by researchers at Melbourne Universi... more
Supportive Care: Regions suffer as cancer hits
12 February 2020
A 13 per cent improvement in blood cancer survival rates in Australia could save more than 22,000 lives over the next 15 years. The issue is most critical in regional Australia, where more than half of those diagnosed with a blood cancer aren’t seen ... more
Occupation and Environment: Silica dust disease cases rise in NSW
12 February 2020
An upswing in cases of deadly silica dust disease in NSW has prompted the government to launch a public education blitz about the dangers of working with manufactured stone. State government figures revealed in Parliament yesterday show there were 70... more
Treatment: CSIRO innovation fund backs AI bid to speed up health treatments
11 February 2020
Two Australian robotics engineers and a medical doctor have won backing from the CSIRO’s innovation fund for a plan to use predictive analytics and machine learning to speed up treatments for prostate cancer and hepatitis C. In contrast to traditiona... more
Medical and Scientific: Study gets a read on cancer key
07 February 2020
A decade-long study sequencing the genomes of dozens of cancers has revealed the secrets of how tumours form and may pave the way for better and more targeted treatment. The Pan-Cancer Project brought together more than 1300 researchers globally to t... more
Supportive Care: Cancer deaths predicted to rise in poor countries
05 February 2020
The UN health agency yesterday warned cancer cases would rise by 81 per cent in low and middle-income countries by 2040 because of a lack of investment in prevention and care. “This is a wake-up call to all of us to tackle the unacceptable inequaliti... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: A red alert
05 February 2020
Eating red meat just twice a week raises the risk of early death, according to a major 30-year study. Processed food such as bacon and sausages and unprocessed steaks and chops were all found to raise mortality rates. The US researchers tracked near... more
Medical and Scientific: Women's cancers link to men's prostate risk
05 February 2020
Men with a family history of breast and ovarian cancers are at higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, experts warn. The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia said that while having a family history of prostate cancer significantly inc... more
Supportive care: Mobile cancer attack
04 February 2020
Text message alerts are being trialled as the latest weapon against one of Australia’s biggest killer cancers and to convince people to save their own lives. With six out of 10 Australians turning their back on the free bowel screening kits that coul... more
Supportive care: Alarm sounds on spike in blood cancers
04 February 2020
Better access to treatments, clinical trials and early diagnostics will be critical to preventing a spike in blood cancers across Australia over the next 15 years. A major health taskforce has been established to advise the Federal Government on how ... more
Public Health: Cancer deaths rise alarming
04 February 2020
Cancer deaths in WA are expected to soar by 33 per cent over the next five years, prompting authorities to draw up plans to cope with increased demands on the State’s public health system. More than 5500 West Australians will die from cancer in 2025,... more
Tobacco: Old cigarette butts still pose threat to children
03 February 2020
Scientists have discovered a new form of cigarette danger and it comes from long-time dead butts. In what they have labelled “after smoke”, researchers for the first time have found that there is a shock level of airborne nicotine emissions coming fr... more
Screening and Immunisation: Cancer battle
03 February 2020
Some 62 million deaths could be prevented if the world’s poorest nations urgently increase cervical cancer services, new research suggests. Two studies published yesterday found 62 million lives could be saved over the next 100 years if 78 countries ... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Culture for cancer
03 February 2020
Experts have suggested that a serve of yoghurt a day could help prevent breast cancer. Academics at Lancaster University in the UK found natural-based yoghurt contains milk with similar healthy lactose fermenting bacteria to the cultures found in the... more
Tobacco: Not too late for smokers to turn back the clock
31 January 2020
Smokers can effectively turn back time in their lungs by kicking the habit, with healthy cells emerging to replace some of their tobacco-damaged and cancer-prone ones, a new study shows. The study published in the journal Nature found that the body a... more
Tobacco: Worry over vaping deaths
31 January 2020
Two deaths in England that may be linked to vaping are being investigated by the medicines watchdog. The Medicines and Healthcare regulatory agency has also had 20 reports of bad reactions to vaping. Public Health England advises using e-cigarettes a... more
Screening and Immunisation: Chronic health flaws cost nation
31 January 2020
Major deficiencies in the management of people with chronic disease have been exposed by the Productivity Commission in a new report that also reveals that only about half of older people are regularly screened for breast and bowel cancer. It showed ... more
Public Health: Americans live longer
31 January 2020
Life expectancy in the United States is up for the first time in four years. The increase is just a month but it marks at least a temporary halt to a downward trend. The rise is due to lower death rates for cancer and drug overdoses, says the report ... more
Treatment: Trial offers hope to lung cancer patients
30 January 2020
A trial will individually test lung cancer patients to create a personalised treatment plan and avoid unnecessary side effects and procedures. The new treatment will be offered to 1000 patients newly diagnosed with non-squamous, non-small cell lung c... more
Tobacco: Too costly to quit smokes
29 January 2020
Doctors are calling for the Government to widen the net of subsidies for nicotine replacement medicines as daily smoking is three times higher in poorer areas of the country where smokers struggle to afford quitting aids. The Royal Australian College... more
Occupation and Environment: J&J CEO testifies in a baby-powder court case for the first time
29 January 2020
Johnson & Johnson chief executive Alex Gorsky testified in court on Monday for the first time in litigation over the safety of his company’s signature baby powder, saying the company has taken steps to ensure it is safe to use. “I was told by exp... more
Treatment: 'Cutting edge' $500,000 treatment for blood cancers
28 January 2020
Australians battling highly aggressive blood cancers could start a ground-breaking treatment within weeks after the federal government signed a new funding deal for the therapy that uses the body’s own immune system to fight the disease. Adult patien... more
Tobacco: GPs cautiously recommend e-cigarettes to help give up
28 January 2020
The use of nicotine-based e-cigarettes has been cautiously recommended as a potential second-line aid for people who want to quit smoking. In an updated guide on supporting smokers to stop, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP... more
Tobacco: More heat on vaping
28 January 2020
There was not enough evidence to conclude that e-cigarettes helped smokers quit tobacco, a US government report said, as the vaping industry faced increased regulatory pressures. The advice was contrary to that provided by the British government, whi... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Lunch box salt shaker
28 January 2020
School lunch box sweet treats have been exposed as containing record levels of salt. They contain so much salt that a child would exceed their entire sodium intake for the day by eating a single choc chip muffin. Obesity campaigners LiveLighter check... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Fat chance our kids can avoid obesity unless marketing reined in
28 January 2020
Marketing campaigns are fuelling childhood obesity and influencing what children choose to eat, an international report has found. The report, from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), found junk food marketing affects what kids “want, buy and eat”... more
Medical and Scientific: Doctors overkill cancer scrutiny
28 January 2020
About 11,000 cancers in women and 18,000 in men are being over-diagnosed in Australia each year, subjecting people to unnecessary surgery and chemotherapy that can make them sterile and very ill. These people would never have experienced symptoms or ... more
Skin cancer: Burning issues for children
24 January 2020
Kids with severe sunburn are presenting to emergency departments at alarming rates. One in every five cases of sunburn that presented to an emergency department in the 2018-2019 financial period were children under the age of nine. A further 32 per c... more
Medical and Scientific: Discovery for the ages
24 January 2020
Australian researchers have uncovered the genes that will make you healthy and able to live a long life, in a major scientific breakthrough. The Garvan Institute of Medical Research has mapped the genomic data of 4000 Australians aged over 70 who hav... more
Screening and Immunisation: Cancer screening alarm
24 January 2020
Queensland Health will offer renewed cancer screening to 760 patients who had “scopes” at Redland Hospital between 2008 and 2012 after concerns emerged about the “thoroughness” of a doctor who retired more than five years ago. Courier Mail Brisbane,... more
Tobacco: Cigarette prices 'driving crime'
23 January 2020
The founder of Border Force’s illegal tobacco squad says increased cigarette prices have generated a corresponding increase in criminals stealing cigarettes – which have become ‘‘as expensive as silver’’ – to sell on the booming black market. A serie... more
Tobacco: No safe way to vape
23 January 2020
E-cigarettes are “not safe” and are harmful to wellbeing, global health chiefs warn. In a series of strongly worded tweets, they said there was not enough evidence the devices should be used by people who were trying to quit smoking. Vaping was parti... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer cell optimism
22 January 2020
A newly discovered type of killer immune cell has raised the prospect of a “universal” cancer therapy, scientists say. Researchers at Cardiff University suggest a new T-cell receptor offers hope of a “onesize-fits-all” cancer therapy. T-cell therapie... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer blocker hopes
22 January 2020
A common pill used to treat anxiety and high blood pressure could become a breast cancer wonder drug. In a breakthrough discovery, a Melbourne study has found that beta blockers slow the spread of the disease that killed an estimated 3000 Australian ... more
Medical and Scientific: Danger in child cancer
20 January 2020
Survivors of childhood cancer are five times more likely to develop a “second primary cancer” than members of the general population, according to new research published today. While survivors are most at risk of relapsing during the five years after... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Mother's diet link to illness
20 January 2020
Pregnant women could help protect their babies from future heart disease and cancer by avoiding a fatty diet, Australian research reveals. The study, led by University of Sydney researcher and Heart Foundation future leader fellow, associate professo... more
Screening and Immunisation: Cancer test call
20 January 2020
A gynaecologist is calling on women in the west to get their cervix screened after Maribyrnong ranked as a cervical cancer hot spot. Kingsville and Seddon have the highest rate of cervical cancer in Victoria at 29 per cent above the Australian averag... more
Treatment: SA breast scan cost highest in nation
13 January 2020
South Australian women are facing the highest out-of-pocket costs for breast cancer scans in the country. New figures show South Australian women are paying $126.42 on average for a scan if they go through the private sector. A federal Health Departm... more
Research: Cancer research gets $3m boost
13 January 2020
Almost $3 million in funding has been awarded to South Australian researchers from Cancer Council’s Beat Cancer Project. A total of 13 new projects have been funded in the latest round of grants across a range of cancers, focusing on better ways to d... more
Skin cancer: Save your skin at the beach
13 January 2020
Shocking skin cancer data reveals that Melbourne’s bayside suburbs of Sandringham and Black Rock are Victoria’s melanoma capitals. The adjoining suburbs recorded 36 per cent more cases than the national average between 2010 and 2014. Herald Sun Melb... more
Research: Cancer stalks coast
13 January 2020
Mornington is the Victorian epicentre for a cancer that kills about 3500 Australian men every year. The peninsula village had 73 per cent more cases of prostate cancer than the national average — the highest rate in Victoria. The latest figures from ... more
Treatment: New 'spray on' chemo offers hope
13 January 2020
New ‘spray on’ chemotherapy being tested in Melbourne is giving fresh hope to cancer patients. The therapy administers cancer-fighting drugs directly to the tumour site using an aerosol spray instead of being injected into the bloodstream. Epworth He... more
Public Health: Cancer survival among world’s best
10 January 2020
While the fall in cancer death rates in the US is making headlines across the world, Australia has quietly been doing just as well and, in some cancers, doing even better because of its universal healthcare system. Professor Sanchia Aranda, chief exe... more
Public Health: Cancer death rate in steady decline in US
10 January 2020
American Cancer Society reported yesterday that the cancer death rate in the United States fell 2.2 per cent from 2016 to 2017 — the largest single-year decline in cancer mortality ever reported. Since 1991 the rate has dropped 29 per cent, which tra... more
Occupation and Environment: Talcum in clear
09 January 2020
Fears that using talcum powder can increase women’s risk of ovarian cancer are groundless, says a study. The verdict comes despite 22 victims winning damages after a jury found using talc had caused their cancer. But a study of 252,745 women says the... more
Tobacco: Vape mistakes
08 January 2020
Fifteen South Australians, including 10 children, have been exposed to dangerous levels of nicotine after ingesting liquid from e-cigarettes or vapes, and authorities warn the number could be much higher. Figures obtained by The Advertiser from the P... more
Tobacco: Trial to help SA smokers butt out their habit
07 January 2020
A world-first clinical trial will be conducted in Adelaide to help long-term smokers who live in low socio-economic areas to kick their addiction. Flinders University will host the Cancer Australia funded trial, which will focus on the city’s poorer ... more
Treatment: Major boost in breast cancer battle
06 January 2020
A life-changing new medicine will now be cheaper for Australian women battling advanced breast cancer. The important new treatment, Verzenio, has been listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from January 1 this year to significantly reduce the c... more
Treatment: Less chemo helps men with testicular cancer
06 January 2020
Men with testicular cancer could be spared some of the side effects of chemotherapy with new research suggesting their treatment could be halved. A new clinical trial concluded the cancer can be prevented from coming back using half the amount of che... more
Tobacco: US acts to stem youth vape crisis
06 January 2020
The US Congress has voted to raise the minimum age to buy tobacco and e-cigarettes from 18 to 21 to stem the rising tide of youth vaping. Passed by the Senate as part of a wider budgetary bill, it will take effect next year and mean that tobacco and ... more
Tobacco: Vaping push to non-smokers
06 January 2020
Advertising for electronic cigarettes is pushing non-smokers and young people to take up vaping, despite the health risks. Researchers from Macquarie University reviewed 43 studies involving 27,303 people globally to examine the effect of e-cigarette... more
Tobacco: Flavoured vape ban
06 January 2020
The US government is banning most flavoured e-cigarettes in a bid to curb the rising tide of youth vaping. The Food and Drug Administration said cartridge-based e-cigarettes in flavours other than tobacco or menthol would be illegal unless specifical... more
Tobacco: E-cigs spark a few ifs and butts
06 January 2020
Vaping should be completely banned over emerging health concerns and vaping-related deaths overseas. This is the slim majority view dividing more than 4000 South Australians involved in the Sunday Mail’s survey. Just over half said that vaping should... more
Support: Genetic key may bring pain relief
06 January 2020
Scientists have discovered how to switch off a key “pain gene”, dramatically raising hopes of a long-term treatment to relieve the agony of serious illness for millions. The revolutionary technique alters a patient’s DNA, silencing a gene that transm... more
Screening and Immunisation: AI proves its cancer nous
06 January 2020
A google artificial intelligence system proved as good as expert radiologists at detecting which women had breast cancer based on screening mammograms and showed promise at reducing errors, researchers report. The study, published in the journal Natu... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Fitness hope for cancer survival
06 January 2020
The UK’s National Health Service is hoping that a new pre-treatment fitness program will lead to better odds of survival for thousands of cancer patients. People who have been diagnosed with the disease are being given the option of entering into a “... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Bring home nitrate-free bacon to avoid cancer
06 January 2020
Not all processed meat has the same cancer risk, new research suggests. A study published yesterday in the journal Nutrients has questioned the World Health Organisation’s blanket classification of processed meat as carcinogenic. Researchers say they... more
Research: Higher BMI 'protects'
06 January 2020
People with a high body mass index in some cases have a better chance of surviving certain cancers, Flinders University research has found. Its study used clinical trials of atezolizumab — an immunotherapy treatment for non small-cell lung cancer — a... more
Skin cancer: Dentists give tooth on cancer
06 January 2020
Australian dentists are joining the fight against skin cancer, taking an interest in the faces of patients rather than just their teeth and gums. Australian Academy of Dento-Facial Aesthetics (AADFA) director Myles Holt said dentists are asking patie... more
Tobacco: Vaping up in smoke
06 January 2020
Tobacco: Fewer men lighting up
20 December 2019
The number of men using traditional tobacco products has finally started to decline worldwide. Four out of five tobacco users globally are men, so declines among males “mark a turning point in the fight against tobacco,” the World Health Organisation... more
Support: Thanks for sharing
20 December 2019
The Instagram hashtag #breasties is used by breast cancer patients across the globe to share hidden insights about their treatment. RMIT University marketing researcher Lauren Gurrieri said information about breast cancer usually showed what happened... more
Skin Cancer: 'D' stands for danger as message lost
19 December 2019
The life-saving sun-safe message is getting lost, with Queenslanders making vital mistakes such as soaking up too much sun to boost their vitamin D. New research from Cancer Council out today highlights where sun safety is falling over. The latest da... more
Tobacco: US permits sale of cigarettes with 95 per cent less nicotine
19 December 2019
US health officials have endorsed a type of cigarette that could help ease the addictive grip of smoking by delivering very low levels of nicotine. The Food and Drug Administration will allow 22nd Century Group to begin selling the first low-nicotine... more
Support: Insurer sued for treatment denial
18 December 2019
Australia’s largest life insurer, TAL, has been sued in the Federal Court by the corporate watchdog after the company cancelled a cancer patient’s policy, claiming she had an unrelated “history of depression” that was not disclosed to the company. ... more
Research: Cancer research gets $9m
18 December 2019
A South Australia researcher has received $560,412 to find more ways for the body’s own immune system to kill tumours. Acting Health Minister and South Australia Senator Anne Ruston yesterday announced $8.9 million for cancer research projects. The F... more
Medical and Scientific: Breast cancer super clinic
18 December 2019
A Queensland-first, innovative clinic has launched at the Princess Alexandra Hospital to predict the chances of a diagnosis in those who are at high risk of familial breast cancer. The Preventative High Risk Familial Breast Cancer Clinic will provide... more
Tobacco: E-cigarettes a smoking gun for lung disease
17 December 2019
Vaping could raise the risk of serious lung disease by almost a third, a study by the University of California has found. E-cigarette users are 29 per cent more likely to suffer conditions such as emphysema, bronchitis and asthma than people who have... more
Tobacco: Nicotine law 'will risk death'
17 December 2019
Nicotine fluid can no longer be possessed in the Northern Territory – even with a doctor’s prescription – in a move which health experts say could force ex-smokers back to cigarettes. A spokesman for Health Minister Natasha Fyles said promoting e-cig... more
Alcohol: Sobering new grog guide
17 December 2019
Australians will have to slash their alcohol consumption by four drinks per week to fit within stringent new guidelines issued by the nation’s peak medical body. Previously, the safe drinking guidelines allowed up to 14 drinks per week. That will be ... more
Tobacco: ABF seizes huge cigarette stash
16 December 2019
Almost 40 million illegal cigarettes have been seized in Melbourne in the past week. The Australian Border Force searched sea cargo shipments from China and X-rayed containers before finding the massive stash of tobacco. The shipment was declared as ... more
Medical and Scientific: SAHMRI century smasher on cancer
16 December 2019
Adelaide researchers leading an international clinical trial say they have made “the biggest breakthrough in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) treatment this century”. The project has demonstrated the safety and efficacy of a next-generation treatment ... more
Medical and Scientific: Risks alter with type of HRT
16 December 2019
Certain forms of hormone replacement therapy actually protect women against breast cancer, researchers have shown. After years of debate on the risks of HRT, new analysis presented to the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in Texas suggests the type... more
Medical and Scientific: Hormones raise cancer threat
16 December 2019
Women who use certain types of hormones after menopause still have an increased risk of developing breast cancer nearly two decades after they quit the pills, long-term results from a US federal study suggest. Although the risk is very small, doctors... more
Tobacco: Tobacco giant sticks up for 'safer' option
13 December 2019
Smoking giant Philip Morris wants to introduce a new tobacco product in Australia: heated “sticks” it claims are an alternative to vaping and smoking that “produce fewer and/or lower levels of toxic chemicals than cigarettes”. The heated tobacco prod... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer drugs results good
13 December 2019
Doctors in the US have reported unusually good results from tests of two experimental drugs in women with an aggressive form of breast cancer. One drug, Tucatinib, showed particular ability to reach tumours in the brain, which are notoriously tough t... more
Treatment: Putting stop to tumours
12 December 2019
A new type of cancer treatment that could potentially stop tumours growing and spreading has been discovered by Queensland scientists. The breakthrough by QIMR Berghofer researchers offers hope for patients with cancers that do not respond to current... more
Skin Cancer: Cancer on skin hits a new high
12 December 2019
The number of Queenslanders admitted to hospital for skin cancer has tripled in the past five years. New Medibank data has revealed a 177 per cent spike in patient admission, with 5670 in the last financial year. The Australian Institute of Health an... more
Skin cancer: Skin cancer hospital visits triple
11 December 2019
Hospital admissions for skin cancer in South Australia have tripled in the past five years. Analysis of Australian Cancer Council figures by Medibank shows there were more than 1300 hospital admissions in SA for skin cancer treatment last financial y... more
Skin cancer: Skin cancer rate shock
11 December 2019
The number of hospital admissions for skin cancer treatment in Tasmania has almost quadrupled over the past five years, new data from Medibank shows. Medibank chief customer officer David Koczkar said the increase in hospital admissions in Tasmania c... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Junk food advertising loophole
11 December 2019
Obesity experts want tougher restrictions on advertising junk food to children, after Kellogg’s exploited a loophole to tempt kids into consuming sugary foods via a colouring-in competition. The Ads Standards Community Panel, which oversees the food ... more
Skin Cancer: Public ignore crucial indicator of sun risk
09 December 2019
Only 9 per cent of South Australians check UV levels to determine their use of sun protection, despite UV exposure causing up to 95 per cent of melanoma skin cancers, Cancer Council SA research shows. Despite all the information out there, these resu... more
Skin Cancer: Slip, slop, slack
09 December 2019
Parents have become so focused on keeping their kids safe from the sun they are neglecting to look after their own skin, a new study has revealed. The research from life insurer TAL also reveals that eight in 10 Victorians said they could do more to ... more
Medical and Scientific: Grant backs chemo study
09 December 2019
There is new hope for cancer patients suffering from painful side effects from chemotherapy, with a new remedy being developed to treat or even prevent the symptoms. The breakthrough research is one of 66 Australian projects sharing in $61 million in... more
Screening and Immunisation: Public input sought for lung cancer screening program
09 December 2019
Lung cancer is set to become the target of a new national screening program as cancer experts ask the public to help determine who should be eligible for testing. Cancer Australia is calling for submissions to help design a screening program that wil... more
Skin cancer: Parents at risk of skin cancer
06 December 2019
New research from life insurance agency TAL has revealed that Aussie parents are so focused on keeping their kids safe from the sun they neglect looking after their own skin. Almost 40 per cent of parents said they would always urge their children to... more
Obesity, Nutrition, and Physical Activity: Actively beating cancer
06 December 2019
Men who keep active cut their risk of prostate cancer by half. Experts say exercise, which can include gardening or walking, has a “far larger” protective effect than previously thought. A team funded by Cancer Research UK measured physical activity ... more
Medical and Scientific: Tapeworm a cancer hope
06 December 2019
Australian scientists studying a tapeworm commonly found in dogs have stumbled upon a potential new treatment for some human cancers. In what they describe as scientific serendipity, scientists from Brisbane’s QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institut... more
Health Services: Breast cancer sufferers miss out on babies
04 December 2019
Young women with breast cancer are missing out on the chance to have a baby because their doctors are not referring them to fertility clinics before their treatment starts. Half the young women diagnosed with breast cancer were not referred to a fert... more
Obesity, Nutrition, and Physical Activity: Energy ‘boosters’ take toll on youths’ sleep
04 December 2019
A survey of more than 9000 students across Australia has found approximately one in 14 teenagers said that they consumed energy drinks at least weekly and one in four had consumed them at least once. Teens who consume energy drinks at least once a we... more
Health Services: Call for $650k in funding to help save lives
03 December 2019
A lack of government funding is putting the lives of women in remote communities at risk, with Senator Malarndirri McCarthy calling on the Morrison Government to invest in breast cancer screening in the Northern Territory. Mobile mammography unit “Mi... more
Skin Cancer: iPhone the next frontier in skin cancer detection
02 December 2019
Artificial intelligence could soon be used to diagnose melanoma more cheaply and accurately based on an algorithm developed by WA researchers. Findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, led by researchers from the Universi... more
Occupation and Environment: Should gardeners and farmers be worried about using world’s biggest-selling herbicide?
02 December 2019
In an explainer on glyphosate, the effects on farmers and gardeners using the herbicide is explored. Farmers say glyphosate is cheap, safe to use (when you follow the instructions) and works. It slashes farmers’ diesel bills because they don’t need t... more
Tobacco: Vaping up in smoke
29 November 2019
Massachusetts has become the first US state to ban flavoured tobacco and nicotine vaping products. The ban is meant to reduce the appeal to young people amid a rash of illnesses and deaths linked to vaping. Anti-smoking groups hailed the ban, which r... more
Public Health: Asia in focus
29 November 2019
In an article for the Courier Mail Brisbane, Senior Business Reporter, Glen Norris, writes that Asia is not only a region of rapidly expanding economies and wealth but one facing an increasing burden of disease associated with an ageing population. O... more
Medical and Scientific: Light at end of tunnel
29 November 2019
A light therapy used to treat skin cancer and sun spots is emerging as a promising treatment for reaching cancer cells deep in the body, with Australian researchers finding the first evidence of its ability to kill ovarian tumours. New research from ... more
Tobacco: Lobby says ban on vaping is just a smokescreen
28 November 2019
A ban on e-cigarettes should be lifted across Australia to help lifelong smokers kick the habit, a new vaping lobby says. The Australian Retailers Association, groups of retailers and some health specialists are united in a push to relax strict vapin... more
Tobacco: E-cigarette maker in court
28 November 2019
The District of Columbia is joining several states in suing e-cigarette maker Juul Labs, saying the company’s online ads and promotions illegally targeted minors. Washington, DC, Attorney-General Karl Racine announced the lawsuit, alleging that Juul’... more
Research: Why men are higher cancer risk
28 November 2019
Australian researchers have uncovered a new key reason why men are more likely than women to get and die from cancer. Scientists from Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre found that a common gene mutation on the X chromosome involved in more than half of al... more
Tobacco: Vape poison alert
26 November 2019
A surge in potentially deadly e-cigarette poisonings and the strength of nicotine liquid detected in Victoria has prompted a fresh health warning over the dangers of vaping. Already this year the Victorian Poisons Information Centre has received 38 c... more
Skin Cancer: Skin cancer kills 1800 as one-in-12 snub test
24 November 2019
Many Aussies are putting themselves at risk this summer by not getting their skin checked. A new survey from the Skin Health Institute says only one in 12 Australians will prioritise a skin check, ranking it behind visits to the GP or dentist, or a b... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Radical plan to tackle obesity
24 November 2019
The Council of Australian Governments’ health council has released a consultation paper looking at ways to intercept the country’s expanding waist lines. The paper canvasses a broad range of solutions – including the politically sensitive sugar tax, ... more
Medical and Scientific: Hopes high in cancer trials
24 November 2019
Clinical trials on a new treatment expected to improve the survival rates for sufferers of lung and ovarian cancer will begin soon in South Australia. Recruiting patients for the trials will start in early 2020 thanks to a partnership between AusHeal... more
Medical and Scientific: Keeping cancer at bay
23 November 2019
Medical and Scientific: Keeping cancer at bayMen who take statins are 24 per cent less likely to get an aggressive form of prostate cancer, a study suggests. Scientists tracked more than 44,000 British men over more than two decades and found that th... more
Medical and Scientific: Watchdog waters down implant ban
22 November 2019
Cosmetic surgeons have been granted permission to use banned breast implants linked to a rare cancer as the national medical watchdog hints the devices may carry other safety risks. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved applications from ... more
Skin cancer: Cancer doctor's papers retracted
22 November 2019
Skin cancer expert Professor Anthony Dixon has had two journal articles retracted from The Australian Journal of General Practice after complaints from other cancer experts. After Professor Dixon’s articles were published in June, 18 of Australia’s t... more
Tobacco: Vaping ban for Phillipines
21 November 2019
A ban on e-cigarettes has been ordered by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who threatened to arrest anyone vaping publicly in a country that already has some of Asia’s toughest antismoking rules. He has also imposed a wide-ranging ban on smokin... more
Skin cancer: Aussies in skin cancer breakthrough
21 November 2019
Queensland researchers have taken another step towards the development of a genetic risk profile for melanoma that will allow doctors to warn parents about children most susceptible to excessive sun exposure. Scientists at the QIMR Berghofer Medical ... more
Tobacco: E-cigarette firm sued for aiming at minors
20 November 2019
California announced yesterday it is suing Juul, the US’s largest electronic cigarette manufacturer, for illegally targeting minors with its marketing campaigns. A joint lawsuit filed by California Attorney-General Xavier Becerra and his Los Angeles ... more
Support: Cancer drug now on PBS
20 November 2019
Australians with forms of lung cancer and leukaemia will have access to drugs under additions to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme being announced today. The treatment options for non-small cell lung cancer and early-stage acute lymphoblastic leukae... more
Tobacco: Smoking rates on rise during pregnancy
19 November 2019
A leading tobacco researcher says new figures showing an increase in smoking among pregnant women in Tasmania adds fuel to the push for raising the smoking age. University of Tasmania School of Medicine adjunct researcher Kathryn Barnsley said the fi... more
Skin Cancer: Skin clinics a fast-track
19 November 2019
Dedicated skin cancer referral centres have opened in Western Australia, with the aim of giving people quicker and cheaper access to disease diagnoses and treatment. Skin Cancer WA works by offering GPs a direct way to refer people with suspected ski... more
Tobacco: Vaping advice smoked
18 November 2019
Doctors and tobacco experts have slammed new government guidelines on e-cigarettes claiming they exaggerate the harms of vaping nicotine and are forcing people back to smoking. New advice, released last week on a government health website - Health Di... more
Alcohol: Kids find online loophole to buy booze
18 November 2019
Children as young as 12 are exploiting online delivery systems to have alcohol and cigarettes sent straight to their homes or local post offices, with one in three getting booze delivered without an ID check. New research from the Foundation for Alco... more
Research: Child Cancer Therapy Hope
18 November 2019
Sydney researchers investigating one of the most aggressive forms of childhood cancer have made a “significant” breakthrough by discovering a new molecule that causes the diseased cells to grow. It gives new hope to children with neuroblastoma, a can... more
Skin Cancer: Teens still not sun smart: Experts
18 November 2019
Cancer Council’s National Sun Protection Survey has sparked a call from Cancer Council for the government to run a national skin cancer awareness campaign. That was one of Australia’s great public health successes at its high point more than 12 years... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Hidden sugar in kids' snacks
13 November 2019
Fruit-filled toddler snacks promoted as healthy options contain more sugar than many junk foods, a shocking new study has found. The Obesity Coalition says parents are being misled about the risk because there is no clear labelling of added sugar. Th... more
Support: Study into burden of male cancer
12 November 2019
The first 10-year study of Australian men affected by prostate cancer has found many have long-term impairments to quality of life, sparking a call by experts for a change in the management of the disease. Cancer Council lead researcher, Associate Pr... more
Tobacco: Link in vape 'flu'
11 November 2019
US health officials announced a breakthrough into the cause of a mysterious outbreak of vaping illnesses, reporting they have a “very strong culprit”. The same chemical compound was found in fluid taken from the lungs of 29 patients across the countr... more
Tobacco: Vape flavours vanish ahead of possible ban
11 November 2019
E-cigarette market leader Juul has said it is ending the sale of mint-flavoured products in the US, ahead of a possible ban by health authorities, intended to curtail youth vaping. President Donald Trump’s administration announced last month it would... more
Support: Cannabis treatment tied up in red tape
11 November 2019
The amount of time and effort involved in prescribing medicinal cannabis is stopping doctors from becoming involved with the legal therapy, while cost is proving a barrier for patients. It comes as cannabis trials get under way in Australia for poten... more
Research: Cancer risk lower than promoted, study finds
11 November 2019
The risk of being diagnosed with and dying of cancer has been over-estimated prompting calls to overhaul estimation methods, according to new research. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) estimates the lifetime risks of cancer diagn... more
Support: Cann pots deal with chemists
08 November 2019
Marijuana company Cann Group has signed a distribution deal to allow approved patients access to the company’s drugs at pharmacies around Australia. Symbion, which supplies healthcare products to 4000 retail pharmacies and 1300 hospitals around Austr... more
Medical and Scientific: Virus a cancer killer
08 November 2019
Cowpox inspired the vaccine which ended the scourge of smallpox 200 years ago and now the virus is being used to kill cancer. Scientists have engineered a new virus based on cowpox that is able to kill every known type of cancer cell in a petrie dish... more
Screening and Immunisation: At-home test to fight against cervical cancer
06 November 2019
An at-home, non-invasive screening for cervical precancer could increase compliance with recommended follow-up tests, according to research presented at a cancer conference. The new screening, called the S5 test, is based on a urine sample or a vagin... more
Medical and Scientific: Dr Google 'isn't right'
06 November 2019
Women's health experts say that more patients are requesting unproven tests and treatments, based on advice from online forums or social media influencers. IVF fertility specialist and gynaecologist Dr Raelia Lew said more women were relying on Dr Go... more
Research: Bringing sexy back
05 November 2019
An Australian-first study is investigating how ovarian cancer affects women’s body image and sexuality, with the aim of developing tools to improve their wellbeing and relationships. Researchers from the Royal Women’s Hospital want to recruit 130 Aus... more
Health Services: $28m upgrade for state's oncology program
04 November 2019
More than $28 million will be spent on new weapons in the state's fight against cancer. Premier Will Hodgman yesterday announced that the tenders to upgrade the state’s ageing oncology equipment had been awarded during the Walk4BrainCancer event in M... more
Medical and Scientific: Sex virus, smokes and grog fuel mouth cancer
04 November 2019
Oral cancer rates “have more than doubled in a generation”, according to a new awareness campaign by the UK-based non-profit Oral Health Foundation. The hygiene advocacy group warned people to be aware of the causes of mouth cancer – primarily the se... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer blood test push
04 November 2019
A simple blood test could detect breast cancer up to five years before any clinical signs of the disease. British researchers are developing the test which they say identifies the body’s immune response to substances produced by tumour cells. Details... more
Research: New find on cancer
04 November 2019
Men with higher levels of free testosterone and a growth hormone in their blood are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to new research. Factors such as ethnicity, age and family history are already known to increase the likel... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Fast food labels is a big fat failure
01 November 2019
Labelling fast-food menu items with calorie counts only leads to a slight, short-term decrease in average calorie intake, a study has found. Researchers gathered data on almost 50 million menu purchases in the United States at 104 locations of a fast... more
Medical and Scientific: New drug shrinks tumours
31 October 2019
Adelaide lung and bowel cancer patients are among the first in the world to try a new anti-cancer drug that is shrinking tumours in cases where nothing else works. Oncologist and Adelaide University Professor Tim Price says the drug is an “exciting m... more
Medical and Scientific: RAH trial for SA cancer tracers
31 October 2019
South Australia based Ferronova has produced its first tiny cancer tracers for their journey into the human body in an attempt to find a new path to early detection of solid tumour cancers. Ferronova’s specialist polymer-coated iron oxide nanoparticl... more
Screening and Immunisation: Fatal gaps cost lives
30 October 2019
More than 1500 Victorian women are likely to have breast cancer without knowing it due to screening black holes across the state. New data shows almost half of Victorian women aged 50-74 are not participating in regular free screening. The analysis b... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Cancer ad triggers diet shift
30 October 2019
More Victorians say they intend to cut back on sugary drinks after being educated on their links to cancer. Cancer Council Victoria launched a public awareness campaign last October, which revealed the link between obesity and 13 types of cancer. Can... more
Support: Medicare rebate for breast MRI
29 October 2019
Women with breast cancer will be able to claim Medicare rebates for MRI scans for the first time, under changes to take effect this week. From November 1, women with or suspected to have breast cancer will be able to claim Medicare for the scans. The... more
Tobacco: Vaping illnesses decline
28 October 2019
Fewer reports of vaping illnesses are coming in, but US health officials say they are not sure what to make of it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 125 additional cases were reported in the last week, bringing the total to 1604 in ... more
Screening and Immunisation: Test for genetic condition in cancer patients could save lives
28 October 2019
A routine test of bowel cancer patients for a hereditary condition could save the lives of up to 80 high-risk patients a year. Lynch Syndrome greatly increases the risk of developing aggressive colorectal cancer in particular, but also increases the ... more
Skin Cancer: PBS drug help for melanoma
28 October 2019
Patients suffering from stage three melanoma will have new treatment options after the Federal Government extended subsidies on several drugs used after surgery. From November 1, the drugs dabrafenib, sold in Australia as Tafinlar, and trametinib, ma... more
Health Services: Failure on hepatitis B
26 October 2019
Hundreds of Australians are expected to die from liver cancer because the nation is failing to meet its targets to eliminate hepatitis B. Despite setting a national plan and having effective treatments to combat the infectious disease, Australia is f... more
Health Services: Kids cancer service gets $22m boost
25 October 2019
Australia’s youngest cancer victims will receive a $22 million Federal Government boost today. CanTeen, which supports Australians aged 12-24 with their cancer diagnosis or those who have a family member with cancer, will receive the funding to conti... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Mexico joins obesity fight
24 October 2019
Mexico’s Senate has passed changes to the health law aimed at reducing the country’s obesity crisis by requiring warning labels on processed foods with high levels of sugar, saturated fat, sodium and calories. Three United Nations agencies had urged ... more
Tobacco: Why life's a drag in the Sunshine State
24 October 2019
In an Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report to be released today, it has been revealed that Queenslanders are smoking more than any other mainland state. More than 15 per cent of Queenslanders are daily smokers, compared with the national... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Prostate cancer risk rises with high levels of dairy
23 October 2019
Eating high levels of dairy products may be linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer, according to new research. Men who ate higher amounts of cheese, butter, milk and yoghurt were more likely to develop the disease, a study by US researchers f... more
Public Health: Cancer deaths above national rate
21 October 2019
Deaths from 10 different cancers are “significantly” higher in Adelaide than the national rate, new figures released yesterday show. Deaths from bladder, breast, colorectal, kidney, leukaemia, liver, lung, lymphoma, prostate and uterine cancer had hi... more
Occupation and Environment: Asbestos scare for J&J baby powder
21 October 2019
Johnson & Johnson said it recalled one lot, about 33,000 bottles, of its Johnson’s baby powder because the US Food and Drug Administration found a small amount of asbestos in a single bottle, a discovery likely to fuel existing concerns about the... more
Support: A growing problem
20 October 2019
Cancer patients desperate for medicinal cannabis are being turned away by GPs, as new figures reveal South Australia doctors are among the least likely in Australia to prescribe the drug. A TGA spokeswoman said cancer pain and symptom management, chr... more
Support: Approved medicines that failed to make PBS
20 October 2019
A 'secret' list of medicines approved for Federal Government subsidy – but that have never made it on to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme – includes drugs that dramatically improve the lives of cancer sufferers. Several drugs approved by the Pharma... more
Tobacco: Vape ad ban raced through before GP
19 October 2019
The Victorian government has rushed through a ban on advertisements for vaping in time for next weekend’s Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island. The ban comes after The Age revealed that cigarette makers Philip Morris and British America... more
Tobacco: Vaping illness in US slows, but still high
19 October 2019
Vaping-related illnesses in the US are still rising, though at a slightly slower pace. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the latest jump – 180 cases – was the lowest increase since mid-September, but officials said there was no i... more
Screening and Immunisation: AI helps makes breast scans more accurate
19 October 2019
A new system using artificial intelligence to assess MRI scans will make breast cancer readings 10 per cent more accurate and leave less to chance, University of Adelaide research reveals. Project researcher Gabriel Maicas said the previous system th... more
Occupation and Environment: Cancer Inquiry
18 October 2019
A possible cancer cluster on the Bellarine Peninsula will be examined by a federal parliamentary inquiry. In December last year, media reported a potential cluster of cancers — particularly around Barwon Heads — noting historical use of an agricultur... more
Occupation and Environment: Tradies warned of silica exposure link to cancer
17 October 2019
Tradies are being warned that exposure to the same invisible particles of crystalline silica that cause silicosis is also resulting in hundreds of cases of lung cancer each year in Australia. Hidden in bricks, tiles and concrete, the substance is put... more
Research: Proof in research pudding
13 October 2019
Dr Gino Pecoraro, in an article for Sunday Mail Brisbane, writes about the medical breakthrough that has been reported this week from Queensland researchers based at the Griffith University Institute for drug discovery. They report using a new gene e... more
Medical and Scientific: Battle scars
13 October 2019
In an article for the Sunday Telegraph, Jane Hansen reports on the only hospital in the state dedicated to women’s health not having a mammogram machine. The Breast Centre at the Royal Hospital for Women has to borrow one from BreastScreen NSW but ca... more
Tobacco: US vaping toll hits 26
12 October 2019
Twenty-six people have died from illnesses associated with e-cigarette use since March, US health authorities said yesterday, while about 1300 have suffered lung injuries linked to vaping. Officials have yet to identify the cause of the outbreak, whi... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Food lessons, not bans, that's the Aussie way
12 October 2019
Australia isn’t ready to implement tough food rules being advocated by the UK’s chief medical officer to curb obesity, experts say. Dame Sally Davies has called for an urgent end to the UK’s “mindless” snacking culture by calling on the government to... more
Research: New research to outsmart cancer threat
11 October 2019
Adelaide researcher, Associate Professor Daniel Thomas, plans to 'outsmart' cancer cells armed with a $1.25 million research grant. The grant, announced in Perth last night, will fund Prof Thomas’s ongoing research into acute myeloid leukaemia, with ... more
Tobacco: Stigma of vaping 'has to change'
11 October 2019
A leading anti-smoking advocate has said negative stigmas around vaping and a lack of access to safer nicotine alternatives are halting a decline in Territory smoking rates. On the back of a tour to New Zealand and Melbourne, University of Ottawa pro... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer fear pulls Zantac off shelves
10 October 2019
A popular heartburn medication has been pulled from the shelves after it was found to contain a cancer-causing substance. Eight types of the heartburn drug ranitidine have been recalled across Australia, including common over-the-counter medication Z... more
Tobacco: Warning as vaping toll rises
09 October 2019
Australian health authorities are urging people to “think twice before vaping”, as US reports of serious lung illnesses relating to e-cigarettes soar past 1000. Australia’s chief medical officer Professor Brendan Murphy – along with his state and cou... more
Medical and Scientific: Researchers use molecular scissors to cure cervical cancer in mice
09 October 2019
Researchers have used gene-editing technology to “cure” mice of cervical cancer in what they believe is a world first. The Griffith University scientists are working towards human trials of the gene therapy in the next five years and are also researc... more
Support: Medicinal cannabis splash
08 October 2019
The Federal Government has promised to spend millions of dollars investigating the benefits of medicinal cannabis in cancer treatment. Health Minister Greg Hunt will today announce $3 million for research into the use of medicinal cannabis for the re... more
Support: 'Unacceptable' delays
08 October 2019
Canberra cancer patients have been forced to travel as far as the Gold Coast to get radiation treatment while local wait times extend out more than six weeks, internal documents reveal. The documents show two life-saving linear accelerators - used to... more
Occupation and Environment: Heat on high-vis worker
08 October 2019
A tradie suffered first-degree burns after his high-visibility work wear magnified a case of sunburn. The burn along his back matched up with the reflective strip of his high-vis shirt. The case occurred two years ago, but is published in the Medical... more
Tobacco: E-ciggies worse for you than tobacco
08 October 2019
Nicotine-free e-cigarettes can cause more upper respiratory cell damage than tobacco cigarettes depending on the electronic device used, new research from South Australia shows. Royal Adelaide Hospital and University of Adelaide researchers have disc... more
Tobacco: Heads butt over vaping conference
08 October 2019
Anti-smoking groups have gone to war over a vaping conference in Melbourne amid allegations of intimidation of the event’s attendees and secret tobacco industry funding. National health bodies including Cancer Council denounced the conference, allegi... more
Tobacco: Puzzling US vaping toll rises to 18
08 October 2019
The number of patients suffering from probable lung injury associated with e-cigarette use has surged to more than a thousand, US health authorities said yesterday, while the death toll from the outbreak now stands at 18. A report by clinicians in No... more
Medical and Scientific: Discover helps fight cell deaths
08 October 2019
Australian researchers have developed a proof-of concept drug that can keep cells alive and thriving in situations where they would otherwise have died. The world-first finding in mice, led by the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) of Medical Res... more
Tobacco: E-cigarette ban upheld
08 October 2019
The US state of Massachusetts has upheld a ban on e-cigarettes amid a spate of deaths and injuries linked to vaping across the country. Eighteen deaths in 15 states have now been positively linked to vaping since March, from a total of 1080 illness, ... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Obesity linked to 13 types of cancer
08 October 2019
Young adults who start their 20s in a healthy weight range, but become overweight by middle age are at greater risk of 13 types of cancer. New analysis from Cancer Council Victoria has found that gradual weight gain in early adulthood can bump up som... more
Medical and Scientific: Drug fatal for cancer cells
08 October 2019
A new type of drug that blocks one of cancer’s escape routes from chemotherapy could be used to treat aggressive breast cancers. Scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research in London found the drug could boost the response to chemotherapy in cance... more
Medical and Scientific: Drug trial targets hot flushes and sweats
08 October 2019
Women who have survived breast cancer are being sought for an international trial of a new drug to stop hot flushes and night sweats. Up to 20 women will take part in the trial at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, one of seven sites across Australia invol... more
Tobacco: Smoking ban to spread in CBD
04 October 2019
Smokers could soon be forced to butt out along Southbank Promenade as Melbourne City Council presses to extend a Bourke Street smoking ban across the CBD. The Bourke Street Mall ban comes into effect today between Elizabeth Street and Russell Place, ... more
Tobacco: Forget about vaping until the science is clear
04 October 2019
In an opinion piece, Dr Sud Agarwal, CEO and co-founder of Australia's first medically backed medicinal cannabis company, Cannvalate, says we need to focus our minds on the problem with vaping. In the US, an outbreak of 800 illness cases and 12 vapin... more
Medical and scientific: Zantac to be recalled
04 October 2019
A heartburn medication popular with Victorians will be taken off shelves after fears it could be linked to cancer. The Therapeutic Goods Administration is expected to today update its advice on medications containing ranitidine, which is sold under b... more
Tobacco: Smoking rates dip for teens
02 October 2019
Smoking rates are at an all time low among Tasmanian teenagers, the latest Australian Secondary Students' Alcohol and Drug survey has revealed. The survey is repeated every three years and provides information on the use of tobacco, alcohol and over-... more
Nutrition & Physical Activity: Bacon isn't 'killing you', but eat less meat anyway
02 October 2019
Experts have urged caution over a series of reviews that claimed to find there is no need for humans to reduce their meat intake. While the World Health Organisation refers to red meat as "probably carcinogenic" and dietary guidelines around the worl... more
Nutrition & Physical Activity: Red meat fears not much chop
02 October 2019
A new study has found there is no reason for Australians to quit eating red meat. The research refutes claims that red meat could eventually cause cancer, diabetes or heart disease, with the authors declaring any link between red meat the negative he... more
Medical and scientific: 'This could have been a lot worse'
02 October 2019
Experts say "women need to be breast aware", given that approximately one in six breast diagnoses come without a lump. While most people know to have a lump in their breast checked, other symptoms of breast cancer, such as discharge, pain and swellin... more
Tobacco: E-cigs ads ban starts today
01 October 2019
A ban on advertising, promotion and online sales of e-cigarette products comes into force today and retailers will not be allowed to display such products at the point of sale. Penalties for businesses which fail to meet the regulations will be up to... more
Medical and Scientific: Better ultrasounds to help cancer diagnosis
01 October 2019
A new ultrasound technology that could pick up far more cases of cancer and cut the need for biopsies has been developed by scientists. A team at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh say that they have made a major breakthrough and can produce images ... more
Medical and Scientific: Breast cancer rates on the rise
01 October 2019
The risk of Australian women being diagnosed with breast cancer has increased to one in seven as new statistics reveal eight women die each day from the deadly disease. The National Breast Cancer Foundation has revealed the number of Australian women... more
Support: Cancer patients in dark on risk to fertility
30 September 2019
Cancer patients aren’t being warned that their treatment could leave them infertile, robbing them of the chance to freeze their eggs or sperm and the hope of having children. A major Australian study involving 878 survivors found that 54 per cent of ... more
Support: Help the medicine go down
30 September 2019
More than half a million patients, including those battling cancer and leukaemia, will have access to cheaper medicine from today. Prime Minister Scott Morrison will announce five new medicines will be added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, in ... more
Tobacco: Possible THC link to vape ills
29 September 2019
Many of the hundreds of ecigarette users who have developed lung problems in recent months, some of them fatal, used black-market marijuana products, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has revealed. Of 514 patients who gave information... more
Medical and scientific: Why cancer survivors line up to ink differently
29 September 2019
An Adelaide tattoo artist is helping breast-cancer patients across the world feel more like a woman after body-disfiguring treatment. Aleisha Gannon was the first in Australia to develop temporary nipple tattoos in 2018 as an interim solution to the ... more
Medical and scientific: Cancer shonk a force of nature
28 September 2019
An unregistered Sydney naturopath who claimed he could cure cancer, and said patients who quit his treatment would commit suicide, has been permanently banned from practising. The NSW Health Care Complaints Commission found Aleksander Strande breache... more
Medical and scientific: Breast implants suspended in response to fears about cancer
28 September 2019
Women with breast implants or expanders are being urged to see a doctor after regulators announced a crackdown over cancer fears. The Therapeutic Goods Administration is taking action on all breast implants and breast tissue expanders sold in Austral... more
Screening and immunisation: Fear over bowel cancer test move
27 September 2019
In an article for The Age, Melissa Cunningham reports that fewer Australians will be able to get Medicare-funded colonoscopies under a contentious overhaul of the system aimed at tightening regulations around the diagnostic test used to detect bowel ... more
Medical and Scientific: Devils hold cancer clue
27 September 2019
World-leading cancer researchers suspect Tasmanian devils hold a clue to help work out how human cancer genes evade the immune system. In the study, scientists have discovered that some human cancers share a common feature with the disease that has d... more
Medical and Scientific: New link to men's cancer
27 September 2019
Men who need fertility treatment have an increased risk of prostate cancer, research says. Experts believe biological issues around infertility drive the increased chance of developing the disease, and can lead to prostate cancer earlier in life. The... more
Screening and immunisation: New pancreatic cancer test
26 September 2019
A urine test for pancreatic cancer could boost survival rates to 60 per cent, scientists believe. The test, developed by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, has reached the final stage of validation before being developed for use with pat... more
Medical and scientific: Boost to fight brain cancer
26 September 2019
A push by Melbourne researchers to develop new treatments to combat incurable brain cancers will be given an added boost today. The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research will receive a $1.4 million grant from the federal government to r... more
Medical and scientific: TGA approves drug to fight ovarian cancer
26 September 2019
Some women diagnosed with ovarian cancer could have their survival rates significantly increased after the Therapeutic Goods Administration approved a drug treatment for newly diagnosed sufferers. The drug olaparib is available to women who have expe... more
Tobacco: Walmart bans e-cigarettes
25 September 2019
American retail giant Walmart will stop selling e-cigarettes in stores as the country deals with a string of vaping-related deaths that have stirred regulators to take action. The retail giant’s decision comes after a mysterious spate of vaping relat... more
Tobacco and alcohol: Revolving door to lobbying exposed
25 September 2019
The “revolving door” between government and the alcohol, tobacco and gambling industries has been revealed in a new study that tracks for the first time the influence of lobbyists on public health policy. The study, published today in the journal Pub... more
Support: Australians spent $30b last year on out-of-pocket costs
25 September 2019
The latest health spending data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, released today, shows patients spent $3.9 billion on out-of-pocket hospital expenses in 2017-18, up $560 million, or 17 per cent, over the financial year and quadrup... more
Research: Giving a voice to cancer survivors
25 September 2019
A program now being run in the US, UK, Canada and four Australian states provides survivors of gynaecological cancers and their carers the opportunity to educate medical students. The program is called Survivors Teaching Students, and Ultimate Founda... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Sugar rush to bad health
24 September 2019
One in six Australian teenagers gulp down at least 5.2kg of sugar each year from sugary drinks alone, new research shows. Cancer Council Australia’s National Secondary Students’ Diet and Activity survey looked at the habits of more than 9000 students... more
Tobacco: Vapour trails point to harmful side-effects
23 September 2019
Flavoured e-cigarettes, even those without liquid nicotine, are dangerous and likely to kill the cells that line the airways, a new Australian study has discovered. Scientists from the University of Adelaide and the Royal Adelaide Hospital found that... more
Tobacco: Vapes going up in smoke
22 September 2019
Walmart is getting out of the vaping business. The US retailer said it will stop selling electronic cigarettes at its stores when it sells out its current inventory. It said the move is due to “growing federal, state and local regulatory complexity” ... more
Tobacco: School to drug screen pupils
22 September 2019
An eastern suburbs Jewish school will test and search students for drugs and e-cigarettes. Moriah College in Queens Park will introduce drug testing after Year 10 students were caught using marijuana and e-cigarettes at a recent Zionist seminar. The ... more
Medical and scientific: Parenting hope for cancer survivors
22 September 2019
Young cancer patients will now be offered a free service to preserve their chances of having children. A free service to collect, freeze, transport and store reproductive tissue from people aged 13 to 30 around the country is being offered by a team ... more
Tobacco: Vaping toll on the rise
21 September 2019
An eighth death in the US has been attributed to e-cigarettes, as health officials say the number of people with vaping-related breathing illnesses tops 500. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said 530 confirmed and probable cases had been... more
Tobacco: Vaping bans spread as dangers emerge
20 September 2019
Canada has reported its first hospitalisation for severe respiratory illness linked to vaping. The Middlesex-London Health Unit said that “a youth has been diagnosed with severe respiratory illness linked to the individual’s use of vaping products”. ... more
Treatment: Cancer treatment may be cut to two weeks
19 September 2019
Advanced radiotherapy technology could cut prostate cancer treatment time from two months to two weeks, safely delivering curative treatment for some patients, new research suggests. Study author Dr Douglas Brand said “The new results from our clinic... more
Tobacco: Anti-vaping case grows
19 September 2019
Australia's top medical body has backed a statement from all state and territory health officials on the link between vaping and lung disease. Australian Medical Association president Dr Tony Bartone’s warning comes after the seventh vaping-related d... more
Tobacco: China puts hold on Juul e-cigs
19 September 2019
E-cigarette maker Juul Labs’ sales have been halted in China, days after the start-up launched its products in the world’s biggest tobacco market. Juul’s vaporisers went on sale early last week online, but by the end of the week, they had been taken ... more
Skin cancer: Wanted: 20,000 Aussies for vital skin cancer study
17 September 2019
Queensland researchers have launched the world’s largest genetic study of skin cancer and are seeking more than 20,000 Australians to take part. QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute scientist David Whiteman said the genetic analysis formed part ... more
Tobacco: Principals want to smoke out vaping in schools
16 September 2019
School principals and health experts have expressed alarm about the increasing use of e-cigarettes by teenagers, as concerns mount about the health impacts of vaping. Head of high school at Moriah College Jan Hart said the use of e-cigarettes by scho... more
Tobacco: Deaths stoke call to limit vapin
16 September 2019
Australian health authorities have called for a crackdown on vaping as evidence mounts the habit can lead to serious health problems and even death. Quit Victoria director Sarah White said vaping was now the subject of intense scrutiny in the US, wit... more
Support: $3m to help beat cancer
16 September 2019
Cancer research has received a $3 million funding boost from the Federal Government. The money, from the Medical Research Future Fund, will go towards South Australia Cancer Council’s “Beat Cancer Project”, an initiative to advance research with inte... more
Screening and immunisation: 3D technology boost for early breast cancer diagnoses
16 September 2019
Diagnosing breast cancer is about to be revolutionised in Victoria with new 3D breast screening technology set to be rolled out. The new technology will lead to quicker diagnosis and cut down on invasive procedures, according to Health Minister Jenn... more
Public health: Blood cancer D-Day
16 September 2019
The most common blood cancer in South Australia is expected to more than double over the next 16 years, claiming the lives of more than 4600 people. A new Leukaemia Foundation report predicts lymphoma rates will jump from 645 annual cases in SA this... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Active lifestyle key to cutting cancer risk
16 September 2019
One in three potentially deadly endometrial cancers could be avoided, and losing weight, drinking coffee, having babies and breastfeeding just might help. Cancer Australia launches a new website today compiling the most recent research. It classifies... more
Medical and scientific: Cancer drug drought after nuclear fail
16 September 2019
More than 10,000 people won’t be able to have medical scans and tests next week as Australia faces a shortage of nuclear medicine that is vital for cancer diagnoses, experts warn. Australia’s only nuclear reactor, at Lucas Heights in Sydney’s south, ... more
Tobacco: Trump moves to ban flavoured e-cigarettes
13 September 2019
The Trump administration is preparing to ban the sale of flavoured e-cigarettes in a bid to stop an epidemic of nicotine vaping among young Americans. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said ‘‘We intend to clear the market of flavoured e-c... more
Tobacco: Jobs go up in smoke
13 September 2019
British American Tobacco plans to cut 2300 jobs as cigarette sales decline in major markets and US President Donald Trump vows to tighten restrictions on new alternatives to smoking. Tobacco companies are facing the biggest disruption in decades as t... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: No change on the menu
13 September 2019
Children's meals at fast food restaurants have not become any healthier since the introduction of the Government’s mandatory menu kilojoule labelling or obesity campaigns. New research shows 82 per cent of kids’ meals are not even healthy enough to m... more
Support: Fertility guide in cancer care
13 September 2019
Young people wanting to preserve their fertility before starting cancer treatment now have a new advocate through the entire process. About 140 Victorian children and teenagers a year are expected to benefit from the creation of the state’s first pae... more
Tobacco: $160m war on vaping
12 September 2019
Billionaire and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced a $160 million campaign to ban flavoured e-cigarettes in the US after a spike in vaping deaths. “This is an urgent health crisis, and tobacco companies are behind it,” said Bloombe... more
Screening and immunisation: New test for prostate cancer
12 September 2019
A blood test which detects aggressive prostate cancer could prevent thousands of men having painful, unnecessary biopsies. The simple test, which diagnosed almost 93 per cent of men with the disease correctly in a trial, could be available within thr... more
Research: We're tops in cancer fight
12 September 2019
Australia is a world leader in cancer survival rates, beating other high-income nations with the best one-year survival rates in most cancers. A study in Lancet Oncology reveals patients diagnosed with oesophagus, stomach, colon, rectal, pancreatic, ... more
Treatment: Medical marijuana supplier in demand
10 September 2019
An ASX-listed medical marijuana company says it is providing cannabis to nearly 2000 Australian patients with debilitating conditions, numbers it expects to more than double by end of the year. Chief executive Josh Fagan says "The patient numbers are... more
Tobacco: Burning issue with Hindley St
10 September 2019
An Adelaide City councillor says Hindley St visitors must be protected from the health effects of inhaling second-hand shisha smoke, asking council to work with SA Health to improve public health along the entertainment strip. The push comes as Cance... more
Treatment: Hidden story of HRT study
08 September 2019
In an opinion piece, Gino Pecoraro writes that the study published last week in The Lancet linking hormone replacement therapy to increased risk of breast cancer is "NOT new" and "further research is eagerly awaited". The real story, he says, should ... more
Tobacco: Death linked to vaping
08 September 2019
Cases of severe lung illnesses related to vaping are surging in the US. Officials in Indiana said an adult had died from a lung illness possibly tied to vaping, as the number of suspected cases across 33 States rose to 450. The death marks the fourth... more
Obesity, nutrition and physical activity: Shift workers focus of weight-loss study
08 September 2019
420 shift workers will trial three diets to help researchers devise the world's first dietary guidelines for those working night shift. A partnership between UniSA and Victoria’s Monash University, the groundbreaking research will help the 1.5 millio... more
Tobacco: Vapers urged to quit after 'epidemic' of US illnesses
08 September 2019
Public health officials have urged Americans to stop using e-cigarettes as they try to investigate a rapid "epidemic" of lung illnesses that has claimed the lives of at least 5 vapers in recent days. The country’s top public health agency announced i... more
Treatment: New cancer drugs given gold-plated treatment
07 September 2019
Cancer treatment could be enhanced by gold-based molecules engineered by Australian researchers which lessens toxic side effects. The RMIT University study published in Chemistry - A European Journal found the molecules were up to 24 times more effec... more
Tobacco: Vaping bad for fertility
07 September 2019
Young women who vape may harm their fertility and chances of getting pregnant, a study published in the Journal of Endocrine Society says. In tests, mice exposed to e-cigarette vapour were less fertile, taking longer to have their first litter becaus... more
Health services: Waiting list halved for medical procedure
07 September 2019
A $45 million investment has almost halved the number of South Australians overdue and waiting for colonoscopies, with public hospitals working with the private sector to perform extra procedures. State Government funding has resulted in numbers drop... more
Tobacco: Candy e-cigarettes 'get kids hooked'
06 September 2019
The Governor of the US state of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer has moved to make her state the first to ban flavoured electronic cigarettes, accusing companies of using candy flavours and deceptive advertising to “hook children on nicotine”. Health offici... more
Support: Failings identified in cancer treatment
06 September 2019
In his weekly article Health Matters, Sean Parnell writes about shortcomings in the health system revealed through an international survey. The survey found delays in diagnosis and managing ongoing side effects as the biggest cause of inefficiency. P... more
Medical and scientific: Drug test success for prostate cancer
06 September 2019
Australian-led research has shown a 33 per cent improvement in survival rates of men with advanced hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. It found that men with the disease who were given the hormone drug enzalutamide with their standard treatment had a ... more
Medical and scientific: Awake to sleepy cancer
04 September 2019
Drugs taken by millions of women with breast cancer may not kill all malignant cells, a study suggests. Instead, hormone pills such as tamoxifen may send a small number of breast cancer cells into “sleep” mode, meaning they can come back to life up t... more
Tobacco: Ad drives inspires smokers to think
02 September 2019
Smokers are being encouraged to think about their reasons for smoking, such as nicotine addiction, habits and emotion or stress, in the latest campaign launched by Quit Tasmania. Quit Tasmania director Abby Smith said “By listening, Quit Tasmania fou... more
Screening and immunisation: Online prostate test guide
02 September 2019
Cancer experts have developed a new online tool to help men and their partners weigh up the significant pros and cons of undergoing prostate cancer screening. The prostate specific antigen test, or PSA test, screens for elevated levels of a protein i... more
Medical and scientific: Blood cancer alarm
02 September 2019
Blood cancer rates across Australia will more than double in the next 16 years, claiming 186,000 lives, a national report shows. The Federal Government is expected to establish a national taskforce and commission an action plan to tackle the growing ... more
Tobacco: Health alert for vapers
01 September 2019
Authorities are investigating hundreds of cases of severe lung disease among vapers, US health officials said yesterday. A total of 215 possible cases of pulmonary illness associated with vaping from 25 states are being probed, the Centres for Diseas... more
Support: Subsidy aid for patients
01 September 2019
Cancer patients and those recovering from strokes will have cheaper access to some treatments from today. The listing of Opdivo from today on the PBS will provide healthcare professionals with the option to prescribe it as a flat dosing schedule eve... more
Medical and scientific: Cancer cells corrupting influence
31 August 2019
Cancer cells corrupt their healthy neighbours in order to support their own survival, scientists say. The discovery, published in Nature, was made using a new technique to study the tissue around a tumour - called the tumour micro environment - known... more
Medical and scientific: Hormone therapy cancer risk
31 August 2019
Women taking hormone therapy for menopause increase their chance of breast cancer by 60 per cent, a landmark global study has found. The risk is twice as great for women taking the drugs for 10 years rather than five, according to research from Austr... more
Alcohol: Young damaged by problem drinking
30 August 2019
Three in 10 young people say alcohol or drugs are a problem for their family and peers, according to a report from Mission Australia. The National Health and Medical Research Council has been reviewing Australia’s alcohol guidelines and is due to rel... more
Tobacco: Cig giants in merger talks
29 August 2019
Tobacco maker Philip Morris has announced it is looking into teaming up again with its former parent company, the Altria Group. A merger could help the two companies confront declining cigarette sales and diversify in a consumer market shifting towa... more
Medical and Scientific: Breathing space
29 August 2019
World-leading Victorian researchers will share in $440 million as they get closer to beating the quick death sentence faced by lung cancer patients. Health Minister Greg Hunt will today announce Victoria is to receive more than $202 million in Natio... more
Occupation and Environment: Ticking mesothelioma time bomb revealed
29 August 2019
At least 699 people died in 2018 from the aggressive cancer mesothelioma, according to a new report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The report, Mesothelioma in Australia 2018 revealed new diagnoses of the aggressive cancer... more
Tobacco: Smoking ads forced to butt out
28 August 2019
Victorians will see fewer advertisements for tobacco under tighter laws introduced by the state government. The changes come in the wake of the government intervening to stop overseas-based Formula 1 teams displaying tobacco advertising on their cars... more
Tobacco: No plans to change NT's smoking age
27 August 2019
Health Minister Natasha Fyles has “no plans” to increase the age people can legally buy cigarettes in the Northern Territory despite a proposal from the Australian Medical Association Northern Territory. “Smoking rates in the NT have been progressive... more
Tobacco: Restrict smokes to over 25s: Doc
26 August 2019
Territorians under the age of 25 will be banned from buying cigarettes if a controversial proposal by Australian Medical Association NT president Dr Rob Parker is adopted. Dr Rob Parker said the NT needed more “innovative programs” to stop smoking. C... more
Screening and immunisation: The ovarian cancer lifesaver
26 August 2019
A new blood test could detect ovarian cancer two years before women are currently diagnosed. The blood test looks for four proteins released into the bloodstream by the most common type of ovarian cancer. Study leader Robert Graham, from Queen’s Univ... more
Treatment: $80m cancer revolution in SA institute
25 August 2019
World-leading genomic cancer profiling and treatments will be available in South Australia for the first time at a new $80 million research institute to be housed in Adelaide’s medical precinct. The South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute wi... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Diet key to cancer treatment
25 August 2019
New research adds to a growing body of evidence that diet could help cancer treatment.The study, published in the journal Nature, found restricting intake of an amino acid found in red meat and eggs significantly enhanced cancer treatment in mice, sl... more
Treatment: Bid to get miracle drug to dying cop
25 August 2019
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has agreed to personally lobby Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis on behalf of a former police officer who was refused access to a lifesaving cancer treatment. “(Minister Hunt) will write to Novartis to see if this ... more
Treatment: Saving patients and cash
24 August 2019
An expensive combination therapy for non-small cell lung cancer has been approved for subsidy, saving patients $15,000 every three months. The combination of high cost immunotherapy treatment Keytruda with chemotherapy has been shown to dramatically ... more
Screening and immunisation: Vaccines can cut the cancer rate
24 August 2019
An estimated 92 per cent of cancers caused by HPV could be prevented through vaccination, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said yesterday, adding that boosting immunisation coverage was a key priority. “A future without HPV cancers i... more
Tobacco: Fears mount over vaping risk
23 August 2019
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a “cluster” of lung illnesses that it believes may be linked to e-cigarette use after reports in 14 states. The CDC said there was no evidence that an infectious disease was behind t... more
Screening and immunisation: Cancer test that eases stress
23 August 2019
A deceptively simple device made in Adelaide can be used to detect cancer cells in a urine sample, UniSA research shows. It is hoped the urine test will replace cystoscopy. Dr Melanie MacGregor, of the UniSA Future Industries Institute, said a precli... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Train kids better with a junk ad ban: advocates
23 August 2019
Junk food companies have been accused of targeting children on their way to school as pressure mounts on the Victorian government to ban the ads on state owned property. Research by the Obesity Policy Coalition suggests that more than a quarter of th... more
Research: Cancer fightback
21 August 2019
Cancer Council Queensland researchers have shown that the number of people beating cancer or living with cancer are expected to increase by 73 per cent in the next 22 years. Researchers have today released a mortality study offering new hope to cance... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Dairy delight
21 August 2019
The Heart Foundation has revealed new advice following a review of its dietary statement. The first changes since 2013 call for restrictions on red meat but lift the ban on full-fat milk products for healthy people. Heart Foundation chief medical adv... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Time for action on obesity
20 August 2019
In an opinion piece, Ashley Reid, CEO of Cancer Council Western Australia, discusses the obesity crisis that Australia is facing according to the World Health Organisation. He writes that the 'junk food industry evolution is the biggest driver of th... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Review set up to weigh up sugar labelling
20 August 2019
Australians could finally have access to information about how many "empty calories" are in the soft drinks and packaged foods they buy, after state and federal ministers ordered a review to consider mandatory "added sugar" labelling. State and feder... more
Tobacco: Vaping linked to lung disease
19 August 2019
Up to 50 people in six US States have come down with breathing illnesses that may be linked to e-cigarettes or vaping products. Dr Melodi Pirzada, a paediatric lung specialist at NYU Winthrop Hospital in New York, said she had seen two cases this sum... more
Skin Cancer: Scientists narrow down the risks of getting melanoma
19 August 2019
New Queensland research, carried out over nine years using 1200 people, will help dermatologists determine the risk of developing melanoma – and it is a numbers game. University of Queensland Diamantina Institute researcher Associate Professor Rick S... more
Tobacco Issues: Push to bring smoking rate under 10pc
15 August 2019
The federal government will push to cut Australia’s smoking rate to less than 10 per cent by 2025 as part of new efforts to boost preventative health outcomes. Health Minister Greg Hunt used an address to the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednes... more
Medical and Scientific: Cancer-risk ban 'overreach'
15 August 2019
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has sought more information from companies responsible for breast implants associated with an increased risk of cancer. It comes as some surgeons warn of regulatory overreach, with the TGA threatening to ban or s... more
Medical and Scientific: Fight of their lives
14 August 2019
A Melbourne family is driving and funding medical research needed to help their son, who has been diagnosed with a rare mitochondrial disease called ECHSI deficiency. The experimental treatment replaces faulty genes with a healthy, working version an... more
Support: Barnaby embroiled in bizarre clash with cannabis campaigners
12 August 2019
An emotional Barnaby Joyce has been involved in a bizarre confrontation with medical cannabis campaigners in his local electorate. The former deputy Prime Minister was filmed telling campaigners that he “gets furious” at suggestions marijuana offers ... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Food fight on labels
12 August 2019
A Labor MP has called on her own government to hurry up with a crackdown on misleading food labels that prevent West Australians from making informed decisions about their sugar intake. Margaret Quirk this week asked for a progress report from Health... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: More weight to cancer link
12 August 2019
Obesity is far more likely to cause cancer than previously thought, scientists have warned. The risk of excess body weight leading to cancer is at least twice what was originally believed, according to a major study of the genes of 700,000 British pe... more
Medical and Scientific: Device a breath of hope
12 August 2019
A simple breathalyser test may soon be all it takes to diagnose diabetes, asthma and certain cancers. Macquarie University researcher Noushin Nasiri has developed a device called the Nanotech Electronic Nose which can analyse a person’s breath and d... more
Medical and Scientific: New means of tracking cancer cells
12 August 2019
New hi-tech equipment to track and try prevent cancer progression is available in South Australia after the opening of a state-ofthe-art imaging facility at the Centre for Cancer Biology. Co-director for the Centre Professor Angel Lopez said the new ... more
Medical and Scientific: Wrong diagnosis leaves cancer patients suffering in silence
12 August 2019
News Ltd has reported on a new survey that reveals doctors are failing to diagnose many cancer cases, putting lives at risk. The survey also reveals nearly one in three cancer patients are initially wrongly diagnosed and one in eight wait six months ... more
Tobacco: Australia chips in $1m to cut Pacific smoking
08 August 2019
Australia will provide more than $1 million in legal funding to help Pacific nations introduce anti-smoking measures without fearing the interference of big Tobacco. The $1.065m funding is part of the $19m health package, to be announced at the Pacif... more
Treatment: Cancer treatment delay
07 August 2019
Cancer patients in the ACT face the longest average wait time in the nation before starting radiotherapy treatment, new figures show. The ACT government has blamed increased patient demand, staff shortages and the lengthy process to replace old machi... more
Tobacco: Under-21s smoking ban to be debated in Upper House
07 August 2019
The author of legislation to ban the sale of tobacco products to those aged under 21 says he is hopeful it will win the support of the parliament. Legislative Council member Ivan Dean’s Public Health Amendment (Prevention of Sale of Smoking Products ... more
Medical and Scientific: Genes link to cancers
07 August 2019
Australian researchers have identified 45 new genes linked to the development of the most common form of skin cancers. The Queensland study into basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, more than doubles the genetic information available on the non-m... more
Medical and scientific: Myeloma diagnosis revolution
06 August 2019
South Australian researchers are part of a national team trying to attack dormant blood cancer cells hiding in bone marrow, potentially revolutionising diagnosis and treatment for thousands of patients. “If we can target and eliminate the dormant cel... more
Treatment: Cancer funds deal gives young Australians hope
05 August 2019
A new cancer treatment that supercharges the immune system will now be available to young Australians fighting blood cancer. The cancer-killing chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy will be provided by two Melbourne hospitals free of charge after ... more
Screening and Immunisation: Cancer scan catastrophe
05 August 2019
Early signs of breast cancer went undetected in more than 100 Queensland women due to failings by the state-run screening provider, court documents reveal. The claims are outlined in a $1.2 million negligence lawsuit brought by a former senior execut... more
Screening and Immunisation: Cancer testing strained
05 August 2019
Women who test positive for changes that can lead to cervical cancer are facing a six month wait for treatment because public clinics can't cope with higher detection rates under a new test. The first study of the effect of the new test, published in... more
Medical and Scientific: Test for cancer relapse
05 August 2019
A smart blood test detects the spread of breast cancer almost a year earlier than scans, research shows. It analyses DNA in the blood to show with high accuracy whether cancer will recur after treatment. Researchers from the Institute of Cancer Resea... more
Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity: Less meat starves tumours
02 August 2019
Diet is a key part of managing diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, but new research adds to the evidence it could help cancer treatment too. The study, published yesterday in the journal Nature, found restricting intake of an amino acid found... more
Medical and Scientific: Signal 'protects' cancer
02 August 2019
A major “don’t eat me” signal that cancer cells appear to use to stop the immune system from attacking them has been discovered by US researchers. Normally, immune cells detect cancer cells and engulf them, but researchers have previously discovered ... more
Medical and Scientific: Key cancer cells never grow old
02 August 2019
In a discovery that may open up new ways of treating acute myeloid leukaemia, Australian researchers have identified a “Benjamin Button” mechanism that allows blood cancer cells to reverse their ageing and trick the immune system to not dispose them.... more
Skin cancer: An 'A' for health
01 August 2019
A diet full of Vitamin A can reduce your risk of skin cancer. New research published in the JAMA Dermatology Journal has found people who eat vitamin A-rich foods such as lean meat, leafy greens and pasta have a reduced risk of developing one of the ... more
Occupation and Environment: Unregulated grinder use raises risks
01 August 2019
In an opinion piece, Michael Wadsley says silica is being called the new asbestos. The piece focuses on the risks associated with exposure to crystalline silica dusts and the gap in regulation of silica dust emissions. He calls on the government to p... more