Cancer in the News

23 May 2018

Childhood leukaemia could be prevented by exposing babies to germs, a landmark study suggests. Britain’s leading expert in the most common childhood cancer believes keeping babies in a sterile environment can trigger it in those with a faulty gene. I... more

23 May 2018

Chemicals widely used in sunscreen have been found in breast tissue — raising concerns about the potential health risk. The chemicals, used as filters to protect the skin from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light, were found in 95 per cent of participant... more

22 May 2018

There’s a well-known grocery item in the pantry that we’re not using enough, according to the latest research. While the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) have been widely publicised, a new study reveals three tablespoons a day can pre... more

22 May 2018

In an opinion piece Jane Martin writes that, a health levy on sugary drinks is just one element of a comprehensive approach needed to improve diets and curb obesity. The piece focuses on countries that have introduced the sugar tax and seen a decreas... more

21 May 2018

Eating fish twice a week is the key to warding off heart attacks and strokes. Scientists have found that the benefits of eating oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, outweigh any risk from mercury exposure. Experts suggest that people who... more

21 May 2018

Women with an aggressive breast cancer can be treated in half the time using existing drugs — slashing the risk of side-effects such as heart damage, a study has found. Herceptin is prescribed to women to treat early-stage breast cancer. But the drug... more

21 May 2018

Painful and exhausting chemotherapy treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) could be a thing of the past with a trial of a new procedure based on a patient’s own immune system. Rather than rounds of toxic chemotherapy drugs designed to kill... more

21 May 2018

Immune cells typically kill cancer cells like a sniper. A direct injection of toxin into this foreign cell ends its life. But Melbourne researchers have found another way the body’s immune system destroys tumour cells — as “bystander killers”, a mech... more

18 May 2018

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Australia – eclipsing the combined death rates of breast, prostate and pancreas cancers – and there has been little hope on the horizon for this often symptomless and ‘‘silent’’ creeper. Survival im... more

18 May 2018

A chemical heavily used in gardens and on food crops to kill weeds has been identified as a potential health threat at levels deemed “safe”. Glyphosate is the most commonly used weedkiller in the world but experts from Italy and the US found it had a... more

18 May 2018

Dietitians are concerned muffins as big as softballs and super-sized cake slices served in cafes are normalising large portion sizes at a time when Australians are struggling to control their weight. A study of sweet treats in cafes and supermarkets ... more

18 May 2018

A senior haematologist has withdrawn from an 11th-hour bid to shut down an inquest into the deaths of four under-dosed chemotherapy patients. Darrell Trim QC, acting for senior doctors – including Ian Lewis and Agnes Yong who were stood down from the... more

17 May 2018

Patients will be persuaded to try medical trials to access next-generation treatments while bolstering Australia’s biotechnology industry. A new push to open clinical trials of the latest emerging treatments — including lifesaving drugs, such as thos... more

17 May 2018

The blood test scandal engulfing SA Health has widened, with delays to urine, tumour and genetic testing. Results are not only days late but going missing, causing problems for patients including those awaiting lifesaving chemotherapy treatment. Offi... more

16 May 2018

Across Australia, hundreds of men with advanced prostate cancer are praying that a brief encounter with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull tomorrow will deliver the promise of a life-extending therapy. The therapy, which uses radioactive radium 223, was... more

16 May 2018

Some WA women are wrongly believing they have cancer or a risky infection because of confusion over the new cervical cancer screening test, according to experts. WA’s Sexual Health Quarters has been contacted by women who have misinterpreted the resu... more

15 May 2018

Australian scientists claim to have discovered an anti-ageing drug capable of tricking cells into thinking they’re younger and protecting us from disease. Queensland University of Technology researchers are developing a wonder drug with the potential... more

15 May 2018

A $1.9 billion research investment strategy will be unveiled by the Federal Government today. Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham said the research infrastructure investment plan was a response to recommendations from Australia’s Chief Scient... more

14 May 2018

Ireland’s leader has apologised for a scandal over inaccurate cervical cancer screening tests and has pledged an investigation to find out what went wrong. It emerged this month that an audit had found possible errors in the smear tests of 209 women ... more

14 May 2018

Australians are more likely to forgo booze because of its calorie content than because of the risks posed by alcohol-fuelled violence — or even cancer. The Global Drug Survey, released this week, shows that almost a quarter of Australian respondents ... more

14 May 2018

Thousands of Australians are dying needlessly from cancer each year but could have been saved if they had made the most of a simple and free screening test. Of the four million bowel screening tests sent to the homes of Australians over 50 each year,... more

14 May 2018

A simple blood test could replace uncomfortable mammograms in detecting breast cancer after ground-breaking Australian research. The test coupled with new 3D mammograms are being pioneered by two Australian doctors and will change the way to diagnose... more

14 May 2018

They thought their five-year-old had beaten fatal brain cancer — but she is now critically ill and on life support after it returned. Annabelle and her family, like many other desperate Australians, had flown to Mexico for expensive and experimental ... more

14 May 2018

It is not only good for the baby, it might save your life by dramatically cutting the risk you will get breast and ovarian cancer and type 2 diabetes. A major review of breastfeeding studies has calculated that women who breastfeed for 12 months redu... more

14 May 2018

Anti-vax campaigners have been posting and sharing a new “study” that claims the HPV vaccine could be behind an increase in cervical cancer, but the author is a fake. An article published in the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics was written by a Lars ... more

11 May 2018

Brisbane City Council has been accused of neglect after failing to remove asbestos contaminated soil from two popular parks, despite knowing about it for almost a year. State Transport Minister Mark Bailey said he had twice written to Lord Mayor Grah... more

11 May 2018

New Zealand has effectively legalised e-cigarettes and nicotine vaping products, bringing the nation into line with other governments such as Britain and the US and further isolating Australia, where e-cigarettes and vaping remain illegal. The New Ze... more

10 May 2018

The World Health Organisation says a Nordic-style diet could help ward off cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Now it is recommending governments encourage people to adopt Scandinavian – or Viking – eating habits. A Nordic diet comprises fish, sea... more

10 May 2018

Drinking red wine lowers the risk of men getting prostate cancer, a study claims. Moderate consumption – no more than a glass a day – cuts the chances of getting the disease by 12 per cent, according to an analysis of 17 scientific studies on men and... more

10 May 2018

A study has doubled the number of genetic markers known to influence a person’s ability to tan, providing scientists with potential new targets for treating skin cancer. Queensland researchers were involved in the international study of more than 170... more

09 May 2018

The illicit tobacco industry will come under scrutiny in a bid to claw back $3.6 billion over the next four years. At the heart of the program is a crackdown on the smuggling and domestic production of illegal tobacco, with the Illicit Tobacco Task F... more

09 May 2018

An experimental treatment, ignored by big pharma companies, is being trialled at Melbourne’s Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. LuPSMA is made up of two molecules. Radioactive lutetium-177 is shipped straight from NSW’s 20-megawatt Lucas Heights nuclear ... more

09 May 2018

A cradle-to-grave health plan outlined in the Budget will let newborns receive rare disease checks and a digital health record from birth while the elderly will get mental health and exercise help. Experts have warned babies born today are at risk of... more

09 May 2018

A court ruling that gave coffee drinkers a jolt earlier this year was finalised yesterday when a Los Angeles judge said coffee sold in California must carry cancer warnings. Starbucks and other roasters and retailers failed to show that benefits from... more

08 May 2018

Queenslanders who died “before their time” from cancer lost a combined total of 162,215 years off their lives in 2015 alone, shocking new data reveals. The most years lost – 63,260 – were from patients who died prematurely from lung, bowel and breast... more

08 May 2018

Perth’s biggest council will consider lifting a restriction on the use of the controversial weed killer glyphosate in its natural reserves. But the City of Stirling is also poised to take steps to reduce the overall use of glyphosate, which is the ma... more

08 May 2018

There is no “current” evidence that exposure to PFAS chemicals is linked to ill health in humans, according to a Federal Government review. But advice from a Federal Government expert health panel doesn’t rule out the possibility that the chemicals c... more

07 May 2018

A breakthrough new treatment for ovarian cancer that aims to stop the disease returning by killing off the cancer’s stem cells is undergoing safety trials in Australia. Ovarian cancer is the deadliest female cancer in Australia; more than 1600 women ... more

07 May 2018

Smoking is killing people as young as 30, analysis from the Victorian Health Department shows. Smoking killed 24 Victorians in their 30s and 155 in their 40s in 2011, according to the report, which takes a fresh look at data collected in 2011 for the... more

07 May 2018

Big Tobacco is not only slowly killing its customers, it’s gouging them first by raising cigarette prices way beyond the increases in tax. Analysis shows how these supercharged price increases have bolstered Big Tobacco’s bottom line and countered th... more

07 May 2018

The war against the deadliest childhood cancer has been given extra firepower with the state government pledging $1 million for brain cancer treatments in a push to improve dismal survival rates. Experts say the funding is a “game-changer”, allowing ... more

07 May 2018

Today, a group of leading Australian cancer organisations became the first globally to declare that exercise should be prescribed as a standard part of cancer treatment. Led by the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia, the new position statement me... more

07 May 2018

A tobacco taskforce will be set up in the Budget tomorrow to crack down on the illicit trade and raise $3.6 billion. The Australian Taxation Office will receive new powers to charge duties and a permit will be required to import tobacco. The taskforc... more

04 May 2018

Family GPs will get more money each visit under a boost to be announced in next week’s Budget, but experts say it won’t be enough to address patients’ out-of-pocket pain. Under the Budget plan, the Medicare rebate for GP visits will rise 55¢ a visit ... more

03 May 2018

Feeding toddlers can be a minefield but the rising levels of sugars and additives in ready-made snack foods is creating a new generation of very “hangry” tots, nutritionists say. Tantrums and tears can be sparked in kids by something as simple as a b... more

02 May 2018

The nation’s 2.4 million smokers are turning to illegal and even unhealthier cigarettes to avoid crushing increases in tobacco tax, costing the federal government almost $2 billion in lost revenue. Between 2016 and 2017, tobacco consumption fell 6.1 ... more

01 May 2018

The real answer to long life comes down to following just five straightforward lifestyle steps, say experts. And they can add 14 years to the life of a woman aged 50 – and 12 years for a man, US researchers found. Not smoking, regular exercise, a hea... more

01 May 2018

Exercise is a wonder pill that can slash the risk of heart disease with just a half-hour walk a day, according to experts. But research released by the Heart Foundation WA for Heart Week shows that only 7 per cent of people realise that exercise does... more

01 May 2018

In an opinion piece Peter FitzSimons writes that Australia needs to both reduce consumption sugar and find a way to pay for the soaring health costs associated. The piece focuses on how best practice would be to introduce a sugar tax. Sydney Morning... more

30 April 2018

The NSW and federal governments have announced a $41 million boost in funding to expand world-first research at Westmead that is revolutionising the detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. The joint investment will support the work of ... more

30 April 2018

A world-leading $400 million treatment centre will be built in Parkville to save youngsters who have brain cancer. The National Proton Beam Therapy Centre, at the Royal Children’s Hospital, will also aid patients with other inoperable cancers that ca... more

30 April 2018

Hundreds of thousands of women will have cheaper access to lifesaving breast cancer tests that have previously cost hundreds of dollars. The advanced test will be one of a number of new items covered by Medicare to be included in next month’s Federal... more

30 April 2018

In an opinion piece Jill Poulsen writes that recent research published in the Clinical Obesity journal, found the level of care for seriously overweight patients would not be accepted if it were applied to those with cancer or heart disease. The piec... more

30 April 2018

In an opinion piece Sarah Jackson writes that social media is changing the way the alcohol industry is pushing its products into the minds and mouths of young people. The piece focuses on how social media is, for the most part is an unregulated and u... more

27 April 2018

Many people wrongly believe stress, food additives and electromagnetic fields cause cancer, but have poor awareness of known risk factors such as obesity, eating red or processed meat, or drinking alcohol. British experts said these views had risen o... more

26 April 2018

More than three-quarters of Australian women with breast cancer are diagnosed in the all-important early stages, but fewer than half of bowel cancer patients are picked up early, a new report shows. For the first time, cancer experts have been able t... more

24 April 2018

Prostate cancer patients could be treated by high-power radiotherapy in just 2½ weeks instead of two months. The treatment would cut the sessions patients needed to seven, one every other day, compared to the 39 needed at present. Researchers say the... more

24 April 2018

Prostate tumours could be diagnosed in just 15 minutes using an ultrasound technique that successfully detects other illnesses. Scientists used a process called shear wave elastography to detect tumours by measuring cell tissue density. The technique... more

24 April 2018

Obese patients are not being treated as well as those with cancer or diabetes in the public hospital system, with some facilities not even providing suitable chairs or treatment tables that can hold their weight, new research reveals. Medical special... more

23 April 2018

Territory tradies are being urged to wear long sleeves, despite the heat, in a bid to cool soaring skin cancer rates. Cancer Council skin cancer prevention manager Liz King said two in three people who grow up in Australia would get skin cancer in th... more

23 April 2018

A discovery by Melbourne scientists could improve the treatment of stomach cancer, a disease that more than 2000 Australians are diagnosed with each year. The findings in mice by the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research suggest a new c... more

23 April 2018

Small differences in the way a patient lies during radiotherapy treatment for lung or oesophageal cancer can have a significant impact on how likely they are to survive, new research shows. Differences of only a few millimetres can mean the radiation... more

23 April 2018

Kids are confused and don’t know or don’t care about healthy eating habits, new WA research reveals, raising concerns that public health campaigns are failing to “cut through” to youth. University of Notre Dame’s School of Health Sciences Associate P... more

23 April 2018

In an opinion piece Patrick Carlyon writes about recent Cancer Council data on the advertising of the nutritional content of beer being misleading is unsurprising. The piece focuses on how the nutritional information and advertising for many foods, i... more

22 April 2018

Thousands of women have been offered a lifeline, with the Federal Government set to subsidise two medicines that allow breast cancer battlers to live longer and better. Ibrance and Kisqali had cost $5000 a month, but are now in line for a subsidy whi... more

20 April 2018

An implant that detects cancer in the body and causes a small mole to appear on the skin as an early warning sign has been developed by scientists. The tiny patch lies under the skin and is made of a network of cells that constantly monitor calcium l... more

20 April 2018

Billionaire Andrew Forrest has launched the Universal Cancer Databank, a global data sharing project aimed at breaking the gridlock on the most deadly cancers. Mr Forrest launched the new project in London at the House of Commons with Baroness Tessa ... more

20 April 2018

Drinkers are being duped into believing low-carb beers are healthy and they need protection from questionable marketing, the Cancer Council claims. Despite advertising that boasts it’s better for you, an analysis of so-called low- carbohydrate beers ... more

19 April 2018

Victorians with kidney cancer are being given a lifeline through the trial of a new high-dose radiotherapy and immunotherapy combination, which is kick-starting their immune systems to boost the treatment’s effect. The first 17 patients with secondar... more

19 April 2018

Melanoma buddies are saving lives. New research shows that the deadly skin cancers are more likely to be detected early in married couples, as partners keep a watch on skin spot changes. The findings have sparked a call from the Cancer Council Queens... more

19 April 2018

A powerful healthcare lobby is launching a national billboard attack on the Prime Minister, accusing him of failing to deliver on a key election promise. The Australian Diagnostic Imaging Association (ADIA) campaign will criticise Malcolm Turnbull fo... more

19 April 2018

One in eight mothers have smoked during pregnancy, with shocking new statistics exposing smoking rates of 40 per cent in parts of Queensland. Official data reveals alarming rates of smoking among pregnant women, despite doctors’ warnings of the healt... more

18 April 2018

Dozens of lines of attack against prostate cancer have been opened by the most comprehensive genetic study of the disease. Scientists have found 80 genetic mutations that could be targeted by drugs and have identified other genes involved in helping ... more

18 April 2018

Ground breaking research will dramatically cut the time and cost to find which DNA mutations cause human bowel cancer, paving the way for swifter personalised treatment. Researchers at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMR... more

18 April 2018

More young Australians are being diagnosed with cancer than 25 years ago, however they have a higher chance of surviving their disease. The latest national health snapshot reveals between two and three 15-24 year olds are diagnosed every day. For eve... more

18 April 2018

If you’re planning to have a family, you need to sort out your lifestyle years before you even start trying – or you’ll be putting your future children at risk of serious illness. And sugar, along with grilled, fried and roasted foods have been found... more

18 April 2018

Australians are reducing sugar from their diets and choosing healthier snacks and drinks, according to new shopping habits research. Grocery sales of overly sweet biscuits, spreads, dips, milk flavourings and yoghurt are shrinking as more low-sugar v... more

17 April 2018

Australians are too busy to participate in the national bowel screening program, even though the three-minute test could save their life. Data released yesterday shows that 40 percent of respondents who received the free bowel cancer screening kit la... more

17 April 2018

The new five-yearly cervical screening test is expected to reduce the number of cervical cancer deaths by 45 per cent by 2035, in what has been described as a major step “towards completely eradicating cervical cancer” by Cancer Council NSW’s directo... more

17 April 2018

DIPG, or diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, has been described as the worst of all child cancers. Australian researchers have made a significant breakthrough they hope could one day result in children surviving the disease. Following more than 250 unsu... more

16 April 2018

More than 100 Victorians have been given the green light to use medicinal cannabis. The Herald Sun can reveal 106 people across the state have received approval under a new federal scheme. More requests are being processed. Among the patients are peo... more

16 April 2018

State governments will be asked to overhaul a vital cancer testing system following huge increases in wait times that are forecast to multiply over the coming years. With the expansion of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program expected to create... more

16 April 2018

Patients battling Hodgkin lymphoma, will have cheaper access to a lifesaving cancer drug that previously cost $200,000. While 85 per cent of Hodgkin Lymphoma sufferers are cured with chemotherapy, patients who relapse or those who cannot undergo norm... more

16 April 2018

Queensland researchers may have discovered a new way of diagnosing prostate cancer, gauging how advanced it is, and predicting how well men will respond to treatment. If their findings are validated in large patient trials, they believe their work co... more

16 April 2018

Queensland researchers may have discovered a new way of diagnosing prostate cancer, gauging how advanced it is, and predicting how well men will respond to treatment. If their findings are validated in large patient trials, they believe their work co... more

16 April 2018

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has launched a “manifesto” to cut the scale of childhood obesity in half. The campaigner is calling for a ban on junk food advertisements on UK television before the 9pm watershed and to stop energy drinks being sold to ch... more

13 April 2018

Cass Sustein a Professor from Harvard argues that a tentative judicial ruling in Los Angeles County last week to put cancer warnings on coffee is just plain silly. “It could potentially turn into a fiasco, I think, and it tells us something important... more

13 April 2018

Exercise is already known to help cancer patients recover after their treatment but WA researchers believe it can also help in the lead-up to surgery. Edith Cowan University is running a trial of 40 men with prostate cancer to see if pre-surgery exer... more

13 April 2018

The West Australian government is expected to propose increasing the legal smoking age to 21 at a meeting of health ministers today. Australian Medical Association president Michael Gannon, who is due to address the meeting, said he would support the... more

13 April 2018

Smokers of e-cigarettes could be fined up to $550 if caught vaping in public spaces or on public transport across NSW. The ban will come into effect in July after NSW parliament passed new laws on Wednesday night. Herald Sun, 13/4/2018, Page 33; Dai... more

13 April 2018

Jane Martin from the Obesity Policy Coalition explores food marketing in an opinion piece for the Herald Sun. She says that some products that are high in sugar create a “healthy halo” through their packaging and argues the Health Star Rating system ... more

12 April 2018

States will be lobbied to make it illegal for Australians to smoke until their 21st birthday at a meeting of the nation’s health ministers tomorrow as Western Australia takes up mining magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest crusade. WA Health Minister Roger... more

12 April 2018

Tens of thousands of men will be able to get a Medicare-funded MRI to check for prostate cancer in a $15-20 million measure expected in the federal Budget. A $400 Medicare rebate will be made available for scans to diagnose and monitor prostate cance... more

12 April 2018

Hundreds of Queenslanders are dying each year from cancer related to excessive drinking. The new data has led the Cancer Council Queensland to urge people to switch from a daily tipple to weekly as experts continue to review drinking guidelines, whic... more

11 April 2018

Patients would be able to access medicinal cannabis within 48 hours under a radical plan by the Turnbull Government to take over approval processes from the states. The Courier-Mail can reveal Health Minister Greg Hunt will submit the plan at a Counc... more

11 April 2018

Almost half of young South Australian women are not having regular Pap smears, and it is feared confusion over a new screening test will lower participation rates further. SA Health data shows 58 per cent of SA women are having regular cervical scree... more

11 April 2018

Asbestos is a popular building material in many parts of Asia and given that it only takes a few fibres to cause a fatal cancer, tourists may unknowingly be facing a health risk. While there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos, risk does increas... more

10 April 2018

Lifesaving radiotherapy machines may have to shut down for years during Metro Tunnel construction, forcing the state government to spend tens of millions of dollars on replacement services. The government is secretly making contingency plans for a co... more

10 April 2018

Almost half of men with prostate cancer had to see their GP at least twice before being diagnosed, research reveals. As doctors called for urgent action to tackle the crisis, the figures also show that 6 per cent of men went to their doctor at least ... more

10 April 2018

Wine lovers everywhere rejoiced when studies indicated a couple of tipples of red before bed could actually help with weight loss. The Washington State University and Harvard Medical School studies reported a polyphenol in red wine called resveratrol... more

09 April 2018

Legalising electronic cigarettes containing nicotine could prevent most cases of lung cancer, a leading expert claims. University of NSW conjoint associate professor Colin Mendelsohn told the Australian Lung Cancer Conference in Sydney yesterday that... more

09 April 2018

For medical cannabis, some experts believe the hype has surged way past the science, which is weak, inconclusive and often non-existent for many conditions. When cannabis does work, the effect is often small. “The evidence, in general,” says Professo... more

09 April 2018

Patients suffering the early signs of heart failure could one day have their condition detected before they suffer symptoms, with the aim of catching it early enough to reverse. Scientists say the new imaging technique currently being tested on Melbo... more

06 April 2018

Australians with breast cancer can apply to receive a drug that reduces the risk of cancer returning, under a special access program. Nerlynx is targeted for use in women with HER 2+ early breast cancer. One in four women diagnosed with this type of ... more

05 April 2018

A breakthrough Melbourne drug may make chemotherapy unnecessary for patients with advanced leukaemia and dramatically improve odds of survival. Results of two trials show that venetoclax could save more than twice as many patients as chemotherapy and... more

05 April 2018

Health Minister Greg Hunt has been urged to back Labor’s proposal for a Productivity Commission investigation into the private health sector “crisis” after a survey revealed a quarter of breast cancer patients experienced out-of-pocket costs of more ... more

04 April 2018

Lung cancer will be detected and treated before people have any symptoms, under a ground-breaking new program offering screening for the deadly disease. Only 16 per cent of people are alive more than five years after being diagnosed with lung cancer,... more

04 April 2018

A team of international scientists have identified almost two dozen new genetic risk factors for stroke, marking a significant advance in what is known about the underlying causes of one of Australia’s biggest killers. Stroke kills more women than br... more

04 April 2018

In an opinion piece Jan Davis writes that the order to place a cancer warning on their products because of acrylamide, a chemical produced in the roasting process, needs to be put in context. The piece focuses on the process that causes acrylamide in... more

03 April 2018

A drug used in treating non-small cell lung cancer could offer a targeted therapy for thousands of breast cancer patients, research has shown. Scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research in London have established that lung cancer drug crizotinib ... more

03 April 2018

Top Queensland health experts have rapped GPs for not routinely prescribing exercise as medicine. And Australian Medical Association chief Dr Michael Gannon agrees that some clinicians are uncomfortable with addressing subjects like obesity, diet cha... more

02 April 2018

What we wear, how we groom and our beauty regimens are having an impact on skin cancer rates. A study released today reveals fashion, beauty and grooming decisions affect tumour positions in both men and women. “The higher anatomic distribution of tu... more

01 April 2018

The price of millions of scripts will drop by up to 40 per cent from today, giving unwell Aussies more affordable access to medicines. The cost of more than 300 drugs that treat high blood pressure, depression, digestive disorders and certain types o... more

01 April 2018

In an opinion piece, National Politics writer Annika Smethurst writes that vaping continues to be illegal despite cigarettes which cause 15,000 deaths each year being legal and available. The piece focuses on the recent parliamentary inquiry into e-c... more

01 April 2018

Hundreds of Victorians are waiting more than a year for vital cancer tests after hospital waiting lists blew out by more than a third over the past two years. In at least one major Melbourne public hospital, the median wait for bowel cancer tests is ... more

01 April 2018

Urban chook owners are being warned of the risk of eating their pets’ eggs after tests have revealed toxic pesticides banned in the 1980s are still lurking in backyard soils. A Perth laboratory that does soil and egg tests for residents said dieldrin... more

31 March 2018

A Los Angeles judge has ruled that Californian law requires coffee to carry a cancer warning label because of a chemical produced in the roasting process. Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle ruled on Wednesday that Starbucks and other coffee companies f... more

30 March 2018

Eating a breakfast of bacon and eggs could make a leading prostate cancer treatment more effective. Fatty foods may allow the drug abiraterone — which can extend the lives of patients with advanced prostate cancer — to be absorbed 10 times more easil... more

29 March 2018

The sale of electronic cigarettes containing nicotine – classified as a poison – should remain prohibited in Australia, a parliamentary committee has concluded after a yearlong inquiry. In its much anticipated report, the majority of the Standing Com... more

28 March 2018

The rise in demand for professional manicures has shone a light on the skin cancer risks of UV lamps used to harden gel nails. Skin experts warn in the Australasian Journal of Dermatology out today that sunscreen should be applied to the hands before... more

27 March 2018

In an opinion piece Adrian Reynolds writes that doctors should use effective, tried and tested methods before considering medicinal cannabis. The piece focuses on the research into medicinal cannabis, and the current known evidence. Whilst also calli... more

26 March 2018

Farmers are being recruited and strongarmed by organised crime gangs to plant illegal tobacco crops, which major retailers allege is funding terrorism. The stark warning comes amid calls for the Turnbull government to devise a comprehensive strategy ... more

26 March 2018

The Federal Government has slashed the cost of a special lung cancer drug, helping about 2000 patients who would have otherwise been required to pay up to $100,000 for a round of treatment. The PBS listings cut the costs of the medicines to a maximum... more

26 March 2018

A secret fee “bible” used by doctors to set rates for medical procedures has revealed a massive overcharging scandal, with some specialists demanding up to 10 times the recommended Medicare fee. The Australian Medical Association’s List Of Services A... more

26 March 2018

Parmalat, the food giant behind Vaalia and Ski yoghurts, has ranked last in a study that examined the obesity prevention efforts of Australia’s biggest food and beverage manufacturers, scoring a derisory three out of 100. With an alarming two-thirds ... more

26 March 2018

A rising number of unusual cancer cases linked to breast implants across the world have been reported to US authorities. The US Food and Drug Administration confirmed that cases of the illness — which is not breast cancer but a malignancy of the immu... more

26 March 2018

A world-first trial of an Australian-made radioactive molecule developed to destroy prostate cancer cells from the inside has begun, with men undergoing screening in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. This doctor-led trial — most are initiated by drug c... more

26 March 2018

Thousands of women who have radiotherapy for breast cancer could be spared severe side-effects after scientists found that targeted treatments or lower doses were just as effective. The study, led by Cambridge University and the Institute of Cancer R... more

23 March 2018

Billionaire philanthropist Andrew Forrest has blasted the slow rollout of radical new cancer treatments demanding the nation’s leading experts work with “the burning impatience of dying patients”. has donated $75 million to cancer research, says rest... more

22 March 2018

A record 28 tonnes of illegal tobacco with an estimated street value of $60 million has been seized at properties near Bundaberg. The Australian Taxation Office announced yesterday that it had seized the tobacco following a joint operation with Queen... more

22 March 2018

At Frome St’s Centre for Cancer Biology, Dr Guillermo Gomez is using stem cells to grow mini-brains to better understand the human brain and one of its most terrifying afflictions – cancer. The mini-brains, or brain organoids, are grown from stem ... more

22 March 2018

Regular physical activity that raises the heart rate and makes a person “huff and puff” can significantly reduce the risk of colon cancer — no matter what their body weight, a study has shown. The study of more than 200,000 adults, conducted by Cance... more

21 March 2018

Wives of men with prostate cancer find their own health suffering as a result of their husband’s illness, researchers have found. The new study suggests nearly half of wives see their health suffer as their husbands go through treatment. The research... more

21 March 2018

In her weekly health column Jill Margo writes that the issues surrounding over-diagnosis and PSA testing is still a matter of public health. The piece focuses on new active surveillance research recently published in the Journal of the American Medic... more

21 March 2018

Thousands of cases of aggressive prostate cancer could be spotted early by using cutting-edge MRI scans, a major study has found. Researchers found they could diagnose 46 per cent more aggressive tumours by using MRI scans rather than biopsies. The s... more

21 March 2018

A Perth company is running a trial of a vaccine for coeliac disease that it believes could help stop people reacting severely to gluten. The number of people being diagnosed with coeliac disease is increasing but there is no treatment for it other th... more

19 March 2018

Electronic cigarettes do not help smokers quit and may actually increase tobacco use, according to a major study. Smokers who take up vaping while also smoking ordinary cigarettes are less likely to give up than those who do not, the UK research foun... more

19 March 2018

One in five people can’t afford travel insurance because they have illnesses such as cancer and diabetes, which make their premiums unaffordable. As a result, many tourists are travelling uninsured or lie about their medical history, taking a major r... more

19 March 2018

It’s the sunburnt country, but 92 per cent of Australians do not know they need to start protecting themselves from the sun’s harsh rays when the UV level reaches three or above, new Cancer Council research shows. Despite widespread awareness that ul... more

19 March 2018

Australian cancer researchers have made a breakthrough that could lead to an effective treatment of multiple myeloma, an incurable form of blood cancer that affects 1800 Australians every year. Multiple myeloma grows in the bone marrow and mainly imp... more

19 March 2018

The blood of patients taking a revolutionary drug that “melts” leukaemia cells will be analysed to uncover why some cancers evade destruction or become resistant to treatment. Technology capable of analysing thousands of cancer cells a second is bein... more

16 March 2018

Terminally ill cancer patients are being forced to pay $150,000 a year for a lifesaving treatment even though it has been recommended for a government subsidy. Six months after an expert government committee approved a subsidy for immunotherapy keytr... more

16 March 2018

Adelaide scientists are leading the charge to cure a whole range of cancers by using the body’s own immune system to fight the deadly disease. They have armed the body’s killer T-cells with the ability to seek and destroy solid tumours of different c... more

16 March 2018

In his weekly health column, Sean Parnell writes that the latest results from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey are concerning as the survey showed one in four people binge drink to dangerous levels at least once a month. The piece focuses ... more

15 March 2018

A new menopause drug could dramatically cut hot flushes and sleeplessness in just three days. Scientists have hailed the results as “game changing”, holding out hopes for an alternative to hormone replacement therapy. Research by Imperial College Lon... more

15 March 2018

Indigenous Australians have higher rates of cancer than non-indigenous Australians, less chance of surviving the disease and more frequently acquire cancers typically associated with poor lifestyle. Lung cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer ... more

15 March 2018

Chemotherapy bungle victim Andrew Knox is angry with the Labor Government, “mortally disappointed” in Nick Xenophon and urging voters to give the Liberals a chance. Mr Knox, whose leukaemia returned after under-dosing of chemotherapy in 2015, said he... more

14 March 2018

Children who try e-cigarettes are 12 times more likely to smoke tobacco, British research has found. Scientists have uncovered strong evidence of a so-called “gateway effect”, according to the first UK study of its kind. Researchers from King’s Colle... more

14 March 2018

Australian urologists say a PSA blood test offers the best hope for beating prostate cancer despite a British study over 10 years finding the popular yet contentious screening did not cut the number of men who died from the disease. A trial compared ... more

14 March 2018

Scientists have discovered a ‘‘treasure trove’’ of 110 genes which raise the risk of breast cancer, in a major breakthrough that paves the way for new treatments. The study, the most comprehensive investigation ever conducted into the genetics of bre... more

13 March 2018

Environmental educator Arwen Birch compares the environmental and health costs of cars to tobacco. She argues that are similarities between the two industries and that car advertising should regulated. The Age, 13/03/2018, Page 18; Sydney Morning He... more

13 March 2018

More than 46,000 people in NSW will be told they have cancer in 2018, official projections show. The sobering forecast also foreshadows the number of new breast, lung, bowel cancer and melanoma patients will be diagnosed across each local government ... more

12 March 2018

Thousands of prostate cancer patients could be spared gruelling treatment after a breakthrough by British scientists. Experts at Cambridge University have created a tool that calculates a man’s chances of dying from the cancer with 90 per cent accura... more

12 March 2018

Consumption of cigarettes has risen for the first time in more than a decade, adding to concerns about the effectiveness of measures to reduce smoking. Expenditure on tobacco products, which has been in steady decline for a generation, rose 2.6 per c... more

12 March 2018

Australian researchers have developed a simple online test to predict the risk of someone developing melanoma in the next few years. The test, to be launched today, is based on questionnaires involving about 40,000 people over 40, including more than... more

12 March 2018

A thinning ozone layer combined with farming practices in India may add up to more days of extreme ultraviolet radiation Down Under. Analysis of daily UV readings since 1997 in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane found the number of days when ultraviolet ... more

12 March 2018

Men who watch more than four hours of TV a day significantly increase their risk of bowel cancer, a study shows. Researchers, who tracked 500,000 British people for six years, found a significant link between sedentary behaviour and bowel cancer risk... more

12 March 2018

Australian scientists believe they have discovered a “magic bullet” to defeat one of the deadliest childhood cancers — and, if it works, it could also help save adults. The technology is able to deliver chemotherapy to treat deadly neuroblastoma dire... more

12 March 2018

Scientists are set to launch ground breaking research into prostate cancer in a bid to reduce deaths from the disease within five years. New imagine techniques are being developed by a team of researchers to detect which cancers should be treated agg... more

12 March 2018

Women in Cairns are more likely to develop breast cancer than anywhere else in the state. The alarming statistic has been revealed by Cancer Council Queensland, which examined the incidence and survival patterns for the five most common cancers – bre... more

12 March 2018

Young women have become the epicentre of the nation’s obesity epidemic with the fastest growing waistlines in the country. And experts warn it will have catastrophic implications for the next generation because childhood obesity has been linked to th... more

09 March 2018

What started as a joke between friends has become a successful business venture for Kookaburras goalkeeper Tristan Clemons. He has created a business selling legionnaire style hats - Get Flapped. Clemons also works as a nanotechnologist at the Univer... more

09 March 2018

Jay Weatherill has given a US based company $10 million to set up a training and testing centre in Adelaide before long-running questions are resolved over its suitability to build the southern hemisphere’s first cancer fighting proton therapy unit i... more

09 March 2018

The Australian explores health risks specific to women. Topics discussed include higher levels of physical inactivity, chronic illness, endometriosis and genetic breast cancer risk. The Australian, 9/3/2018, Page 18

09 March 2018

Vitamin D could help ward off cancer, a major study suggests. Middle-aged men and women with high levels in their blood are 20 per cent less likely to get the disease, experts found. Vitamin D is known to strengthen bones and muscles and growing evid... more

09 March 2018

The discovery of a tiny trail of “breadcrumbs” left behind by cancer cells in the blood could be used to develop an early detection test for one of the country’s deadliest diseases. Findings of the Melbourne research could improve treatment for an ag... more

09 March 2018

Half of Britons wrongly believe that stress causes cancer, a survey suggests. Yet many are unaware of the proven link between the disease and processed meat and alcohol. Commissioned by the World Cancer Research Fund, the poll highlights the widespre... more

08 March 2018

More WA women are getting breast cancer but their chances of surviving have dramatically improved, with almost 100 per cent of those in the earliest stage now beating the disease. Figures from a special report by WA’s Cancer Registry, tracking surviv... more

08 March 2018

Perth cigar retailer Simon Devlin supports an exception to tobacco law that allows niche retailers to display tobacco products. The law is due to be debated in the WA Upper House this month, alongside other amendments to the Tobacco Products Control ... more

08 March 2018

Penny Egan, CEO, Cancer Council Tasmania calls on the newly elected Tasmanian Government to invest in cancer prevention – and for Tasmanians to take action to reduce their personal cancer risk. Hobart Mercury, 8/03/2018, Page 19

08 March 2018

Simon Breheny, Director of Policy at the Institute of Public Affairs writes that food, nutrition and human behaviour are far too complex to be regulated with a star rating system. Daily Telegraph, 8/03/2018, Page 3

07 March 2018

A vaccine could one day protect men from developing prostate cancer, thanks to a breakthrough by British scientists. Experts have designed a vaccine that boosts the immune system’s ability to track down and kill the cancer cells as soon as they start... more

06 March 2018

The Blue Mountains Council is gearing up for another extraordinary general meeting, the third in as many months, as it considers a second report from the inquiry into its asbestos management practices. The extend of the council’s unfolding asbestos c... more

05 March 2018

A federal Liberal MP says normally law-abiding smokers are buying black market cigarettes because tobacco taxes are too high in Australia. Boothby MP Nicolle Flint has criticised the repeated above-inflation tobacco excise increases which have been i... more

05 March 2018

The Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre expansion will soon be under way, with the construction tender given to Sitzler. Health Minister Natasha Fyles yesterday made the announcement for the $10.5 million project to expand the centre and build the facilit... more

05 March 2018

The Blue Mountains City Council is facing an asbestos crisis, after an independent inquiry found the council instructed its workers to dig up, transport and sift through soil it knew was contaminated with asbestos. As a result of critical failures by... more

05 March 2018

An expert will travel to Mexico to investigate the controversial clinic reported to have successfully treated Australian children who have terminal brain cancer. The Cure Brain Cancer Foundation (CBCF), the peak organisation for brain cancer research... more

05 March 2018

The end of cervical cancer is within sight and Australia is likely to be the first nation free of the killer disease thanks to the ground-breaking human papillomavirus vaccine. As new research reveals the rate of HPV has dropped from one in five youn... more

05 March 2018

Better access to swimming lessons, a vastly improved cycling network and a focus on getting people moving are key planks of a five-point plan to make Melbourne a healthier city. Education on minimising risks of sunburn and skin cancer, and how to spo... more

05 March 2018

A new prostate cancer nurse at Royal Adelaide Hospital is providing support and information to patients.  Ms Otto is only the second prostate specialist nurse in the state, following one at Flinders Medical Centre, providing care co-ordination and a ... more

05 March 2018

The first Australian to use the breakthrough cancer immunotherapy treatment Keytruda is thriving six years on but other lung cancer patients still can’t get a subsidy for the $150,000 a year treatment. Peter Suffolk is the world’s second longest surv... more

05 March 2018

Half of babies from poorer families are consuming sugary drinks including fruit juice, fizzy drinks and cordial before their first birthday, driving up their risk of obesity. They were also twice as likely to be eating savoury snacks, a study of 3000... more

02 March 2018

Patients, including children, will have easier access to medicinal cannabis, with the state government to drastically slash the red tape that dogs the current approvals process. State bureaucrats will no longer have to sign off on access to the drug,... more

02 March 2018

A woman caught running an illegal solarium had her sentence downgraded after outing another underground suspect. Macleod woman Taryn Battye faced the Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on two commercial tanning-related charges. She was given a 12-month go... more

02 March 2018

In his regular health column Sean Parnell discusses the effect socio-economic status has on cancer outcomes. The piece focuses on new AIHW data, the new National Cervical Screening program, new “nanocell” chemotherapy results published in the journal... more

02 March 2018

Former Hazelwood Power Station employees who fear they have been exposed to asbestos have been urged to sign up to a formal register. An Australian legal firm is urging former staff of the station, which was closed last year, to add their names to it... more

02 March 2018

Nestle has bowed to pressure and announced it will remove the controversial 4.5 health star rating splashed on tins of Milo. The company said it remained committed to the health star rating system, designed to encourage healthier purchases, but ackno... more

02 March 2018

A WA cancer educator is calling for a minimum $1.50 unit price on packaged alcohol — more than the $1.30 price endorsed by the Northern Territory Government this week. Cancer Council WA director of education and research Terry Slevin will tell the St... more

01 March 2018

Alarming new research shows many Australian women incorrectly believe the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine protects them against ovarian cancer, while the majority still think a pap smear can detect the lethal disease. A nationwide survey found ne... more

01 March 2018

Delays in bowel cancer tests are putting lives at risk, with Australia’s $52 million bowel cancer screening program stymied because participants who return a positive stool test must wait a dangerously long time for a colonoscopy. Nine in 10 Australi... more

01 March 2018

Soft-drink makers have accused the State Government of shunning them at a preventive health summit tomorrow, claiming they should be part of efforts to reduce obesity. Geoff Parker from the Australian Beverages Council, which also represents makers o... more

01 March 2018

In an opinion piece Jane Fynes-Clinton writes that it is not the responsibility of supermarkets to prevent obesity but the individual’s responsibility. The piece focuses on the tactics supermarkets use to encourage consumers to buy products, food lab... more

01 March 2018

In an opinion piece Peter Martin writes that the taxation system applied to alcohol is affecting the federal budget, due to failing indirect tax system. The piece focuses on the changes in taxation for alcoholic beverages and the 2010 Henry Tax Revie... more

28 February 2018

In an opinion piece Jill Margo writes that radiation oncologists are giving men with low-risk prostate cancer radiation therapy and that urologists are under-treating men with an intermediate risk cancer. The piece focuses on the trend of over-treatm... more

28 February 2018

Tasmanians are more likely to die from cancer than people in other states and analysts say the data should serve as a wake-up call to improve local early detection and treatment options. Tasmania has much higher death rates from all major cancers — e... more

28 February 2018

New research released by Ovarian Cancer Australia to mark Teal Ribbon Day shows nearly 30 per cent of Australians don’t know the difference between ovarian and cervical cancer, a cancer that occurs in the cervix. Both are aggressive, but lack of earl... more

28 February 2018

Printing calories on menus helps reduce how much diners eat by up to 12 per cent. Restaurants and cafes should specify the number of calories in each dish to help combat obesity, researchers said last night. Professor Susan Jebb, the co-author of a n... more

28 February 2018

Australians are unaware how much alcohol they can drink before harming their health, sparking calls for a campaign to outline safety limits. The National Health and Medical Research Council alcohol guidelines say any more than two standard drinks a d... more

27 February 2018

Millennials are on course to be the fattest generation since records began, a charity has warned. Seven in 10 adults born between the early-1980s and mid-1990s will be overweight or obese before they reach middle age, Cancer Research UK predicted. It... more

27 February 2018

Almost 6000 Australians are dying from alcohol-related causes each year, with more than a third the result of cancer. The National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University estimates that 5785 people aged 15 and over died from alcohol attributable... more

26 February 2018

Leading Australian paediatric oncologist Professor David Ziegler is not the only expert critical of the methods of Monterrey’s Clinica 0-19. Others worldwide warn that its doctors take unnecessary risks, using unproven science and drug combinations. ... more

26 February 2018

Three Aussie families are among 70 from across the globe to have put their faith — and their life savings — in a controversial Mexican cancer clinic. They credit the controversial Clinica 0-19 in the city of Monterrey in northeast Mexico with keeping... more

26 February 2018

The executive director of Queensland’s biggest hospital has issued a plea for women to have regular mammograms with the latest figures showing a disturbing slump in numbers among the target age group. Amanda Dines, of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s H... more

26 February 2018

In an opinion piece Alexandra Barratt writes that the advice Sunrise host Samantha Armytage gave to viewers to start breast screening at 40 instead of the recommended 50, ignores vast amounts of independent medical research about the downsides of can... more

26 February 2018

Firefighters are suffering a hidden cancer epidemic caused by exposure to toxic chemicals that become embedded in their clothing or inhaled during fires, researchers found. The rate of deaths from cancer in firefighters younger than 75 is “up to thre... more

26 February 2018

Supermarkets should banish lollies and soft drinks from checkouts, limit discounts on junk food, and promote more wholesome food in catalogues, obesity experts say. Deakin University researchers are urging grocery chains to take more responsibility f... more

23 February 2018

In an opinion piece Terry Barnes writes that the Australian government shouldn’t be banning the use of electronic cigarettes, as vaping allows smokers to quit smoking tobacco cigarettes. The piece focuses on other countries who have used e-cigarettes... more

23 February 2018

In an opinion piece Paul Glasziou writes that the prostate cancer screening tests David Koch underwent on Channel 7’s Sunrise last week give the public the impression that these tests are important and necessary. The piece focuses on how PSA and DRE ... more

23 February 2018

A truck driver has been fined $7500 for dumping a load of waste mixed with asbestos next to a water plant in regional NSW. The man from Perthville was fined after he was caught on CCTV offloading the asbestos outside the Bathurst Water Filtration Pla... more

22 February 2018

Downing soft drinks increases your risk of cancer even if the sugar is not showing up on your waistline, researchers have found. A study of 35,000 Australians has shown a person’s risk of suffering from 11 cancers rose sharply if they drank one or mo... more

21 February 2018

“Dr Google” could help curb cancer after Queensland scientists found a link between internet searches about melanoma and the number of officially confirmed cases. University of the Sunshine Coast, QUT and Cancer Council scientists compared searches f... more

21 February 2018

Women are more likely to change their diet than seek medical help when suffering from a key symptom of ovarian cancer, a charity has warned. Despite persistent bloating being one of the main signs of the disease, half of women say they would try meas... more

21 February 2018

Ward persons and hospital assistants at Canberra Hospital say their relationship with management has hit rock bottom, amid concerns their tiny tea room is an asbestos risk. The Health Services Union claims the workers have faced ‘‘ongoing bullying’’ ... more

20 February 2018

Thousands of West Australians are risking hefty fines by using nicotine electronic cigarettes as the State Government moves to tighten laws that could outlaw vaping as much as smoking. Under WA’s Medicines and Poisons Act, people can be fined $45,000... more

20 February 2018

Promising drugs to stop liver swelling and scarring have won the state’s first grant of $7 million from the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund. UniSA Professor Stuart Pitson from the Centre for Cancer Biology and Associate Professor Bernard Flyn... more

19 February 2018

Chemotherapy could become a thing of the past for up to two in three cancer patients with the Government looking at subsidising breakthrough new immunotherapies for a number of cancers. The medicines, called programmed-death ligand 1 (PDL1) therapies... more

19 February 2018

Medical experts have questioned whether the health system will be able to meet rising consumer demand for medicinal cannabis, especially with such little evidence of its safety and efficacy. In the Medical Journal of Australia today, associate profes... more

19 February 2018

Australia researchers have found a promising way to prevent serious and lifelong complications of bone marrow transplants, which affects almost half of blood cancer patients who undergo the lifesaving procedure. A team has successfully used the simpl... more

19 February 2018

Perth doctors are playing a key role in a remarkable gene hunt which could reveal thousands of unsuspecting women and men at high risk of breast, ovarian and prostate cancers. They are part of Traceback, a world-first cancer prevention, which will re... more

19 February 2018

A vaccine that slashes the risk of developing cancer could be on the horizon, researchers announced yesterday. They have found a way of “priming” the immune system to spot, attack and kill off breast tumour cells. By taking a sample of blood, alterin... more

19 February 2018

Fathers could be passing on a genetic mutation to their daughters that further adds to their inherited risk of ovarian cancer, new research suggests. A study of about 10,000 families impacted by ovarian cancer found a genetic mutation passed down thr... more

16 February 2018

A specialised radiotherapy machine that delivers vital cancer treatment at the Royal Adelaide Hospital is lying idle because of staffing issues, the Australian Medical Association says. It comes after it emerged six patients had their cancer treatmen... more

16 February 2018

Ultra-processed foods such as fizzy drinks, cake, cereal and processed meats could increase the risk of cancer, according to a new study. Processed foods make up to 50 per cent of the average person’s diet in some developed countries and could contri... more

14 February 2018

In an opinion piece Miranda Devine writes that the NSW Health Minister’s proposal to ban e-cigarettes would restrict tobacco smokers from quitting. The piece focuses on how smoking rates have not declined in three years, and that those who smoke have... more

13 February 2018

A faulty gene that kills people in their prime has proven to be a “super assassin” against cancer cells, showing that even the most heartbreaking clouds can have a silver lining. US experiments have revealed that the genetic defect responsible for Hu... more

13 February 2018

Brain cancer treatment hopes have been raised after Melbourne scientists unlocked a key to using the immune system to destroy tumours. Some forms of brain cancer are still 100 per cent fatal. Medication is largely palliative, and there have been no n... more

12 February 2018

Elderly patients with breast cancer could live longer with mild chemotherapy, research suggests. Chemo drugs can cause such severe side effects they often aren’t given to older people in the later stages of cancer. While effective in younger patients... more

12 February 2018

Cures for a range of cancers are in sight, thanks to a revolution in immunotherapy treatments, according to experts. They said that, within a decade, patients could be cured of the disease with the help of drugs that used the body’s immune system to ... more

12 February 2018

The use of electronic cigarettes is set to be banned indoors under changes NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard is expected to take to cabinet this week. NSW is set to go down the road of Victoria and put a ban on the practice of vaping indoors by imposi... more

12 February 2018

The Turnbull government has announced more than $180 million for programs to reduce the drastic rates of smoking among Indigenous Australians, with tobacco still a leading cause of death and illness in communities across the country. Ahead of the rel... more

12 February 2018

British scientists have created a cancer vaccine that fights the most deadly type of skin cancer – and learned how to predict who it will work for. Two-thirds of the patients immunised with the vaccine, which targets melanoma cells, are “alive and we... more

12 February 2018

A record number of West Australians last month got so badly sunburnt they ended up in hospital emergency departments, despite Perth’s mildest summer in 25 years. In January, 118 people — an average of almost four people a day — sought emergency medic... more

12 February 2018

Australia’s obesity crisis is hitting the nation’s maternity wards, with a significant proportion of serious pregnancy complications and trauma caused by women’s excess weight, new research has found. The study, published in The Medical Journal of Au... more

09 February 2018

Vaping makes users more likely to catch pneumonia – just like smoking tobacco or breathing in traffic fumes, experts suggested yesterday. The vapour from e-cigarettes helps bacteria that cause the condition to stick to the cells that line the airways... more

09 February 2018

A worrying number of Queensland women continue to smoke during pregnancy, despite warnings about the dangers to their baby. Department of Health figures show 12.4 per cent of Queensland women smoked during pregnancy compared to 10.4 per cent for the ... more

09 February 2018

Exercising during cancer treatment can protect the heart against accelerated ageing from toxic — but lifesaving — chemotherapy. A world-first trial by Australian researchers at Melbourne’s Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute has found the hearts of br... more

08 February 2018

Giving men with advanced prostate cancer a cheap chemotherapy drug soon after they are diagnosed dramatically improves survival chances, a major study has found. British researchers showed that men with the cancer lived 25 per cent longer if given do... more

08 February 2018

In a breakthrough that could stop cancers turning deadly, scientists have identified an amino acid responsible for spreading tumours around the body. An international research team has found that the compound, asparagine, plays a crucial role in seed... more

08 February 2018

The eye-opening shock tactics used in the nation’s world-acclaimed and highly successful anti-smoking campaign could play a part in stemming the rising tidal wave of obesity rates, the Australian Medical Association says. AMA president Michael Gannon... more

07 February 2018

All South Australian prisons will be smoke-free by the end of 2019, the State Government has pledged, breaking the habit for more than 80 per cent of inmates. The State Government has tasked a committee to ensure the transition is made by the end of ... more

07 February 2018

This is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and Cancer Council Queensland is urging women to understand changes in their body as early detection helps survival. “If detected early, between 80 and 100 per cent of women diagnosed will survive at least five ... more

07 February 2018

“Mini organs” are being grown from tumours so thousands of drug combinations can be tested on them in an attempt to revolutionise the treatment of childhood cancer. In an Australian-first pilot program, Victoria’s Hudson Institute of Medical Research... more

07 February 2018

Prostate cancer has moved on. The focus used to be on diagnosing this cancer at an early stage. Now that testing is common, the focus in on trying to prevent an early cancer from developing into advanced disease. This is a significant shift because m... more

07 February 2018

Research: A cuppa can be deadly if you also drink alcohol, cancer researchers warn Drinking hot tea and too much alcohol can increase the risk of a deadly cancer fivefold, research has shown. Oesophageal cancer already was known to be linked to dri... more

06 February 2018

Relatives of women killed by ovarian cancer may get lifesaving news out of the blue warning they have a heightened risk of cancer. In a revolutionary program to anticipate cancers linked to genetic mutations, past ovarian cancer patients’ saved tumou... more

06 February 2018

Green tea and tomato juice could be the next medicinal weapons in the war on prostate cancer. Bristol and Oxford University researchers hope to carry out a large-scale randomised experiment after early studies produced “strong observational evidence”... more

06 February 2018

Half of all pregnant women are facing out-of-pocket expenses averaging $142 for a standard ultrasound because Medicare rebates have not risen in 20 years. And more than half of all cancer patients also face gap fees for scans. Lung cancer patients pa... more

05 February 2018

West Australians making poor lifestyle choices are driving up healthcare costs by almost $900 million a year. The latest figures from WA Health show bad lifestyles are contributing to a sick State, with the total hospital bill for “potentially preven... more

05 February 2018

Labor has announced three years of funding support for a breast cancer recovery program. An ALP government would provide $59,000 for each of three years to keep Women’s Health Tasmania’s Encore service running state-wide. The YWCA-developed program h... more

01 February 2018

Doctors are concerned access to codeine – which is available only by prescription from today – has been cut off with no viable alternative. Canberra emergency doctor David Caldicott said the use of medicinal marijuana was an obvious solution for pain... more

01 February 2018

Almost two million Australians will either be living with cancer or its after-effects by 2040, prompting a warning that support services will have to be vastly scaled up to cope with the impending wave. A Cancer Council report forecasts the number of... more

31 January 2018

Heath Minister Greg Hunt says the government will prioritise emerging medical research on genes and their functions, and has backed an innovation report designed to make Australia the healthiest nation in the world by 2030. The report released on Tue... more

31 January 2018

In an opinion piece, Caleb Bond argues that Nick Xenophon's policy of raising the smoking age to 21 in SA would send a message "that young people are not to be trusted and cannot be responsible for their own actions – despite the fact almost 90 perce... more

31 January 2018

South Australia has become the first state to legislate a ban on toxic firefighting foams. The prohibition on all fluorinated foams – including those that contain potentially cancer-causing perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid ... more

31 January 2018

Cancer is a numbers game — and a group of scientists has done the sums to prove it. Using a form of mathematical analysis called evolutionary dynamics, researchers managed to track how colorectal and intestinal cancers spread. They found that when th... more

31 January 2018

Daily sunscreen use by all Australians would slash melanoma rates by up to a third by the year 2031, research has found. The study, led by QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute scientists, suggests more than 28,000 fewer melanomas would be diagno... more

31 January 2018

Smoke from e-cigarettes damages DNA and can increase the risk of cancer and heart disease, scientists warn. The battery-driven devices, which deliver an instant nicotine “hit” without burning tobacco, have been promoted as a safer alternative to ciga... more

30 January 2018

SA best leader Nick Xenophon is backing a push from one of Australia’s richest men to raise the legal smoking age to 21, saying it would be a key demand if he becomes kingmaker after the state election. Mr Xenophon says he will begin releasing a suit... more

30 January 2018

A new report by not-for-profit CanTeen and Deloitte shows for the first time the lifetime cost for each young Australian diagnosed with cancer is $1.3 million. This includes $134,600 in health system costs, $418,700 in productivity costs, such as abs... more

30 January 2018

In an opinion piece Jane Martin writes that the despite the majority of both Coalition and Labor voters supporting a sugar tax both parties continue to ignore their voters. The piece focuses on the need for a sugar tax due to Australia’s high consump... more

30 January 2018

Residents of the sugar town of Mackay are officially the state’s fattest, according to the Cancer Council. In Townsville, obesity rates are growing faster than anywhere else in Australia. The number of obese and overweight adults grew 20 per cent – f... more

29 January 2018

A ban on smoking around schools and hospitals is being considered by the Tasmanian Government. The Government will consult with councils and the broader community about the move, which would see extended smoke-free areas around the institutions. The ... more

29 January 2018

Chain-smoking Indonesia is moving to stub out its booming e-cigarette sector, sparking criticism the government is siding with big tobacco firms at the expense of public health. The South-East Asian nation has one of the world’s highest smoking rates... more

29 January 2018

In an opinion piece Graeme Lynch, writes that many people are unaware of the cancer and heart disease risks of smoking. The opinion piece focuses on the need for more public awareness campaigns about the risks of smoking and further regulation of tob... more

29 January 2018

Tasmania needs a “reinvigorated approach” to addressing alcohol harm — a bigger challenge for the state than ice, says the Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council. And the council says the link between alcohol and cancer will be the next public heal... more

29 January 2018

WA teenagers will have fewer jabs but better protection against cervical, head and throat cancers when a new vaccine is introduced this year. The WA Health Department is urging parents to be aware of the changes and keep an eye out for consent forms ... more

25 January 2018

Millions of people could be risking their health by taking herbal remedies and prescription drugs at the same time. Scientists warn statins, warfarin and other common drugs can interact with health supplements, producing dangerous side-effects or red... more

25 January 2018

Perth researchers have been awarded more than $3.5 million to pioneer treatments that could revolutionise how cystic fibrosis is managed. The Telethon Kids Institute scientists are the first West Australians to win a grant from the Federal Government... more

25 January 2018

Hundreds of red-faced Victorians are getting so badly sunburnt they end up in hospital emergency departments each year, risking their lives and long-term health. As Australians prepare for the long weekend, the Cancer Council warns January is the pea... more

25 January 2018

Health groups have raised alarm about a new bill that, if passed, would see the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) abandon the pre-approval process of advertisements for complementary and alternative medicines. While they support many elements of... more

24 January 2018

In an opinion piece, the editor writes of euthanasia: “We may fight the passage of years, and seek sometimes the most extraordinary means of prolonging life even just that little bit extra, but ultimately death claims us all. Short of some biomedical... more

24 January 2018

Research into rare cancers and often-overlooked diseases has received a shot in the arm under a program targeting diseases with low survival rates. Almost $70 million in federal government funding will be provided to some of Australia’s best medical ... more

23 January 2018

In an opinion piece, Judith Sloan writes that the Australian Medical Association’s sugar tax would result in the consumption of sugar going down but the rates of obesity increasing. The piece focuses on the AMA and the issues of introducing a sugar t... more

22 January 2018

Australians are expected to drink less alcohol, spend less on tobacco and eat more fruit and vegetables over the next five years, according to new research. But they will continue to battle with weight. The report conducted by IBISWorld, which specia... more

22 January 2018

A major new website of national cancer data will help researchers and officials pinpoint where efforts should go to best fight the disease. Cancer Australia has launched Australia’s first interactive website of consolidated cancer information, the Na... more

22 January 2018

A new genetic “hazard score” for prostate cancer can help guide decisions on who would benefit from prostate cancer screening, researchers say. Screening for prostate specific antigen or PSA – a cancer indicator – can lead to early detection and pote... more

19 January 2018

Lung cancer is now the biggest killer of Victorian women, overtaking breast cancer as the leading cause of mortality. It’s now the cancer most likely to kill men and women, with only 18 per cent of patients alive after five years. Health experts say ... more

19 January 2018

People with freckles on their irises could be at a higher risk of melanoma, especially if they are younger than 40, a Brisbane research project has found. The presence of three or more pigmented lesions on the iris, the coloured part of the eye, was ... more

19 January 2018

Testing women over 30 for genetic mutations could save more than 80,000 from getting cancer, research suggests. The faults, such as the BRCA gene mutation carried by actor Angelina Jolie, significantly raise cancer risk. Only women known to have fami... more

19 January 2018

Scientists have created a blood test that can detect eight of the most common cancers long before they turn lethal, in a breakthrough that could save millions of people from premature death. The “liquid biopsy” identifies early-stage tumours from pro... more

18 January 2018

In an opinion piece Dr Kathryn Barnsley writes that the tobacco industry has unleashed a new form of deadly filters, designed to create a fast addiction in children, adolescents and young adults. The piece focuses on how Australians, mostly women, th... more

18 January 2018

In an opinion piece Peter Martin writes that according to the Essential poll Australian’s have the same sort of disdain for sugar as they do for tobacco. The piece focuses on how the beverage industry is attempting to mislead Australians about sugar,... more

17 January 2018

Medicinal cannabis will be made available to more young patients in Victoria under an imminent expansion of access to the drug. Minister for Health Jill Hennessy and Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford are today expected to announce the changes, w... more

16 January 2018

Concerns have been raised about delays in cancer diagnosis in Alice Springs, which include a man who waited nine months to find out he had skin cancer. Steve Brown saw his GP about a pea-sized lump in his neck in October 2016. After months of scans a... more

16 January 2018

Research from the University of Virginia in the US shows that ramifications from schoolyard conflicts may be tied to premature aging and other issues – even tumors, arthritis and cancer – later in life. The study, called ‘‘The Body Remembers’’ and pu... more

16 January 2018

Women who receive hormonal therapy for breast cancer are at an increased risk of developing chronic conditions later in life. New research by Flinders University and the University of South Australia, published in the Medical Journal of Australia tod... more

15 January 2018

In an opinion piece Colin Mendelsohn writes that vaping is a potentially lifesaving technology for smokers who have been unable to quit smoking cigarettes. The piece focuses on how vaping isn’t harmless but is safer than tobacco cigarettes. Colin Men... more

15 January 2018

Doctors have warned that families are turning to drug dealers because the process of obtaining medicinal cannabis legally is too arduous, despite the Turnbull government legalising its export earlier this month. GPs are required not only to apply to ... more

15 January 2018

Parents who repeatedly neglect their children by failing to slip, slop, slap this summer have been accused of child abuse. Australia’s peak medical body and other health experts have put parents on notice following Sydney’s hottest day in almost 80 y... more

15 January 2018

Australia breast cancer patients will be the first in the world to access a “liquid biopsy” to detect mutations. Researchers have developed a blood test to gauge whether cancer treatments have stopped working, months earlier than standard, invasive b... more

15 January 2018

A major new study has found no difference in the overall survival rates between young women with breast cancer who had one of the high-risk gene mutations, and those who did not. About 97 per cent of BRCA carriers were alive two years after diagnosis... more

15 January 2018

In an opinion piece Esther Han writes that this year five countries will join 26 nations that have raised the price of sugary drinks in the hope of a healthier population but Australia – one of the fattest countries in the world – is defiantly refusi... more

12 January 2018

Aussies are glued to their mobile phones with a survey showing more than 1.2 million beachgoers are choosing smartphones as the No. 1 item to take to the beach. More than a third (36 per cent) of Generation Z or young people under 22 are most likely ... more

12 January 2018

Hundreds of young WA women are being left out of pocket from the costs of a cervical cancer test they do not need. Doctors and pathologists are concerned that women are confused about changes to the national cervical screening program which now recom... more

12 January 2018

Cancer Council Queensland will today announce a $2 million investment in cancer research projects across Queensland over the next two years, as our world-class scientists seek a cure. More Queenslanders are surviving cancer than ever, but of the 27,0... more

12 January 2018

In an opinion piece Polly Dunning writes that that she’s shocked to see the amount of Australians who fail to protect themselves from the sun when at the beach or pool. The piece focuses on Australia’s high skin cancer rates caused by sun exposure, t... more

11 January 2018

Women with breast cancer could be spared gruelling chemotherapy thanks to a new computer test. Scientists have come up with an algorithm that predicts whether or not a patient’s life is threatened by the disease spreading to their organs. The test is... more

10 January 2018

Women who regularly work night shift in Europe and North America may face a 19 per cent higher risk of cancer than those who work during the day, a study says. However, these heightened risks were not apparent among female night-shift workers in Aust... more

09 January 2018

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt will write to state colleagues to “streamline” patient access to medical cannabis after Tony Abbott went in to bat for the drug. The former prime minister approached Mr Hunt in December after medical cannabis advocat... more

09 January 2018

Australian cancer patients are missing out on drug trials that could prolong their life because of structural and technology failings, a roadblock one Perth doctor is hoping to change with the financial backing of Andrew Forrest. Michael Winlo, chief... more

09 January 2018

A stalled deal for $110 million of federal and state funding has delayed the southern hemisphere’s first proton therapy unit. The stand-off comes as questions linger over the technical capabilities of a US-based company in line to provide the cutting... more

09 January 2018

The state Liberals have pledged to focus on preventive health if elected in March, to follow a $5 million injection for a bowel cancer initiative to “save lives”. The Opposition yesterday announced the multi-million dollar boost intended to drastical... more

08 January 2018

Women who are unhappy with the size of their breasts are less likely to carry out regular cancer checks, researchers warn. Experts recommend women regularly examine their breasts for lumps that could be warning signs of a tumour. But doctors have fou... more

08 January 2018

A fire at an old school building south of Brisbane prompted fears of asbestos exposure to local residents. Police officers doorknocked the area around the Oxley State High School site on Seventeen Mile Rocks Rd, Oxley, after a fire broke out at an ol... more

08 January 2018

A review of medication errors involving opioids in palliative care has found under-dosing may be contributing to the burden of the pain of terminally ill patients in the last weeks of their lives. In a paper published in British Medical Journal Suppo... more

08 January 2018

Advertising junk food to children would be banned, sugar-sweetened drinks taxed, and unhealthy vending machines removed from all medical facilities under an all-out assault on poor nutrition being pushed by the Australian Medical Association. In a ne... more

08 January 2018

World-leading Victorian cancer researchers have been given a $7 million funding package to further discoveries that could potentially save lives. Over a dozen of the state’s most elite cancer researchers will share in the state government grants to h... more

05 January 2018

Australia could find itself the world’s pot dealer with the federal government granting approval for the export of medicinal cannabis. Health Minister Greg Hunt said medicinal cannabis product exports would help the developing domestic market. “By he... more

05 January 2018

Aussie medicinal cannabis will be soon sold overseas, but advocates claim it is still too difficult for local patients to get hold of the products. The Federal Government announced yesterday that it would license the export of medicinal cannabis. Onl... more

05 January 2018

A trial of a potential new brain cancer treatment has shown that a virus injected directly into the bloodstream can reach tumours deep inside the brain and switch on the body’s own defence system to attack them. The trial involved just nine patients,... more

05 January 2018

Drinking alcohol damages DNA, increasing the risk of developing several types of cancer, researchers have discovered. For the first time, scientists have found an explanation why alcohol can increase risk of cancers including breast, colon and bowel.... more

04 January 2018

Teenagers who start using electronic cigarettes are nearly twice as likely to go on to smoke tobacco. University of California researchers say “vaping” gets children hooked on nicotine after they become attracted by their flavours and perceived lower... more

04 January 2018

Patients with inoperable kidney cancer have been given new hope by an ultra-high dose radiation treatment, which pulverises tumours without killing surrounding healthy tissue. Five Royal Adelaide Hospital patients who have undergone the treatment are... more

04 January 2018

Queensland’s top doctors are getting tough on unhealthy snacking, saying Australian kids should follow guidelines of two snacks a day at 100 calories each – cancelling out Mars Bars at 230 calories or a bag of chips at 160 calories. The Australian Me... more

04 January 2018

Draught beer in pubs could become even more expensive under a radical tax hike proposed to the Turnbull government by anti-alcohol lobbyists. The excise on all alcohol would rise by 10 per cent, while the tax on draught beer – discounted since 2001 –... more

03 January 2018

Doctors are warning Australians not to be complacent about the dangers of sunburn as skin cancer kills thousands of people each year. Australian Medical Association president Michael Gannon said the statistics were “frightening” and it was important ... more

02 January 2018

Almost 99 per cent of additional funding provided by the Turnbull government for Medicare since the last budget came from a once controversial taskforce looking for outdated, inappropriate and wasteful rebate-funded services. The Medicare Benefits Sc... more

01 January 2018

Cabinet rejected a recommendation by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee to list nicotine patches on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Minister for Human Services and Health Carmen Lawrence said listing the patches could cost up to $100 ... more

31 December 2017

Medications that can inhibit the growth of two “catastrophic cancers’’ will next week be made available to Australians at a tiny fraction of the original price. Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced the listing of cancer medicines alectinib (brand ... more

31 December 2017

Children born to women who smoke cigarettes during pregnancy, especially when mothers are heavy smokers, are at an increased risk of having attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a review of medical studies confirms. Mothers who smoked dur... more

31 December 2017

If you start scrutinising your food for added sugar, you won’t find any, says Professor Amanda Lee. And you can’t quit what you can’t find. Professor Lee helped write the book on healthy diets. She chaired the National Health and Medical Research Cou... more

22 December 2017

The evidence is still not in on medical cannabis for treating certain conditions, according to new guidance documents for doctors and the public. For the first time, Australian doctors will have access to up-to-date information from a government webs... more

22 December 2017

It  is the immune system’s “fountain of youth” — an organ the size of an orange behind the collarbone of a newborn, that wastes away from puberty until it is smaller than a marble by old age. But Melbourne researchers have identified a key cell likel... more

22 December 2017

In an opinion piece, Professor John Dixon writes that the NSW Health policy directive for doctors to not use the word “obesity” is counterproductive and promotes a state of denial. The piece focuses on how this new policy supports an ongoing denial t... more

20 December 2017

Deaths from cancer and cardiovascular disease have doubled among people with mental illness over the past two decades, according to new research from the Australian National University. ANU School of Demography associate professor Vladimir Canudas-Ro... more

20 December 2017

Men with symptoms of prostate cancer wait four times longer for a diagnosis than women with suspected breast cancer, an audit has revealed. It takes 56 days, on average, from when a man first reports symptoms to a GP for him to be confirmed with pros... more

20 December 2017

A push to raise the smoking age from 18 to 21 is gaining traction in Queensland, with new polling showing 81 per cent of people support the change. Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles has also praised the proposal, saying it should be considered ... more

20 December 2017

Cervical cancer is set to become a disease of the middle aged, research shows. Experts predict it will almost be eradicated among young women by 2040 thanks to the HPV vaccine, which for the last decade has been given to all British schoolgirls. Inst... more

19 December 2017

Funding for ground breaking research into head and neck cancer will be among projects to benefit from grants worth $8 million being announced by the Turnbull Government today. The 24 successful recipients will focus on prevention, diagnosis and treat... more

14 December 2017

Smokers may defy health warnings by telling themselves their habit makes them look cool, but the latest evidence shows that smokers are less attractive to the opposite sex. Tell-tale wrinkles from puffing on a cigarette may be to blame for people jud... more

14 December 2017

Austria is to break with a global trend in health policy by abandoning plans to ban smoking in bars and restaurants. Full smoking prohibition was due to come in next May, but now will be shelved at the insistence of the far-right Freedom Party as a c... more

14 December 2017

Perth doctors are helping patients with advanced mesothelioma and lung and breast cancers breathe more easily and spend their last days at home instead of hospital. Patients use an implanted catheter that drains fluid so they do not need to go to hos... more

14 December 2017

The Blue Mountains council is facing suspension by the NSW government over alleged serious asbestos breaches, after the substance was discovered at a number of council-owned sites including two pre-schools and a library. Local government minister Gab... more

13 December 2017

Melbourne patients are the first in the world to trial an Australian-developed drug which hopefully will halt the most common and deadly form of brain cancer. Fifteen years after work first began to develop the drug KB004 (ifabotuzumab), the first br... more

13 December 2017

  There are more than 12,000 cases of melanoma diagnosed every year in Australia. As one of the most accessible and frequently visited healthcare destinations, pharmacy is in a prime position to educate customers on the risk of skin cancer and advis... more

13 December 2017

It’s something we should do at least twice a day, but now experts say there is an added benefit to regularly brushing your teeth - it could reduce your risk of throat cancer. The findings of a US study, published in the journal Cancer Research, were ... more

12 December 2017

Almost 40 per cent of cancer deaths in Australia are potentially avoidable, a study has found. Researchers estimate that about 17,000 Australian lives may be saved each year, mostly through lifestyle changes, such as giving up smoking, eating better,... more

12 December 2017

Ten tonnes of asbestos was dumped in the middle of a suburban street in Chester Hill early yesterday, metres from the front yards of residents. About 1am, occupants of Patricia St notified police and fire crews after noticing the toxic material in th... more

11 December 2017

More than 100 NSW patients have been victims of accidental doses of radiation due to medical error — including patient IDs not being checked properly or the wrong anatomy being X-rayed, a damning report has found. The cases include people being given... more

11 December 2017

A Canberra man diagnosed with cancer was referred to palliative care despite later undergoing successful treatment in another state. His complaint was among 387 health services related complaints received by the ACT Human Rights Commission in 2016-17... more

11 December 2017

A push to raise South Australia’s legal smoking age would be inconsistent with a recent move to toughen sentencing of serious young offenders, the state’s peak welfare body says. SA Council of Social Services chief executive Ross Womersley said raisi... more

11 December 2017

Women who use hormonal contraceptives have a 20 per cent higher risk of breast cancer than those who do not use them, according to new research. The study is said to be the biggest of its kind on breast cancer and hormonal contraception such as the c... more

11 December 2017

There is hope for women with the deadly “Angelina Jolie” breast cancer gene, with evidence an osteoporosis drug could save them from the disease. More than 15,000 Australian women have the BRCA1 gene, which gives them a 70 per cent chance of developi... more

11 December 2017

Postmenopausal women who lose weight may have a significantly reduced chance of developing breast cancer, research suggests. Several studies have associated high body mass index with increased breast cancer risk, sparking research to see if losing we... more

11 December 2017

NSW Cancer Council has called for a ban on alcohol sponsorship of sporting and cultural events —particularly those popular with youngsters — saying not enough people are aware of the links between drinking and cancer. “Weak” regulations meant childre... more

08 December 2017

The final licences needed for medicinal cannabis to be grown and manufactured in Tasmania have been obtained, with plantings earmarked for the second quarter of next year. The licence for Tasmanian Alkaloids’ facility at Westbury will enable AusCann,... more

08 December 2017

Watch out — your Christmas tipple could pack more kilojoules than the sweet treats it’s washing down. And while Australia’s food and drink regulations mandate nutritional information on food and beverage packaging, alcoholic drinks are exempt. Choice... more

07 December 2017

South Australian scientists have secured almost double their annual funding from Federal Government grants for research into health discoveries, treatments and cures. Breast cancer research, cardiovascular health, diet and nutrition, and women’s and ... more

07 December 2017

A wild Tasmanian underwater plant has played a key role in breakthrough US research that found seaweed compounds can reduce cancer growth rates. Studies on animals at the University of Texas, Houston, found extracts from two seaweed species, one of w... more

07 December 2017

Australians risk increasing their chance of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease and colon cancer if they cut quality carbohydrates high in cereal fibre from their diets.  A group of leading international and Australian experts say the evidenc... more

07 December 2017

Shocking people into understanding the deadly link between being fat and getting cancer could be the way to bolster support for anti-obesity policies such as a junk food tax, health experts claim. New Australian research shows only 42 per cent of peo... more

06 December 2017

New gender quotas for research have seen dozens of women scientists winning bonus grant funding. However, male researchers won two-thirds of the The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants being announced today. Cancer and heart d... more

06 December 2017

Women are discovering that while technology has brought great improvements in breast cancer screening, it has also brought a degree of uncertainty. A study from the Netherlands, published in BMJ Open today, is likely to cause alarm as it suggests hal... more

06 December 2017

Work has begun on a new oncology centre, with hopes it will cut waiting times for cancer patients and save Canberrans from travelling interstate for treatment. The Canberra Specialist Medical Centre at University of Canberra is due to open next year,... more

05 December 2017

Australia’s biggest superannuation fund is selling out of big tobacco in a punishing blow for the industry, offloading more than $900 million worth of shares. AustralianSuper has hatched plans to sell out of tobacco merchants including heavyweights P... more

05 December 2017

Common anti-inflammatory drugs could stop skin cancers becoming deadly ulcerated melanomas, Queensland researchers have found. A study by the Brisbane based QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute has shown that regular use of some anti-inflammator... more

05 December 2017

Most parents are confused over what constitutes healthy or unhealthy food, with treats now daily snacks for toddlers and vegetables scarce at dinner time. The latest Royal Children’s Hospital National Child Health Poll, a quarterly survey of almost 2... more

05 December 2017

Sausages could be better for us than previously thought. The World Health Organisation warned two years ago that 50g of processed meat — or a sausage a day — could raise risk of bowel cancer by almost a fifth. But scientists have found the chemicals ... more

04 December 2017

A new-generation cancer drug holds the hope of a “cure” for HIV patients, research has shown. French doctors made the discovery while using the immunotherapy drug nivolumab to treat a man with lung cancer and AIDS. They observed a “drastic and persis... more

04 December 2017

The RAH haematologist responsible for the chemotherapy mistake, Dr Ian Lewis, froze “like a kangaroo in the headlights” and did nothing to follow up the serious error that halved the doses given to seriously ill leukaemia patients. The coroner’s cour... more

04 December 2017

More women undergoing chemotherapy have been given a better chance of having a baby post-treatment, with the Federal Government expanding the listing of an effective fertility preservation medication on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Goserelin, ... more

04 December 2017

Nicotine patches and other tobacco replacements have been proven to be safer than smoking for pregnant women, despite a quarter of doctors claiming they never prescribe the treatments. A new report to be released today in the Medical Journal of Austr... more

04 December 2017

In an opinion piece, federal Labor MP Tim Hammond writes that he opposes the recent legalisation of voluntary assisted dying. The piece focuses on Tim’s reasons for opposing including that there has been adequate funding for palliative care and the e... more

04 December 2017

In an opinion piece, Lainie Anderson writes that following the legalisation of voluntary assisted dying in Victoria, South Australia should follow suit and legalise it as well. The piece focuses on the barriers South Australian Parliament has to lega... more

04 December 2017

Australians are continuing to put their health at risk by failing to have their skin regularly checked for skin cancer. National research shows 71 per cent of Australians have not had a professional skin check in the past year and 39 per cent have ne... more

04 December 2017

US regulators have approved a first-of-a-kind test that looks for mutations in hundreds of cancer genes at once using a single tumour sample. This gives a more complete picture of what’s driving a patient’s tumour and aids efforts to match treatments... more

04 December 2017

Babies born nowadays could have a shorter life than their parents and suffer more disease all because of what goes on in the first 1000 days of their life. Scientists will this week launch new dietary recommendations to try and prevent the problem. T... more

04 December 2017

More funding is needed for research into cancers with low survival rates across Australia, a Senate inquiry has found. The Senate select committee investigating cancers with low survival rates has tabled its report, complete with 25 recommendations. ... more

04 December 2017

The Defence department will fund voluntary blood testing for Katherine residents who have lived or worked inside the RAAF Base Tindal PFAS contamination zone. The blood testing is part of a package, announced yesterday, which also includes a public h... more

04 December 2017

The exposure of thousands of Australian workers to deadly levels of silica dust may prompt a wave of legal claims. The size of the problem has prompted law firm Slater and Gordon to launch its own national silicosis register, where people can provide... more

04 December 2017

Decoding nutritional labels on our packaged food can be more challenging than a crossword or sudoku puzzle — but it doesn’t have to be, according to leading dietitians. Ingredients lists, recommended daily intakes and nutrient breakdowns can make for... more

01 December 2017

In a bid to give Territorians battling cancer better access to treatment options, Leader of the Opposition Gary Higgins has requested funding for a $5 million Calypso system. The system operates at both Epworth Hospital in Victoria and Princess Alexa... more

01 December 2017

Australians should ditch spray-on sunscreens this summer because most people cannot apply them properly and risk being unprotected from harmful UV rays. That is the advice of the Cancer Council, which has stopped endorsing the use of popular aerosol ... more

01 December 2017

Australian women will now no longer have to visit the doctor once every two years for a Pap smear with a new, more effective screening test to be available from today. The new human papillomavirus test, which will screen women once every five years, ... more

30 November 2017

Users of medicinal cannabis will not be allowed to drive with the drug in their system under new laws which have passed State Parliament. MPs have been debating laws proposed by the State Government to strengthen drug driving penalties but were divid... more

30 November 2017

Queensland skin cancer experts say Australia is at risk of “dropping the ball” on sun smart awareness with no big national campaign in a decade and none in sight. Despite evidence the “Slip, Slop, Slap” campaign of late last century had reduced death... more

30 November 2017

Almost 1 million women across NSW are overdue for their Pap test, with western Sydney women least likely to have undergone the cervical cancer screening in the past two years. The figures were released on the eve of the big switch to a new national c... more

30 November 2017

In an opinion piece, David Beard writes that the tax on exercise physiology services should be removed as it is the allied health services subjected to the tax. The piece focuses on how bringing exercise physiology services into line with comparable ... more

29 November 2017

A years-long dispute among European Union nations, American corporations and environmental groups over a weedkiller was settled this week in a surprise move by Germany. Representatives from a majority of EU nations approved a five-year licence renewa... more

29 November 2017

A Kambah homeowner will ask the ACT government if run-off from a cleared Mr Fluffy block next door that flooded parts of her property has contaminated it with asbestos. A downpour on Saturday, during which 62mm fell at Tuggeranong between 6pm and 7.3... more

29 November 2017

A former Hockeyroo who used forged medical certificates as part of a claim she had cancer has been fined more than $2600 and given a good behaviour bond. Kathryn Hubble, 33, worked for the cancer charity Redkite in June and July this year when she ga... more

28 November 2017

A report from the Australian Health Policy Collaboration at Victoria University has shown that a huge proportion of the population is at high risk of dying early from chronic diseases and other often preventable conditions. These most disadvantaged A... more

28 November 2017

Melbourne scientists are among those contributing to the growing evidence that lifestyle factors — for better or worse — can change our epigenome. Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health’s head of the epigenetics and neural plasticity labo... more

28 November 2017

Australian researchers have discovered why there is a strong link between obesity and endometrial cancer. A study at the University of Newcastle’s Hunter Medical Research Institute has identified a protein that drives the growth of the cancer cells. ... more

27 November 2017

WA will lead the charge to lift the nation’s legal age for smoking to 21. Health Minister Roger Cook threw his support behind a crusade by WA mining magnate Andrew Forrest to increase the minimum smoking age from 18. It comes as Cancer Council WA tod... more

27 November 2017

In an opinion piece, Adam Creighton writes that banning e-cigarettes is the wrong decision. The piece focuses on how vaping is a safer option for hardened smokers and that Australia should follow other countries such as the UK and Canada by encouragi... more

27 November 2017

Sun-safe hats aren’t worn by nearly half of Sydney’s primary school students, according to a report commissioned by the NSW Cancer Institution and Cancer Council. Observers watched 8000 students in government schools in western Sydney over three mont... more

27 November 2017

Australian researchers are developing and testing new “fountain of youth” treatments designed to make us stronger into old age. The therapies aim to mimic or intensify the effects of exercise and slow ageing by improving muscle strength. Older adults... more

27 November 2017

Leukaemia patients could benefit from a radical new type of bone marrow transplant that cuts the chance of their blood cancer returning. The method ensures only “good” immune cells from a donor are used, with any “bad” cells that could attack the pat... more

27 November 2017

Women are undergoing lung cancer surgery in Australia at a rate escalating faster than that of men, reflecting the tobacco industry’s aggressive marketing of feminised ‘‘slim’’ and ‘‘light’’ products in the 1980s and ’90s. Health experts say this tre... more

27 November 2017

Home renovators and DIYers will be at increased risk of contracting an asbestos-related disease if the peak national body for raising public awareness of the deadly mineral is chopped or has its budget slashed, warn asbestos disease support groups, d... more

24 November 2017

Australians with breast cancer will have access to a drug from early next year that reduces the risk of the cancer returning. The drug, Nerlynx, is targeted for use in women with HER2+ early breast cancer. One in four women diagnosed with this type o... more

24 November 2017

A British government agency has accused a trio of top Australian public health advocates, including prominent anti-smoking campaigner Simon Chapman, of putting a “series of factual errors” to a parliamentary inquiry into vaping and the use of e-cigar... more

24 November 2017

A new hotline is expected to fast track access to medicinal cannabis for palliative care patients in NSW. Doctors will soon have access to the NSW Medicinal Cannabis Advisory Service to help them cut through the regulatory red tape of legally prescri... more

24 November 2017

Almost three-quarters of NT primary schools have put in place sun-protection policies, according to the results of the 2017 National Primary School SunSmart survey. The survey found hat wearing was the most common method of sun protection. However, o... more

24 November 2017

Two in five Australian teens with a food allergy are having frequent allergic reactions. A Murdoch Childrens Research Institute study of 10 to 14-year-olds found half had had an allergic reaction in the past year, with peanuts and tree nuts the most ... more

23 November 2017

More than 75 per cent of Queenslanders say they support a push to increase the age of purchase for cigarettes from 18 to 21 as part of a plan to reduce tobacco-related deaths. Spearheaded by mining billionaire Andrew Forrest and championed by NRL gre... more

23 November 2017

Terminally ill patients in Victoria will have access to the country’s first voluntary euthanasia scheme in more than 20 years, after an assisted dying bill passed the state’s upper house following a marathon sitting of parliament. Legislative Council... more

23 November 2017

Struggling with deep-seated uncertainty was a common companion for patients on immunotherapy, suggested a Sydney-based study, presented at the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia's (COSA) annual scientific meeting last week. Study co-author and ps... more

23 November 2017

Doctors are not referring women for fertility preservation after a cancer diagnosis as often as they could, a new study has found, robbing many young women of a chance to become a mum once they are in remission. A national survey of 150 oncologists, ... more

23 November 2017

Half a century after serving in Vietnam, hundreds of veterans have a new reason to believe they are dying from a silent bullet — test results show some men may have been infected by a slow-killing parasite while in the jungles of South-East Asia. The... more

23 November 2017

Tougher penalties and a special Border Force unit to crack down on illegal asbestos imports have been recommended, with the deadly product found in children’s crayons. Despite an Australian ban on the use and importation on asbestos since 2003, conta... more

23 November 2017

Pap smears will be phased out from December 1 and replaced by a new test recommended every five years instead of two. After years of planning and a delay from the planned May 1 start — a result of combining all State and Territory registers into a Na... more

22 November 2017

Queensland scientists have found that chronic stress can reduce the effectiveness of cancer treatments and are working to manage anxiety to improve chances of survival. The University of Queensland’s preclinical investigation offers hope for the 27,0... more

22 November 2017

If everyone added a 15-minute power walk to their weekday routine Australia’s chronic disease burden due to inactivity could be slashed by 13 per cent, saving lives and dollars in the process. A report out today from the Australian Institute of Healt... more

22 November 2017

A recommendation for independent “cancer patient advocates” to be hired in the wake of the St Vincents chemotherapy under dosing scandal has been put in the “too hard basket” by the state government, the Opposition claims. The NSW government has anno... more

21 November 2017

Australian cancer patients are waiting twice as long as those overseas to access life-saving new treatments because of delays in new biomarker tests for the medicines. A major report by cancer experts will today call for the red tape to be cut and th... more

21 November 2017

Mike Baird is lending his name to a medical cannabis charity with the former premier saying he wants governments to “move quickly” to ensure terminally ill patients can access the drug. While Mr Baird has been trying to keep a low-profile since quitt... more

20 November 2017

In an opinion piece Todd Harper writes that cancer patients using untested treatments or cures that are infective and in some cases dangerous. The piece focuses on the need for cancer patients to consult their doctor before using these treatments. To... more

20 November 2017

Governments should consider suing tobacco companies to recover the health costs of caring for smokers, academics argue in a new opinion article. Following the lead of Canada, which launched a health care cost recovery lawsuit against big tobacco, cou... more

20 November 2017

Kids are taking the lead in sun protection and reminding their slack parents to slip, slop, slap as there is evidence the campaign is now reducing skin cancer rates. Thirty-six years after the Cancer Council’s Sid the Seagull launched his sun protect... more

20 November 2017

There are fears Australians have become complacent about sun protection, with research revealing 2.7 million adults get sunburnt on weekends because many do not slip on a shirt. The Cancer Council’s latest national sun protection survey shows that ov... more

20 November 2017

A screening test being developed by Melbourne scientists aims to detect ovarian cancer in its early stages to improve survival rates. There are no early detection tests for the cancer, which claims the lives of almost 1000 women a year, so many women... more

20 November 2017

In an opinion piece Penny Egan writes that improving men’s health starts with changing behaviour. The piece focuses on the importance of testing, preventing cancer by using sun protection, not smoking, eat healthy and exercising regularly. Penny Egan... more

17 November 2017

Rebel neurosurgeon Charlie Teo has quit the brain cancer charity he founded after “spitting the dummy” over the amount of donations soaked up by administration costs. Professor Teo is setting up a new low-cost charity which aims to slash the proporti... more

17 November 2017

Chinese scientists have found evidence that a fungus used in traditional Chinese medicine, widely sought by the public for its healing powers, also carries anti-cancer benefits. The scientists found there was an interaction between two anti-cancer co... more

17 November 2017

In an opinion piece, Peter Martin writes that if Australians want to live longer it is going to take hard work. The piece focuses on the factors that influence Australia’s health including smoking, alcohol and obesity. Age – Online here, 17/11/2017,... more

17 November 2017

Katherine residents fear toxic foam PFAS may have caused cancer and thyroid clusters, according to Gorge Health Services GP Dr PJ Spafford. Dr Spafford, who has worked in the town for about 15 years, says his patients are very concerned about how exp... more

14 November 2017

Sun lovers can take a selfie to see the damage being done to their skin in the latest weapon against cancer. In an effort to drive more Victorians to slip, slop, slap, the Cancer Council is launching an app to alert people to the invisible dangers of... more

14 November 2017

Coffee is more than a heart starter, with new research suggesting it helps prevent blood clots in the chest and brain. American scientists have unearthed fresh evidence that coffee exerts protective effects against heart failure and stroke. The preli... more

14 November 2017

More than 3 million samples of DNA, tissue, blood and tumour cells from willing NSW patients will be stored in the biggest biobank in the southern hemisphere designed to turbocharge medical research in the state. The $12 million NSW Health Statewide ... more

14 November 2017

Australian lives could be saved if smokers are encouraged to switch to vapes or e-cigarettes, leading health experts say. Health professionals gathered in Melbourne yesterday to hear how technology could help smokers quit cigarettes. “For those smoke... more

10 November 2017

Children are being unnecessarily exposed to radiation from CT scans because of a lack of access to MRI scans, a Federal Government inquiry has been told. Doctors claim computed tomography (CT) scans are being used as a proxy for magnetic resonance im... more

09 November 2017

Doctors and pharmacists are already registered to be part of Australia’s first medicinal cannabis online ordering system. The CannabisAccess portal has been upgraded to allow pharmacists to order product online and for doctors to apply for state appr... more

09 November 2017

Talks aimed at reviving the stalled Trans-Pacific Partnership between Australia and 10 other nations could add as much as $100 million to the cost of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, a new study has found. An issue in the talks attended by Trade M... more

09 November 2017

Women who have intra-uterine devices for birth control appear to face a dramatically lower risk of cervical cancer. US researchers yesterday revealed the risk of cervical cancer in women with IUDs was one-third lower than women without them. “The pat... more

09 November 2017

A new study has discovered a DNA quirk in long-term pancreatic cancer survivors in which the protein peptides produced by their cancer cells masquerade as bacteria or viruses. The researchers suggest the immune system attacks these tumours, identifyi... more

09 November 2017

Liver cancer could be “reversed or prevented” thanks to breakthrough research showing how the natural immune defence turns off. Genetic engineering may lead to the defence being switched on to fight the cancer, which is the world’s second leading cau... more

08 November 2017

The chemotherapy bungle victim who was underdosed after the mistake was discovered, Andrew Knox, may have been the most affected, the Coroner’s Court has been told. At the resumption of the inquest into the deaths of four patients who have died, haem... more

08 November 2017

Despite retaining the dubious title of the world’s melanoma capital, landmark research released today will show diagnosed cases of the potentially deadly skin cancer are on the decline in people under the age of 40 in Queensland. The study of invasiv... more

08 November 2017

Insurers are able to discriminate against individuals who undergo genetic testing, and that threatens to hobble genomic research, bioethics and law experts have warned in a recent paper published in Public Health Genomics. Anyone who receives their r... more

08 November 2017

The fatal school car crash at Greenacre has also left dozens of children at risk of asbestos poisoning with the ageing weatherboard building containing the deadly fibres. NSW Education confirmed “asbestos-containing materials have been identified ins... more

08 November 2017

In an opinion piece, Ross Gittins writes that the Medicare system isn’t suited to the modern day. The piece focuses on the shortcomings of Medicare and the suggestion of a fee-for-service payment model for doctors. Sydney Morning Herald, 08/11/2017,... more

07 November 2017

Drinking glasses could contain potentially harmful levels of lead and cadmium, a study has found. Glasses decorated with children’s cartoon characters or festive designs can contain toxic metals that could wear down and be consumed. University of Ply... more

06 November 2017

Australian scientists say some patients with early breast cancer could be spared unnecessary treatment. About 1200 Australian women are diagnosed each year with a form of early cancer, where cancerous cells are confined to milk ducts. Most will not g... more

06 November 2017

Men with low testosterone levels are less likely to develop prostate cancer, scientists have found, a discovery that could lead to new methods of treatment by reducing the hormone. Oxford scientists studied 19,000 men and found those with the lowest ... more

06 November 2017

Antibiotics may be impeding our ability to fight cancer, two new studies on gut bacteria suggest. Bacteria-killing pills such as penicillin already get a bad rap for leading to the rise of the drug-resistant superbugs that are currently causing havoc... more

06 November 2017

Mandatory nutritional menu labelling has had a positive effect on obesity as overweight Australians are cutting 83 calories from each meal, research reveals. Legislation passed in March this year makes it compulsory for takeaway chains which have at ... more

03 November 2017

A cancer patient in intensive care as a result of surgery is less likely to die than a nonsurgical cancer patient, a landmark review has found. Analysis of more than 1.6 million admissions to Australian and New Zealand intensive care units (ICUs) sho... more

03 November 2017

Sydney is challenging Adelaide to be the first city in the southern hemisphere to offer cutting-edge proton therapy cancer treatment and tap into a lucrative medical tourism market. Proton Therapy Australia chairman John O’Donnell said NSW Health Min... more

03 November 2017

Sean Parnell writes that before long there will be 150,000 new cancer diagnoses each year in Australia alone. Thankfully, the positive news keeps coming too, and one day there will be real cancer cures to change this storyline forever. Sean provides ... more

03 November 2017

Air pollution has been linked to kidney, bladder and bowel cancer in a study that suggests dirty air is implicated in more than lung disease. Microscopic particles from car exhausts can raise the risk of death from kidney or bladder cancer by almost ... more

03 November 2017

More South Australian men than ever are being diagnosed with cancer, led by prostate and colorectal cancers. New SA Health data shows 5476 men and 4597 women were diagnosed with cancer in 2014. SA Health’s Director of Prevention and Population Health... more

02 November 2017

Indigestion pills significantly increase the risk of stomach cancer, a study has found. Scientists say people who regularly use proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) — commonly used to treat acid reflux — are twice as likely to develop the cancer. And if peo... more

02 November 2017

Scientists have made a discovery in the laboratory with the potential to spare some patients with early breast cancer from unnecessary treatment. Each year about 1200 Australian women are diagnosed with a form of early cancer where cancerous cells ar... more

02 November 2017

Lifting weights, doing squats and tummy crunches has been found to help reduce a person’s chances of dying early or from cancer. Researchers from Sydney University studied more than 80,000 people and found those who did strength-based exercises had a... more

01 November 2017

Taking  aspirin regularly could help beat several types of cancer. A trial involving more than half a million people found long-term aspirin users cut their risk of liver and oesophageal cancer by almost half, while their odds of getting bowel cancer... more

01 November 2017

The nation’s obesity problem has become so severe fat people don’t even recognise they have a weight problem, a troubling new survey has found. It is creating a major headache for public health advocates who say people can’t be motivated to change th... more

01 November 2017

Thousands of patients will have access to new Medicare subsidies to treat epilepsy, stroke, lymphoma, heart diseases and other life-threatening conditions. From today, women with a family history of breast and ovarian cancer will also have free acces... more

31 October 2017

A new therapy being developed by Melbourne scientists will be fast-tracked by an acceleration fund to help improve treatment options for women with ovarian cancer. The project uses a new approach to cancer treatment where a patient’s immune cells are... more

31 October 2017

Teenagers who use electronic cigarettes are nearly twice as likely to go on to become regular smokers, according to researchers. The study fuels concern vaping is a smoking gateway by “re-normalising” it. University of Waterloo, Canada, researchers t... more

31 October 2017

An intelligent computer program that can pinpoint bowel cancer in less than a second could be used to diagnose patients, experts believe. In a trial, the system was able to identify potentially dangerous tumours from endoscopy images with clinical ac... more

31 October 2017

Infertility increases a woman’s chance of dying early by 10 per cent compared with mothers. A new study has found fertility problems raised risk of death from breast cancer by 43 per cent — and increased the chance of dying from diabetes. However, ha... more

30 October 2017

A $100 million fighting fund will fuel an ambitious goal of doubling brain cancer survival rates in Australia over the next decade. The Australian Brain Cancer Mission aims to replicate treatment success seen in other cancers such as leukaemia, where... more

30 October 2017

Patients are waiting to learn if a newly approved drug capable of adding years to the lives of some blood-cancer patients will be subsidised. The immunotherapy drug Darzalex has been hailed as a “game changer” in the treatment of myeloma after its de... more

30 October 2017

Cataract surgery are 60 per cent less likely to suffer an early death, research reveals. The 20-year-study found the operations significantly lowered the odds of dying from illnesses including heart disease, cancer, and dementia – and also from accid... more

30 October 2017

More than 100 South Australians fear they are at risk of deadly diseases after suspected exposure to asbestos in the past year, and experts say TV renovation shows are adding to the problem. The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency has published th... more

30 October 2017

Cancer patients will be able to access free exercise programs designed to help with the side-effects of treatment, increase quality of life and improve their survival. Hospitals, universities and cancer organisations are supporting the Australian-fir... more

30 October 2017

Obesity may soon overtake smoking as the No.1 risk for cancer if Australians don’t start eating more fruit and vegetables and reduce their alcohol consumption, an expert has warned. People often associate poor diet with obesity and type 2 diabetes bu... more

30 October 2017

Pregnant women in Perth’s northern suburbs are in hot demand as researchers for a ground-breaking project funded through Telethon ramp up their bid to sign up 10,000 mums and their bubs. The Origins project received $26 million from the Federal Gover... more

27 October 2017

A new project that aims to improve cancer clinical trials by renowned research body The Garvan Institute is one of 20 initiatives set to receive more than $22.5 million in funding from MTPConnect and industry partners. The Garvan Institute project wi... more

27 October 2017

The Tasmanian Upper House MP behind a radical push to ban the sale of cigarettes to those born after 2000 has been buoyed by the similar stance taken by a high-profile and unexpected ally. Mining magnate Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest is pushing for laws in... more

27 October 2017

One in 10 Australians believe people with lung cancer deserve what they get, and more than a third say these patients only have themselves to blame. The confronting lack of empathy towards lung cancer patients has been revealed through a national sur... more

26 October 2017

Billionaire philanthropist and mining magnate Andrew Forrest is challenging South Australian politicians to raise the minimum smoking age from 18 to 21 to help save $20 billion and 15,000 lives annually. In a targeted pitch designed to influence the ... more

26 October 2017

Lung Foundation Australia has released research showing that most people still do not know that lung cancer is not always caused by smoking. One in three women and one in 10 men diagnosed with the disease have never smoked. A national survey of more ... more

26 October 2017

Cancer treatment can raise the risk of heart failure in some patients, a major Adelaide study has found. Researchers found chemotherapy drugs weaken heart muscles in some patients, with some progressing to heart failure within a year. The seven-year ... more

26 October 2017

Queensland scientists may have uncovered the key to why tall people are at increased risk of cancer. Researchers have long known that taller people are more likely to be diagnosed with a range of cancers, including breast, pancreatic, thyroid and bow... more

26 October 2017

Just 1 per cent of women are able to recognise certain symptoms of ovarian cancer, a poll has found. A survey of more than 1000 women found only one in 100 knew that needing to urinate more is a sign of the disease. Meanwhile, four-fifths of the Engl... more

25 October 2017

MPs weighing up the Andrews government’s euthanasia plan will demand changes to the bill, saying their support hinges on more safeguards and the reduction of the 12-month life expectancy requirement to six months. The Andrews government rejected all ... more

25 October 2017

Heart disease is the condition most likely to kill Australians, yet few realise or do enough to avoid it. Despite being the leading cause of death for both men and women, new Melbourne research has found many Australians are unaware of the risk facto... more

24 October 2017

The Liberal MP who holds the key to Victoria’s euthanasia laws is anxious about the way people will be handed the lethal drugs, the insurance fallout for survivors and the lack of a proper national assisted-dying framework. Bruce Atkinson could force... more

24 October 2017

Find a cure for cancer is now something you can do while you sleep. All you have to do is plug your smartphone into the charger, connect to the Wi-Fi and give the Garvan Institute access to the computing power of your smartphone overnight. The Dreaml... more

24 October 2017

The world’s biggest genetic study of breast cancer has discovered 72 gene mutations that put women at higher risk and could become targets for treatment. More than 300 research groups, including the University of WA and Curtin University, analysed da... more

23 October 2017

Aboriginal Australian smoking rates have significantly dropped during the past 20 years, but the gap with nonindigenous peers hasn’t budged, and those in remote communities can’t shake the habit. The latest report by the Australian Bureau of Statisti... more

23 October 2017

Australian health experts and doctors have attacked the government’s opposition to permitting the sale of e-cigarettes, arguing their use can dramatically improve smokers’ health and does not encourage teenagers to take up smoking. Health Minister Gr... more

23 October 2017

Hundreds of thousands of Australian women are being warned they are using the wrong hormone replacement therapy. Leading researchers and menopause specialists say most women are simply unaware there are safer and better products available than the cu... more

23 October 2017

Former Australian of the Year Ian Frazer is close to starting clinical human trials on a new vaccine that could be used to treat head and neck cancer. Admedus Immunotherapies is working with Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital on the breakthrough,... more

23 October 2017

Aspects of medical care in Australia could regress to 1930s conditions if the rate of resistance to antibiotics isn’t curbed soon, a report warns. The study puts forward a range of remedies and calls for a multipronged national strategy to avert dire... more

23 October 2017

Medical experts have issued a warning against a visiting nutritionist who is using a Brisbane roadshow to claim you can beat cancer “with nutrition and attitude”. Patrick Quillin, who holds a PhD in nutrition, will tell an audience today that all can... more

20 October 2017

Doctors are not prescribing medical cannabis to their cancer patients because they are not convinced it works, according to an Australian expert. Sydney medical oncologist Peter Grimison, who is heading the world’s biggest trial of medical cannabis i... more

20 October 2017

According to research by the Cancer Council, Australians still don’t understand sunscreen and are confused about whether daily use is safe. The research found that only 55 per cent of Australians recognised it was safe to use sunscreen every day, dow... more

20 October 2017

Research have uncovered widespread evidence of a link between traditional Chinese herbal remedies and liver cancer across Asia. The findings suggest stronger measures are needed to stop people consuming chemicals called aristolochic acids (AA), said ... more

20 October 2017

Introducing a minimum price for cigarettes would help lower smoking rates, a US researcher has told a conference in Hobart. Kurt Ribisl told the Oceania Tobacco Control Conference, which finished yesterday in Hobart, a “floor price” would complement ... more

19 October 2017

A woman who admits supplying cannabis oil for medicinal purposes has criticised delays to her court case, accusing the State Government of “torturing” people who need chronic pain relief. Jenny Hallam, who has been charged with possessing and manufac... more

19 October 2017

YMCA has stopped selling sugary drinks as it lobbies the federal government to tackle obesity. YMCA Victoria’s healthy food and beverage policy, which promotes healthier options to reduce soft drink consumption, applies at the 38 aquatic centres it m... more

16 October 2017

The solution to stopping an incurable brain tumour could lie with a drug now used to treat a common herpes virus. Australian scientists are hoping to trial this, but desperately need funding from the Federal Government. Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a membe... more

16 October 2017

They are breakthrough medicines turning cancer from a death sentence into a chronic disease, but only one in five of the Australians who need them are getting them. High-cost immunotherapy treatments which use the body’s immune system to fight cancer... more

16 October 2017

Creating everything from smoke-free apartment blocks to cities and islands will be on the agenda when hundreds of tobacco-control experts descend on Hobart for an international conference this week. It is the first time Hobart has hosted the Oceania ... more

16 October 2017

More prostate cancer nurses will be posted to Victoria’s highest areas of need and recorded incidence under new federal funding package to be announced today. The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia will receive $11.8 million over the next three ... more

16 October 2017

Queensland men in their middle years or older are the most likely people in Australia to be diagnosed with skin cancer, research has found. A landmark study from QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, released today, has shown men aged 55 or over... more

16 October 2017

Predicting a woman’s chances of surviving ovarian cancer could be made easier following a discovery by international researchers. Led by the US Mayo Clinic and UNSW Sydney, they found patients with a high level of white blood cells called tumour infi... more

16 October 2017

The quest for a cancer cure has saved millions of lab mice from scientific sacrifice. In a world-first from Australian scientists, research labs are now growing cancerous tumours in sponge cultures in the laboratory rather than on mice. The process, ... more

16 October 2017

Women should dye their hair only two to five times a year and use products with more natural ingredients, such as beetroot, to reduce the risk of cancer, a breast surgeon has advised. Professor Kefah Mokbel, a breast cancer surgeon at the Princess Gr... more

16 October 2017

Five buildings at two Canberra schools will be bulldozed because of asbestos contamination. The ACT Education Directorate said friable asbestos was present in the double-storey classrooms at Campbell Primary School and Narrabundah College, meaning th... more

16 October 2017

At least 155,000 premature deaths in Australia could be prevented if the energy content of sugary drinks was slashed by a third, a new study has revealed. New modelling shows a 30 per cent reduction in kilojoules in all sugar-sweetened drinks would n... more

16 October 2017

In an opinion piece Jane Gilmore writes that the regulation of alcohol advertising is not occurring where it matters. The piece focuses on access millennials have to alcohol advertising online is occurring at an alarming rate even when Australians ar... more

16 October 2017

Legalising e-cigarettes in Australia could make smoking obsolete and save lives, a British electronic cigarette advocate is poised to tell a parliamentary inquiry in Canberra this week. Clive Bates, a former director of Action on Smoking and Health i... more

13 October 2017

In an opinion piece Penny Egan, CEO of Cancer Council Tasmania writes that “financial toxicity” is a new side effect of a cancer diagnosis. The piece focuses on the financial stress Australian’s and their families are put under after a cancer diagnos... more

13 October 2017

Women with a family history of breast and ovarian cancer will soon be able to undergo free genetic tests to see if they are at risk of developing the potentially deadly diseases. The tests to see if patients have inherited genetic mutations linked to... more

13 October 2017

In an opinion piece, Rachel Baxendale writes that the new Gardasil 9 vaccination could spare the next generation of Australian women from becoming one of the 250 who die of cervical cancer each year. The piece focuses on the benefits of the vaccine a... more

13 October 2017

Tasmania’s volunteer firefighters will soon be protected by workers compensation laws intended to cover them for cancers related to their work. Emergency Services Minister Rene Hidding yesterday announced “presumptive cancer” laws would be extended t... more

12 October 2017

Home renovators and tradies are unknowingly putting themselves at risk of lung cancer by failing to protect against silica dust on the jobsite, the Cancer Council says. New estimates from the cancer charity suggest more than 230 cases of lung cancer ... more

11 October 2017

Malcolm Turnbull's efforts to neutralise the Coalition's weakness on health this week is continuing with the Prime Minister unveiling $200 million in funding for medical research on Wednesday. The lion's share of funding will go to researchers tackli... more

11 October 2017

In an opinion piece, Geoff Parker, chief executive of the Australian Beverages Council writes that there is no evidence to suggest that a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would reduce body weight or the incidence of obesity in Australia, despite the ... more

10 October 2017

In an opinion piece, Marion Harris writes that regardless of any change in law she won’t intentionally help her patients end their lives. The piece focuses on the complexities assisted dying, and the proposed model for Victoria that currently include... more

10 October 2017

A genetic test that can more accurately predict how likely a woman is to develop breast cancer could soon be available to high-risk groups. Researchers believe it could help to reduce the number of women required to undergo a mastectomy by about a th... more

10 October 2017

When it comes to heart health, where you live appears to matter as much as how you live, according to the Heart Foundation. Its analysis of hospital and health data found those living in Sydney’s wealthiest areas – north Sydney, northern beaches and ... more

09 October 2017

Coping with leukaemia or lymphoma and the associated chemotherapy is a painful and traumatic enough experience without having to deal with severe financial stress. For hundreds of affected Australians, though, a course of treatment with revolutionary... more

09 October 2017

Doctors will be given tips to find killer skin cancers that are going under the radar after researchers found “atypical” melanomas were being missed at a deadly cost. Australian researchers have introduced new guidelines to help doctors identify “unu... more

09 October 2017

The Defence Department faces a clean-up bill in the billions over the “reckless” use of potentially cancer-causing firefighting foams at air force bases around the country. Water contamination from the firefighting foams, which were used at RAAF Bas... more

09 October 2017

In an opinion piece, Liberal Senator James Paterson writes that a sugar tax would affect Australians who are already struggling with the high cost of living. The piece focuses on the Obesity Policy Coalition calls for a 20 per cent increase in the ta... more

08 October 2017

Australian authorities have removed a legal anomaly that has allowed clothing such as bikinis to be labelled as sun protective. Standards Australia has introduced a new requirement that even if clothing is made of materials with an ultraviolet protec... more

08 October 2017

An updated vaccine that will protect recipients against almost all cervical cancers will be given free to Australian students. The federal government has approved Gardasil 9 to be given to 12- and 13-year-olds from 2018. The improved vaccine will pro... more

08 October 2017

Construction has come to a standstill at Sydney’s Opera House after asbestos was again found by crews working on the $200 million refurbishments. Electrical workers had downed tools and refused to install cable through the iconic building after it wa... more

07 October 2017

In an opinion piece Jill Poulsen writes that she supports the calls to raise the smoking age to 21 as teenagers and young adults are not best placed to make safe decisions about their health. The piece focuses on how if the legal age for smoking is r... more

06 October 2017

A re-engineered cancer drug is better at controlling a common form of lymphoma than current therapies, new trial results reveal. The drug reduced the likelihood of patients dying and their disease progressing within three years. Follicular lymphoma m... more

06 October 2017

Only about half of the cancer drugs approved by the European Medicines Agency in the past few years were later shown to help patients live longer or improved their lives, a new study says. Scientists in Britain and Latvia analysed reports from the Eu... more

06 October 2017

October is National Safe Work Month and the Cancer Council is pushing for WA to have a so-called deemed diseases list, whereby it is accepted that certain work exposure such as diesel fumes can cause specific cancers. Some States have adopted the lis... more

05 October 2017

Tobacco giant Philip Morris will today commit to a “smoke-free” Australia in a push to legalise reduced-risk alternatives to cigarettes. The company will tell a federal parliamentary inquiry on electronic cigarettes that technology has rapidly transf... more

05 October 2017

Globally recognised technology that could spare thousands of Australian breast cancer patients from unnecessary chemotherapy will remain out of reach for many after the federal government refused to fund the expensive test. The test, which provides a... more

05 October 2017

Lolly-flavoured e-cigarettes that could encourage young people to take up smoking would be banned across Australia under proposals by medical groups and the South Australian Government. Health experts are concerned that sweet-flavoured e-cigarette an... more

04 October 2017

An explosion in demand for genetic testing is leading to better diagnosis, treatment and results for patients with blood cancer, including leukaemia and lymphoma. Haematologist Piers Blombery, medical lead of the molecular haematology laboratory at P... more

04 October 2017

The rise in popularity of e-cigarettes could open the door to a legislated ban on the sale of cigarettes, according to a Northern Territory academic. Menzies School of Health researcher Marita Hefler said conventional cigarettes were “an anomaly”. An... more

04 October 2017

Big Tobacco has fired back in the war against a push to stamp out their product being waged by one of Australia’s richest people. Philip Morris yesterday declared litigation would fail. They also claimed they share the billionaire’s “interest in endi... more

04 October 2017

Tasmania may not be in the full swing of summer just yet but UV protection is already necessary, the Bureau of Meteorology says. The bureau is forecasting warmer than average spring temperatures across the state during the next two months, but superv... more

04 October 2017

A Darwin manufacturing and building company has been charged by NT WorkSafe with five breaches of the work health and safety legislation over illegal asbestos removal. NT WorkSafe alleged in October and November 2015 that Northern Transportables allo... more

04 October 2017

In an opinion piece Brian Oldfield writes that Australia is one of the fattest nations in the developed world and we are only continuing to become more obese. The piece focuses on the policy released today by the Australian and New Zealand Obesity So... more

04 October 2017

A woman was referred to Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital with numerous lumps under both arms, and doctors thought she probably had lymphoma. At the hospital's haematology clinic she was examined and given a PET-CT scan which produced the hallmar... more

03 October 2017

With sugar-laden soft drinks and ‘‘sports’’ drinks dominating the fridges of many sporting venues across the state, VicHealth is working to steer Victorians, particularly children, back to basics. On Tuesday, the health promotion foundation announced... more

02 October 2017

Increasing the legal age for smoking to 21 could be an important first step in achieving Australia’s first smoke-free generation, the Cancer Council says. Mining billionaire and anticancer campaigner Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest has big tobacco companies ... more

02 October 2017

Australian students are consuming the equivalent of 10 cups of coffee in energy drinks every day, a new study has found. The addiction is not only being blamed for the declining performance of Australian students in international rankings, but has le... more

01 October 2017

More than 1400 medicines including the nation’s biggest seller, the anticholesterol pill atorvastatin, will plunge in price tomorrow. The cuts are because of the Federal Government’s price disclosure process that monitors the discounts chemists get o... more

01 October 2017

A list of tip-offs shared with the Australian Border Force, NSW, Victorian and Federal Police has revealed more than 60 stores allegedly trading in illegal tobacco around the western suburbs of Sydney, and the east-west ring of Melbourne, with other ... more

01 October 2017

Mastectomies could be replaced by chemotherapy and hormone treatment under a revolution in breast cancer treatment being trialled in Australia. More than 120 women are being given chemotherapy, aromatase inhibitors and hormone therapy to shrink their... more

01 October 2017

Perth researchers have discovered a specific gene is linked to a greater chance of surviving bowel cancer. The finding by a team at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research comes after analysing bowel cancer tumours from hundreds of Perth pati... more

29 September 2017

The rising cost of cigarettes is prompting thousands of Aussies to quit, with research showing smoking rates among Aboriginal people have dropped 20 per cent since 2010. Cancer Council chief executive Professor Sanchia Aranda said yesterday her organ... more

29 September 2017

Queenslanders are so confused by advice on good nutrition that many eat only one or two “trusted” foods every day. Nutritionists warn that the contradictory healthy eating information that floods social media creates dangerously restricted diets. In ... more

28 September 2017

According to latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey, it is middle-aged Australians who are taking the risks while younger Australians are dodging danger. The survey found that the middle-aged are increasingly binge drinking and abusing illici... more

28 September 2017

It’s “not probable” that the level of asbestos in dust at Alice Springs Hospital is cause for alarm, according to asbestos hygienists. A report commissioned by the Health Department found that “based on anecdotal evidence” it was unlikely patients or... more

27 September 2017

In an opinion piece Colin Mendelsohn writes that there is overwhelming scientific evidence that e-cigarettes are much less harmful than tobacco. The piece focuses on how e-cigarettes are a safer option for those who already smoke cigarettes, compared... more

27 September 2017

An Australian-French duo looking for errors in cancer research papers has begun to use a semi-automated checking tool that promises wider application. “It could be broadly used in genetic research — that’s a lot of research,” said cancer researcher J... more

27 September 2017

Advanced radiotherapy could cure nearly three in four terminal prostate cancer cases. Researchers in London said 71 per cent of men with the disease were free of it five years after treatment. The extremely precise form of radiotherapy is called inte... more

26 September 2017

Tens of thousands of Australian women are missing out on the most effective tests to screen for breast cancer, according to a national support group. Ahead of next month’s breast cancer awareness month, Pink Hope estimates that more than two million ... more

26 September 2017

Mothers are being urged to teach children as young as 10 how to detect breast cancer, after a new survey found early discussions can increase awareness of the risks of the disease by 10 per cent. McGrath Foundation research released today will show t... more

26 September 2017

Though the exact mechanics are unknown, a Ketogenic diet has been found to reduce frequency and severity of seizures by changing ketones in the brain for fuel, and when the brain metabolises ketones it alters neuro-transmitter production, meaning the... more

25 September 2017

Two Sydney tobacconist owners have been slapped with a record $72,000 fine for selling cigarettes in packages without health warnings. The man and woman at Free Choice Tobacconist in Bondi Junction were each found guilty of 36 tobacco-related offence... more

25 September 2017

In an opinion piece President of the law society, Tony Rossi writes that there is growing support for medical cannabis despite the issues with regulating use. The article focuses on the concerns Australian police have about regulating use and legalis... more

25 September 2017

Breast cancer patients with private health insurance appear to be financially worse off compared to those who rely on Medicare, a report has found. A Deloitte Access Economics report has found total out-of-pocket costs for women with private health i... more

25 September 2017

British scientists have made a landmark discovery that could help slow or even stop the spread of prostate cancer to the bones. Scientists at York University have discovered that a nontoxic drug known only as AS1517499, previously tested for treating... more

25 September 2017

An illegal dumping crisis gripping Sydney is costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars as lazy residents turn our streets into shameful dumps by filling footpaths with disgusting piles of unwanted garbage. Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton has... more

25 September 2017

Pasta, wine and beer get a bad rap but nutritionists say our perceptions may be flawed. Beer could lower your risk of kidney stones and heart disease, while a glass of wine is great for the heart and bread can help fend off type 2 diabetes and colon ... more

25 September 2017

Workouts that bust fat, lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attack could be done in as little as three minutes a day, one Aussie expert says. Elite sports physiotherapist Kusal Goonewardena said three-minute workouts require a person to re... more

25 September 2017

Reducing Australia’s per-capita alcohol consumption by just one litre a year would drive a significant reduction in head, neck and liver cancer deaths. That’s the conclusion of a new study that offers the first suggestive evidence that a decrease in ... more

22 September 2017

E-cigarettes are being linked with a range of heart problems. Scientists at the University of California have found that vaping changed levels of adrenaline and prolonged use could lead to heart disease. And Swedish experts have found the devices inc... more

22 September 2017

Prison guards who are “sick and tired” of being exposed to second-hand smoke are threatening industrial action if the State Government does not fast-track plans to ban cigarettes in jails. The union representing the guards lodged a dispute this week ... more

22 September 2017

The monks who have practised it for 2500 years claim it keeps them healthy and young. But now scientists have found another benefit of Tibetan yoga — it helps breast cancer patients cope with chemotherapy. US researchers studied 227 patients and foun... more

21 September 2017

The cyclotron – a particle accelerator produces proton beams, generating radioisotopes that are injected into a patient before they have a positron emission tomography (PET) scan. The radioactive tracers light up tumours by latching onto cancer cell ... more

21 September 2017

Last year 3000 men in Australia died of prostate cancer. Up to 20,000 new cases are diagnosed a year. The risk of prostate cancer increases with age and one in seven men is diagnosed with it by age 75. It’s now the second most prevalent cancer in men... more

21 September 2017

In an opinion piece Dr Jane Fynes-Clinton writes that Australia’s obesity issues are reaching a catastrophic level. The article focuses on the need to introduce a sugar tax but also for the Government to go a step further and subsidise the cost of fr... more

20 September 2017

Obese patients and smokers in a UK health precinct are being refused operations until they have attended a six month ‘‘boot camp’’. They will be referred on the “health optimisation programs’’ and taught to improve their behaviours before having surg... more

20 September 2017

Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm has slammed the “fat police” over renewed calls for a sugar tax on soft drink, saying it was akin to the nanny state “rummaging through our fridges”. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also slapped down the push... more

20 September 2017

A clinical trial has confirmed screening for the human papillomavirus (HPV) is more effective than pap smears at detecting precancerous lesions, offering women a more accurate early-warning system to protect them against cervical cancer. The results,... more

19 September 2017

A 20 per cent tax on sugary drinks is being proposed by Australia’s leading health organisations as part of a tough new strategy to tackle obesity, which they now say poses a greater risk to the nation than smoking. A coalition of 34 high-profile gro... more

18 September 2017

Patients taking a commonly prescribed immunosuppressant are being urged to consult their doctor after two people using it died during a clinical study. Methylprednisolone is a commonly prescribed drug for conditions including arthritis, allergies and... more

18 September 2017

Rules banning smoking outside Victoria’s public hospitals could be reviewed because health workers are being attacked and abused while trying to police the policy. Calls for an audit of the ban are being led by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Fe... more

18 September 2017

In an opinion piece Fiona Patten, leader of the Reason Party, writes that illicit tobacco is a worrying cause of lost taxes. The piece focuses how the recent tobacco price rise is encouragement for Australians who smoke to begin purchasing illicit to... more

18 September 2017

Surgeons are encouraging women with breast cancer to have double mastectomies that do little or nothing to improve their survival chances, a leading doctor has warned. Dr Fiona MacNeill, a surgeon at London’s Royal Marsden Hospital, said doctors were... more

18 September 2017

Cancer treatment for all sufferers, including children, could be revolutionised by a new clinical trial for Australia’s sickest kids that starts today. The Zero Childhood Cancer initiative will begin a national trial as 400 terminally ill kids are pr... more

18 September 2017

Every hour you spend sitting watching TV makes you more likely to die from inflammatory-related diseases, Melbourne researchers have found. Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute researchers have found that even moderate viewing of between two and four h... more

18 September 2017

Money is the only thing is standing between Australian scientists and a cure for the death sentence that is brain cancer in children. “An annual budget of $5 million would revolutionise the approach to this cancer,” oncologist Associate Professor Dav... more

18 September 2017

An over-the-counter supplement is being trialled as a potentially cheap and safe way of treating a wide range of the most common age and lifestyle-related diseases. Chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and cance... more

18 September 2017

In an opinion piece NSW firefighter Michael Ryan writes that he believes years of working in the Hazmat unit gave him prostate cancer. The piece focuses on the risk of cancer for the NSW Fire and Rescue's Hazmat unit, and that NSW is currently the on... more

18 September 2017

Federal Labor has promised to save the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute if elected, following a personal appeal from the Aussie star. Newton-John, who is fighting cancer for the second time, travelled to Canberra this week to lobby the Go... more

15 September 2017

A man charged with running an underground solarium operation has flagged he will plead guilty to a string of offences, a court has heard. But Steve Hawker is still negotiating with prosecutors in a bid to resolve more than 1100 charges. There was no ... more

15 September 2017

Cancer survival rates between Australia’s rich and poor are widening, leading to urgent calls for action. A study by the Cancer Institute NSW and published in journal BMC Public Health shows the disparity in NSW has almost trebled in 30 years. Cancer... more

14 September 2017

Low-risk prostate cancer sufferers who decide against surgery or radiation therapy have better sexual function but can suffer psychologically. A decade ago there was a greater tendency to treat men with low-risk prostate cancer with surgery or radiat... more

13 September 2017

On the 10th anniversary today of the death of anti-solarium campaigner Clare Oliver, cancer experts are urging Gumtree Australia to ban ads by people trying to cash in on the illegal sunbeds. But a decade on, Victorians are still risking their lives ... more

13 September 2017

Women who take hormone replacement therapy have been reassured by a long-term US study that found no increased risk of heart disease or cancer. Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at 27,000 women aged between ... more

13 September 2017

The fat found in fast food can help protect against the deadliest form of skin cancer, a study claims. Experts found that palmitic acid, which is in products such as burgers, fuels a protein involved in the pigmentation process to help protect agains... more

12 September 2017

Patients with melanoma have been given new hope by ground breaking Australian research that could halve the mortality rate from the cancer. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at the Melanoma Institute Australia a... more

12 September 2017

Excess fat around the trunk of the body has been linked to an increased risk of cancer in postmenopausal women, according to a study presented at a large international oncology conference. Abdominal fat has been known as a risk factor in a range of c... more

11 September 2017

Australian doctors tell families that brain stem tumours are incurable and to go home and “make memories” with your child while you still have them. But desperate parents are refusing to accept that and are instead travelling to Mexico to try experim... more

11 September 2017

In an opinion piece Melbourne GP Nick Carr writes that General Practitioners are the right people to help make end of life decisions for their patients. The article focuses on how the close relationship between GP’s and patients, means GP’s are often... more

11 September 2017

Associate Professor Claudine Bonder has a simple plan to beat breast cancer – starve it to death. Achieving it is a bit more complicated but promising results in trials gives her hope she may get there within a decade – “five years if we are lucky”. ... more

11 September 2017

Chemicals containing per/ polyfluoroalkyl substances have been widely used around Australia in everything from firefighting foam to non-stick frying pans because of its heat-resistant properties. There have been growing health concerns globally about... more

11 September 2017

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union has called for mandatory training to make all apprentices and tradespeople aware of the dangers of asbestos. The CFMEU said a recent Curtin University study found most tradespeople were unable to id... more

08 September 2017

Experts predict a “massive” uptake of genetic testing in the treatment of everything from cancer to psychiatric disorders. Big scientific gains in the field of genomics mean scientists have a better understanding about which genes cause certain condi... more

08 September 2017

The alcohol industry is spreading misinformation about the established link between alcohol and cancer, in tactics similar to those used by tobacco manufacturers, a study has found. Alcohol is estimated to cause more than 1500 cancer deaths in Austra... more

08 September 2017

The chair of a Senate inquiry into low survival cancers is hopeful the challenges of treating rare forms of the disease in Tasmania will be identified in a report in November. The Funding for Research into Cancers with Low Survival Rates inquiry cent... more

07 September 2017

The dreaded zika virus could kill cancer cells that cause deadly brain tumours. Zika is notorious for causing brain defects in unborn children by killing off brain cells, leading babies to be born with misshapen heads. But US researchers found it is ... more

07 September 2017

Treasurer Scott Morrison yesterday hit back with a sizzling crack after the plant-loving animal activist group PETA, claimed bacon should be taxed just like cigarettes and alcohol because it can cause cancer. PETA Australia associate director Ashley ... more

07 September 2017

The drug known as Gardasil has been administered to Australian teenagers since 2007, protecting them from strains of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes 70 per cent of cervical cancers. But the vaccine could soon be supers... more

06 September 2017

A hidden side effect of surgery for prostate cancer is beginning to emerge and, surprisingly, it is a diminished capacity to work. While the concern has always been on how this surgery affects potency and continence, research suggests it can have as ... more

06 September 2017

The humble peanut is often maligned for its links to allergies, but it could be protecting against cancer. Eating nuts has already been linked to a lower risk of a variety of cancers, including lung and pancreatic, but a new study has found it can al... more

06 September 2017

A facial filler allegedly injected into the breasts of a Sydney beautician who died during the procedure last week is available for just a few dollars online. Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons President Professor Mark Ashton said hyaluronic acid... more

06 September 2017

A breast cancer drug could be used to stop prostate cancer returning, a study has found. The drug acts by stopping tumours carrying out repairs to their own DNA, causing the cancer to become weak and die. One prostate cancer treatment is through ther... more

06 September 2017

Scientists have identified a new way of spotting men most at risk of ill health – by testing their semen. The team found young men with the lowest sperm counts had higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and cancer later in life. Researchers at Frede... more

06 September 2017

In an opinion piece for the West Australian, Terry Slevin and Steve Pratt write that if you are a non-smoker the biggest factor driving your risk of being diagnosed with cancer is diet and exercise. They write that despite this many Australian’s don’... more

05 September 2017

West Perth-based start-up Race Oncology is about to commercialise a 30-year-old cancer drug that provides fresh hope for people running out of options. Bisantrene, which treats the rare but deadly Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, showed great promise when de... more

05 September 2017

Family and friends are being used to urge South Australians to quit smoking as part of a new advertising blitz. New ads will start to appear from today as part of the State Government’s bid to cut the number of smokers in SA to 8 per cent by the year... more

05 September 2017

Retailers claim their revenues are being "devastated" by more than 600 organised crime-backed illegal cigarette and tobacco shops costing up to $4 billion a year in lost profits and taxes. Gangs' profits for distributing the tobacco increased by up t... more

05 September 2017

Prolonged sitting in the workplace increases the risk of bowel cancer by more than 40 per cent, new research reveals. The Cancer Council Victoria finding adds further weight to growing evidence linking our sedentary lives to poor health outcomes. “If... more

05 September 2017

Melbourne specialists are using a novel technique to try to restore potency to men after surgery for prostate cancer. Results of their pilot study, presented at the Asia-Pacific Prostate Cancer Conference in Melbourne on Friday, showed eight out of 1... more

05 September 2017

A Tasmanian anti-smoking lobby is urging parents and carers of small children to quit smoking, arguing cigarette use can increase the risk of invasive meningococcal disease. Smoke Free Tasmania spokesman Nick Towle issued the warning yesterday. “Chil... more

05 September 2017

Brain cancer receives a quarter of the funding that goes to leukaemia and breast cancer, although those have a survival rate of more than 90 per cent. Brain cancer received only $6.6 million last year. The main health and medical research funding bod... more

05 September 2017

Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute Medical Oncology Unit director Niall Tebbutt told a sold-out Medicinal Cannabis Symposium in Melbourne last week that while data was limited, there were preclinical studies showing that cannabinoids could ... more

05 September 2017

Warnings on alcoholic drinks do little to change the behaviour of younger drinkers, an Australian study has found. Deakin University’s Professor Peter Miller, who carried out the study, said the findings made it clear the current, optional warning sy... more

01 September 2017

Minute machines that can kill cancer cells in just 60 seconds by drilling into them have been created by scientists. The “nanomachines” are motorised molecules activated with ultra violet light, making them spin up to three million times a second. Th... more

01 September 2017

Tasmanians will have access to medicinal cannabis from today under a new Controlled Access Scheme. Health Minister, Michael Ferguson said medical specialists would be able to apply to the Controlled Access Scheme for permission to prescribe medical c... more

01 September 2017

West Australians are losing the battle of the bulge recording their battle of the bulge, recording their highest rate of obesity last year. The State’s annual report into the health and wellbeing of adults estimated 28.4 per cent of people aged 16 an... more

01 September 2017

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a first-of-its kind cancer therapy aimed at bolstering a patient’s own immune cells, while the drug maker behind the treatment attempted to allay worry over the high cost of the procedure. Swiss pharma... more

31 August 2017

Queensland Health are using armed police escorts to fine its most vulnerable patients for smoking. QHealth has admitted its environmental health officers are fining mental health inpatients for smoking on hospital grounds while they are in for desper... more

31 August 2017

The price of a generic pack of 25 cigarettes is expected to today reach $30 and 50 gram pouches of tobacco could hit $70 each, as part of the latest 12.5 per cent hike to the federal government’s tobacco excise. While states and territory governments... more

31 August 2017

The Health Department has been forced to intervene in a dispute between health funds, doctors and private hospitals over skin procedures that left some members with unexpected bills. The Department of Health, in consultation with the Australian Socie... more

30 August 2017

The annual cost of diagnosing and treating melanoma in Australia has ballooned by nearly seven times to $200 million in the past 16 years. The QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute says costs have risen from $30 million in 2001 while the number o... more

30 August 2017

Scientists have new hope in the fight against cancer after finding a treatment that works better than chemotherapy. Powerful chemotherapy drugs often fail to kill all of a tumour’s cells so some cancers return. Now scientists say they have found a wa... more

30 August 2017

In an opinion piece Tanya Seglov, writes about the need for the Australian government to commit resources to identifying asbestos in the community. She writes that Australia continues to have the highest per capita rates on earth of diseases caused b... more

30 August 2017

In an opinion piece, Cathy O’Leary writes about the dangers of taking health advice from the internet when it comes to alternative cancer cures. She says that studies have shown those who decline conventional treatments for alternative therapies are ... more

29 August 2017

An “exciting” new study has revealed a drug that could help reduce the risk of heart attacks and cut cancer deaths. More than 10,000 patients took part in a trial using the anti-inflammatory drug canakinumab. The patients, all of whom had previously ... more

29 August 2017

Aussie kids are ditching the bike and opting for mum and dad “chauffeurs” to transport them to and from school. It’s a trend that has left health experts “gravely concerned” about the lack of physical activity for younger generations missing out on d... more

29 August 2017

Cancer patients are suffering post-traumatic stress disorder after the ordeal of treatment, a British expert says. Even after receiving the all-clear, people who have had cancer suffer fear, anger and disrupted sleep. This can lead to PTSD similar to... more

28 August 2017

Thousands of cancer patients will have their treatment matched to a genetic profile under personalised medicine programs that are revolutionising healthcare in Australia. So far, the federal government has stayed in the background, but there are grow... more

28 August 2017

More illegal tobacco could be prevented from entering Australia if Border Force was given greater investigative powers and penalties were increased, says Australian Border Force acting commissioner Michael Outram. Mr Outram said existing penalties we... more

28 August 2017

One in five Victorians is being exposed to second-hand smoke at home, and the majority of people support a ban on lighting up in shared areas in apartment blocks or units. A Cancer Council survey of 4000 people has found 18 per cent of Victorians had... more

28 August 2017

Five cancer clusters linked directly to breast implants have been identified across the country. Nine in 10 Aussie women with a breast implant have used textured devices that are linked to a growing number of cases of a rare blood cancer. The device ... more

28 August 2017

Rates of anxiety and depression among Australian women are at a ‘‘concerning’’ high, as women nationwide fail to meet the recommended rate of weekly physical activity, a new study has found. Conducted by not-for-profit government funded organisation ... more

28 August 2017

In an opinion piece Peter Jean writes that the Federal Government’s plan to trial random drug testing of dole recipients, should instead be focusing on alcohol and drug abuse by retirees and baby boomers. He writes that, new research reaffirms that b... more

25 August 2017

Liberal senator Eric Abetz says pinning down the authority or regulator responsible for the trade in illicit tobacco was like trying to catch a "greasy pig". Senator Abetz, who sits on a parliamentary committee running an inquiry into illegal tobacco... more

25 August 2017

The South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute has defended its handling of a delayed procurement process for the southern hemisphere’s first proton beam therapy unit for cancer patients, amid questions over the record of its preferred US... more

25 August 2017

A “ground-breaking” clinical trial experts believe will transform the way childhood brain cancer is treated has been fast-tracked in Australia. Researchers at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne will from October start recruiting for the AIM B... more

24 August 2017

An Upper House MP will use debate on a Government antismoking Bill to have another crack at ending the sale of cigarettes to Tasmanians born after 2000, as well as stamping out smoking around hospitals and schools. The Public Health Amendment (Health... more

24 August 2017

The convenience industry says there is no law enforcement agencies to crack down on illegal tobacco retailing on the "street level", as the specific funding for the Australian Border Force's tobacco strike team is expected to discontinue at the end o... more

24 August 2017

A new study has linked Vitamin C deficiency to blood cancer, pushing the nutrient back into the spotlight. While Vitamin C deficiency is “exceedingly rare” in Australia, the study in the journal Nature highlights the importance of a healthy balanced ... more

24 August 2017

A WA diabetes research group is warning of the disease’s emerging link to cancer, with diabetics facing as much as a 70 per cent higher risk of some cancers. Diabetes Research WA said studies suggested people with diabetes had a higher risk of breast... more

24 August 2017

In an opinion piece Jane Martin writes that in Australia one in four children has the preventable chronic health problem of being overweight or obese. She writes that children are extremely vulnerable to marketing, and this is made all the more power... more

23 August 2017

Smokers who take over-the-counter vitamins can quadruple their risk of contracting lung cancer, researchers have warned. A new study suggests men multiply the danger of lung tumours if they take high doses of vitamins B6 and B12, long touted by the c... more

23 August 2017

Relatives of Australians battling rare cancers will have full-body scans to detect the disease “silently” lurking in their bodies under a revolutionary program. As part of the Australia first scheme, those with rare cancers will be linked to clinical... more

23 August 2017

A terminally-ill woman has been awarded $417 million by a jury who found her ovarian cancer was caused by Johnson & Johnson baby powder. The verdict in the lawsuit brought by the California woman, Eva Echeverria, marks the largest sum awarded in ... more

23 August 2017

Scientists have long linked avocados with a range of health benefits, from anti-ageing to cancer fighting. In the first study of its kind, scientists have discovered that avocado seed husks — which are usually discarded along with the seed — are rich... more

23 August 2017

Women who regularly dye their hair dark brown or black, or chemically straighten their hair, have a higher risk of breast cancer, new research has found. The worrying findings come from a study of more than 4000 women. It found a significant increase... more

22 August 2017

Forty is the optimal age for women to start having regular mammograms to reduce the number of breast cancer deaths, the findings of a US study suggests. Researchers in New York compared several commonly recommended mammogram schemes used in the US to... more

22 August 2017

Border Force insists it is doing a good job at stopping illegal tobacco entering the country, but other agencies are squabbling over who is responsible for dealing with the large quantities that still make it through. A spokesman for the Department o... more

21 August 2017

Australians are being forced to surrender their retirement nest eggs to cover massive medical bills. The situation is so dire, the former head of the Health Department says it’s time doctors were forced to publish their charges. Professor Stephen Duc... more

21 August 2017

Bladder cancer patients have been given fresh hope of a longer life thanks to a new drug that encourages the immune system to destroy tumours. The drug, atezolizumab, can help those with an advanced form of the disease survive an average of almost 16... more

21 August 2017

People who choose alternative cures for common cancers are up to five times more likely to die compared to those opting for standard treatments. The risk of death five years after diagnosis “was highest for breast and colon cancer,” said lead author ... more

21 August 2017

In an opinion piece Terry Barnes writes that The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey shows that our national smoking rate of just over 12 per cent barely changed in three years. He writes that t... more

21 August 2017

Retailers and tobacco companies claim that federal and state law enforcers are letting tobacco shops backed by Middle Eastern and Asian crime gangs avoid more than $4 billion a year in excise taxes. According to the information provided to authoritie... more

21 August 2017

The $6 million project to construct the building accommodating the Territory’s own PET scanner has been awarded to Darwin-based company Sitzler. Health Minister Natasha Fyles said awarding the tender was the first step towards Territorians no longer ... more

21 August 2017

The master controller responsible for flicking the “switch” that allows a cancer to shield itself from the immune system has been discovered by a team of international researchers. The discovery paves the way for immunotherapy drugs targeting a wide ... more

21 August 2017

Street lights may increase the risk of breast cancer, research suggests. Experts found that women who lived in areas brightly lit at night were more likely to develop the disease. Researchers from Harvard Medical School suspect bright artificial ligh... more

21 August 2017

A Turnbull government move to slash industrial chemical regulation could create ‘‘toxic chemical disasters’’ and leave the public and officials oblivious to the risks, critics have warned. Cancer Council Australia, unions and public health advocates ... more

18 August 2017

Tens of thousands of Victorians are missing out on vital but costly tests to detect cancer, birth defects and other serious conditions owing to a Medicare freeze, radiologists claim. Gap fees for MRI and ultrasound procedures for some conditions have... more

18 August 2017

A worldwide review, by researchers at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, has found young patients with acute infections, skin infections, appendicitis, urinary tract infections, chest infections in cystic fibrosis and infections in cancer, ca... more

18 August 2017

Women who eat junk food such as burgers or pizza are increasing their risk of cancer even if they are not overweight, research has warned. Energy-dense foods may raise the chances of suffering certain cancers by 10 per cent. The study linked high-ene... more

18 August 2017

Having a positive attitude can improve outcomes for those living with chronic illness, a research review has found. Researchers at Curtin University have studied the power of positive and negative thoughts on people living with cancer, diabetes and c... more

16 August 2017

Prostate cancer patients are forking out as much as $10,000 in out-of-pocket costs for radical surgery, with some urology surgeons charging about $40,000 more than their peers for prostatectomies, the latest Medibank data shows. The urology surgical ... more

16 August 2017

A lifetime spent near cows may help cut the risk of lung cancer later in life by up to 40 per cent, the American Journal of Epidemiology reports. Exposure to horses has a similar benefit but pigs and chickens offer no protection. Researchers in Franc... more

15 August 2017

The introduced rabbit disease myxomatosis has become far deadlier, an example of an “evolutionary arms race” that imperils people — particularly unvaccinated ones. Scientists have found the disease has mutated and now completely shuts down non-resist... more

15 August 2017

A breast cancer wonder drug is being used in IVF to boost success rates for older women. Tamoxifen is normally given to patients who have undergone surgery for breast cancer to prevent tumours growing back. But a British clinic is pioneering its use ... more

15 August 2017

Hamburgers made from beef are giving way to ones made from beetroot on UK barbecues in a dramatic shift away from red meat. Traditional carbs such as pasta and rice are also being pushed aside by butternut squash fusilli and cauliflower couscous. New... more

14 August 2017

The number of smokers in Australia has increased for the first time since anti-smoking campaigns ramped up a generation ago, casting doubt on the effectiveness of further taxes on cigarettes. An unexpected standstill in the national smoking rate sinc... more

14 August 2017

Doctors will be able to prescribe the first South Australian-produced medicinal cannabis products from next month. GD Pharma’s oils will hit the market in September after the pharmaceutical manufacturer recently received the green light to import two... more

14 August 2017

Unhealthy gums could put women at higher risk of developing cancer, according to a new study. Periodontal disease, a chronic infection and inflammation of the tissues that support the teeth, is linked to an elevated risk of oesophageal, skin, breast ... more

14 August 2017

A breast cancer drug could be the key to treating the most common form of childhood brain tumour, research has found. A University of Queensland Institute for Molecular Bioscience study has shown the drug has the “remarkable” effect of rapidly shrink... more

11 August 2017

A bid to decriminalise medical cannabis has been shot down by the NSW Government. Legislation put forward by Labor to decriminalise the possession of small amounts of cannabis for treatment of chronic and serious medical conditions was voted down yes... more

10 August 2017

A new vaccine could prevent up to 93 per cent of cervical cancers in Australia, a milestone researchers say could almost eradicate the cancer and mean women would need just three human papillomavirus tests in their whole life. The largest study to an... more

10 August 2017

More Australians are choosing healthy foods when dining out, in what experts say is an encouraging shift in the fight against obesity. The latest Eating Out in Australia report identified healthy eating as a key trend, increasing by almost 15 per cen... more

09 August 2017

A radical new report offers the federal government a roadmap for addressing inequitable access to rare and less common cancer treatments. More than 52,000 people are diagnosed with rare or less common (RLC) cancers and an estimated 25,000 people die ... more

09 August 2017

Australia’s love of alcohol is making it hard for public health messages about moderate drinking to sink in, prompting Flinders University researchers to seek answers. Flinders University academic Emma Miller said despite the proven link between brea... more

08 August 2017

Just one alcoholic drink a day could give you skin cancer, scientists have warned. In alarming news for those who like to relax with a glass of wine in the evening, any type of tipple raises the likelihood of developing two non-melanoma forms of the ... more

08 August 2017

For the first time in Australia a clinical trial is paving the way for patients with leukaemia and lymphoma to access a potentially lifesaving immunotherapy treatment. A team of researchers at WIMR and Westmead Hospital has been given the go-ahead by... more

08 August 2017

Tiny flecks of gold could be used in the fight against cancer, suggests new research. Scientists at Edinburgh University have just completed a study which shows the precious metal increased the effectiveness of drugs used to treat lung cancer cells. ... more

07 August 2017

Illegal tobacco weighing more than 400 tonnes and worth almost $300 million in lost duty has been seized by the Australian Border Force in the past two years. New statistics released reveal the scale of the booming tobacco black market in Australia. ... more

07 August 2017

Schools are being urged to slip, slop, slap, seek and slide – despite the best part of a month of winter remaining. The Cancer Council says UV levels rise from August onwards, putting students and staff at risk of skin damage. As of January this year... more

04 August 2017

Scientists for the first time have successfully edited genes in human embryos to repair a common and serious disease-causing mutation, producing apparently healthy embryos, according to a study published overnight The research marks a major milestone... more

04 August 2017

WA’s medical community and desperate families are asking visiting Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to help the State’s vital “brainchild” research. They want more government funding for research into rare childhood cancers, particularly brain tumours,... more

04 August 2017

Targeting hijacked healthy cells could deliver a “knockout” blow to many different cancers, scientists say. When tumours take over healthy connective tissue cells called fibroblasts, the altered cells help the cancer to grow, spread and evade therapy... more

04 August 2017

A breakthrough treatment for early stage breast cancer destroys the disease with fewer side effects than the usual approach, trials show. Targeting tumours directly with radiotherapy is as successful as treating the whole breast, the research led by ... more

04 August 2017

Of an estimated 10,000 Australians who have Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a genetic time bomb that makes them virtually certain to develop a lethal cancer in just about any organ, half will do so by the age of 30. But one in 10 seemingly healthy people with ... more

04 August 2017

E-Cigarettes emit toxic vapours that break safety guidelines when used indoors, research suggests. Non-vaping customers in pubs can be exposed to unhealthy levels of formaldehyde, which causes cancer, and acrolein, a toxin that irritates the eyes and... more

03 August 2017

Restaurant traders in Melbourne’s south-east are banning meals from their alfresco menus in favour of allowing punters to smoke. Under new laws enforced by the state government on Monday, smoking is banned from nearly all Victoria’s outdoor dining ar... more

03 August 2017

Young adults battling cancer will undergo exercise as part of an ambitious research project to improve their outcomes and lessen treatment side effects. Patients aged between 15 and 20 undergoing cancer treatment will be able to participate in struct... more

03 August 2017

Melbourne researchers have shown they can “supercharge” treatment for aggressive types of breast cancer in the laboratory. Using a new drug, which blocks a protein that keeps cancer cells alive, in combination with standard treatment, the Walter and ... more

03 August 2017

In a ‘‘quite remarkable’’ new study, researchers from Monash University have found a ‘‘switch’’ that tells the body to either burn or store fat after we have eaten. Researchers have known for some time that there are two types of fat: white fat, whic... more

02 August 2017

Most Queensland schools fail to ensure children are adequately protected from the sun, warns the Cancer Council. Cancer Council Queensland chief executive Chris McMillan said schools needed to do better after a survey found less than half of schools ... more

02 August 2017

With 35 new cases diagnosed every day, more Australians than ever are turning to Dr Google for information on blood cancers. Research has revealed a spike in online searches for leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. The data reflects a “troubling” increas... more

02 August 2017

The benefits of the Mediterranean diet may be limited to the well-off, according to a study of 19,000 adults. The southern European tradition of eating plenty of vegetables and fish is supposed to cut the risk of cancer and heart disease. But Italian... more

02 August 2017

A new paleo documentary by celebrity chef Pete Evans – which depicts the diet as a treatment for chronic diseases as severe as diabetes, cancer and autism in kids – has been slammed by the Australian Medical Association. Evans’ The Magic Pill, which ... more

01 August 2017

Smoking will be banned from nearly all outdoor dining areas in Melbourne, and the entire state, from Tuesday. Under sweeping new laws being rolled out by the state government, any individual who ignores the ban can be fined up to $777, with businesse... more

01 August 2017

Obesity experts are now calling for a ban on free toys and movie characters being used to sell unhealthy foods in Australian restaurants and supermarkets. But they do not want to ban toys completely. They say the ‘‘pester power’’ of freebies should b... more

31 July 2017

A director of a tobacco company that is suspected of smuggling cigarettes has donated $400,000 to the Labor Party, possibly breaching NSW law and the ALP’s own ban on taking tobacco industry funds.  Peter Chen, the sole Australian director of Sydney ... more

31 July 2017

Smoking diners will be forced to butt out under strict new laws kicking off in Victoria next week. From Tuesday, Victorian pubs and clubs will have to put up a 4m buffer, or install plastic walls to shield diners from smoking customers. The Herald Su... more

31 July 2017

In a comment piece, Dee Ryall unpacks the concept of euthanasia and provides an argument for why it should be legalised. She shares her experience of her dad’s battle with acute leukemia and, as a result, bone marrow disease. Ryall finishes with “Dyi... more

31 July 2017

The Courier Mail profiles Dr Fiona Simpson, who is applying her lifelong resolve to research work that could revolutionise treatment of aggressive cancers. With $250,000 funding from the PA Hospital Research Foundation, clinical trials are under way ... more

31 July 2017

Thousands of Australian cancer patients will be given a new shot at life under a $1.1 billion package handing them access to a breakthrough drug. Under one of the biggest ever listings on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Opdivo will be made availa... more

31 July 2017

A doctor has been filmed providing a suicide drug to a terminally ill patient in an explosive new documentary. The film, to premiere in Melbourne on Tuesday, comes as the Andrews Government last week gave the green light to an assisted dying Bill. Fa... more

31 July 2017

The Sunday Territorian profiles Charlene Ericson, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer after being misdiagnosed for a year. She beat it, only to discover recently that it had reccured. Ericson shared her story of beating ovarian cancer, at just 31-y... more

31 July 2017

The Sunday Mail Brisbane lists the best screening tests that can be carried out at home. These include: at-home pap smear, a skin cancer detection app, a bluetooth blood pressure monitor, a UV exposure patch and a bowel cancer screening kit. The Sun... more

28 July 2017

The Courier Mail profiles Adam Benjamin, who played a pioneering role in the Australia’s medicinal cannabis industry. Adam Benjamin’s close friends lost their eight-year-old son to a particularly aggressive form of cancer. Desperate to alleviate the ... more

28 July 2017

LONDON: A rise in the use of electronic cigarettes among US adults is linked to an increase in the number of people quitting, researchers say. In a study published in The BMJ, British medical journal, California scientists said their findings were ba... more

28 July 2017

Health experts have slammed a giant advertisement showing a woman lighting another woman’s cigarette on makeup firm Napoleon Perdis’ flagship Double Bay shop as “incredibly irresponsible”. Cancer Institute NSW chief Professor David Currow said promot... more

28 July 2017

A Melbourne research institute has scored a $400 million royalties windfall for its groundbreaking anti-cancer medicine. The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research has partially sold the royalty rights to venetoclax, a treatment that inh... more

28 July 2017

AN estimated 5000 Australians will be diagnosed with head or neck cancer this year, prompting a push to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms. Cancer Council Australia is also encouraging teens to get the human papilloma virus vaccination, as HPV... more

28 July 2017

A combination therapy halting cancer growth for twice as long in women with the most common type of advanced breast cancer, is being tested for early stage cancer in a bid to save more lives. A new class of drug that works to stop cancer, called CDK4... more

28 July 2017

Smoking will be banned from nearly all outdoor dining areas in Melbourne, and the entire state, next week. Any individual who ignores the ban can be fined up to $777, with a business facing a whack of $7773. From August 1, smokers will be banished fr... more

27 July 2017

Parramatta great Brett Kenny is digging in for the fight of his life after being diagnosed with cancer. The 56-year-old learnt last week he had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and will undergo chemotherapy in the near future. Kenny said conquering the life-th... more

27 July 2017

The outpouring of support for Jarrod Lyle shows just how much the Victorian means to Australian golf as the 35-year-old returned to hospital to face a recurrence of acute myeloid leukaemia. Lyle’s wife Briony confirmed the diagnosis on Wednesday afte... more

27 July 2017

A conscience vote afforded by the major parties, Labor and Liberal, together with the likelihood of the Nationals and the Greens voting on party lines of support, looks to produce a lineball decision on whether euthanasia legislation is passed in Vic... more

26 July 2017

Half of the cancer survivors in Australia are under financial stress, shows new research. Cancer Council Australia chief executive Sanchia Aranda said financial distress often influenced decisions about treatment. “We also know that around 12 per cen... more

26 July 2017

The first company in Australia licensed to cultivate and manufacture medicinal cannabis is working at a closely guarded, top secret location on the Sunshine Coast. Medifarm founder Adam Benjamin said the company had invested hundreds of thousands of ... more

26 July 2017

Australians rank among the worst in the world for carrying dangerous stomach fat – with a shocking 88 per cent of men and 76 per cent of women now “overfat”. While many of these people can appear healthy, overfat refers to a glut of weight around the... more

26 July 2017

Despite screening being able to detect bowel cancer long before symptoms begin, only two in five Victorians undergo the test available to people over 50. More than 1300 Victorians die each year from a disease that can be easily treated in its early s... more

26 July 2017

The world’s biggest internet celebrity has flaunted a cigarette propped between her fingers in a nude post to social media. Kendall Jenner’s sultry pose flies in the face of national advertising standards that ban smoking images and comes days after ... more

25 July 2017

Health groups are urging food companies to disclose added sugars on product labels, saying this will lead to more accurate health star ratings and win back consumer trust. Researchers at the George Institute for Global Health analysed more than 34,00... more

25 July 2017

The Australian profiles Mike Moore, who is opposing the marketing of opioid painkillers after conducting the landmark tobacco litigation of the 1990’s. Mr Moore is among many tort lawyers flocking to help government bodies seek damages from makers of... more

25 July 2017

The Adelaide Advertiser profiles Steve Pendry, who was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer on Christmas Eve, 2013, and has defied the odds and survived. Pendry is starting SA’s first pancreatic support group at the Tennyson Centre in Kurralta... more

25 July 2017

Leading neurosurgeon Kate Drummond has called on the Turnbull government to break the “bureaucratic mould” and approve reimbursement of a drug that prolongs the life of Australian brain cancer patients. The debate on access to the drug was reignited ... more

24 July 2017

Some WA women are putting themselves at risk of developing cervical cancer because they are ignoring reminders to have a lifesaving test, experts have warned. Several health clinics have reported big decreases in the number of women booking in for Pa... more

24 July 2017

THE Ministry of Health has launched an urgent investigation into “Insta smoke shots”, where models pose with cigarettes in a worrying new trend slammed for glamorising the deadly addiction. The Saturday Telegraph has uncovered multiple photos of glam... more

24 July 2017

Researchers have identified how the deadliest form of brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, protects itself from cancer-killing chemotherapy. Glioblastoma multiforme, which Senator John McCain was diagnosed with last week, has a high mortality rate,... more

24 July 2017

The Sunday Age examines the practice of Philip Morris International in India, which include methods that flout the nation’s tobacco-control regulations. These include tobacco shop displays as well as the free distribution of Marlboro – the world’s be... more

21 July 2017

Teens are less likely to drink alcohol if they know it is a major cause of cancer but most are unaware of the link, a South Australian study has found. More than 2800 students aged 12-17 were surveyed about their drinking behaviour by Adelaide Univer... more

21 July 2017

WA women with endometrial cancer are taking part in the Australian trial of a treatment that can delay the need for radical surgery.  Endometrial cancer is the most common gynaecological cancer and is diagnosed in 2400 Australian women each year. The... more

21 July 2017

The Australian  profiles former solicitor general Justin Gleeson SC, who is back in private practice after quitting as the nation’s second-most-powerful legal officer. Gleeson touched on the biggest international dispute he dealt with as solicitor-ge... more

21 July 2017

Australia’s psychologists are urging the government to lift the ban on nicotine containing e-cigarettes, saying their mentally ill patients, many of whom are heavy smokers, could “significantly benefit” from the devices. In a submission to the federa... more

20 July 2017

It wasn't until Josh was four months old that the Catterick family discovered he was born with a serious brain tumour, leading to multiple surgeries over his short life. The family look with cautious optimism for other families to the promise of a $1... more

20 July 2017

Commercial cannabis crops overseas are being visited by the Victorian Government to investigate the future of the budding new medical treatment in Australia. Minister of Agriculture Jaala Pulford toured an indoor growing facility in Canada last week,... more

20 July 2017

Most adults gain weight as they age, but adding as little as 5kg by middle age may substantially raise the risk of major illnesses, US researchers say. Harvard University scientists found that even modest weight gain in adulthood “was associated with... more

20 July 2017

Liquor brands will think twice about using "glitter", models with "youthful looks" and messages about "the morning after" in their advertising, after a complaint about a Vodka Cruiser advertisement on Instagram was upheld by the Advertising Standards... more

20 July 2017

The Greens have plans to cut off production of cancer treatment and remove questions about “gender” from all official documents. Greens’ party platform from the 2016 election reveals they support closing down the nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights, and... more

20 July 2017

Bosses should consider letting workers use e-cigarettes at their desks to cut smoking rates, according to UK Government plans. The Tobacco Control Plan said: “E-cigarette use is not covered by smoke-free legislation and should not be included in an o... more

20 July 2017

Cancer researchers have found a drug capable of boosting the power of a promising new class of treatment that reprograms the body’s own immune cells to fight cancer. The therapy involves removing a patient’s own immune cells, genetically engineering ... more

18 July 2017

WA men are expected to take part in the trial of a ground breaking treatment for advanced prostate cancer using radioactive atoms. The nuclear medicine treatment delivers radioactive molecules directly to cancer cells and experts believe it will be a... more

18 July 2017

Rates of endometrial cancer have increased over the last two decades in western countries because of the rise in obesity. This same rise in obesity is also driving an increase in the numbers of younger women under 40 affected by the disease according... more

18 July 2017

In a national vote widely viewed as a victory for conservatives, last year’s US elections also yielded a win for liberals in eight states that legalised marijuana for medical or recreational use. But the growing industry is facing a federal crackdown... more

17 July 2017

Territory welders could be at a higher risk of developing cancer than previously thought, according to new research. The International Agency for Research on Cancer report confirms that welding fumes and emissions of UV radiation from the trade are c... more

17 July 2017

A Fairfax Media special investigation has found at least 39 people who have lived on a five-kilometre section of the road – or in one case, spent significant amounts of time there – have battled cancer in the past 15 years. To residents, a disturbing... more

17 July 2017

More than 260 million cigarettes and a whopping 204 tonnes of loose-leaf tobacco have been seized at Australia’s borders in just 10 months. Customs officials snagged the bulk of the illicit tobacco in sea cargo consignments. The Daily Telegraph, 15 ... more

17 July 2017

In an opinion piece Terry Sweetman examines the issue of e-cigarettes – arguing that the new addiction of vaping may prove a safe alternative to smoking but that the tobacco industry must back off. He concludes “here is much to learn about this lates... more

17 July 2017

Queensland scientists have discovered a molecule responsible for controlling a set of genes that, when “switched on”, can improve survival rates from the most common form of breast cancer by up to a decade. Now, they’re hoping to take their research ... more

17 July 2017

In an Editorial, The Age explores the debate on e-cigarettes. The column concludes that in the meantime “it would appear prudent to use one of the certified nicotine-replacement means. One day, people will look back in wonder at tobacco smoking, but ... more

17 July 2017

Breast cancer patients will soon be offered lifesaving radiotherapy while lying on their front for the first time, in an attempt to protect them from damage to the heart and lungs. The technique, known as prone radiation, is helpful for women with la... more

17 July 2017

Cancer sufferers across NSW could miss out on world-class treatments as funding cuts leave hospitals uncertain how they will afford key equipment. The Daily Telegraph reports that advisers to Health Minister Greg Hunt and the Royal Australian and New... more

14 July 2017

In an editorial piece, The Sydney Morning Herald documents the astroturfing activities of the tobacco and now e-cigarette campaign - and urges the government to stand alone in its position against e-cigarettes due to the unknown effects of using them... more

14 July 2017

A new era in medicine opened this week when a US Food and Drug Administration panel recommended the agency approve the first treatment that genetically alters a patient’s own cells to fight leukaemia. The treatment transforms cells into what scientis... more

14 July 2017

A new blood test may accurately detect pancreatic cancer in its early stages, offering hope for people at risk of this often fatal disease, researchers said. Typically, pancreatic cancer is discovered when the tumours are too large to treat. Four in ... more

14 July 2017

Tall men have a heightened risk of dying from aggressive prostate cancer, new research shows. British scientists have found no association between height and overall prostate cancer risk but a strong link with high-grade deadly tumours. The Daily Te... more

13 July 2017

Tobacco giant Philip Morris is running an under-the-radar campaign to convince federal politicians to legalise e-cigarettes containing nicotine, with anti-smoking campaigners accusing the company of using the same ‘‘astroturf ’’ tactics it used in it... more

13 July 2017

Australia must make it as easy as possible for smokers to get their hands on e-cigarettes, doctors and a giant tobacco company have told federal parliamentarians. Doctors who’ve become advocates for drug law reform say authorities must not “sacrifice... more

12 July 2017

Price, not calorie labelling, is what sways Queenslanders’ choice of fast food. Research, which shows a fat tax on junk products is likely to have an effect on the state’s obesity crisis, will be presented to the Australian Society of Behavioural and... more

12 July 2017

A Tasmanian company that has secured one of the first licences in Australia to grow cannabis and produce pain relieving drugs says it is excited to be moving into a new era. Poppy giant Tasmanian Alkaloids, with its business partner AusCann, announce... more

12 July 2017

Coffee drinkers live longer, according to two large-scale studies that add to extensive research indicating that coffee consumption is associated with better health. These studies examined the health histories of hundreds and thousands of people who ... more

11 July 2017

Going “lectin-free” is primed to become the next big thing in dieting, but this diet seems more fad than fact. Lectins are a type of protein found in many foods including grains and beans. As isolated compounds, they have been researched for many yea... more

10 July 2017

The drug industry is spending $72 million a year “educating” doctors, with one company splashing $750,000 on a weekend conference. A new database of pharmaceutical company-funded events creates by Sydney University researchers shows 42 companies shel... more

10 July 2017

We should wear sunglasses to help protect ourselves from skin cancer, experts have said. Between 5 and 10 per cent of all skin cancers appear on the eyelids. Sunglasses not only protect corneas in the eyes but also the “highly cancer-prone eyelid ski... more

10 July 2017

Female cancer survivors are more than a third less likely than other women to fall pregnant, highlighting the need to preserve their fertility. A Scottish study of females under 39 diagnosed with cancer between 1981 and 2012 found they were 38 per ce... more

10 July 2017

In an opinion piece, Angela Mollard denounces stars like Kylie Jenner, Bella Hadid, Dakota Johnson and Sophia Ritchie who have taken up smoking and posted images of cigarettes hanging from their lips and smoke curling around their face. She calls on ... more

10 July 2017

A Wollongong family has gained support from their local MP, Paul Scully, to take their petition for greater access to medicinal cannabis to parliament in its last sitting in June. It has more than 90,000 signatures and asks for supply to be made imme... more

10 July 2017

Eight common cancer myths are debunked, including: microwaves, underwire bras, deodorant, mobile phones, fluoride, sunscreen, diet soft drinks and plastic water bottles. It also goes on to examine wifi as a possible carcinogen. The Sunday Times, 9 J... more

10 July 2017

Tobacco giant Phillip Morris has been ordered to pay the Australian government millions of dollars in legal costs after its failed bid to kill off plain packaging laws. While the exact figure is a closely guarded secret - and is redacted from the Per... more

10 July 2017

The Australian profiles Anthony Warner, who is on a crusade against food faddism, pseudoscience and clinically unproven diets and regime. He has turned his considerable nutritional expertise on everything from Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop to the alkaline d... more

07 July 2017

A new simulation lab has been launched by Alive Hospice in Nashville, Tennessee to train doctors and other healthcare providers in how to deliver news about terminal diagnoses. The room is designed to simulate a doctor’s office on one side and a hosp... more

07 July 2017

Two experimental treatments for skin cancer, tailor-made to target a particular patient’s tumours, proved safe in small-scale trials, US developers say. The vaccines triggered an immune response to tumour cells, but this does not necessarily equate t... more

07 July 2017

Big Pharma is investing billions of dollars to tackle deadly diseases prevalent in China, developing new drugs to combat a line-up of top killers that differ from those in the West. Swiss drug maker Novartis is testing a molecule to combat a rare hea... more

07 July 2017

Fewer than 3 per cent of terminally ill patients can access international clinical trials, and drug companies are wary of opening compassionate access schemes because adverse effects outside of trials could affect their drug’s approval. This means dy... more

07 July 2017

The State’s smoking laws have been branded a joke as hospital patients and visitors light up with impunity at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. South Perth resident Gene said he felt disgusted at having to plough through plumes of smoke at the entrance ... more

06 July 2017

The Canberra Times profiles Matthew Owen, who highlights the flaws in the PBS for cancer patients. Specifically, the drugs needed to treat his gall bladder cancer don’t qualify for a subsidy as he has the wrong type of cancer to use them. Additionall... more

06 July 2017

SA’s Chief of Public Health Officer’s Report, July 2014-June 2016, released today, reveals the advances and challenges of the state’s public health, which can sometimes be overshadowed amid daily reports of dramas like ambulance ramping and surgery w... more

06 July 2017

Illnesses such as cancer are going undetected in 300,000 Australians because they can’t afford scans to diagnose their disease. Medicare rebates have been frozen for two decades and the Federal Government now faces a damaging campaign from the radiol... more

06 July 2017

A survey of more than 1000 adults and more than 130 nutrition experts shows there’s a surprisingly big gap between what the public and nutrition experts believe is healthy. “Products like coconut oil, gluten-free cakes, orange juice, muesli bars and ... more

05 July 2017

A new central Australian academic health science centre, led by the Aboriginal community-controlled health service sector and bringing together a consortium of 11 clinical and research groups has been announced. Announcing $222,000 in seed funding, f... more

05 July 2017

Australian health funds paid more than $6.4 billion last year on claims that had a benefit payment of more than $10,000. The latest survey of high claims by Private Healthcare Australia showed the total for 2016 was a 6.7 per cent jump on 2015. Nearl... more

05 July 2017

The environmental group Friends of the Earth claimed independent testing by the Arizona State University showed the presence of tiny particles known as nano-hydroxyapatite in several popular instant formulas. It said the presence of the substance was... more

04 July 2017

The former head of pharmaceutical giant Mayne Pharma Group, Roger Aston, is hoping his latest venture, which started when a doctor with a hobby farm tested his sheep drench to find it had anti-cancer properties, has a “magic bullet” to treat the dead... more

03 July 2017

A nationwide recall of children’s quad bikes containing asbestos-laden parts should extend far beyond the 15,000 announced by manufacturer Polaris Industries, a whistle-blower within the company claims. The Australian recall of certain Polaris youth ... more

03 July 2017

The Herald Sun profiles Leanne French, who became pregnant despite a cervical cancer diagnosis. The day before Leanne was due to deliver her child, she awoke with massive chest pains and undertook a ceasarian, anaesthetic and open heart surgery in th... more

03 July 2017

Taking a dip while wearing sunscreen could expose swimmers to cancer-causing chemicals, research suggests. Avobenzone is the most used sun-blocking compound. But it can break down when it comes into contact with chlorine and ultraviolet rays, forming... more

03 July 2017

Thousands of women are giving up pills that prevent breast cancer in the mistaken belief the medication causes debilitating side effects, researchers have warned. Tamoxifen is offered to women who have either had the disease or are at very high risk ... more

03 July 2017

The health records of every single Australian, including the Prime Minister, will be vulnerable to a hacking attack from next year, an IT expert has warned. The private health information of every Ausralian will be put into a centralised database whe... more

03 July 2017

The Public Health Information Department at Torrens University has developed the first national atlas of cancer incidence by community and locality across the nation. Cancer hotspots across Australia have been reveled for the first time as medics aim... more

30 June 2017

A higher IQ in childhood is linked to a longer life, research suggests. A study found higher intelligence lowered the risk of dying by 79 from heart disease, stroke, cancers linked to smoking and respiratory diseases. The University of Edinburgh stud... more

30 June 2017

Sufferers of a rare blood cell cancer will get cheap access to a new drug after an unprecedented move by the Turnbull Government. For the first time, the government has listed a medicine on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme after an application by p... more

28 June 2017

Treatment for prostate cancer in Australia is heading for a radical revision, according to a leader in the field, Professor Tony Costello of Melbourne University. He says traditions are being overturned in an attempt to transform advanced prostate ca... more

28 June 2017

Researchers at Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research share some of their most significant breakthroughs, including the discovery of the SLIRP gene, mRNA to control cancer cell growth and blood vessel normalisation in cancer. West Australian, 2... more

28 June 2017

More than half of supermarket products marketed at kids are unhealthy, according to a new survey by the Obesity Policy Coalition. The finding has led to calls for cartoon characters to be removed from “junk-food” packaging. The OPC surveyed 186 packa... more

28 June 2017

More than 80,000 liveswould be saved by 2040 if participation in the national bowel cancer screening program increased by 20 per cent, modelling estimates. At the moment only about 40 per cent of those who are eligible for bowel cancer screening part... more

27 June 2017

In an opinion piece, Peter FitzSimons states that the government must insist that the public health infrastructure be freed from the influence of Big Sugar and be devoted to public health. He highlights that the corporate partners of the Dieticians A... more

27 June 2017

More than 1000 firefighters who work for the environment department could be given cancer compensation before those at the CFA and MFB. The Andrews Government is set to introduce a Bill giving presumptive rights to forest firefighters working for the... more

27 June 2017

Seven out of 10 patients battling one of the deadliest forms of cancer are doing so without the specialist co-ordinated care offered to those with higher-profile forms of cancer. In the past decade, the federal government has committed $52 million fo... more

27 June 2017

Canberra smokers will have 3000 fewer places to light up in come October 1. Smoking will be banned from public transport waiting areas, including bus stops, taxi shelters, train stations and (when they’re built) light rail stops. The government is al... more

27 June 2017

Cartoon characters on food packaging such as Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger and Toucan Sam are fuelling Australia’s childhood obesity crisis and should be restricted, public health experts say. Researchers at the Obesity Policy Coalition surveyed 186 packa... more

26 June 2017

Despite the state government outlawing smoking within 4m of a public hospital entrance since April 2015, no fines have been issued in Melbourne by councils charged with enforcing the bans. Crowds of smokers continue to puff away in front of Melbourne... more

26 June 2017

Brisbane-based cancer clinic operator Icon Group is banking on new artificially intelligent technology to help spearhead its expansion into Asia. Icon, which last month saw a consortium including QIC and Goldman Sachs take a majority stake in the gro... more

26 June 2017

A new test for prostate cancer and technology to create energy from waves are among the projects sharing $28.8 million in new federal government funding, financial support industry leaders say is critical to promote Australian innovation. The Austra... more

26 June 2017

A Queensland based researcher has developed a saliva test to help doctors and dentists detect a debilitating form of cancer earlier. QUT’s commercialisation arm, bluebox, has signed an agreement with global healthcare company MDxHealth to evaluate an... more

26 June 2017

The most advanced machine in Australia for early detection of breast cancer is sitting idle in a Perth hospital because of what a medical duo say is Medicare red tape and ineptitude. The team at Hollywood Private Hospital say the Federal Government’s... more

26 June 2017

The Weekend Australian profiles Justin McLean, a partner at PwC who had the brakes slammed on his energetic life with news he had colorectal cancer. McLean’s experience first as a patient and then as a carer to his mother gave him a front-row seat to... more

26 June 2017

The Daily Telegraph profiles Bec Cooper, a 17-year-old helping other children with their battle against late stage or recurrent cancer. The Newcastle teen is leading the Children’s Cancer Institute’s crowd-funding campaign for a new clinical trial to... more

26 June 2017

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has denied an application by British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco and Philip Morris to campaign against retailers and wholesalers who also sell the cheaper untaxed and illegal tobacco. The comp... more

23 June 2017

Regional cancer patients are less likely to survive than those in the city and the disparity is not all about poor access to treatment. Patient preferences, age, gender, indigenous status and health insurance play a part in survival rates, according ... more

22 June 2017

The West Australian Business Insider profiles the construction of a medical cannabis facility near Perth. The facility will produce enough dried cannabis for 1.8 million doses annually. Managing director of Auscann, the company behind the facility, E... more

22 June 2017

An Australian National University health study has found that men who have lived in a house contaminated with Mr Fluffy asbestos are 2 and a half times more likely to get mesothelioma than others. This is the first results that demonstrates a clear l... more

21 June 2017

WA cancer experts have examined trends in the magic 5-year survival rate, which has increased from 52% in 1985 to 70% in 2014. Women still have a slight edge on men, with 71% of females who get cancer likely to live 5 years after diagnosis. West Aus... more

21 June 2017

Doctor Alistair Nuttall has been suspended for one year by the State Administrative Tribunal after abandoning his scientific training and endorsing the continued use of natural therapies to treat a cancer-stricken child. During the appointment, Dr Nu... more

21 June 2017

The Andrew government faces a lengthy delay in its bid to solve a fire services dispute after revealing it was likely to allow a Coalition review of the Fire Services Restructure Bill. The passage of the bill through the legislative council was inter... more

21 June 2017

In an opinion piece, Simon Chapman from the University of Sydney says the Minister for Health Greg Hunt has established a parliamentary committee to report on the regulation of nicotine vapourisers, or e-cigarettes. This follows intense lobbying from... more

21 June 2017

Women who carry the most common genetic mutations for breast and ovarian cancer will now be able to get a more accurate assessment of their risk. A 20-year international study, involving Melbourne researchers and patients, found that family history a... more

20 June 2017

Christine Cronau, who claims a high-fat, low carbohydrate “ketogenic” diet can ‘starve’ cancer has been banned from using Adelaide universities for her lectures. Friends of Science in Medicine, which represents over 1200 scientists and clinicians, wr... more

20 June 2017

Researchers from the George Institute of Global Health and Cancer Council NSW applied the health star rating system to 1530 menu items at 13 fast food chains. They found that Gloria Jean’s had the lowest average health star rating of two stars follow... more

20 June 2017

Results of a Royal Melbourne Hospital-led trial to determine whether routine screening of high-risk people could detect lung cancer before it turns deadly could produce crucial evidence supporting a national screening program. The trial will involve ... more

19 June 2017

Screening newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients for pancreatic cancer could slash the number of deaths from the killer disease. Experts are issuing the advice as they believe that the blood sugar condition may be an early warning sign of the onset... more

19 June 2017

An ambassador for the EJ Whitten Foundation, West Coast Eagles legend Glen Jakovich knows first-hand the importance of regular prostate checks. Jakovich was only 16 when he lost his dad, Darko, to cancer in 1989 at the age of 54. The four-time Eagles... more

19 June 2017

One of Perth’s best-known medical families has opened up about their personal breast cancer journey to warn women with dense-tissue breasts to be extra vigilant about their prevention plan. Alexa Miller, parent of two teenagers with Dr Andrew Miller... more

19 June 2017

The Sunday Age has tracked down Aldi Rizal - known around the world as "Indonesia's smoking baby". The infamous ‘‘Indonesian smoking baby’’ YouTube videos raised international awareness of the alarmingly high child smoking rate in Indonesia: 20 per ... more

19 June 2017

Cancer treatments will ­become more expensive or even be compromised should the federal government proceed with its cuts to radiation oncology equipment, oncologists have warned. Expensive linear accelerators, CT machines and software needed to treat... more

19 June 2017

Andrew Denton writes an opinion piece about voluntary assisted dying. Later this year there will be a conscience vote on legislation to be introduced to the Victorian parliament.  He says that the vote might be three months away, but already hardcore... more

19 June 2017

THE State Government will commit $44 million in next week’s Budget towards construction of the second SAHMRI building. SAHMRI executive director Professor Steve Wesselingh told The Advertiser that Premier Jay Weatherill was expected to make an annou... more

19 June 2017

The Adelaide Advertiser profiles Professor Angel Lopez, who was recently given an Order of Australia Award.  The work he and his 200 colleagues perform at the Centre for Cancer Biology (CCB) is not to try and cure cancer just for South Australia, he ... more

19 June 2017

Asbestos researchers hope to create a world-first repository of the deadly fibre to help establish links to lung cancer. Concord Hospital Asbestos Diseases Research Institute director Ken Takahashi will be in Canberra this week to meet MPs from all s... more

16 June 2017

Liberal Democrats Senator David Leyonhjelm writes in an opinion piece that banning cigarette branding has done nothing to reduce smoking rates, but as long as tobacco companies get screwed no one seems to mind. The Australian Financial Review, 16 Ju... more

16 June 2017

According to a new analysis of 2011 data by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, cancer accounts for one-fifth of our disease burden. Other conditions such as cardiovascular disease may be more common and cause a greater number of deaths, ... more

16 June 2017

ACT health minister Meegan Fitzharris will lobby federal health minister Greg Hunt to reassess how the Australian government subsidises prescription drugs, as a Senate inquiry into funding for research into cancers with low survival rates continues. ... more

16 June 2017

Scientists have found a way to map how cancer drugs work — by making them glow and tracking their journey through the body. The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre research has shown new tools have the potential to revolutionise the way drugs are investiga... more

16 June 2017

A new test that detects aggressive prostate cancer from a blood sample could save thousands of lives. The test shows when a tumour is a type that may spread quickly, research suggests. It identifies prostate cancer patients with aggressive forms of t... more

14 June 2017

Associate Professor Richard Norman, a health economist from Curtin University’s school of public health, is leading a team trying to determine what is important to cancer patients when it comes to their treatment and what it is that makes it more bea... more

14 June 2017

Exercise is medicine and when it comes to cancer it’s been proved to be one of the best but, until now, there have been few specialised exercise programs to support young people. The Cancer Council WA’s Life Now program is hugely popular, with thousa... more

14 June 2017

A drug developed by Harvard University researchers could offer risk-free tans by stimulating production of natural pigments. Unlike solarium tans, which expose people to carcinogenic ultraviolet radiation, the drug could prevent skin cancer by encour... more

14 June 2017

Terminally ill patients could soon receive medicinal cannabis after an about-face by crossbench senators to overturn rules making the drug harder to get. A Greens push to disallow the rule that makes it harder to access medicinal cannabis was passed ... more

14 June 2017

Melbourne researchers have devised a way to better recruit lung cancer patients most likely to benefit from new drugs — a tool they hope will improve treatment options more broadly for the disease. Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research ... more

13 June 2017

Figures released today by Cancer Council Queensland show an estimated 220 men die from the disease each year, an increase from 125 men in 1995. Death rates continue to rise at 1 per cent a year. More than 2000 males are diagnosed annually. The upward... more

13 June 2017

A senior drugs regulator has warned that a push to weaken medical cannabis regulation could lead to people attempting to bring “a suitcase” full of the illegal and ­potentially deadly substance through customs. Independent senator Jacqui Lambie is at... more

13 June 2017

Last week the Financial Planning Association of Australia was delighted to announce a pilot probono Financial Planning Referral Service with Cancer Council, to provide assistance to families affected by cancer. The FPA believes that financial planner... more

13 June 2017

Sarah McGoram is in an arms race against her own body, requiring a new drug every couple of years to fight the gastrointestinal stromal tumours in her small bowel and liver. Because she has burnt through so many different treatments, she can no longe... more

13 June 2017

New Australian research has found that diet could increase a woman’s chances of surviving ovarian cancer by as much as 25%. A QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute study of 811 women found women who ate the most fibre, green leafy vegetables and ... more

13 June 2017

Medical staff were unknowingly exposed to radiation from a CT scanner at the Royal Adelaide Hospital for four months before being told of a fault in the lead protection barrier. The radiation fail is the latest health scandal exposed by The Advertise... more

13 June 2017

Prof Angel Lopez has been appointed as an Officer to the Order for Australia for his work in scientific research in the areas of immunology, cell biology and innovative developments in cancer treatment, in particular, acute myeloid leukaemia. Since 2... more

13 June 2017

A Queensland professor has been recognised with a top award for his decades of world-leading cancer treatment research. Professor Rajiv Khanna was awarded the Order for Australia for his ground-breaking research using immunotherapy to treat cancers. ... more

13 June 2017

Peter Klinken, Chief Scientist of WA has been awarded Companion of the Order of Australia. He discovered the gene that suppresses tumour growth in 1988, telling AAP he was ‘‘almost shaking with excitement’’ when he grew in a test tube a rare type of ... more

07 June 2017

Patient advocate Beryl Crosby has slammed a decision by Queensland Health to keep patients’ families in the dark over a chemotherapy dosing controversy at the Toowoomba Hospital. Ms Crosby said the families had a “bloody right to know”. “You have to ... more

07 June 2017

Walking for just 30 minutes a day can boost your chances of surviving cancer by almost half, research shows. Separate studies involving breast and bowel cancer patients found that regular exercise had a huge impact on survival. The first was carried ... more

07 June 2017

Thousands of men could benefit from a new way of treating prostate cancer that doubles their average life expectancy, research has found. Giving patients a combination of two drugs makes them nearly 40 per cent more likely to be alive after three yea... more

07 June 2017

Victorian women with the most aggressive form of breast cancer will be among the first to test a shot of radiotherapy to “reawaken” the immune system to fight cancer before further treatment. Two clinical trials combining radiation with immunotherapy... more

06 June 2017

A universal cancer test that can diagnose tumours a decade before symptoms appear is being developed by US scientists. Known as a liquid biopsy, it involves patients providing a blood sample, which is run through a laboratory machine. It scans the bl... more

06 June 2017

Ten cancer patients were given lower than recommended doses of chemotherapy at a Queensland hospital. Although Queensland Health was advised of the underdosing on May 25, no families have been informed. An emergency review, sparked after a chance dis... more

05 June 2017

A world-first online fertility calculator is being developed by Melbourne researchers to help breast cancer patients understand how treatments may affect their chances of conceiving. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data suggests, on averag... more

05 June 2017

Medical oncologist Arlene Chan, the founder of Breast Cancer Research WA has begun a pioneering study of what children go through when mothers are diagnosed with breast cancer.. Breast cancer accounts for about 25 per cent of all cancers diagnosed. A... more

04 June 2017

Illegal tobacco costing the tax system $205 million has been seized in the last financial year alone. The Australian Border Force detected 103 marine shipments and 48,322 postal shipments of undeclared tobacco so far in 2016-17. The sea cargo amounte... more

04 June 2017

Researchers have hailed the biggest breakthrough for a decade in the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer, after a new treatment was found to dramatically shrink tumours. Experts said the results of the early-phase study were “exciting” and “promisin... more

04 June 2017

Obese people are being consigned to bad health and an early death because they can’t access lifesaving bariatric surgery, experts have warned. With close to a million adults classified as obese in Australia, the number of people having the weight-red... more

04 June 2017

In Australia, unlike in many other countries, life insurers are allowed to ask applicants for results of genetic tests and allowed to discriminate on the basis of the results. Other countries have introduced laws for their life insurance industries, ... more

04 June 2017

Cannabis is now being touted as a potential treatment for breast cancer, following the success of pre-clinical studies by a Perth-based biopharmaceutical company. The study was conducted on cells in vitro. Triple negative breast cancer is one of the ... more

03 June 2017

A chemical in diesel fumes, cosmetics and cleaning products causes cancer by damaging our ability to repair faults in our genes, scientists have found. Researchers have found formaldehyde can cause cancer by breaking down the mechanisms which fix dam... more

02 June 2017

Smokers who roll their own cigarettes or puff on cigars will have to pay more from September. The Federal Government introduced draft laws to increase the tax on certain tobacco products to bring them in line with manufactured cigarettes. It covers t... more

01 June 2017

Smoking, already off the menu inside restaurants, pubs and clubs, will from August 1 be off the menu outside too. From that day, in outside areas such as on footpaths or in courtyards and beer gardens, any smokers must be separated from dining areas ... more

01 June 2017

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has invoked the “horrible” plight of his late mother in an emotional attack on smoking. Cr Doyle will write to Premier Daniel Andrews calling for legislation to ban political parties accepting donations from the tobacco indust... more

01 June 2017

Australians under 30 are drinking, smoking and using illicit drugs far less than their parents and grandparents, research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows. The latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey, released today, f... more

31 May 2017

The Heart Foundation is urging the Northern Territory Government to stop investing public money into trusts linked to the tobacco industry and to strengthen tobacco legislation this World No Tobacco Day. The urgent call for action is in response to t... more

31 May 2017

The Cancer Council has today called for a ban on smoking around children. Hundreds of thousands of Queensland kids live with a smoker and attempts to protect them from toxic drift by puffing in the backyard or in another room are pointless. And light... more

31 May 2017

A simple saliva test could be used to assess a person’s melanoma risk within the next five years, Queensland researchers believe. Researchers from the Princess Alexandra Hospital and University of Queensland are conducting a study of more than 1200 p... more

31 May 2017

Breastfeeding has been linked to a lower risk of developing cancer of the uterus. An international study, led by Australian researchers, found women who breastfed for at least nine months had an 11 per cent lower risk of developing the common cancer ... more

31 May 2017

Perth’s western suburbs are home to the highest above average rates of skin cancer in WA, health statistics reveal. Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare also shows Mandurah and Kwinana are cancer hotspots, with higher than the nat... more

30 May 2017

Gangs of criminals are stealing cigarettes in record numbers across Melbourne as the value of tobacco on the black market soars. Thieves broke into Victorian stores and stole tobacco 137 times between January 1, 2016 and March 15, 2017. Tobacco is no... more

30 May 2017

Smokers are butting out in record numbers in South Australia and fewer youngsters are lighting up, new figures show. Health experts are hailing the sharp dip in smoking rates as a potential life-saver from a variety of cigarette related illnesses, mo... more

30 May 2017

Alcohol advertising should be banned within walking distance of schools, according to health advocates who warn exposure to boozy billboards can lead to binge drinking. Backed by its own research linking alcohol advertising to risky drinking among Vi... more

29 May 2017

The Territory has been branded “a serial offender in failing to improve tobacco control” after it was announced as the recipient of the Dirty Ashtray Award for putting in the least effort to reduce smoking over the past 12 months. It is the second ye... more

29 May 2017

National Australia Bank's chief customer officer, Andrew Haggar, has admitted that the life insurance industry has not kept pace with advancements in genetic testing, despite research showing that even a small increase in the level of testing could c... more

29 May 2017

The resilience and resolve of Victoria’s Country Fire Authority volunteers is being pushed to its limit as the Andrews government continues its bid to split the organisation. But as if the unscrupulous union driven campaign wasn’t already a slap in t... more

28 May 2017

Breast cancer on Sydney’s north shore, melanoma on the state’s north coast and lung cancer in the city’s southwestern suburbs. The state’s cancer hot spots have been highlighted by new data that shows how where you live influences what type of cancer... more

28 May 2017

Removing asbestos is expensive. For cost reasons, as well as to protect the environment, governments are increasingly reluctant to dispose of all kinds of waste by dumping it in landfill. With asbestos, which can only be disposed of by safe, controll... more

28 May 2017

Through advances in robotic technology, surgical treatment – the mainstay with chemotherapy and radiation therapy – can be less invasive. “The use of the ‘da Vinci’ robot in colorectal surgery started in Victoria and it can offer superior outcomes to... more

27 May 2017

Three senior haematologists at two hospitals failed to raise the alarm after learning seriously ill leukaemia patients were only getting half the recommended chemotherapy dose. Two Royal Adelaide Hospital haematologists, Associate Professor Ian Lewis... more

27 May 2017

Perth researchers are warning electronic cigarettes are not a harmless alternative to regular cigarettes after a study found they could cause lung damage. A study led by Telethon Kids Institute researchers compared the lung health of mice exposed to ... more

27 May 2017

Drinking more coffee may help stave off liver cancer, a new study suggests. Researchers have found people who drink just one cup of coffee a day are 20 per cent less likely to develop the most common form of the disease. Drinking two cups of coffee a... more

27 May 2017

Health advocates and the State Government are at odds over a push to cut childhood obesity by forcing students to stand while in school. Olympian Jane Flemming sparked national debate yesterday when she revealed her push for a classroom stand. Prime ... more

26 May 2017

A South Australian e-cigarette vendor says he will be forced to spend $150,000 relocating interstate if the State Government imposes new restrictions on vaporisers. Introduced to Parliament last week by Substance Abuse Minister Leesa Vlahos, the legi... more

26 May 2017

One in eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer by the age of 85, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. It is expected to become the most commonly diagnosed cancer in 2017, with the number of new cases estimated to hit 17,73... more

26 May 2017

The Gold Coast is set to become an international hub for a promising new frontier in cancer research offering hope for earlier diagnosis and better treatments. Griffith University has spent $7 million to create the Australian Centre for Cancer Glycom... more

26 May 2017

Australian cervical cancer rates and deaths are at a historical low and more people are taking up bowel cancer screening, new reports reveal. Two new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports show positive steps forward in the fight against ... more

26 May 2017

Sugar is our enemy in the war on obesity but it’s our new friend in the war on cancer. A revolutionary wave of new cancer tests and treatments will hinge on targeting the sugar molecules on the outside of cancer cells. And Australian scientists are a... more

26 May 2017

Cigarette filters introduced in the 1960s to reduce the health risks associated with smoking have actually increased the likelihood of lung cancer, researchers say. The study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute upends the percep... more

24 May 2017

Drinking just one small glass of wine a day raises a woman’s risk of breast cancer, a major report concludes. It means even following safe drinking guidelines of 14 units a week could be enough to endanger health. A review of 119 studies, involving 1... more

24 May 2017

The impact exercise has on surviving many common cancers cannot be ignored, with Australian research showing the risk of dying may be reduced by nearly a half by regularly walking and lifting moderate weights. A review of more than 100 studies involv... more

23 May 2017

Pet owners have been urged to take extra care when cleaning litter trays after scientific claims that a common parasite spread by cats could cause prostate cancer. A microscopic bug, Toxoplasma gondii, has been found to trigger inflammation and the f... more

23 May 2017

Overweight boys may be at greater risk of bowel cancer when they grow up but, if they shed the kilos and achieve a healthy weight by young adulthood, the risk is nullified, a Danish study has found. With bowel cancer the second most common cancer in ... more

22 May 2017

Australian Medical Association WA president Andrew Miller says it appears the new State Government is being lobbied by medicinal cannabis producers to spruik what he describes as an unproved treatment in WA. “I suspect there’s a bit of pressure being... more

22 May 2017

Students of Australia’s first medicinal cannabis course will learn everything there is to know about the plant, short of ingesting it. There won’t be any visits to secret cultivation facilities, but architects of the new eight-week course at Deakin U... more

22 May 2017

Social media sites such as Instagram and Facebook are fueling an epidemic of skin cancer, an expert says. Dermatologist Christopher Rowland Payne said selfie obsessed youngsters ignored warnings about long-term damage, in return for a “like’’. Dr Pay... more

22 May 2017

Under the changes, which will take up to two years to introduce, the government will tip $100 million into the CFA, which will become a volunteer-only service. The state government yesterday announced plans for two separate services. It hopes this wi... more

22 May 2017

Doctors in WA will be summoned to an urgent roundtable discussion next month to explain why they are not prescribing medicinal cannabis. Premier Mark McGowan and Health Minister Roger Cook announced the meeting after it emerged no applications had be... more

19 May 2017

St Vincent’s Hospital yesterday rejected claims it tried to cover up the chemotherapy underdosing of more than 100 patients. A NSW parliamentary committee investigating the scandal yesterday delivered a damning report saying it could not discount the... more

19 May 2017

Medicare is being privatised by stealth as state governments end free public hospital care and the federal government squeezes patient rebates. Revealed this week, privately insured patients were getting priority treatment in public hospitals, waitin... more

19 May 2017

E-cigarettes would be banned in current non-smoking areas and sellers would face a fine of up to $5000 if caught offering vaporisers in vending machines, under proposed new laws. Substance Abuse Minister Leesa Vlahos has introduced legislation to Sta... more

19 May 2017

Tobacco giant Philip Morris has hit a major legal hurdle in its attempt to introduce a new smoke-free tobacco product to the Australasian market. The New Zealand government has laid charges against the company for allegedly importing and selling toba... more

19 May 2017

A new drug treatment could allow patients with advanced melanoma and brain tumours to live longer, an Australian trial has shown. A three-year Melanoma Institute trial of immunotherapy drugs nivolumab and ipilimumab showed more than three-quarters of... more

18 May 2017

A cancer drug specialist from Sydney may for the first time shed light on how much damage was done to the 10 underdosed chemotherapy victims who were given half the recommended daily dose. In a directions hearing the Deputy State Coroner, Anthony Sch... more

18 May 2017

More than 186 cancer types are defined as rare or less common, affecting fewer than 12 in every 100,000 people. While individually they are rare, collectively they account for almost one-quarter of cancers diagnosed and almost 40 per cent of cancer d... more

18 May 2017

The possibility St Vincent’s Hospital attempted to cover up the NSW chemotherapy dosing scandal cannot be discounted, according to a damning report from a parliamentary inquiry. The probe, which wrapped up in November, investigated the circumstances ... more

18 May 2017

Smokers are significantly more likely to develop skin cancer, a new Australian study has found. Researchers at Queensland’s Berghofer Medical Research Institute spent three years monitoring the development of skin cancers in almost 19,000 people and ... more

18 May 2017

Breakthroughs in stem cell science have paved the way for the generation of universal blood cells in the lab, with unprecedented applications for treatment and research. Two American teams have separately found ways to reprogram adult tissues into fu... more

17 May 2017

The State Government has vowed to snuff out plans for “shisha smoking cafes” in Glenorchy. Shisha cafes, which involve flavoured, low-content tobacco and non-tobacco smoking using water pipes, have been proposed for the Glenorchy region despite confu... more

17 May 2017

A medicinal marijuana hotline will be set up to help doctors who feel pressured to dispense the drug as patients demand easier access. As patient groups mount political campaigns for easier prescriptions, the Therapeutic Goods Administration will hol... more

17 May 2017

While the horror of being diagnosed with testicular cancer is all too common for young men, the outlook is good with early detection. For every 100 Australian men diagnosed with the disease now being faced by Jesse Hogan, 98 will survive. Across the ... more

17 May 2017

The Medicare rebate thaw will not apply to 93 per cent of scans, including the X-rays, MRIs and ultrasounds used to diagnose some of the most common forms of cancer. On budget night, the Turnbull government said the final stage of the thaw, due in Ju... more

17 May 2017

Tasmania’s first major private cancer centre has been proposed for Hobart’s CBD with hopes it can start treating patients before the end of the year. The centre would offer chemotherapy and radiation therapy treatments, with radiation oncology servic... more

15 May 2017

Doctors are being warned not to prescribe medical cannabis even if Australian governments have legalised the treatment. A meeting of Australia’s top pain specialists will today be told the federal and Victorian governments have jumped the gun by l... more

15 May 2017

Terminally ill Victorians could have up to two years to seek a physician assisted death, with the Andrews government’s advisers contemplating whether to set a longer than expected time frame in the euthanasia laws to be introduced this year. Patients... more

15 May 2017

Women with some types of breast implant are up to 14 times more likely to develop a rare form of cancer than those with a similar product, Australian researchers have revealed, as two more cases are added to the official tally. The Australian study h... more

15 May 2017

It’s a frightening reality that enough poison is stored in the average Victorian home to kill its inhabitants many times over. In fact, studies show even household products labelled as “green” can contain potentially deadly chemicals. The list of tox... more

15 May 2017

A man who died of cancer was wrongly diagnosed by a doctor as having Lyme disease and treated for 30 weeks with antibiotics. The Health Care Complaints Commission prosecuted Dr Peter Mayne before a Medical Professional Standards Committee and found t... more

12 May 2017

Bill Shorten has backed the Greens in a vote that would have allowed “bags of weed” and hash into Australia. In a dramatic day, the Therapeutic Goods Administration was dispatched to Parliament House to urge the crossbench to stop the move to undo to... more

12 May 2017

A revolutionary new way to diagnose melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, could be available within five years. Prof Mel Ziman, from Edith Cowan University, in WA, presented new world-leading findings on liquid biopsies for early melanoma dete... more

12 May 2017

More than 6000 case of a rare, hard-to-detect type of cervical cancer will be averted by 2040 as a result of vaccination and screening, according to new research. An Australian study by Cancer Council NSW has estimated the combined impact of HPV vacc... more

11 May 2017

Hormone replacement therapy could increase women’s risk of hearing loss by up to a fifth, the first study of its kind suggests. The longer women used HRT the greater the risk of hearing problems, according to a US study which suggests deafness may ne... more

11 May 2017

Scientists have found microbes in the gut cause malformation of blood vessels in the brain, spawning a mostly untreatable condition that can trigger facial paralysis, seizures and strokes. An international research team has uncovered the molecular me... more

11 May 2017

Two senior medical professionals at the Royal Adelaide Hospital were stood down yesterday over their role in the chemotherapy scandal in which 10 seriously ill leukaemia patients were under-dosed at two major hospitals. It is understood SA Health ord... more

10 May 2017

Women with advanced breast cancer have been offered a new lifeline — but it comes at a price. Australian breast cancer support groups have welcomed a decision to approve the drug palbociclib but warn it is only a “half win” because women will still h... more

10 May 2017

The black market tobacco industry that costs Australia billions in lost taxes and is suspected of funding terrorism is thriving in Western Sydney. The Australian Border Force made 67,492 seizures of illegal tobacco in international mail alone between... more

10 May 2017

Smokers using roll-your-own tobacco are to be hit by higher costs. The government is adjusting the tax on RYO tobacco so the cost falls in line with manufactured cigarettes. The changes will affect the per-kilogram excise and excise-equivalent Custom... more

10 May 2017

Researchers battling to win the fight against childhood cancer will be given more than $1 million to fast track their work. The government has given $1.4 million to scientists to boost their international collaboration on paediatric brain cancer clin... more

10 May 2017

A mother’s breast milk contains good bacteria that is planted in the gut of breastfed babies, a study has found. US researchers say the finding highlights the importance of breastfeeding in establishing the lifelong digestive health of infants. The m... more

10 May 2017

Patients are more likely to be bulkbilled after the Turnbull government last night announced the end of the Medicare rebate freeze — at a cost of $1 billion over three years — and scrapped plans to dump incentive payments for pathology and diagnostic... more

09 May 2017

Three online retailers have been fined thousands of dollars in what is believed to be a world-first ruling against false and misleading claims about the presence of carcinogens in electronic cigarettes. The ruling is expected to prompt a flood of act... more

09 May 2017

Air pollution contributes to a 10 per cent rise in people being diagnosed with cancer, a study has found. US researchers believe it causes an extra 44 cases per 100,000 people. The study, published in the journal, Cancer, is the first to examine the ... more

08 May 2017

Australia's first proton beam therapy centre will be built in Adelaide after the federal government committed $68 million to its establishment. The radiation therapy uses heavier particles (protons) instead of X-rays and more accurately targets tumou... more

08 May 2017

A Tasmanian company says it expects to be making medicinal cannabis products by as early as next year after being granted the country’s first cannabis related licences. Tasmanian Botanics, which says regulations preclude disclosure of its location, h... more

08 May 2017

A single nine-minute dose of radiation therapy delivered during breast cancer surgery is replacing three to five weeks of daily treatment, as part of an international trial. Australian women with early, low-risk breast cancer are among the first in t... more

08 May 2017

A World Trade Organisation decision to uphold Australia’s restrictive plain tobacco packaging laws has been hailed a victory for public health policy. “I’m absolutely thrilled,” said former federal health minister and attorney general Nicola Roxon, w... more

08 May 2017

A lightweight sleeve made from “smart” materials that mimics the experience of self-massage is being developed to reduce one of the most debilitating side effects of breast cancer surgery. About a third of women with breast cancer develop lymphedema,... more

08 May 2017

Women with a history of ovarian cancer will be tracked down and advised to undergo genetic testing to safeguard their children against the disease under an ambitious national program. The research project expects to prevent about 800 ovarian cancers ... more

08 May 2017

WorkSafe Tasmania has launched an asbestos awareness and education campaign focused on under-30-year-olds who have little or no knowledge of the diseases associated with asbestos. Cases of asbestos-related mesothelioma and lung cancer are on the rise... more

08 May 2017

Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay $US110 million ($149 million) to a US woman who says she developed ovarian cancer after 40 years of using its talc-based products for feminine hygiene. Virgina’s Lois Slemp is undergoing chemotherapy afte... more

05 May 2017

Australian drug regulators have granted what is believed to be the first licence to grow medical cannabis in WA. The licence was granted by the Office of Drug Control and makes AusCann one of only a few companies to be given approval in Australia. Au... more

05 May 2017

A simple algorithm that can predict the likelihood of lung cancer in smokers and ex-smokers could revolutionise screening and help save lives, Australian researchers say. A study by Cancer Council NSW evaluated the performance of the US-developed pre... more

04 May 2017

The boss of an online e-cigarette company has been fined $55,000 after being pursued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for falsely claiming the products did not contain cancer-causing chemicals. In what is believed to be a world-f... more

04 May 2017

It has been called the ashtray of the city’s heart and Cancer Council Queensland says the Brisbane City Council must urgently stub out smoking in King George Square. Many surrounding streets and the Queen Street Mall have a smoking ban, but people ar... more

04 May 2017

Drinking even moderate amounts of alcohol – the equivalent of half a bottle of wine a week – may increase the risk of breast cancer returning in female survivors. Studies have already shown consuming alcohol is a risk factor for developing the diseas... more

04 May 2017

The four-year freeze on Medicare rebates will finally lift this July for some GP visits, and extend to specialists and medical procedures over the next three years as part of a multibillion-dollar long-term health budget package to help restore the C... more

04 May 2017

Melanomas occurring in places where the sun doesn’t shine have confused doctors for decades. But a new study has uncovered unique genetic drivers in types of the deadly cancer that occur on the soles of the feet palms of the hands and in the respirat... more

04 May 2017

Top End doctors are expected to increasingly prescribe cannabis oil following the legalisation of hemp, according to a leading pharmacist speaking in Darwin tonight. Medical Cannabis Research Australia pharmacist Paul Mavor is addressing health profe... more

03 May 2017

Hospital upgrades and slashing elective surgery waiting lists are the focus of a $2.9 billion healthcare spend in the Andrews government’s third budget, paving the way for an election platform built on the traditional Labor stronghold of health. Work... more

03 May 2017

Illegal tobacco is now costing the Australian government $1.61 billion in lost taxes, a report to be published today will reveal. The Illicit Tobacco in Australia 2016 report calls for a national strategy – similar to one in place in the UK – to tack... more

03 May 2017

Professor Ian Frazer AC, in Perth as a keynote speaker for the Science on the Swan conference, is leading a team investigating the link between bacteria on the skin and its role in the development of Australia’s most prolific cancer. “Obviously, your... more

03 May 2017

Australians in pain and suffering from chronic ailments may have access to medicinal cannabis from today as the first major commercial shipments of the drug have been cleared by customs. Around 2000 units of cannabis oil are now being stored in secur... more

02 May 2017

A country dentist has been caught administering an experimental and potentially dangerous cancer drug to up to a dozen people, which left some with chemical burns. Despite having no formal qualifications to diagnose or treat patients outside of denti... more

01 May 2017

A cystic fibrosis ‘‘miracle’’ drug that would normally cost patients $300,000 a year and a breakthrough rare cancer treatment will become affordable under new Turnbull government subsidies. Health Minister Greg Hunt says the medicines – among $310 mi... more

01 May 2017

Dodgy backyard solariums are flourishing in Victoria as users turn to covert social media groups and classifieds websites in the hunt for a deadly tan. Commercial tanning beds were outlawed in Victoria from January 1 2015, as part of the fight agains... more

01 May 2017

A smart pill that could replace the colonoscopy and revolutionise the diagnosis of gut disorders has been developed by Australian researchers and succeeded in human trials. The pill, which is the size of a vitamin capsule, is swallowed by the patient... more

01 May 2017

Researchers have found the best way to diagnose head injuries in children with head trauma, reducing unnecessary radiation exposure from brain scans. Children who have CT scans have a slightly higher risk of developing cancer later in life. While the... more

01 May 2017

  Radiotherapy has been linked to an increase in non-breast cancer deaths of up to 1 per cent, most commonly cardiovascular-related. Cancer centres internationally have grappled with the infrequent but serious side-effect, often spending upwards of ... more

28 April 2017

A new asbestos agency must be urgently set up to combat an ever-growing “third wave” of asbestos victims, mostly from DIY renovations, a damning Ombudsman report says. Despite earlier reports blasting government inaction over the problem, a further 3... more

28 April 2017

Drinking three cups of strong coffee a day slashes the risk of developing prostate cancer by more than 50 per cent, a study has found. Research on 7000 men shed further light on the role of caffeine in fighting prostate cancer. Researchers followed t... more

28 April 2017

Scientists in the UK have developed a blood test that detects the recurrence of lung cancer in patients up to a year before the disease can be detected by CT scans and X-rays. The groundbreaking TRACERx study, funded by Cancer Research UK, identified... more

27 April 2017

A program providing specialist nurses to help men deal with prostate cancer will be continued with a $6 million funding package from the federal government. Health Minister Greg Hunt will today announce support for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of A... more

27 April 2017

A major proposal is afoot to build an international radiation, oncology and chemotherapy treatment centre, complete with 72-bed luxury accommodation and possible golf course. More than a million visitors flock to Phillip Island each year, with the pe... more

27 April 2017

Perth-based scientists are preparing to launch ground breaking research to develop an easy way to scan people for dangerous plaque in their arteries. The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in Nedlands said that despite decades of public heal... more

27 April 2017

Babies born through IVF are almost three times as likely to develop cancer in childhood, a study has found. Experts say this might be due to eggs being fertilised by potentially defective sperm grown in a lab — rather than the strongest reaching them... more

27 April 2017

Yoghurt is becoming so packed with sugar most brands should be considered a dessert, rather than a healthy snack, obesity experts warn. Some small tubs of flavoured yoghurt now contain up to 7.5 teaspoons of sugar, so the Cancer Council and Heart Fou... more

26 April 2017

Sperm that’s loaded with chemotherapy drugs could be used to fight cancer in women. The guided missile technique uses drug-treated sperm to deliver the medicines to tumours deep inside the body. For years, scientists have been exploring ways to deliv... more

26 April 2017

Children who reach puberty earlier are at greater risk of developing cancer later in their life, a new study has found. Girls typically reach puberty at 12 or 13 while boys tend to start later at 13 or 14. But for every year a child starts puberty be... more

26 April 2017

An international arrangement allowing brain tumour samples from Australian patients to be tested in German labs will end in December next year, forcing doctors and cancer charities to call for increased investment to ensure local access. Brain cancer... more

26 April 2017

Carbs are good and so is starvation if you want to live longer. And to add some extra years, avoid red meat, sweets, and big nights out. Today, the Australian Biology of Ageing Conference in Sydney will be told that in order for Australians to live l... more

24 April 2017

A Queensland company has been awarded the state’s first licence to legally cultivate and produce medicinal cannabis. Medifarm director Adam Benjamin said the business planned to start rolling out local products by early 2018. “We do appreciate that t... more

24 April 2017

Patients will have easier access to medicinal cannabis under new rules to take effect from tomorrow. Under the regulations, South Australian medical specialists will be able to prescribe medicinal cannabis to patients for short terms without State Go... more

24 April 2017

Patients and taxpayers will pay less for hundreds of medicines as a result of the May budget as the Federal Government wrings $1.8 billion in savings from big drug companies. However, many people will be pushed to switch to cheaper generic versions o... more