Researchers discover radiotherapy for brain cancer is less risky than thought

A new study suggests brain cancer radiation therapy is less risky than previously thought.

Treatment involves “zapping” tumors with high-energy radiation that kills cancer cells. But this can also damage healthy tissue and, in rare cases, increase the risk of developing another cancer.

But researchers at the University of Birmingham found that the risk of causing a second brain cancer is eight times lower than previously believed.

The study compared 3,679 patients with benign brain tumors who received radiation therapy or alternative therapy.

In 20 years, secondary cancers occurred in 4% of those who received radiotherapy and 2.1% of those who received alternative therapy. Dr. “Although there is a bigger risk, it’s small,” said University’s Niki Karavitaki.

Heart alert for fat hips

Having fat thighs may be a sign that you are at greater risk of heart failure in the future.

Researchers took thigh fat measurements of 2,300 study participants and tracked their health outcomes for 12 years.

The analysis showed that those with the most thigh fat were one-third more likely to develop heart failure than those with thinner thighs.

Being overweight increases the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, where fatty deposits build up in the arteries and cause blockages.

Patients can also develop type 2 diabetes.

Having fat thighs may be a sign that you are at greater risk of heart failure in the future.

Scientists have created a model of the human heart using living cells, and it beats just like the real thing.

This tiny model, one and a half millimeters in diameter, belongs to a human’s left ventricle, the heart’s chamber that pumps oxygenated fresh blood to the aorta.

The researchers placed rat heart cells on a flexible plastic scaffold. Once the cells began to grow together, the scientists assembled the cone-shaped scaffold.

Surprisingly, the ventricle started beating after five days and can pump blood like a real heart.

The team has published the results in the journal Advanced Biology and says such models can be used to study the effects of drugs without testing them on animals.

Internet research for diabetes reveals dangerous misinformation, according to a new study.

Researchers from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) found that one in five internet searches about the chronic condition led to inaccurate material.

In one case, the best result was an announcement for an organization that wanted to discourage patients from potentially dangerous drugs without physician supervision.

“The spread of so much misinformation online is extremely worrying,” said Andrew Boulton, IDF Professor.