- We were pleased to hear that plans to introduce plain, standardised packaging for tobacco products are gathering pace in Scotland (but it would be great if it could happen even faster). Here’s our news story.
- The Independent covered Public Health England’s upcoming Stoptober Challenge and reported that smokers who quit could gain an extra week of life for every month they abstain from tobacco. And our news story features this year’s Stoptober video.
- E-cigarettes can be as effective as nicotine patches at helping smokers quit, according to new research. We covered the research, and NHS Choices had a detailed analysis of the evidence.
- A landmark US study found a rare, inherited mutation that leaves children susceptible to acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Most children with this cancer don’t have a family history, but for families who have generations of several affected children, this information could be used for both diagnosis and counselling. Science Daily has more info.
- An augmented reality app is helping surgeons remove liver tumours without damaging critical vessels within the organ. This article has more detail.
- The Independent reported on an experimental skin implant the size of a fingernail that instructs immune cells to home in on and kill cancer cells.
- Over the coming weeks, keep an eye out for this Scientific American blog series on the hallmarks of cancer. It sounds interesting.
- We blogged about NHS England’s National Cancer Patient Experience Survey…
- …while Reuters reported that US cancer care is “in crisis”.
- The BBC reported on an analysis by The World Cancer Research Fund that highlights that the risk of womb cancer can be reduced by maintaining a healthy body weight and keeping active. It’s still unclear whether coffee has any role in reducing the risk of womb cancer. We’ve written before about coffee and cancer here.
Images courtesy of Jon s, via Flickr.