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Results for search "Screening".

Health News Results - 172

CT scans are significantly linked to an increased risk of blood cancers in young people, a major multinational study has found.

Analysis of data from nearly 1 million people under 22 who underwent at least one CT scan found a strong and clear link between exposure to the scans' radiation and blood cancers, according to findings published Nov. 9 in the journal

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • November 10, 2023
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  • Researchers say they have developed a simple blood test that can spot biomarkers associated with bipolar disorder, potentially easing diagnosis.

    For the study, British researchers used both an online psychiatric assessment and a blood test to diagnose the condition. Many patients had previously been misdiagnosed with major depressive disorder.

    "People with bipolar disorder will expe...

    The vast majority of women know a lump in their breast likely signals the presence of cancer, a new survey finds, but that's not the only sign of the disease.

    "Screening mammography is our No. 1 defense in detecting and addressing breast cancers at their earliest, most treatable stages, but it is also very important for people to be familiar with the look and feel of their own breast tis...

    Extra efforts by primary care doctors to reach out to patients who need follow-up after an abnormal cancer test result leads to better results in getting that care, a new clinical trial shows.

    The trial involved nearly 12,000 patients who were receiving care at 44 primary care practices. They had overdue abnormal breast, cervical, colon or lung cancer screening results.

    To study thi...

    The ability to detect skin cancer using artificial intelligence (AI) software has rapidly improved.

    New research presented Wednesday at a medical conference in Berlin shows that this AI technology now has a 100% detection rate for melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer.

    In this study, researchers assessed more than 22,000 patients with suspected skin cancers over 2-1/2 years...

    Catching breast cancer early is key to making it easier to treat and survive, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

    The organization aims to highlight early detection, noting that screening with mammography has helped breast cancer death rates drop 43% since 1989.

    "Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women (after skin cancer) and the second most common cause of canc...

    Mammograms have long offered early detection of breast cancer, which is why getting them regularly is crucial to women's health, one expert says.

    "There are several risk factors associated with breast cancer. As with many other diseases, risk of developing breast cancer increases as you get older,"said Dr. Mridula George

    Faced with growing reports of inaccurate clinical lab tests, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday announced that it will for the first time regulate these vital diagnostic tools.

    Many Americans might have assumed that the FDA already had oversight of all medical tests; it does not.

    However, FDA Commissioner

  • Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
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  • September 29, 2023
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  • While guidelines for cancer screening have begun factoring in life expectancy, a new poll shows a majority of older adults disagree with age cutoffs based on how long a person is expected to live.

    The University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging querie...

    AI tools may help boost radiologists' confidence in their diagnoses, but they can't be relied on to identify common lung diseases on chest X-rays, a new study says.

    Researchers pitted 72 radiologists against four commercially AI tools in an analysis of more than 2,000 X-rays. The human experts won, according to results published Sept. 25 in Radiology.

    "Chest radiograp...

    Whole-body MRI scans are the latest health fad to be promoted by celebrities, with Kim Kardashian taking to Instagram last month to tout the practice.

    But doctors are warning that such whole-body scans, while tempting, are pricey and not all that accurate.

    In fact, the average person is more likely to be unnecessarily harmed by having a whole-body MRI than helped by catching a disea...

    Many Americans are behind on recommended colon cancer screenings -- and their doctors often fail to remind them, a new study suggests.

    The study, by the American Cancer Society, focused on a nationwide sample of more 5,000 Americans who were overdue for colon cancer screening. All had been to a routine checkup in the past year, but only about one-quarter said their provider had advised th...

    A new test detects a type of cervical cancer often missed by a standard Pap test, providing an important advance in detection.

    The test was developed by scientists at Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center in New York City.

    "Our novel test appears sensitive for detecting cervical adenocarcinoma [ADC] -- which now accounts for up to 25% of cervical cancer cases -- as well as its precursor...

    It's important for men to be familiar with the warning signs of prostate cancer and get screened because it's the second-leading cause of cancer death in men, an expert says.

    While there will be more than 288,000 diagnoses and nearly 35,000 deaths this year, there are also 3.5 million American men who have the disease and are still alive.

    Black men have the highest death rate for ...

    While new research suggests cancer screenings are not extending lives for the most part, the study's authors stressed that there are still good reasons why people should continue with screenings.

    Their review of clinical trials looked at six kinds of common cancer tests -- mammography, colonoscopy, fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) or endoscopy, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests and c...

    British researchers may have found a way to diagnose Parkinson's disease several years sooner.

    Researchers at University College London and Moorfields Eye Hospital say that eye scans may be able to detect signs of Parkinson's up to seven years before diagnosis.

    "I continue to be amazed by what we can discover through eye scans. While we are not yet ready to predict whether an indivi...

    Do you have COVID-19? With a little training, your dog might be more effective at figuring that out than even at-home antigen or sophisticated hospital tests.

    Dogs are so good at it, according to a new research review, that they may be ready for mainstream medical use ...

    The risks of screening mammograms to catch breast cancer may outweigh the benefits for certain women aged 70 or older, new research indicates.

    The main risk? Overdiagnosis and treatment of a breast cancer that likely wouldn't have caused any symptoms during a woman's lifetime.

    "For women who are on the younger end of the age range and who are generally healthy, the risk of overdiagn...

    Testing children with a suspected sinus infection for three common bacteria might cut unnecessary antibiotic prescribing, a new study suggests.

    Only half of kids with sinusitis -- inflammation or swelling of the sinuses -- show any improvement with antibiotics, which target bacterial infections, not viral infections, the researchers note.

    "When a child comes in with a sore thro...

    Most older adults think that screening for dementia is a good idea, according to a new poll on aging. But few actually take that step.

    Only about 20% of those aged 65 to 80 had a screening test in the past year to see if their memory and thinking abilities have started to decline, according to the University of Michigan's National Poll on Healthy Aging.

    "As many as half of Amer...

    A definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease now requires a series of complicated and expensive imaging scans that look for abnormal protein plaques and tangles in the brain.

    But in the near future, detecting signs of Alzheimer's could be as simple as taking a finger prick blood test.

    Researchers detected key Alzheimer's-related biomarkers in dried blood samples drawn from a finger...

    Identifying genetic disorders in newborns and infants can help them get the care they need, but one approach -- whole genome sequencing -- appears far superior to another.

    In a new study, researchers compared whole genome sequencing with targeted gene-sequencing. They found that whole genome sequencing (WGS) was nearly twice as effective at finding the abnormalities that lead to diso...

    For much of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors have told patients who get a negative result after taking a rapid antigen test at home to test again 48 hours later.

    A new study confirms that's the right advice.

    Whether you have symptoms or not, repeat testing after 48 hours may be required to rule out COVID infection, researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical S...

    Despite overall national declines in smoking, Americans who live in the South and Midwest are still much more likely to smoke, and smoke more, than those living in other states, a new report shows.

    A nonprofit non-smoking advocacy group has identified what it calls "Tobacco Nation,"areas of the South and Midwest where...

    Could a grocery cart save lives by preventing possible strokes? It just might.

    The notion stems from a new British study in which grocery cart handles were embedded with electrocardiogram (EKG) sensors.

    The goal: to screen shoppers for undiagnosed cases of atrial fibrillation (a-fib), the most common heart rhythm disorder.

    "Atrial fibrillation is a leading cause of stroke,"ex...

    Sarah Ferguson has undergone treatment for breast cancer, she announced on her podcast.

    The Duchess of York, 63, had a mastectomy after the diagnosis and the surgery was successful, her rep confirmed Sunday, People magazine reported.

    "The Duchess is receiving the best medical care and her doctors have told her that the prognosis is good. She is now recuperating with her f...

    Screening newborns for severe combined immunodeficiency -- SCID, sometimes referred to as "bubble boy disease" -- significantly increases survival rates, researchers say.

    Infants with SCID appear healthy at birth, but have no immune defenses, making them highly susceptible to severe and often fatal infections. The 1976 TV movie "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" promoted awareness of th...

    For the first time ever, the nation's top panel of preventive health experts has recommended that doctors routinely screen all adult patients under 65 for anxiety disorder.

    Evidence now shows that anxiety screening can help those patients find peace of mind, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) said in recommendations that were published online June 20 in the

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • June 20, 2023
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  • Many men will put off going to the doctor unless they are really sick, but men's health screenings help catch problems before symptoms appear.

    So, how can you tell if a health screening or preventive care appointment is right for you?

    The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), the

    The most common screening test for prostate cancer so often returns a false positive result that it's no longer recommended for men older than 70, and it's offered as a personal choice for younger men.

    But researchers think they've found a way to make the blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) accurate enough to significantly reduce overdiagnosis and better predict dangerous cance...

    When it comes to diagnosing sleep apnea, current screening methods may put Black patients at a disadvantage, new research suggests.

    Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious sleep disorder characterized by disrupted breathing during sleep. An initial screening tool might be an overnight pulse oximeter test -- a small device clipped on to a fingertip that measures blood oxygen levels.

    ...

    Health screenings and preventive care appointments are a key to maintaining long-term health and well-being. By proactively engaging in these practices, women can identify potential health risks early on and take necessary steps.

    This guide will outline the key women's health screenings and care appointments to help you prioritize your health and stay on top of your well-being.

    In a major change from its longstanding advice, an influential medical panel now recommends that women start mammography screening for breast cancer at age 40.

    The new guidance, from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, says women at average risk of breast cancer should start having mammograms, every other year, when they turn 40. For years, the recommendation had been to start at age...

    While newborns are only screened for about 60 treatable conditions, there are hundreds of genetic disorders that have targeted treatments.

    Now, a national survey of experts in rare diseases found the vast majority support DNA sequencing in healthy newborns.

    Testing, surveillance and treatment options exist for over 600 genetic conditions. This includes a growing number of devastat...

    Four symptoms could provide early warning of colon cancer in younger adults.

    Being aware of these red flags could lead to earlier detection and diagnosis for those under age 50, said researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

    The telltale symptoms are abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, diarrhea and iron deficiency anemia.

    The death rate from colon canc...

    While the typical recommendation is for women to start getting mammograms at age 40, the American College of Radiology has released new guidelines that call for all women to have a breast cancer risk assessment by age 25 to determine if they should start screening mammograms before they turn 40.

    This early step is particularly important for women who are Black or Ashkenazi Jewish, the gu...

    Experts recommend that women at least consider starting breast cancer screening once they turn 40. Now a new study suggests that is especially critical for Black women.

    Looking at data on U.S. breast cancer deaths, researchers found -- as other studies have -- that Black women in their 40s were substantially more likely to die of the disease than other women their age. The disparity was s...

    Is there a simple way to screen older folks for dementia risk years before there are any signs of memory loss or thinking impairment?

    Yes, researchers report.

    It's a test called SOMI, short for Stages of Objective Memory Impairment.

    The process is straightforward. After being shown a series of images, patients who have no symptoms of dementia are asked to recall what they've ...

    A leading doctors' group recommends that toddlers get screening for autism at 18 months old. That may not be a moment too soon -- and earlier may be even better, researchers say.

    A new randomized clinical trial, the gold standard for studies, backs up the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

    Intervention at 18 months for children on the autism spectrum led to bett...

    An experimental blood test may be able to catch a dozen different types of cancer with a high degree of accuracy -- including some that are particularly tricky to detect, a preliminary study suggests.

    Researchers found that the blood test was usually on the money in detecting "signals" from 12 cancers. Importantly, the test was highly accurate in picking up early-stage cancer -- which is ...

    It's machine: 1, man: 0 in the latest battle between artificial intelligence (AI) technology and human health care pros.

    This time researchers set out to see if cardiologists could tell the difference between AI and a sonographer's assessments of a key measure of heart health on ultrasound images.

    Spoiler alert: They couldn't.

    "This is a machine beats man situation,"said stud...

    For women with "focal breast complaints" -- issues with pain, lumps or discharge -- ultrasound is an effective diagnostic tool, according to new research.

    These concerns are frequent, and ultrasound is effective as a standalone diagnostic method, researchers report April 4 in the journal Radiology.

    "The evaluation of breast complaints is a common problem in breast diagnost...

    Breast cancer screening may be free for women with health insurance, but high costs may still keep some from getting needed follow-up tests, a new study finds.

    The study, of more than 230,000 U.S. women who underwent screening mammography, found that those in insurance plans with higher out-of-pocket costs were less likely to get follow-up testing after an abnormal screening result.

    A medical device used to diagnose and treat pancreatic and bile duct disease is getting attention from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after pieces have fallen off and remained in patients' bodies.

    Previously, the FDA had expressed

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • March 24, 2023
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  • Children with autism are less likely than their peers to receive important vision screening despite a high risk for serious eye disorders, researchers report.

    Only about 36% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) completed vision screenings during their health checkups,

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • March 24, 2023
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  • When waiting for medical test results, days can feel like an eternity.

    In a new survey, patients overwhelmingly say they'd like their results immediately -- even if their provider has not yet reviewed them and even if the news is bad.

    In April 2021, new rules went into effect requiring health care providers in the United States to make all results and clinical notes available immedi...

    Ordering special heart scans before a major surgery to gauge risks may be unnecessary, a new study suggests.

    Researchers found that surgeons can instead estimate patients' risk of heart attack or death by reviewing existing images of the chest captured months earlier during screening for lung issues, such as pneumonia or cancer.

    This could avoid surgery delays and increased costs, w...

    Many Americans are not getting recommended cancer screenings, and a new study hints at one way to push the needle: paid sick leave from work.

    Researchers found that in areas of the United States that passed mandates on paid sick leave, cancer screening rates inched up in the years afterward. Breast cancer screening rose by roughly 3%, while colon cancer screening increased by 6% to 8%.

    Doctors could soon have a new tool to help diagnose chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

    A questionnaire called CAPTURE successfully identified almost half of clinical trial participants who had moderate to severe forms of previously undiagnosed COPD, researchers report.

    "The goal with trying to find COPD is to treat it earlier, which will help make patients feel bette...

    Nearly half of women have dense breast tissue, which can be a double whammy on their odds for breast cancer.

    Not only are dense breasts a risk factor for cancer, but this glandular and fibrous connective tissue make it harder to detect cancers on a mammogram, the usual method for breast cancer screening.

    New r...