Illnesses & Conditions News

A drug used to treat schizophrenia may provide an effective weapon against treatment-resistant cancers, research suggests.

Welsh Health Minister Lesley Griffiths has told a group of top medics she is standing firm on the issue of a cancer drugs fund for Wales - saying the scheme would not work.

CARACAS (Reuters) - Mystery, rumour and conspiracy theories surround Hugo Chavez's health almost a year after his cancer diagnosis, with many Venezuelans contemplating a future without their larger-than-life president. Chavez, a burly former soldier who has dominated the OPEC country for 13 years, says he is on the road …

GENEVA (Reuters) - Spikes in radiation caused by the Fukushima nuclear accident were below cancer-causing levels in almost all of Japan and neighbouring countries had levels similar to normal background radiation, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. In a preliminary report using conservative assumptions, independent …

Lab scientists on Wednesday reported that for the first time they had taken skin cells from patients who had suffered heart failure and turned them into cells that could repair damaged cardiac muscle.

Treatment for diabetic patients is a postcode lottery with a massive variation in quality of care from one region to another, a report has revealed.

A molecular "switch" that could explain how certain genes protect the brain from Parkinson's disease has been discovered by scientists.

Pomegranate juice has not been proven to be an effective treatment for cancer, heart disease or erectile dysfunction, US regulators said Monday, calling a company's ad claims deceptive.

Italian doctors in March implanted the smallest ever artificial heart into a 16-month-old baby before the infant received a permanent organ donation, said the hospital that performed the operation.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's BTG swung to a pretax profit for the year to end-March, helped by its move to direct sales of its specialist anti-poison drugs, and said it had acquired the European named-patients supply rights for another antidote, uridine triacetate. The speciality pharma company, which already has the U.S. …

People who snore and suffer from disturbed sleep may have a heightened risk of dying from cancer, a study has shown.

VIENNA (Reuters) - Vienna geared up on Saturday for the Life Ball, Europe's biggest charity event to support victims of HIV/AIDS that sees celebrities throng to the Austrian capital each year to highlight the fight against the immune system disease. The Life Ball, celebrated at Vienna's gothic city hall, is marking its …

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ended a week-long silence on Friday to say he was resting, following a diet and trying to tame his workaholic ways as he recovers from cancer treatment. The usually garrulous and attention-seeking Chavez's disappearances from public view have become longer and more frequent …

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has not been seen or heard in public since returning a week ago from his latest cancer treatment in Cuba but was well enough to monitor a jail riot in Caracas, an ally said on Friday. The usually garrulous and attention-seeking Chavez's disappearances from public view …

A sudden "storm" of genetic mutations may be one of the major driving forces behind breast cancer, new research has shown.

Cholesterol-lowering drugs can benefit even apparently healthy people with no previous history of heart disease, a study has found.

More than a third of people prescribed drugs for high cholesterol are putting themselves at a dramatically increased risk of heart problems by failing to take their medication for the condition, a health charity has warned.

Almost a third of diabetic hospital patients are victims of medication errors that can cause dangerous blood glucose levels, a report has found.

A genetic "map" of breast cancer has been drawn, revealing the varied landscape of the disease in more detail than ever before.

A drug to treat advanced prostate cancer should be given to patients on the NHS, a health watchdog has said.

Britain would need to put a 20% "fat tax" on unhealthy food and drink to improve the numbers of people suffering diet-related conditions such as obesity and heart disease, medical experts have warned.

The number of children receiving brain surgery for epilepsy is set to almost treble under plans for a major expansion of services across England.

NANTERRE, France (Reuters) - French drug maker Servier and its founder went on trial on Monday accused of misleading patients and authorities about a diabetes drug often prescribed for weight loss that officials blame for at least 500 deaths. The case, one of France's worst health scandals, has put authorities under scrutiny …

Alcohol should be sold at a minimum price of 50p per unit to help tackle drink-related illness, the Scottish Government has said.

A 19-year-old woman who lost her battle with cancer is having her dying wish fulfilled - that funds be raised to ensure other young sufferers are treated in cancer units for teenagers - with the help of her favourite flower.

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said on Friday he had successfully completed a series of cancer radiotherapy sessions in Cuba and was hopeful they would have a positive effect on his condition. Chavez, who wants to run for re-election in October, addressed the nation after flying back from Havana. …

A life-extending drug hailed as a breakthrough for prostate cancer sufferers is too expensive to be used on the NHS, watchdogs have ruled.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's health cost watchdog said on Thursday that Roche's Tarceva cancer pill should be funded by the state as a first-line treatment for patients with lung cancer, after saying in February it needed more information before endorsing it. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), …