Health Glance
Children who get two or three CT scans have a higher risk of developing brain cancer and leukemia later in life. That's according to a study published Wednesday in the Lancet, which stresses that the risk is still small and likely outweighed by the need to get the test. Researchers studied nearly 180,000 patients under age 22 who had a CT scan between 1985 and 2002.
They found that 74 of them were diagnosed with leukemia, while 135 had brain tumors. As few as two CT scans of the head in childhood can triple the risk of developing brain tumors, according to the study, while five to 10 of these scans can triple the risk of leukemia.
Back in January, the state of California added to its list of cancer-causing chemicals an ingredient commonly used in flavored soda beverages, which has sent major shockwaves throughout the processed food industry. And according to numerous reports, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and even Whole Foods are having to alter their soda beverage recipes in order to avoid being required by the state of California to label their products as causing cancer.
An unlicensed vaccine being quietly shipped into the U.K. from the Czech Republic is sparking controversy as it may be linked to causing severe allergic reactions. Medi-Mumps, a single mumps vaccine cultured from dog kidney cells, is being touted by some as an alternative to the controversial combination measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, but others have major concerns about both its source and its potential for triggering severe canine allergies.
Health officials are warning about a “super” strain of gonorrhea that is now sweeping the globe.
It appears – once again – that an aggressive marketing campaign by the two largest U.S. tobacco manufacturers has helped defeat a cigarette excise-tax increase in California.
According to new research, it is projected that global cancer rates will increase by 75 percent come 2030 based on current trends. It is well documented that the Western lifestyle, drowning in poor eating habits, excess drinking, and habitual smoking, is one of the worst lifestyles for your health, but it seems that many developing countries are adopting this lifestyle.
What do a former mouthpiece for tobacco and big oil, a corporate-interest PR flack, and the regional director of a Monsanto-funded tort reform group have in common?
