WEIRD STUFF

Skin patches could treat prostate cancer

Hormone patches typically used by menopausal women could soon be offered to men as treatment for prostate cancer.

A major UK study has found the patches work just as well as standard hormone injections at slowing the disease - while causing fewer side effects and reducing hospital visits.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with around 63,000 cases and 12,000 deaths each year.

Researchers from University College London tested the approach on 1,360 men with locally advanced prostate cancer, with an average age of 72.

Patients were given either traditional injections to block testosterone -- the hormone that fuels the cancer -- or patches delivering oestradiol through the skin.

The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed both treatments were equally effective at controlling the disease.

However, the patches were found to be gentler on patients.

Standard injections are known to cause side effects including hot flushes, weakened bones and increased risk of heart problems.

By contrast, men using patches experienced fewer of these issues - although they were more likely to develop painful breast swelling, known as gynaecomastia.

Experts say the convenience factor could also be a game-changer, with patches applied at home instead of requiring regular GP or hospital visits.

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Vaping increases cancer risk

Researchers from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, have cast fresh doubt on the safety of e-cigarettes -- which have often been marketed as a safer alternative to smoking.

The team reviewed a series of studies, including experiments in mice that developed lung tumours after exposure to vape aerosol, alongside reports of heavy users who went on to develop aggressive mouth cancer.

They believe vapour from e-cigarettes may contain cancer-causing chemicals that can damage DNA and trigger inflammation in body tissues.

Lead author Professor Bernard Stewart said: "We'll only be able to determine the precise risk once longer-term studies are available."

Despite the concerns, scientists stressed that vaping is still widely considered less harmful than traditional smoking -- but warned it may not be risk-free, especially for those who have never smoked.

Professor Becky Freeman, from the University of Sydney, cautioned: "Vaping is not a safe alternative to smoking for nonsmokers."

However, the findings have sparked backlash from other experts, who argue the evidence is far from conclusive.

Professor Lion Shahab, of University College London, said: "No one would argue that e-cigarettes are entirely risk-free.

"They should be used as a harm reduction product to help those who smoke to quit and reduce their risk of developing smoking-related diseases.

"However, this review does not offer a 'smoking gun' that e-cigarettes cause oral or lung cancer, nor does it make an attempt at quantifying this risk.

"The evidence is simply not there."

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Study links bad blood to dementia

Strained family relationships could increase the risk of dementia.

Scientists found that people unhappy with their family life face a higher chance of developing the degenerative condition -- which causes a decline in thinking, memory, and reasoning skills.

The study analysed data from 104,093 UK adults aged between 40 and 69, all of whom were dementia-free at the start.

Participants were tracked for more than 13 years, during which 1,359 people developed dementia.

Researchers compared diagnosis rates with how satisfied individuals felt about their relationships.

Those who reported dissatisfaction with family relationships had a 34 per cent higher risk of dementia, while those who were very dissatisfied saw their risk jump by 66 per cent.

In contrast, dissatisfaction with friendships showed no significant link.

The study, published in the journal Alzheimer's + Dementia, concluded: "The findings suggest that family relationship quality may be an important consideration in dementia risk assessment."