Category Archive

Proton beam therapy is cutting-edge technology which will probably one day replace X-ray therapy for cancer. At the moment there’s only one ­centre in the UK using it, the Christie Cancer Hospital in Manchester. A ­second is planned for UCL Hospital … Read More

Nudge theory says if you’re told your peers are doing better than you are, you’ll up your game to keep up. Seems it works with doctors too. A study suggests 2,500 extra cancers could be spotted earlier each year if … Read More

Breakfast has been called the main meal of the day. Maybe not for much longer. Why? Well, despite the decades of encouragement to “go to work on an egg” and the tradition of the great ­British fry-up, there’s precious little … Read More

Up until 1973 we believed we could drink as much as we liked while pregnant. But then ­malformations, linked to ­exposure of the unborn baby to ­alcohol, were recognised – and the ­devastation caused by drinking during ­pregnancy was first understood. It … Read More

There is a controversy raging in women’s sport. Caster Semenya is the Olympic women’s 800m champion. She also has high testosterone levels which confer greater strength, stamina and bulkier muscles than other women. Intersex people have always existed. Some 1-2% … Read More

Premature ejaculation affects one in three men and is defined as ejaculation within a minute. There’s nearly always some­ psychological factors at play and there may be a genetic element. But it’s also found with inflammation of the ­prostate and … Read More

So, Prince Philip did the right thing and handed over his car keys. But at what age do you think it’s time to check in your ­driving licence? Next time you renew it? When your doctor says it’s about time? … Read More

A friend recently had a nasty bout of shingles and I asked her if she could remember having had chickenpox as a child. When she asked why, I explained chickenpox and shingles are caused by the same virus which can … Read More

Several times now I’ve written about the keenness of a dog’s sense of smell and how it can diagnose serious illnesses. Turns out medical alert dogs can ­detect odours as diluted as a teaspoon of sugar in two Olympic-sized pools. … Read More

Years ago I was involved in the first research on the pill. It was an exciting time at the ­forefront of women’s lib, as it was called then, and the fight for a woman’s right to decide what ­happened to … Read More