I remember my first case of breast cancer to this day. She was a young woman of 33 and she was very upset at the prospect of losing her breast. Yes, in those days the inhuman operation of total mastectomy … Read More
Covid has hurt the NHS and recovery for cancer and mental health services will be costly
The pandemic has inflicted terrible collateral damage on the NHS which will necessitate huge rises in health spending for the foreseeable future. In the cancer field, the pandemic has led to delays in diagnosis and treatment but there are deeper wounds. Work … Read More
How diet, yoga and feeling loved could help you fight coronavirus and chronic illness
Most deaths from Covid have been in people who have one or more chronic diseases. And most experts believe the likes of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, autoimmune diseases and dementia have much in common – a big one being … Read More
Could early babies carry on growing in artificial wombs?
There’s some wonderful research going on to help prem babies right now. One of the gravest risks for extremely early babies is undeveloped lungs that are too fragile to handle even the gentlest ventilation techniques. “If a baby’s lungs are … Read More
Learn skincare basics to help baby eczema for a better night’s sleep
A short time ago I had a letter from a worried grandmother whose granddaughter’s baby eczema wasn’t getting better. I thought I’d devote more space to allaying her concern because baby eczema (atopic dermatitis) can be quite upsetting for parents … Read More
Older drivers should face a competence test for everyone’s safety
You may have seen me recently on Good Morning Britain, debating with the irrepressible Johnny Ball about whether the over-70s should have to retake driving tests. I must pin my colours to the mast – I’m keen on repeat driving … Read More
If your dog is diabetic it’s more likely that you have the disease too
How much do you love your dog? Are the two of you really close? Really really close? So close you share a disease? Well, a new study has revealed a shared risk of diabetes between dog owners and their pets. Swedish researchers … Read More
Having had Covid could boost benefits of the vaccine, startling study shows
Now here’s an interesting one. Could having an infection with coronavirus make your vaccination more powerful, as a study suggests? Well, I wouldn’t be surprised. I know when I had my first jab I still had antibodies resulting from my Covid infection … Read More
The dangers of ruling out older women for cervical cancer testing
Classical medical teaching is that cervical cancer is a condition affecting primarily “young women”. That is, women under the age of 50. As a consequence, cervical screening with the smear test stops abruptly at age 65. This always struck me … Read More
Exercise is an important old fashioned remedy which is still important today
Over the years a lot of medical treatments have been abandoned as new ones are discovered and take their place. But one treatment from the First World War persists to this day. It’s the use of exercise not only to … Read More