News digest – preventable cancers, kinder radiotherapy, MRI scans, viagra and… blueberry muffins?

• Our new figures confirm 4 in 10 cancer cases could be prevented each year in the UK, largely through lifestyle changes. Smoking and obesity are the major culprits,  read more in this blog post. The Guardian, BBC and others reported the story.
• We reported on a new study suggesting MRI scans could help some men with suspected prostate cancer safely avoid invasive biopsies. This could also lead to men having fewer biopsies when the procedures are needed to diagnose the disease, because the scans can precisely point to where the samples need to be taken. The Telegraph and Times also covered this research.
• Research presented at a conference this week suggests that artificial intelligence could help speed up prostate cancer diagnosis in the future. The study found that specially trained computers were almost as accurate as pathologists at identifying the disease from biopsy samples, according to The Times.
• Some women with early breast cancer could be spared some of the side effects of radiotherapy by being treated with a lower dose, suggest early results from a trial we’re supporting. This builds on previous findings showing that smaller doses were as effective as standard treatment. The Mail Online picked up the story.
• Children from poorer backgrounds in Great Britain are more likely to have a higher BMI than those from wealthier families, according to a new study. Reported by The Times, RT and others, this is the opposite to trends seen back in the 1970s, highlighting the need to tackle the obesity epidemic.
• Women who carry a faulty version of the BRCA1 gene have a lower risk of dying from breast cancer if they undergo a risk-reducing double mastectomy, new research suggests. But for women with faulty BRCA2, their risk was the same whether they had the surgery or close monitoring instead, the early findings suggest. The Independent has more on this one.
• Could the ‘little blue pill‘ lower bowel cancer risk? Research suggests maybe. A study found that low daily doses of Viagra reduced the number of growths that have the potential to become cancerous (polyps) in the guts of mice who were predisposed to the disease. But that’s a long way from proving the drug could have the same effect in people. Sky News covered this.

And finally

A survey conducted by Action on Sugar has found that blueberry muffins can sometimes contain more than an adult’s recommended daily allowance of sugar. This shows how easy it is to eat too much sugar, experts told the BBC, and manufacturers need to act by cutting levels in these products.

Justine