Pregnancy safe for breast cancer survivors

A study gives reassuring news for breast cancer survivors who want to have children. Those who later became pregnant were no more likely to have their cancer come back than those who did not have a baby. This was true even if their cancers were the type fueled by hormones, which soar during pregnancy and theoretically might spur a recurrence. It's a big issue — the average age of moms has been rising and more women are being diagnosed with breast cancer in their childbearing years. The study involved more than 1,200 women in Europe. Results were discussed at an American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago.

Bacteria thwarted anti-HIV vaginal gel

Creating new HIV prevention tools for women has proved frustratingly slow and now researchers say bacteria in the reproductive tract may play a role. A new study examines an early attempt at an anti-HIV gel. It found certain types of vaginal bacteria broke down a protective medication named tenofivir before it had time to work. Women make up about half of the nearly 37 million people worldwide living with HIV. Scientists have long sought ways they can protect themselves when their partners won't use condoms. The new study shows more testing is needed to tell if bacteria also might undermine other types of "microbicides" under development today. The research was published in Science.

Marijuana oil cuts epileptic seizures

An oil derived from the marijuana plant sharply reduces violent seizures in young people suffering from a rare, severe form of epilepsy, according to a new study that gives more hope to parents who have been clamoring for access to the medication. Cannabidiol cut the median number of monthly convulsive seizures from 12.4 to 5.9 in 52 children with Dravet syndrome who took the medication over a 14-week test period, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Fifty-six children using a placebo saw the number of seizures drop only from a median of 14.9 to 14.1 per month.

High-fiber diet is tied to less knee arthritis

Researchers have found yet another benefit of a high-fiber diet: It is associated with a reduced risk for arthritis of the knee. Knee osteoarthritis, which is common in aging populations, can be both painful and debilitating. Researchers used data from two long-term observational studies, one with 4,796 subjects and the other with 1,268. As fiber intake increased, the prevalence of arthritis decreased. In the larger study, those who ate the most fiber were 30 percent less likely to have knee osteoarthritis than those who ate the least, and in the smaller study, they were 61 percent less likely. The associations persisted even after controlling for other factors. The average intake of fiber in the study was 15 grams a day, but the recommended level is 25 to 30 grams a day for most people.

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