CBS NEWS – Researchers in the UK have found combining chemotherapy with new drugs can drastically improve treatment. The drugs target a protein that helps cancer cells withstand chemotherapy. Scientists say the combination softens cancer cells- making it easier for the chemo to destroy tumors. SOURCE – Cancer Research UK/MedDay/CBS
ALS
A new study shows funeral directors may be at increased risk of the neurodegenerative disease ALS because of formaldehyde in embalming fluids.
Researchers found men in jobs with possible high exposure to formaldehyde were about three times as likely to die from ALS, compared to those who had no exposure to the chemical. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrigs disease.causes progressive muscle weakness, paralysis and eventually death. SOURCE – Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry/MedDay/CBS
Concussions
Contact with another player is the most common cause of concussions for high school soccer players in the U.S. Thats according to researchers in Colorado who found contact causes about 70 percent of concussions for boys and 51 percent for girls. Heading the ball is also a big reason, causing one third of concussions for boys and one quarter for girls. SOURCE – JAMA Pediatrics/MedDay/CBS
