Regular physical activity before a cancer diagnosis may lower the risks of both disease progression and death, suggests research published online on 8 January 2025 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSP). And even relatively low levels of physical activity may be advantageous, the findings indicate.

Findings from a multi-institutional, international study led by researchers from the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center have significantly advanced the understanding of genetic alterations in the BRCA2 gene, a key player in hereditary cancer risk.

A study led by Dr. Fengyu Wen from the Institute of Medical Technology at Peking University Health Science Center and Professor Luxia Zhang from the National Institute of Health Data Science at Peking University explored survival disparities among cancer patients based on their healthcare mobility patterns. Using data from over 20,000 cancer patients in Shandong Province, the research analyzed three mobility patterns: intra-city, local center, and national center care.

The findings revealed that cancer patients who traveled to local or national healthcare centers had higher five-year survival rates (69.3%) compared to those who received treatment within their residential cities (65.4%). The study highlights the role of advanced healthcare resources and specialized treatment in improving survival outcomes, while also pointing out the financial and logistical burdens associated with traveling for medical care.

The research team emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to enhance healthcare quality in resource-limited cities and reduce survival disparities. Future studies will incorporate additional data, such as cancer stages and diagnosis timelines, to refine insights and guide public health policies effectively.

About The Study: In this prognostic study, with the use of a statistical modeling approach, the Florey Dementia Index was developed and validated to predict the onset age of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer dementia. This tool may be useful in organizing health care for older adults with cognitive decline or dementia and in the future may help prioritize patients for the use of disease-modifying monoclonal antibody drugs.

An international team of UK and US scientists has discovered that the activity of macrophages – a type of white blood cell that engulf pathogens and cancer cells – can be used to predict whether or not a melanoma patient will respond to immunotherapy. Their findings, published in a landmark paper in JCO Oncology Advances, will help clinicians select treatments that are most likely to be effective for their patients.

AI improves breast cancer detection rates by nearly 18% in Germany's Mammography Screening Program (MSP) without increasing false positives or unnecessary follow-ups, according to the world’s largest prospective AI study. Conducted by the University of Luebeck, the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, and the company Vara, the study evaluated over 460,000 women and highlights AI's potential to enhance screening accuracy while reducing radiologists’ workload. Results are published in Nature Medicine.