EurekAlert! News by Subject: Medicine & Health

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 10-Jun-2026 10:16 ET (10-Jun-2026 14:16 GMT/UTC)

21-Apr-2026

Cardiac CT scans see the future: Visualizing "invisible" heart risks

Kumamoto University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A routine heart scan might soon do more than just check for clogged arteries; it could act as a crystal ball for your cardiac health. Researchers at Kumamoto University have revealed that by combining two specific markers from a standard cardiac Computed Tomography (CT) scan, they can identify patients at the highest risk for future heart failure and death.

Journal: European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging
Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

21-Apr-2026

Federal housing assistance may lead to improved two-year survival among older people with prostate cancer

University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Older men with prostate cancer who receive federal housing assistance at the time they are first diagnosed have better two-year survival chances compared to demographically and clinically similar men without that assistanceOlder men with prostate cancer who receive federal housing assistance at the time they are first diagnosed have better two-year survival chances compared to demographically and clinically similar men without that assistance.

Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute

21-Apr-2026

Study of Ukrainian war amputees finds most recover from pain and trauma

Northwestern University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Most war amputees experience steady improvements in pain, psychological symptoms and quality of life over time, according to a new study that followed 156 Ukrainian amputees for one year and was led by Northwestern Medicine and collaborators in Ukraine.

Journal: EClinicalMedicine

21-Apr-2026

Asphalt is everywhere; but is it bad for our health?

Arizona State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Asphalt covers vast areas of the U.S., intensifying heat and energy use. Arizona State University researchers say its health impacts are underexamined. In two studies, associate professor Elham Fini and her colleagues show that asphalt worsens air quality by releasing volatile organic compounds. These compounds cause short-term symptoms, including breathing issues and dizziness. They may increase the risk of cancer among outdoor workers. Fini and her research team are working to develop safer alternatives, including algae-infused asphalt that can reduce toxicity. The goal: create safer asphalt and, in turn, healthier workers.

Journal: Science of The Total Environment
Funder: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University Alliance for Health Care Grant, National Natural Science Foundation of China

21-Apr-2026

NIH-funded AI model predicts cancer survival from single-cell tumor data

NIH/Office of the Director
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study, researchers developed a cancer assessment tool that can identify high-risk patients and the tumor cells linked to that risk. The model, called scSurvival, uses a machine learning framework designed to analyze large-scale data at single-cell resolution.

Journal: Cancer Discovery

21-Apr-2026

New cancer research tool predicts patient survival at single-cell resolution

Oregon Health & Science University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Oregon Health & Science University researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind method to predict cancer patient survival using advanced molecular data from individual cells.

Survival analysis is central to clinical oncology. Modern cancer studies can now measure gene activity in single cells from a patient’s tumor and link this information to how long patients live. However, until now, there has not been a good way to use this detailed cell-level data to directly predict survival.

Journal: Cancer Discovery
Funder: Office of Research Infrastructure Programs, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, The Susan G. Komen Foundation, National Foundation for Cancer Research

21-Apr-2026

Cellular neighborhoods inside tumors may predict which patients with melanoma benefit from combination immunotherapy

University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center study suggests that the way immune cells are organized inside melanoma tumors may help researchers better understand which patients will benefit from combination immunotherapy after standard anti-PD-1 treatment stops working — and which may not.

Journal: Cancer Discovery
Funder: Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) Catalyst–Bristol Myers Squibb–American Association for Cancer Research, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy

21-Apr-2026

Brown Health researchers identify key molecule behind 'exceptional responders' with glioblastoma

Brown University Health
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at Brown University Health and Brown University have identified a molecule, miR-181d, that may explain why some glioblastoma patients, known as 'exceptional responders' live significantly longer than expected. The study found that miR-181d both weakens tumors by blocking their ability to repair DNA and helps activate the immune system to fight cancer. This dual effect could lead to new therapies aimed at improving survival for all glioblastoma patients, with plans underway to test the approach in future clinical trials.

Journal: iScience

21-Apr-2026

Study finds teen perceptions of sun protection and tanning shape skin cancer risk behaviors

Georgetown University Medical Center
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study funded by the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health finds that how high school students perceive the costs of sun protection and the rewards of tanning play a significant role in whether they practice sun-safe behaviors. The work will help inform more effective skin cancer prevention efforts during adolescence.

Journal: Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention