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June 6th, 2012
06:30 PM ET
CT scans for children linked to increased cancer riskCT scans expose children to radiation that could give them cancer, according to a review of children’s imaging data published Wednesday in the British medical journal Lancet. The researchers estimate that for every 10,000 computed tomography scans performed on children aged 10 or younger, one additional child will get a brain tumor and another additional child will get leukemia within a decade of the first scan. These cancers wouldn’t otherwise be expected, even if none of the imaging was done. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute and Institute of Health and Society at Newcastle University in England say their investigation is the first direct evidence of such a link. They reviewed 175,000 cases. 
June 6th, 2012
06:15 PM ET
Morning-after pill's ties to abortion questioned, yet againIs the morning-after pill also an abortion pill? That's seems a continuing question. If you read some of the labels, the morning-after pills work primarily by "stopping (or delaying) the release of an egg from the ovary." But the controversy has been - and continues to be - whether taking the morning-after pill is tantamount to abortion. Ella, Plan B and Next Choice (the generic version of Plan B) are morning-after pills currently all currently available in the United States. All three labels indicate the drugs work by preventing the release of an egg from an ovary. If the egg is never fertilized, there's nothing to abort. All three labels also indicate that the pills may prevent the attachment of a fertilized egg to the uterus, which has been interpreted by some to mean it causes an abortion. A New York Times article Wednesday looked at the science and mounting data that morning-after pills do not cause abortions and whether election year politics is fueling the debate.  Doctors may benefit from a blood test in determining the best course of treatment for breast cancer.
June 6th, 2012
05:06 PM ET
Blood test may signal breast cancer's returnEarly research suggests that an existing blood test could help determine which patients with early-stage breast cancer, who had their tumors surgically removed, may see their cancer come back. If further testing validates this new research, it could mean some women would get more aggressive cancer treatments than currently prescribed. Doctors at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, took blood samples from 302 women with stage 1, 2 or 3 breast cancer right before they had their tumor surgically removed. None of the women had been treated with chemotherapy. The patients' progress was followed for nearly 3 years (35 months). According to the study published Tuesday in the journal Lancet Oncology, 25% of women whose cancer was confined to the breast had at least one circulating tumor cell in their 7.5 milliliter sample of blood (about the equivalent of half a tablespoon). Normally a lymph node biopsy is used to determine the likelihood of the cancer coming back.  Gonorrhea bacteria causes a sexually-transmitted infection in about 106 million people worldwide each year.
June 6th, 2012
01:13 PM ET
WHO: Sexually-transmitted superbug could be major crisisA major public health crisis is emerging, in the form of a sexually-transmitted disease that doesn't respond to antibiotics, World Health Organization officials said Wednesday. Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually-transmitted infections. It is spread through oral, vaginal and anal sex. About 106 million people worldwide become infected every year. "Once this organism develops full resistance to this last antibiotic that we have, we have nothing else to offer to these patients," says Dr. Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, scientist at the Department of Reproductive Health and Research at WHO. 
June 6th, 2012
10:58 AM ET
Overheard on CNN.com: Fitness trainer's intentional weight rollercoasterEditor's note: This post is part of the Overheard on CNN.com series, a regular feature that examines interesting comments and thought-provoking conversations posted by the community. Since he revealed his re-svelte body on “Good Morning America” this week, “Fit2Fat2Fit” fitness trainer Drew Manning has sparked both inspiration and controversy about the lessons to be learned from his experiment. Readers on CNN were quick to participate in the conversation. Manning, who lost 70 pounds just 6 months after he purposely gained it, has drawn praise from some. They said the strategy shows his desire to grow in understanding his clients’ weight loss struggles:
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  About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.
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