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Clinical trial tests laser therapy for vaginal dryness in breast cancer survivors

The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology is now enrolling patients into a clinical trial aimed at helping women recover from the vaginal side effects of breast cancer treatment.

13 Apr 2026

Threat-response in the brain's amygdala linked to sex-specific patterns of alcohol use

New research shows that the threat-response in the brain's amygdala (which processes emotions) is linked to different patterns of drinking by sex.

13 Apr 2026

Targeting senescent fat cells provides new hope for ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal malignancy of the female reproductive system. Due to its insidious early symptoms and the absence of specific screening modalities, approximately 70% of patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage.

13 Apr 2026

Obesity health risks differ significantly between men and women

New research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May), reveals distinct patterns of heart, metabolic, and inflammatory health risks between men and women living with obesity, providing an insight into how clinicians may be able to tailor management approaches.

13 Apr 2026

Lab study shows cigarette smoke damaged lung cells more than e-cigarette vapor

Researchers found that cigarette smoke extract disrupted the lung cell barrier, increased IL-6 inflammation, and caused DNA damage in Calu-3 cells, while e-cigarette vapor extract showed no significant adverse effects on these measures under the study conditions. The authors caution that these were in vitro findings using liquid extracts and unflavored e-liquid, so they do not directly predict long-term human health outcomes.

12 Apr 2026

Researchers map how menstrual cycle phases affect athletic performance

In a repeated-measures study of 18 eumenorrheic female athletes, half-squat strength was highest in the late follicular phase and around ovulation, while handgrip strength peaked in the late luteal phase. Psychological measures also shifted across the cycle, with lower vigor and higher fatigue and depression scores in the late luteal phase, supporting more individualized training monitoring.

12 Apr 2026

Letrozole monotherapy falls short in ovarian cancer clinical trial

Late breaking results from the phase III NRG GY019 trial indicate that letrozole monotherapy (L) did not demonstrate non inferiority to paclitaxel/carboplatin followed by letrozole (PC/L) for progression free survival (PFS) in patients with newly diagnosed stage II-IV low grade serous carcinoma of the ovary or peritoneum.

11 Apr 2026

New project aims to improve aggressive breast cancer diagnosis

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women. According to the World Health Organization, in 2022, around 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer, and the disease caused about 670,000 deaths worldwide.

11 Apr 2026

Nanomedicine offers targeted solutions for breast cancer treatment

Breast cancer (BCA) is one of the most common cancers worldwide, with high mortality and morbidity in women.

10 Apr 2026

Large US study finds never-married adults face higher risk for most major cancers

A large US population-based study found that never-married adults had higher cancer incidence than ever-married adults across most cancer types, with the largest disparities seen in older adults and in Black men. The pattern was especially strong for HPV-related, tobacco-related, and several reproductive cancers, suggesting marital status may act as an important social marker of cancer risk.

9 Apr 2026

Higher optimism may lower dementia risk in older adults

Higher optimism in adults aged 70 and older was associated with a lower risk of developing dementia over up to 14 years of follow-up in the Health and Retirement Study. The association remained after adjustment for demographic factors, depression, health conditions, smoking, and physical activity, although the study was observational and cannot prove causation.

9 Apr 2026

Genetic variants may help explain who loses more weight and who gets side effects on GLP-1 drugs

A large 23andMe-based GWAS found that common variants in GLP1R and GIPR help explain why some people lose more weight or experience more nausea and vomiting on GLP-1 drugs. The findings suggest genetics may eventually help predict who responds best to semaglutide or tirzepatide and who is more likely to develop side effects.

9 Apr 2026

Study shows long-term weight benefits for breastfeeding mothers

Breastfeeding does not only affect your weight while you are breastfeeding. Women gain up to 6.5 kilos less on average later in life if they breastfeed for at least three months, according to a new study.

9 Apr 2026

Smoking during pregnancy raises children’s mental health risk

Smoking during pregnancy may increase children's mental health issues, with implications for internalizing and externalizing symptoms throughout development.

9 Apr 2026

Self-employment linked to lower heart disease risks in Hispanic women

Self-employed Hispanic women report less high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, poor health and binge drinking compared to Hispanic women working for salary or wages, new research suggests.

8 Apr 2026

Cola may quickly lower pH inside orthodontic clear aligners and shift oral bacteria within hours

Researchers found that cola exposure quickly lowered pH and altered the microbiome on the inner surface of clear aligners, with the greatest disruption observed when aligners were removed before drinking and then reinserted. In this small 24-hour study, wearing aligners during exposure appeared less disruptive than removing them, though the authors said the mechanism still needs further study.

8 Apr 2026

Why early-onset cancers are rising and how researchers plan to stop them

Early-onset cancers are rising worldwide, and this Cell Perspective argues that cancer prevention must move beyond static risk-factor snapshots toward life-course exposure mapping, tissue-level biology, and dynamic estimates of preventability. The authors propose three linked frameworks to speed discovery of cancer causes and translate those findings into more precise prevention and interception strategies.

8 Apr 2026

Breastfeeding patterns in India differ between slum and non-slum neighborhoods

A new study from the University of Toronto shows that where a mother lives in an Indian city – in a slum or a non‑slum neighborhood – is linked to how she breastfeeds her baby.

8 Apr 2026

New cell atlas reveals biological links to pregnancy complications

The biological connection between a pregnant woman and her developing baby has been mapped in unprecedented detail by UC San Francisco scientists, revealing new cell types and insights into conditions such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, and miscarriage.

8 Apr 2026

Crisis-driven maternal psychological stress can affect fetal development and birth outcomes

Fetal development is a critical stage with effects that can last throughout life. Yet, identifying the effects of maternal psychological stress on the fetus has been difficult, mainly because stressful events often produce psychological and physical consequences that directly affect mothers and their children.

8 Apr 2026