Nearly a quarter of breast cancer patients who undergo a lumpectomy also commonly referred to as a partial mastectomy will have to return for repeat surgery, according to the results of a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. And at least part of the cause, say the study authors, is a lack of consensus among surgeons about how much healthy tissue should be sacrificed when removing the tumor.

Though soda has received much flak for its high sugar content and alleged adverse health effects, a new study is targeting diet soda too, claiming that consuming too much can lead to vascular events.

Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics are now advising parents to vaccinate their boys against the human papillomavirus (HPV), especially before they become sexually active. Girls have already been advised since 2006 to receive the vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer, genital warts, anal cancer, penile cancer, and head and neck cancers.

Omega-3 fatty acids, found mostly in oily fish and fish oil supplements, have long been touted as beneficial for cardiovascular health, with claims that the nutrient can reduce bad cholesterol levels and improve heart function.

We were surprised and disappointed to see this week s issue of Nature offering us The toxic truth about sugar. The commentary, by Dr. Robert Lustig and colleagues, calls for nothing short of a global war on sugar in order to combat the chronic non-communicable diseases that the United Nations has identified as the greatest worldwide health burden. In this regard, Lustig et al.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a relatively new biotech startup, has gained FDA approval for the first drug to target the underlying cause of a rare form of cystic fibrosis. Unlike other current cystic fibrosis medications, which treat only the symptoms of the disease, the new drug Kalydeco targets the disease at the level of a defective cell protein.

The 2011 Fukushima earthquake and tsunami were devastating to the residents of Japan. However, a U.N. scientific body s investigation adds to the evidence that radiation exposure from the series of meltdowns and explosions at the Fukushima nuclear power plant did not compromise residents health. The doses we have seen from the screening of the population ¦are very low, Wolfgang Weiss, chair of the U.N.

Soaps, makeup and other items contain deadly ingredients, say consumer advocates. We ve seen this sort of headline before, but we re dismayed to see it in the Health & Science section of The Washington Post.

When it comes to treating high cholesterol and its consequences, it seems that statins don t discriminate by gender even though men have a much higher rate of cardiovascular disease. According to a meta-analysis of over 141,000 patients, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, statins reduced major cardiovascular events by 19 percent in females and 23 percent in males.

Sweet news for Type 2 diabetes patients: The FDA just announced the approval of Amylin Pharmaceuticals new drug, Bydureon. Instead of requiring daily injections, as an earlier form of the drug (Byetta) does, Bydureon is injected only once a week; it works to provide long-lasting glucose control and facilitate weight loss without the need for constant glucose monitoring.