Tag: cancer

Dramatic increase of skin cancer in Norway - is the pandemic to blame?

New cancer statistics show that melanoma increased by nearly 500 cases last year in Norway. That is a 20 per cent increase in just one year.

Is there a solution to the puzzle that is cancer? The fundamental problem is how our body is constructed, one professor says

The better the treatment, the more cancer there will be in the population.

Bente Træen had cancer surgery: "What will this mean for my sex life?"

OPINION: When you’re a patient, you're not exactly at the top of your game. And yet healthcare personnel expect patients to take the initiative in talking about their most intimate issues. It goes without saying that this doesn’t work.

Researchers use hypnosis to help breast cancer patients cope better with surgery

One in ten women develops breast cancer during their lives. But how they cope with the disease mentally varies dramatically. Now, researchers may have found a method that can help patients recover better following surgery.

Researchers are learning more about the mysteries of brain cancer

Brain cancer is one of the most serious types of cancer a person can develop. It is also extremely difficult to study. This has limited advances in treatment for some time. Now, however, there’s a little more reason for optimism, according to one researcher and a patient.

Do you have a greater risk of breast cancer if your breasts are big or small?

ASK A RESEARCHER: Risk is tied to the amount of breast tissue, cancer researcher says.

Norwegian discovery gives hope for blood cancer patients

Leukemia in adults often has a very poor prognosis. Norwegian researchers have used experiments in mice to develop a treatment that might increase the chance of survival.

Study: The risk of cancer of the uterus decreases with each pregnancy

Cancer of the uterus is one of the most common cancers for women.

Here’s how you can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer

“Even if you are middle-aged, you still have time to change your lifestyle and improve it,” says Edoardo Botteri from the Cancer Registry of Norway.

Which smokers and ex-smokers are at greatest risk for lung cancer?

Researchers at NTNU are developing a new method for more accurately calculating the individual risk of lung cancer in smokers. A number of risk genes are baked into the model.

New test method for prostate cancer lowers the risk of infection – making antibiotics unnecessary

Men who are examined for possible prostate cancer run a high risk of infections. A new way of taking tissue samples via the skin can make the use of antibiotics redundant, a Norwegian study shows.

One in five people who die of cancer are obese. Now researchers can tell us more about why.

Abundant fat substances make cancer cells more aggressive and more capable of forming tumours, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Bergen.

Tumours in breasts with dense tissue are more difficult to detect. Artificial intelligence can simplify the job, a new study shows.

The new study is based on screening using an MRI. But women with dense breast tissue who are covered by the Norwegian mammography programme are not offered this type of screening.

Girls exposed to second-hand smoke have increased risk of breast cancer as adults

Researchers in Tromsø have calculated that seven percent of breast cancer cases could have been avoided if parents had not smoked.

High hopes for new screening technology after breast cancer don’t pan out

The researchers hoped they would be able to detect dangerous breast cancer earlier with three-dimensional breast images. But a new study shows that the old method appears to detect cancer just as well.

A bright spot in the fight against prostate cancer

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: By combining different imaging techniques for scanning organs in the body, we can discover relapse of prostate cancer more easily.

Being active outdoors does not increase risk of skin cancer according to Norwegian study

Physical activity and working out in the outdoors do not increase the risk of melanoma according to a large Norwegian study. But do follow the advice on protection against the sun, the researchers stress.

Causes of death in Norway: Highest number of overdose deaths in Norway in 20 years

324 overdose deaths were registered in 2020. That's the highest amount of lives lost to overdoses in almost 20 years.

Living micro-tumours grown outside the body could cure brain cancer

The scientists print out cancer cells and test hundreds of medications to see what works for every single tumour. “Only personalized treatment can increase survival for brain cancer-patients,” says Norwegian cancer researcher.

COVID-19 vaccines pave the way for new types of medication

Patients suffering from cancer, heart attacks, haemophilia or a torn meniscus might soon be treated using RNA.

Promising results for colon cancer screening

Almost 400 people were diagnosed with colon cancer at an early stage in a Norwegian pilot project. Soon screening will be available for everyone in Norway.

Professor receives royal award for work on cancer vaccine

Professor Bjarne Bogen has received this year's King Olav V's Prize for Cancer Research for his contributions in the creation of a personalized cancer vaccine.

Surviving cancer in the Nordics: Norwegians with lung cancer live longer than in neighbouring countries, but are more likely to die from melanoma

While mortality due to melanoma has been stable in the rest of the Nordic countries, it has increased somewhat in Norway . “It’s important to go to the doctor early,” says Tom Børge Johannesen from the Cancer Registry of Norway.

Women are protected against cervical cancer 12 years after getting the HPV-vaccine, according to large Nordic study

The once controversial vaccine appears to have a much longer effect than what has been documented so far.

Here’s how more precise radiation can reduce side effects for cancer patients

Statisticians in Bergen have developed a more personalized approach to radiation therapy that over the long run will reduce side effects in cervical cancer, rectal cancer and prostate cancer.

Norwegian researchers are developing a new method for detecting breast cancer

Artificial intelligence can help speed the detection of breast cancer. Urgent examinations will be undertaken sooner.

How miniature human organs are giving hope to cancer patients

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: Organoids. The good, the bad and the beautiful.

Breast cancer detected later in women with silicone breast implants

Mammography screenings are less likely to detect breast cancer in women with silicone implants than in other women. Those who are diagnosed with cancer have bigger tumours that also more often spread to the lymph nodes.

Why testicular cancer can cause weight problems

Researchers at the Cancer Registry of Norway have investigated why many men who survive testicular cancer later suffer from weight problems and high blood pressure. They found greater epigenetic changes in survivors than in other men.

Radiation treatment for prostate cancer increases risk of bladder cancer

Prostate cancer patients who have received radiation have more than twice the risk of getting bladder cancer compared to those who received only hormone therapy. Nevertheless, radiation patients have a much better chance of living longer, according to a new Norwegian study.

These four types of cancer are more likely to be detected in highly educated people

Norwegian women and men who are highly educated are more likely to be diagnosed with four types of cancer. More sunbathing and postponed childbirth may be part of the explanation. It may also be because people with more resources are more likely to go to the doctor when they suspect something’s wrong.

Being overweight before age 40 increases cancer risk

A new study shows that excess weight in adulthood increases women’s risk of endometrial cancer, while in men the increased risk was in kidney and colon cancer.

Men’s sex lives much worse after surgery for prostate cancer

Men who have their prostate removed as a part of cancer treatment lose half of their sexual function, according to a new study.

Stomach cancer in deep decline

The incidence of most cancers has increased since Norway first began collecting cancer statistics in the 1950s. But the incidence of stomach cancer has remarkably plummeted.

New medicine for multiple myeloma shows promising results

A new drug reduced the risk of relapse and increased survival by five months, according to a recent study. The results were presented at a cancer conference in Chicago in June.

Your risk of a deadly cancer is linked to your blood type

People with different blood types have different risks of developing pancreatic cancer, Norwegian research shows.

Simulating your cancer treatment on a computer

In ten years, computers will be able to propose the most suitable cancer treatment for you. The idea is to simulate how all possible combinations of existing cancer treatments will work on your particular tumour.

Brain Cancer: Vibrating the brain to find resistant tumours

The current treatment for brain cancer has almost no effect for some people with the disease. Norwegian researchers are now experimenting by using vibrations to find these patients.

High levels of vitamin B12 can increase lung cancer risk

High levels of B12 in the blood are linked to 15 per cent increased risk of lung cancer, according to a major international study. That’s one more reason to stop buying supplements and eat a healthy, varied diet, researchers say.

Is any part of our body cancer proof?

Who has ever heard of heart or spleen cancer? And what about the appendix?

Lifestyle affects cancer risk, but the biggest risk is getting old

Old age is not for the weak of heart: Nine out of ten cases of cancer occur after we reach the age of 50, new numbers from the Norwegian Cancer Registry show.

3D mammography can detect more tumours than conventional techniques

Digital Breast Tomosynthesis produces a three-dimensional image of the breast and can detect 34 per cent more tumours, shows new study.

Treating heartburn can reduce the risk of developing oesophageal cancer

A major Nordic study now confirms that that treating acid reflux and heartburn has benefits beyond relieving these particular conditions.

Tumours are more complicated than previously believed

What was once considered a fundamental principle in understanding how cancer tumours grow has been shown to be wrong.

Cancer survivors find going back to work tough

Regardless of their background and occupation, survivors felt that they started working too soon after finishing treatment. But workplace adaptations can help ease the transition.

Bladder cancer more often fatal for women

Women are diagnosed at a more advanced stage of the disease, when the cancer is more likely to have spread, according to a Norwegian study.

Blood test detects susceptibility to aggressive rectal cancer

Research shows that patients’ immune systems are activated to varying degrees by normal chemotherapy.

Genes for cold climates linked to cancer?

Norwegians and their Nordic neighbours take the high road in statistics for certain types of cancer. So do people in other cold climates. Is there a connection?

What mammogram images tell us about breast cancer risk

Breasts with dense fibroglandular tissue and less fatty tissue increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer. At the same time, this knowledge hasn’t translated into greater follow-up for these women.

Cancer mystery in Norway

Why does a Norwegian woman have nearly double the risk of colorectal cancer as her female counterparts in nearby Finland? Researchers have no idea.

Indestructible bacteria threaten cancer patients

Cancer patients may die from infections as antibiotic-resistant bacteria continue to spread. The Norwegian Cancer Society is now fighting unnecessary antibiotic use.

Norwegian vaccine against prostate cancer shows promising results

A vaccine developed in Norway stimulates the immune system to curb prostate cancer and has given results among nearly 90 percent of the participants.

Young women risk melanoma from indoor tanning

Persons who engage in indoor tanning before the age of 30 are raising their risk of contracting melanoma skin cancers.

Using our body’s immune system to fight cancer

Immunotherapy can prolong the lives of some cancer patients. Researcher Johanna Olweus explains how it works and why it currently only works for a few kinds of cancer.

Genetic tests uncover lethal legacy — at a price

It’s become ever easier to test for mutations that increase a woman’s risk of breast and ovarian cancer. But what kind of psychological burden does the test impose on women who take it?

More colorectal cancer in Norway than elsewhere in Europe

While fewer Norwegians are dying from colorectal cancer now than twenty years ago, other countries have done a better job in cutting mortality from the disease.

Enhancing individual treatment for rectal cancer

Intestinal cancer is a common form of the disease in Nordic countries but is hard to treat. Norwegian researchers are trying to tailor treatment better to the individual patient.

Stress hormone linked to breast cancer

Women with small bloodstream levels of a stress-lowering hormone run a higher risk of breast cancer, according to a new Swedish study.

New skin cancer genes located

Scientists have discovered five new gene locations that make people vulnerable for cutaneous malignant melanomas, or skin cancer. These genes are not associated with known risk factors such as skin type or the prominence of moles a person has.

Breast cancer risk higher in women who need reproductive help

The first test tube baby in Norway was born in 1984. An increasing number of women rely on assisted reproduction to give birth. Today, between 2-5 per cent of all children born in Europe are brought into the world this way.

Liver transplants ten times better than chemotherapy

Transplantations can be lifesavers for many colon cancer patients with a spread of tumours to the liver. New research reveals that survival rates are ten times higher than treatment with chemotherapy.

Insufficient follow-ups of cancer survivors

“It’s like sending people off to war and declining to take care of them when they come home,” says Norwegian physician and psychiatrist.

Genetic test queues generated by Angelina Jolie

Since Angelina Jolie made her double mastectomy public in 2013, Norwegian women have streamed to hospitals to test against hereditary breast cancer.

Maybe red meat isn’t carcinogenic?

Health authorities have told us for years that we should limit our intake of red meat. But a group of experts says research does not fully corroborate claims that red meat increases the risks of colon cancer.

Young cancer survivors too often end up on public benefits

Children and adolescents who have suffered brain tumours, leukaemia or bone and muscle tissue cancer are all too likely to get permanently side-tracked from prospective educations and careers.

Female smokers should consider colon cancer risk

Smoking is a recently established risk factor for colon cancer, especially for women − even when they smoke less than half as much as men.

Even little air pollution raises cancer risks

Air pollution, even in concentrations below EU limits, increases the risk of lung cancer.

Norwegians more willing to get cancer check-ups

On the whole, Scandinavians have better attitudes than Brits, Australians and Canadians when it comes to making medical appointments to check out signs of cancer.

Cancer research in peril

A lack of funding and co-operation with pharmaceutical companies is stifling Norwegian cancer research, warn researchers and industry representatives.

Fertility help doesn’t raise cancer risks

Women receiving hormonal stimulation to aid them get pregnant are not increasing their risk of cancer. Contrarily, infertility appears to heighten chances of contracting the disease.

Training for life after cancer

A tough training regime helps cancer patients recover and revitalise.

Easier to talk to health workers about cancer than family

Some breast cancer patients are more comfortable discussing their situation with health personnel than with family and friends.

Cancer patients with high vitamin D levels live longer

The risk of dying from cancer is more than 2.5 times higher in patients with low vitamin D levels compared to patients who have high levels of the same vitamin.

Too much openness about breast cancer can be a burden

Many breast cancer patients speak openly about their disease and thousands blog about it. But such transparency isn’t positive for everyone.

Hormone spirals stand up to uterine cancer

Hormone spirals give protection against uterine cancer. The hormone spiral is superior compared to treatment with tablets.

Fast or slow prostate cancer?

Some types of prostate cancer progress so slowly that the patient never requires treatment. The challenge now is to find out which patients need treatment and which don't.

Screening for breast cancer to what effect?

Researchers are disagreeing on whether the Norwegian screening program on breast cancer has had the intended effect.

Collaborating to improve lives

Multidisciplinary cooperation improves the life quality of child cancer survivors.