February - 2016

Breast cancer 'first response' at 10-year low

The proportion of women in England taking up their initial invitation for breast cancer screening is at its lowest level in a decade, figures show. The Health and Social Care Information Centre data showed the proportion of women aged 50-70 screened fell to 63.3% in 2014-15, from 70.1% in 2004-05. Breast screening coverage - the overall number checked - has also fallen for the fourth year in a row. Experts said the reasons for the falls needed to be urgently investigated. Und

'Shocking' sugar levels in High Street hot drinks, warns charity

There are "shocking" amounts of sugar in some hot drinks sold in High Street cafes, a campaign group has warned. Action on Sugar analysed 131 hot drinks and found a third contained at least as much sugar as a can of Pepsi or Coca-Cola, which contains nine teaspoons. The charity said in some of the worst cases the drinks contained 20 or more teaspoons of sugar. Coffee shop chains Starbucks, Costa and Caffe Nero said they were committed to reducing sugar content in their drinks

No safe way to suntan, new NICE guidance warns

There is no safe or healthy way to get a tan from sunlight, new guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has warned. The health watchdog's latest guidance also says an existing tan provides little protection against sun exposure. It recommends using at least factor 15 sun cream, with adults urged to use 6-8 teaspoons (35ml) per application. Benefits from building up vitamin D from the sun have to be balanced with the risks of skin cancer, it

Cancer death rates down by 10% in 10 years

Cancer death rates in the UK have fallen by about 10% in the past 10 years, the latest figures show. In 2013, 284 out of every 100,000 people died from cancer. In 2003, it was 312. Improvements in diagnosis and treatment are thought to be the reason. The death rate for men fell 12% and for women by 8%, narrowing the gender gap. But the actual number of cancer deaths rose - from 155,000 in 2003 to 162,000 in 2013 - as more people live longer and develop the disease in old age.