D Monday, February 8, 2010 News By John von Radowitz Hopes for shorter cancer treatments WOMEN with breast cancer could be spared unnecessary treatments, according to new research. Experts at the UKs Institute of Cancer Research found that a lower overall course of radiotherapy delivered in fewer, larger doses was just as effective in battling the disease as the standard treatment. Side-effects were similar among women given the new treatment regime or the standard dose. Kate Law of Cancer Research UK said: Fewer doses will have a big impact for patients, as it means less visits to hospital. Pancreatic cancer: Patrick Swayze When two ships collide Study claims fizzy drinks cause pancreatic cancerSUGARY soft drinks can increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, research suggests. As little as two soft drinks consumed a week can almost double the chances of developing the disease, one of the most deadly forms of cancer, a study found. Scientists believe the high sugar content of soft drinks may explain the trend. Since pancreatic cancer is relatively rare, the absolute risk from soft drinks is small. However, those diagnosed with the dis- ease have a poor prognosis. Only two to three per cent of patients survive as long as five years Researchers based their findings on more than 60,500 participants recruited for a large-scale health study in Singapore. Over 14 years, 140 of the volunteers were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. People who consumed two or more soft drinks a week had an 87 per cent increased risk of developing the disease compared with those who did not. However, Jessica Harris, from Cancer Research UK said the evidence in this area was still inconsistent: Although this study included a lot of people, very few of them developed pancreatic cancer so it is diffi- cult to know if soft drinks do increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, or whether the results are just down to chance. Also, people who drank lots of fizzy drinks in this study were more likely to be unhealthy in other ways, like smoking, eating more calories, and being less ac- tive, so it is difficult to separate the effects of all of these things. Among the high profile victims of pan- creatic cancer was actor Patrick Swayze who died in September at the age of 57. Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherds ship the Bob Barker, right and the Japanese whaling ship Yushin Maru No. 3 collide in the waters of Antarctica at the weekend in the second such confrontation this year. On January 6, the Bob Barker came to the rescue of the crew of another of the activists boats, the Ady Gil after it was struck by a Japanese whaler Picture: AP beer cheer: Beer is a significant source of dietary silicon a key ingredient for increasing bone mineral density according to scientists. Moderate beer consumption may help fight osteoporosis, a disease of the skeletal system characterised by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue, researchers from the University of California claimed. Land escape: They say change is as good as a rest but it is also a lifesaver for butterflies. Landscapes with a variety of habitats such as woodland and heathland also have the most stable butterfly populations, it has been found. Multiple habitats provide a buffer that protects the insects against extreme events such as droughts, said Dr Jane Hill of York University. dino find: Archaeologists in China have uncovered more than 3,000 dinosaur footprints in an area said to be the worlds largest grouping of fossilised bones belonging to the ancient animals. The footprints, believed to be more than 100million years old, were discovered after a three- month excavation at a gully in Zhucheng in the eastern province of Shandong. If you have a story for MiniCosm please e-mail us at news@metroherald.ie MINICOSMSCIENCE & DISCOVERY IN BRIEF index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html