Medical Bulletin 20/August/2022

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Considering genetic risk in prostate cancer referrals could lead to earlier diagnosis

Prostate cancer accounts for around a quarter of new cancer cases in men – approximately 52,000 men are diagnosed per year in the UK alone. It is the second most common cause of cancer death in men in the UK, and five-year survival doubles if it's diagnosed at an early stage compared to advanced stage. Symptoms are common and easily misdiagnosed, and an estimated 14 per cent of prostate cancer deaths could be avoided if they were diagnosed earlier.

A large-scale study by the University of Exeter, published in the British Journal of Cancer, looked at the impact of incorporating genetic risk for cancer into the GP triage and referral processes. The research concluded that considering genetic risk could improve referrals for those in need – and importantly, avoid invasive biopsy investigations for those at low risk of cancer. Assessing genetic risk in primary care could lead to earlier diagnosis for men most at risk of prostate cancer.

Ref:

Dr Harry Green et al, Applying a genetic risk score for prostate cancer to 2 men with lower urinary tract symptoms in primary 3 care to predict prostate cancer diagnosis: a cohort 4 study in the UK Biobank,British Journal of Cancer,10.1038/s41416-022-01918-z

New research identifies a simple trick that may reduce drinking

A new study published in the scientific journal Addiction has found that households in the United Kingdom consumed about 6.5% less wine when drinking from smaller (290 ml) glasses than from larger (350 ml) glasses.

This randomised controlled trial recruited 260 UK households from the general population that consuming at least two 75cl bottles of wine each week. During two 14-day intervention periods, households were asked to buy a pre-set amount of wine to drink at home in either 75cl or 37.5cl bottles, in randomised order.

Ref:

Mantzari E, Ventsel M, Ferrar J, Pilling MA, Hollands GJ, Marteau TM (2022) Impact of wine bottle and glass sizes on wine consumption at home: a within and between households randomised controlled trial. Addiction: doi: 10.1111/add.16005