Medical Bulletin 26/April/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day:

People with neurodevelopmental disorders have increased risk of testicular cancer: Study

A new study by researchers at Uppsala University and Uppsala University Hospital shows that men who have a neurodevelopmental disorder, such as autism and ADHD, also have a slightly increased risk of testicular cancer, or seminoma. Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in young men, and its underlying causes are still largely unknown.

The new study focused on patients with testicular cancer in Sweden. A total of 6,166 patients were included and then compared with 61,660 age-matched men without testicular cancer. Medical register data was used to investigate whether psychiatric diagnoses prior to cancer diagnosis were more common in patients with testicular cancer than in the control group.

Reference:

Risk and mortality of testicular cancer in patients with neurodevelopmental or other psychiatric disorders,British Journal of Cancer,doi 10.1038/s41416-023-02260-8

4 or more CT scans in kids increases risk for cancers: Study

For children under age 18 years, a single computed tomography (CT) scan is not associated with an increased risk of brain tumours, leukemia or lymphoma, but exposure to 4 or more scans before adulthood more than doubles the risk, according to new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Computed tomography in children has increased worldwide in recent decades, but there is conflicting evidence about the risks of cancer from these scans in this cohort. Computed tomography scans use low-dose radiation that can damage cells.

Reference:

Risks of leukemia, intracranial tumours and lymphomas in childhood and early adulthood after pediatric radiation exposure from computed tomography,Canadian Medical Association Journal, DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.221303

New drug combination restores ability of leading treatment to signal for death of blood cancer cells

New research using human tissue samples and mouse models has found that resistance of leukemia cells to a widely prescribed drug called venetoclax occurs because of a rapid increase in the breakdown and turnover of mitochondria, structures inside the cell that help power its functions. In addition to their role in producing energy, mitochondria also tell cells to die under certain adverse conditions.

Led by scientists at NYU Langone Health and its Perlmutter Cancer Center, the study showed that mitophagy helps leukemia cells to evade the killing effects of venetoclax, a drug in a class of medications known as BH3 mimetics.

Reference:

Mitophagy promotes resistance to BH3 mimetics in acute myeloid leukemia,Cancer Discovery,DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-22-0601