Medical Bulletin 17/October/2025 - Video

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Is Social Isolation an Overlooked Risk Factor in Cancer Mortality?

People with cancer who experience loneliness or social isolation face a significantly increased risk of death, not only from cancer itself but also from all causes, according to a new pooled data analysis published in the open-access journal BMJ Oncology.

As global cancer rates are projected to reach 35 million new cases and 18.5 million deaths annually by 2050, researchers aimed to better understand whether loneliness plays a measurable role in worsening health outcomes.

To investigate, researchers conducted an extensive review of published studies up to September 2024. Out of 148 identified studies, 16 met the inclusion criteria, involving a total of 1,635,051 cancer patients with an average age of 63. Thirteen of these were included in a meta-analysis. The studies spanned several countries, including Canada, Japan, the USA, and European nations, and covered a wide range of cancer types.

Using recognized tools like the Social Network Index and the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the analysis found that loneliness was associated with a 34% higher risk of death from any cause and an 11% increased risk of death from cancer, even after adjusting for small sample sizes. Additionally, three studies excluded from the pooled analysis still reported consistent links between social isolation and increased mortality.

However, the researchers warned that variations in methodology and the observational nature of the data mean the results should be interpreted with caution.

Still, they highlighted potential mechanisms behind the findings: “Biologically, the stress response triggered by loneliness may lead to immune dysregulation and heightened inflammatory activity,” which can fuel disease progression. Meanwhile, psychosocial barriers including stigma, isolation from treatment effects, and disrupted social identity can compound the emotional and physical toll of cancer.

If confirmed in future studies, the findings suggest a critical need to include targeted psychosocial interventions in cancer care to support not only emotional well-being but also survival.

Reference: Cheng S, Yi J, Pace K, Santiago A, Johnny C, Nunez J, et al. Impact of loneliness on cancer mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Oncology. 2025;4:e000840. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjonc-2025-000840

New Imaging Technique Detects Prostate Cancer Recurrence with 70% Accuracy: Study Finds

A new Canadian study has shown that a novel imaging technique, prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, is significantly more effective at detecting recurrent prostate cancer than standard imaging methods—and can lead to better survival outcomes. The findings, published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, come from a seven-year, multi-centre study.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Canadian men, and recurrence after initial treatment remains a major challenge. Traditional imaging methods, such as CT and bone scans, often fail to detect the location of returning cancer, especially when blood tests indicate recurrence but imaging cannot confirm it. To address this gap, researchers turned to PSMA PET scans, which involve injecting a radioactive molecule into a patient’s bloodstream that binds specifically to proteins found in prostate cancer cells. This makes the cancer easier to detect using PET imaging.

The study involved thousands of patients across six Ontario hospitals. Researchers found PSMA PET scans had a 70% detection rate, significantly higher than the 10–20% detection rate of conventional imaging. Importantly, the imaging results changed treatment plans in nearly 90% of patients where cancer was detected, and those whose treatments were altered based on PSMA PET results had better overall survival rates.

“This new technique gives physicians the information needed to determine the best treatment,” said Dr. Glenn Bauman, Scientist at LHSCRI and Radiation Oncologist at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). “When a blood test shows cancer has returned but standard imaging can’t find it, physicians may need to use less precise therapies like whole-body drug therapy. With this new imaging technique, we can locate the cancer and target it directly.”

Based on these promising outcomes, PSMA PET scans are now publicly funded as a standard of care for men with advanced prostate cancer in Ontario.

Reference: A Prospective Provincial Registry of 18F-PSMA PET/CT for Recurrent Prostate Cancer: Results for 4,135 Men, Andres Kohan, Ur Metser, William Luke, Mohammed Rashid, et al. Journal of Nuclear Medicine Aug 2025, 66 (8) 1223-1231; DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.125.269653

Menopause Timing May Influence Dementia Risk: Study

Entering menopause at an earlier age is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia, according to a new international study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. The same study also suggests that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after menopause may help reduce this risk, offering potential insights into how reproductive health influences brain aging.

The research, conducted in collaboration with Boston University, examined data from 1,329 cognitively healthy women enrolled in the Framingham Heart Study—the world’s longest-running longitudinal cohort study. Researchers investigated various reproductive factors, including age at first menstruation, age of menopause onset, overall reproductive lifespan, blood estrogen levels, and use of post-menopausal HRT. These factors were then analysed in relation to cognitive test performance, MRI markers of brain aging, and the future risk of dementia.

The study also found that greater estrogen exposure throughout a woman’s life was linked with enhanced cognitive performance and larger brain volumes. Specifically, having more children, higher blood estrogen levels, and older age at menopause were associated with better performance on tests assessing visuospatial skills—the ability to process and manipulate visual and spatial information.

“We found that entering menopause at an earlier age appears to be associated with an increased risk of dementia, while post-menopause hormone replacement therapy appears to be associated with a lower risk of dementia,” said Professor Emer McGrath, lead author and Associate Professor in Medicine at University of Galway. “Although our results suggest positive cognitive benefits of greater lifetime estrogen exposure, they do require further validation.”

“When we explored signs of brain ageing on MRI brain scans, we also found that having more children was associated with larger brain volumes, including in the areas we tend to see shrinkage in Alzheimer’s disease,” Professor McGrath added.

With women accounting for nearly two-thirds of all Alzheimer’s disease cases, the study underscores the need for more research into sex-specific factors that may contribute to dementia risk. The findings highlight the potential role of reproductive and hormonal health in protecting against cognitive decline.

Reference: McGrath ER, Scott MR, Buckley RF, et al. The association between reproductive factors and neurocognitive and neuroimaging markers of brain aging. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 2025;107(4):1594-1604. doi:10.1177/13872877251372430