Online and in the news: Cancer trials, fatty foods and carrying shopping as excercise

CANCER TRIALS: A life-extending combination of two drugs has been hailed a “monumental step forward” in the treatment of one of the most deadly cancers.

Pairing the chemotherapy drugs gemcitabine and capecitabine dramatically increases the chances of people with pancreatic cancer living at least five years, trial results have shown.

The treatment protocol should now become the new standard of care for patients who have had surgery, experts say.

Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest of all the 21 most common cancers, largely because it is often identified at a late stage.

The findings, published in The Lancet medical journal, showed that 29% of patients receiving the drug combination lived at least five years.

In contrast, just 16% of patients restricted to gemcitabine survived that long.

FATTY FOODS

A single cheeseburger or pizza blow-out can alter metabolism and trigger changes linked to fatty liver disease and diabetes, research has shown.

While a fit body might be able to recover from one such meal, regular big helpings of rich, fatty food are likely to cause lasting damage, say scientists.

The researchers, led by Professor Michael Roden from the German Diabetes Centre in Dusseldorf, wrote in the Journal of Clinical Investigation: “We presume that lean, healthy individuals are able to compensate adequately for excessive intake of saturated fatty acids, however, sustained and repeated exposure to such nutrients will ultimately lead to chronic insulin resistance, and NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease).”

CARRY SHOPPING

Older people should carry shopping or take up tai chi in a bid to stave off falls, experts have said.

Gardening and dance classes could also help improve strength and balance, according to the Centre for Ageing Better.

The charitable foundation estimates that four in 10 over-70s underestimate how important good strength and balance is to reduce falls.

It said that improving muscle strength and ability to balance is imperative in reducing risk