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Sydney Morning Herald

"Drug helps to curb the sweet cravings"

Sydney Morning Herald

18 Jul 2010

Rating: (1½ stars)

AUSTRALIAN researchers have developed a drug that may combat overeating by making sweet food less pleasurable.
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Daily Telegraph

"A vaccine treatment undergoing testing could halt and shrink aggressive cancers"

Daily Telegraph

12 Jul 2010

Rating: (2½ stars)

AN injection to help kill off the most deadly cancers, including breast, bowel and cervical tumours, has been created by scientists.
read more

The Courier Mail

"Botox injections to be used to treat migraine headaches"

The Courier Mail

11 Jul 2010

Rating: (3 stars)

BOTOX shots, cosmetic injections typically used to smooth facial wrinkles, will now be able to help patients in the UK who suffer from debilitating headaches.
read more

NineMSN

"Healing herbs"

NineMSN

07 Jul 2010

Rating: (2 stars)

A new range of herbal cream containing at least nine different herbs and three healthy oils is being hailed as a miracle treatment for eczema and dermatitis. But health experts are saying not to neglect conventional medicine.
read more

Sydney Morning Herald

"New test could predict menopause"

Sydney Morning Herald

28 Jun 2010

Rating: (3½ stars)

Doctors could one day use a blood test to predict decades in advance when women will go into menopause, scientists say.
read more

ABC News Online

"Blood test to predict fertility loss"

ABC News Online

28 Jun 2010

Rating: (3 stars)

Family planning has taken on a new precise meaning following a discovery that could help women determine exactly when they will lose their fertility.
read more

NineMSN

"Blood test could 'predict menopause'"

NineMSN

28 Jun 2010

Rating: (5 stars)

Doctors could one day use a blood test to predict decades in advance when women will go into menopause, scientists say.
read more

The Australian

"Doubts but timing test gives menopause for thought"

The Australian

28 Jun 2010

Rating: (3 stars)

WOMEN as young as 20 could take a blood test to learn the precise age at which they will no longer be able to have babies.
read more

Daily Telegraph

"Blood test to allow women to pinpoint infertility"

Daily Telegraph

28 Jun 2010

Rating: (1½ stars)

DOCTORS were set to unveil today a simple blood test that could tell young women the precise age at which they would no longer be able to have babies.
read more

Sydney Morning Herald

"A working week for new post-sex pill"

Sydney Morning Herald

27 Jun 2010

Rating: (2½ stars)

A NEW European "morning after" pill that works for five days exposes the difficulties faced by Australian women in accessing emergency contraception, a women's health expert says.
read more

NineMSN

"Anti-rape condom unveiled for World Cup"

NineMSN

21 Jun 2010

Rating: (3½ stars)

A South African doctor has developed a new anti-rape female condom that has been unveiled in time for the World Cup.
read more

NineMSN

"Drug 'could save 100,000 lives a year'"

NineMSN

15 Jun 2010

Rating: (4½ stars)

An easy-to-use blood-clotting drug that costs just a few dollars could save up to 100,000 lives each year from road accidents and violence, according to a paper published by The Lancet.
read more

7:30 Report

"World first trial gives hope to epilepsy sufferers"

7:30 Report

14 Jun 2010

Rating: (3 stars)

In a world first doctors at St. Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne have implanted an experimental seizure prediction device into a young Tasmanian man who suffers from epilepsy.
read more

NineMSN

"Drug expected to help cancer sufferers"

NineMSN

07 Jun 2010

Rating: (2½ stars)

A new experimental drug developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Medarex extends the lives of patients with advanced melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, researchers said.
read more

NineMSN

"Lung cancer treatment 'shrinks tumours'"

NineMSN

06 Jun 2010

Rating: (3 stars)

An experimental therapy has shown a high response rate and helps shrink tumours in lung cancer patients with a specific form of genetic alteration, according to results of a clinical trial.
read more

The Australian

"Specialists hail cancer treatment results"

The Australian

06 Jun 2010

Rating: (4½ stars)

CANCER specialists have welcomed the much anticipated results of a decade-long trial of a treatment for early breast cancer that cuts a six-week course of tumour-destroying radiation to a single half-hour session.
read more

ABC News Online

"Blood test for lung cancer"

ABC News Online

02 Jun 2010

Rating: (2½ stars)

A blood test for lung cancer is being released commercially across the United States this week.
read more

The Australian

"New blood test detects cancer before it grows"

The Australian

01 Jun 2010

Rating: (2 stars)

A SIMPLE blood test that can detect cancer before a tumour has taken shape has been developed by British scientists. Due to be introduced in Britain by early next year, it is described as offering a "paradigm shift" in cancer diagnosis.
read more

NineMSN

"Tiny patch, big impact on ear surgery"

NineMSN

31 May 2010

Rating: (4½ stars)

Australian scientists are perfecting a tiny patch that could revolutionise the way the world's surgeons fix a perforated ear drum.
read more

NineMSN

"Life-saving MS treatment praised"

NineMSN

19 May 2010

Rating: (3½ stars)

Australian doctors say a new stem cell treatment which saved the life of a young Canberra man suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) should be adopted more widely.
read more

The Courier Mail

"Patients hail keyhole heart surgery trials"

The Courier Mail

18 May 2010

Rating: (2 stars)

AFTER multiple heart operations, doctors gave Ruth Frost, 86, and Jean Chisolm, 78, little hope of survival. Now the women, who are too frail for open heart surgery, are among the first in Australia to receive breakthrough keyhole heart surgery at...
read more

7:30 Report

"Radical treatment gives MS patient back his life"

7:30 Report

18 May 2010

Rating: (3½ stars)

A new stem cell treatment has saved the life of a young Australian with multiple sclerosis, but MS Australia still warns the procedure is 'experimental'.
read more

ABC Science Online

"Spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down"

ABC Science Online

13 May 2010

Rating: (4½ stars)

Mary Poppins was right: A spoonful of sugar really does help the medicine go down, according to the results of a new study.
read more

ABC Science Online

"Warning on high-dose vitamin D"

ABC Science Online

12 May 2010

Rating: (4 stars)

High doses of vitamin D increase the number of falls and fractures in older women, say Australian researchers, who warn against using the vitamin in this way.
read more

ABC Science Online

"OJ a possible source of vitamin D"

ABC Science Online

10 May 2010

Rating: (2½ stars)

A glass of orange juice may not only help the vitamin pill go down, it may be as effective as the supplement itself.
read more

NineMSN

"Surgery can help Parkinson's sufferers"

NineMSN

02 May 2010

Rating: (3½ stars)

Brain surgery can significantly improve the quality of life for some Parkinson's sufferers, according to the charity Parkinson's UK which has published new research on the topic.
read more

NineMSN

"Spray 'makes men more caring, affectionate'"

NineMSN

30 Apr 2010

Rating: (1½ stars)

Scientists in Germany and England claim they have invented a nasal spray that makes men more caring, sensitive and affectionate.
read more

Today Tonight

"Electric probes helping patients"

Today Tonight

21 Apr 2010

Rating: (1½ stars)

A new high-tech treatment is restoring normality to the lives of people disabled by body tremors.
read more

Daily Telegraph

"Ingredient found in human breast milk and coconut oil may cure acne, University of California resear"

Daily Telegraph

19 Apr 2010

Rating: (1 stars)

AN INGREDIENT found in human breast milk and coconut oil shows promise as a cure for acne, researchers at the University of California say.
read more

ABC Science Online

"New drug improves hepatitis C outcome"

ABC Science Online

19 Apr 2010

Rating: (4½ stars)

A new class of drugs promises to boost the effectiveness of hepatitis C treatment, according to a recent study.
read more

Sunday Telegraph

"Multivitamin link to breast cancer"

Sunday Telegraph

18 Apr 2010

Rating: (4½ stars)

WOMEN who take a daily multivitamin pill are nearly 20 per cent more likely to develop breast cancer, a major study has revealed.
read more

Today Tonight

"Fighting arthritis"

Today Tonight

16 Apr 2010

Rating: (3 stars)

Arthritis affects almost four million Australians and costs $24 billion every year in medical care, lost earnings and lost production.
read more

NineMSN

"Pig cells 'safe' to treat human diabetes"

NineMSN

08 Apr 2010

Rating: (2½ stars)

The New Zealand-based company which is developing what is effectively a cure for type 1 diabetes has reported a successful safety and tolerance review.
read more

The Age

"Easing labour pain naturally"

The Age

07 Apr 2010

Rating: (1 stars)

CHANTAL Stravens can still remember her sister's nails digging into her arms. The assault came 14 years ago during an excruciating 20-hour labour.
read more

ABC News Online

"Pig cells provide hope for type 1 diabetes"

ABC News Online

05 Apr 2010

Rating: (2½ stars)

There's renewed hope that there may be a cure for Type 1diabetes after success in human trials involving pig cells. In New Zealand and Europe more than a dozen humans have had pigs cells transplanted into their bodies to control diabetes. So far two...
read more

NineMSN

"Mobile phone ring tone 'cures hayfever'"

NineMSN

03 Apr 2010

Rating: (1½ stars)

The Japanese firm behind a dog-bark translation machine and mobile phone ring tones meant to attract members of the opposite sex has a new spring offering - a mobile phone application claiming to cure hayfever.
read more

NineMSN

"Sydney hospital pioneers birth treatment"

NineMSN

02 Apr 2010

Rating: (2½ stars)

Women suffering increasingly common caesarean birth complications will no longer need blood transfusions following a breakthrough surgical treatment.
read more

Daily Telegraph

"Chocolate can save your life"

Daily Telegraph

01 Apr 2010

Rating: (1½ stars)

A BAR of chocolate a day can cut the risk of heart disease and stroke by an amazing 39 percent, The Sun reported.
read more

The West Australian

"Crab shell glue could replace stitches"

The West Australian

31 Mar 2010

Rating: (2 stars)

Australian scientists have developed a surgical glue made from crab shells that could replace stitches used in eye surgery.
read more

ABC Science Online

"Easter eggs may be good for your heart"

ABC Science Online

31 Mar 2010

Rating: (2 stars)

Easter eggs may be good for you, but only if you eat small ones made from cocoa-rich dark chocolate, according to a German study.
read more

Herald Sun

"Easter eggs may be good for you, study suggests"

Herald Sun

31 Mar 2010

Rating: (2 stars)

EASTER eggs and other chocolate may be good for the heart and lower blood pressure, provide you eat a tiny amount each day and prefer dark rather than milk or white chocolate, a medical journal reports.
read more

The Australian

"'Single-shot' breast cancer treatment saves women ordeal of radiotherapy"

The Australian

29 Mar 2010

Rating: (3 stars)

A PIONEERING treatment for breast cancer that cuts a six-week course of tumour-destroying therapy to a single half-hour "shot" is showing success in early trials in patients, according to British doctors.
read more

Daily Telegraph

"Kids prescribed toxic drug cocktail"

Daily Telegraph

24 Mar 2010

Rating: (1½ stars)

CHILDREN as young as one are being prescribed powerful anti-psychotic drugs that have been linked to deaths overseas.
read more

Sydney Morning Herald

"Hormone in pill blamed for women's hair loss"

Sydney Morning Herald

21 Mar 2010

Rating: (2 stars)

THE contraceptive pill is driving a steady surge in the number of young women suffering hair loss.
read more

Daily Telegraph

"A one-day heart surgery miracle"

Daily Telegraph

20 Mar 2010

Rating: (2 stars)

JUST 24 hours after having the first heart operation of its kind in Australia, Allison Ribbons was walking and ready to go home.
read more

NineMSN

"Breast cancer drug fights lung cancer"

NineMSN

19 Mar 2010

Rating: (1½ stars)

A trial investigating wider use of a leading breast cancer drug has found it could also be effective at fighting lung cancer.
read more

A Current Affair

"Pain relief breakthrough"

A Current Affair

18 Mar 2010

Rating: (1 stars)

If you suffer from persistent severe pain or migraines, there's a new approach to reclaim your lifestyle.
read more

NineMSN

"Gene test 'helps define heart drug dose'"

NineMSN

17 Mar 2010

Rating: (2 stars)

A simple genetic test can help pinpoint the precise dose of a potentially life-saving medication taken by millions to ward off blood clotting after heart surgery, a study published on Tuesday found.
read more

Sydney Morning Herald

"Under-arm treatment for low sex drive gets a boost"

Sydney Morning Herald

16 Mar 2010

Rating: (1 stars)

Melbourne's Acrux is focusing on a new product that it says will lift testosterone levels.
read more

Sydney Morning Herald

"Sunscreens could damage your health, researcher warns"

Sydney Morning Herald

12 Mar 2010

Rating: (1 stars)

Nanoparticles used to make some sunscreens transparent may also be toxic, according to Australian research.
read more

Today Tonight

"A pain-free future"

Today Tonight

09 Mar 2010

Rating: (1½ stars)

A new hand-held device could prove to be an alternative treatment in relieving migraine sufferers from pain, a trial of the gadget has shown.
read more

Daily Telegraph

"Male pill trials under way"

Daily Telegraph

07 Mar 2010

Rating: (2 stars)

Eighty British couples are currently undergoing trials of an injectable male contraceptive as part of a new study.
read more

Daily Telegraph

"New concussion test"

Daily Telegraph

07 Mar 2010

Rating: (1 stars)

US scientists have devised a simple test that helps judge levels of concussion in athletes and may indicate when they are ready to play again.
read more

Sydney Morning Herald

"Coffee lowers risk of hospital trip for heartbeats"

Sydney Morning Herald

06 Mar 2010

Rating: (2 stars)

A shot of espresso may give people the sensation their hearts are racing, but drinking more coffee reduced the likelihood that patients would be hospitalised for irregular heartbeats, researchers say
read more

NineMSN

"Gene test claims to find best diet"

NineMSN

05 Mar 2010

Rating: (2 stars)

US researchers say a gene test may help predict whether you can lose more weight on a low-fat or a low-carb diet.
read more

Sydney Morning Herald

"Gene test for best diet"

Sydney Morning Herald

05 Mar 2010

Rating: (4 stars)

Diet not working? Blame your genes. That's the pitch behind a new test that claims to show whether people will do better on a low-fat or a low-carbohydrate weight loss plan.
read more

ABC News Online

"Painkillers linked to male hearing loss"

ABC News Online

02 Mar 2010

Rating: (2½ stars)

A new study is raising fresh concerns about the safety of three of the most common over-the-counter painkillers. US researchers say men who take regularly aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen are twice as likely to suffer hearing problems than those who...
read more

Daily Telegraph

"Can vitamin injections help you heal after surgical procedures?"

Daily Telegraph

28 Feb 2010

Rating: (2½ stars)

A FACELIFT or nose job usually comes with the obligatory fortnight in isolation, hiding the bruising and swelling until you're ready to show off your new look.
read more

Daily Telegraph

"Multivitamins may cut lung cancer risk by 16 per cent"

Daily Telegraph

28 Feb 2010

Rating: (2 stars)

Leafy green vegetables, folate and some multivitamins could serve as protective factors against lung cancer in current and former smokers, according to a recent US study.
read more

Herald Sun

"Mobile mental health"

Herald Sun

28 Feb 2010

Rating: (2½ stars)

A new program will use the integral role the phones play in the lives of Australian teenagers - from organising their lives via SMS to connecting on Facebook and snapping digital photos on the run - to boost mental health.
read more

Sydney Morning Herald

"Virtual reality games may help stroke victims recover: study"

Sydney Morning Herald

26 Feb 2010

Rating: (2½ stars)

Playing on a virtual reality gaming system may help stroke patients improve their motor function, according to a small study presented Thursday at a conference of the American Stroke Association.
read more

The Age

"Radical ovarian cancer treatment offers hope"

The Age

24 Feb 2010

Rating: (1½ stars)

EARLY results from a new cancer treatment pioneered in Melbourne show that advanced ovarian cancer can be fought to a standstill - an against-the-odds result that could point to a radical new way of beating other cancers.
read more

NineMSN

"Paracetamol may prevent diseases"

NineMSN

23 Feb 2010

Rating: (2½ stars)

It's been easing headaches for generations, and now Australian scientists say the humble paracetamol tablet could also be used to prevent a range of diseases.
read more

Sunday Telegraph

"Quick fertility test reads biological clock"

Sunday Telegraph

21 Feb 2010

Rating: (1 stars)

A NEW quick and inexpensive test to measure a woman's egg reserve is set to revolutionise the way women think about their future.
read more

"Aspirin a breast cancer lifesaver"

Adelaide Now

18 Feb 2010

Rating: (3½ stars)

WOMEN with breast cancer who take aspirin at least twice a week can more than double their chance of surviving, researchers in a 30-year project say.
read more

The Australian

"Nasal spray can relieve autism symptoms"

The Australian

15 Feb 2010

Rating: (3 stars)

SCIENTISTS have found that some symptoms of autism can be alleviated by a nasal spray containing oxytocin, the "bonding" hormone.
read more

The Courier Mail

"Tai chi moves may benefit those with type 2 diabetes"

The Courier Mail

12 Feb 2010

Rating: (1 stars)

AN ancient form of Chinese exercise may hold hope for staving off a modern illness - type 2 diabetes, according to a university researcher.
read more

Sydney Morning Herald

"Study backs gastric bands for obese teens"

Sydney Morning Herald

11 Feb 2010

Rating: (3½ stars)

THE benefits of losing weight during the teenage years are so great that severely obese adolescents should be offered stomach-restricting surgery, according to the results of Australian research.
read more

NineMSN

"Science unearths diabetes 'Holy Grail'"

NineMSN

06 Feb 2010

Rating: (1 stars)

The development of an "artificial pancreas" has been hailed as a significant breakthrough in diabetes management but it could take another five years to reach diabetics.
read more

NineMSN

"Fish oil 'might prevent schizophrenia'"

NineMSN

04 Feb 2010

Rating: (5 stars)

Fish oil pills may be able to save some young people with signs of mental illness from descending into schizophrenia, according to a preliminary but first-of-its-kind study conducted in Austria.
read more

ABC Health and Wellbeing

"Fish oil may stave off schizophrenia"

ABC Health and Wellbeing

02 Feb 2010

Rating: (5 stars)

Doctors now know how to tell whether a young person is at risk of developing schizophrenia but what they're not so sure about is the best form of treatment.
read more

NineMSN

"MS pills show promise and risk: studies"

NineMSN

21 Jan 2010

Rating: (4½ stars)

Tests of the first two oral drugs developed for treating multiple sclerosis (MS) show that both cut the frequency of relapses and may slow progression of the disease, but with side effects that could pose a tough decision for patients.
read more

NineMSN

"Doctors give woman a new windpipe"

NineMSN

15 Jan 2010

Rating: (3 stars)

For more than a quarter of a century, Linda De Croock lived with constant pain from a car accident that smashed her windpipe.
read more

The West Australian

"Blood pressure drug 'combats' dementia"

The West Australian

13 Jan 2010

Rating: (3½ stars)

A widely prescribed drug to tackle high blood pressure and heart disease also appears to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, according to a US study.
read more

Herald Sun

"Hope for new skin-disorder drug"

Herald Sun

22 Dec 2009

Rating: (1½ stars)

A RADICAL new drug used to treat patients suffering painful sensitivity to sunlight could prevent skin cancer or be copied by the tanning industry.
read more

Today Tonight

"The golden tan implant"

Today Tonight

21 Dec 2009

Rating: (0 stars)

There are many who find summer difficult, because they're too fair to enjoy the beach or pool. But a new Aussie drug could soon end all that.
read more

Daily Telegraph

"Drug implant blocks skin cancer"

Daily Telegraph

19 Dec 2009

Rating: (1½ stars)

A DRUG implant that protects against skin cancer has been given the go-ahead by health chiefs in the UK.
read more

Sydney Morning Herald

"Scientists find wasted blood that's worth bottling"

Sydney Morning Herald

11 Dec 2009

Rating: (2 stars)

A MASSIVE dose of HDL ''good'' cholesterol injected into patients after a heart attack can quickly break down fatty deposits in the arteries and might prevent subsequent attacks, Australian scientists have said after early tests of a new therapy derived...
read more

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what media doctor is

Media Doctor is a website dedicated to improving the accuracy of media reports about new medical treatments.

Media Doctor reviews current news items about medical treatments, assesses their quality using a standardised rating scale and presents reviews of good and bad examples of reports on this website. It is anticipated that these independent and objective critiques will improve journalistic practices in reporting new medications and treatments in Australia.

Read more about our site >>

what media doctor is not

Media Doctor does not provide medical advice, and does not assess the quality of the evidence on which the stories are based; instead we concentrate on the articles themselves. For more information on the treatments featured on this site, visit our links page.

who is media doctor?

The team behind Media Doctor consists of a group of academics and clinicians from the Newcastle Institute of Public Health, who have an interest in promoting better and more accurate reporting in the area of medical treatments.

Read more about our team >>

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