Viruses, Infections & Disease, features and articles | Educational Science

Jul 27, 2011

Mind-Controlling Parasite May Increase Brain Cancer Risk

Mind-altering parasites already linked to neurosis and schizophrenia might also be linked to brain cancer, scientists now find. The germ, found worldwide, is known as Toxoplasma gondii. The parasites ultimately want to end up in cats, where they breed, but until then they can live in the cells of many...

Aug 21, 2012

Good News: Your Cat Won't Give You Brain Cancer

Cat owners are no more likely than people without pets to have brain cancer, a new study finds. If you're wondering whether you should be relieved as a cat owner or confused as to what Fluffy the Persian has to do with brain cancer at all, we're here to help....

Sep 11, 2012

Sheryl Crow's Suspicions About Brain Tumor Not Supported by Science

Singer Sheryl Crow has said she believes her benign brain tumor was caused by frequent cellphone use, but the science to date does not support her theory. Crow said that although no doctors will confirm it, she thinks it's possible her brain tumor, called meningioma, is related to her cellphone...

Oct 18, 2012

Colorful But Deadly: Images of Brain Cancer

Spreading Cancer (Image credit: Eric Bushong)Cancer (green) spreads through a mouse brain. Researchers reporting in the journal Science on Oct. 18 have found that genetic changes to the cancer cells reverts them to stem cells, which can divide continuously. Green Glioma (Image credit: Eric Bushong)A glioma, a cancer arising from...

Oct 18, 2012

Why Brain Tumors Are So Hard to Destroy

The most common and aggressive brain tumor grows by turning normal brain cells into stem cells, which can continuously replicate and regrow a tumor with only a handful of cells left behind, new research finds. The findings help explain why the tumors, called glioblastomas, are so difficult to treat, said...

May 30, 2013

Your Allergies Just Might Shield You From Brain Cancer

Finally, allergies may have an upside. People who are prone to the sniffles and sneezes they bring on could have a reduced risk of developing brain cancer, according to a new study. The results showed that individuals who reported the greatest number of allergies were less likely to develop gliomas,...

May 30, 2013

Hope Grows in Fight Against Lethal Pediatric Brain Tumor

Researchers have coaxed cells from a rare pediatric brain tumor to grow in lab dishes for the first time, and have created mice that model the deadly disease. The discovery is expected to jump-start treatment research, according to a new study. The finding was made possible by tissue donations from...

May 30, 2013

Cell Phones Don't Increase Brain Cancer Risk: Study

Exposure to the radio frequency waves used by cell phones doesn't increase the risk of developing brain cancers, a new study suggests. British researchers found that there was only a very slight increase in certain types of brain cancers in England between 1998 and 2007, and the rise could have...

May 30, 2013

Cellphones Don't Boost Kids' Brain Cancer Risk

Cellphones do not increase the risk of brain cancer in children and teens, a new Swedish study suggests. In the study, children and teens with brain tumors were not significantly more likely to have been regular mobile phone users than children and teens without brain cancer. The findings add to...

Mar 31, 2014

Radical Method Uses Cells to Fight Brain Tumors

This Behind the Scenes article was provided to Live Science in partnership with the National Science Foundation. The American Brain Tumor Association says this year nearly 70,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with tumors that form in blood vessels, cranial nerves, lymphatic tissue and other parts of...

Apr 14, 2014

Brain Tumor Risk Higher for Teens Who Stop Growing Later

Teens who take longer to reach their full height may be at increased risk for certain types of brain tumors later in life, a new study suggests. The study involved nearly 2,600 people, including 1,045 people with glioma, a category of brain and spinal tumors that arise from cells known...

Jun 10, 2014

'Good Health' Genes Linked to Increased Risk of Brain Cancer

The same gene variants that are linked with having longer caps on chromosome tips and overall good health also may have a downside: They could increase the risk of brain cancer, a new study finds. These new findings may be the first to suggest that people with longer telomeres —...

Jun 1, 2015

Beau Biden's Death: 5 Facts About Brain Cancer

Joseph Beau Biden's recent death from brain cancer at age 46 highlights the mysteries of this uncommon yet often lethal form of cancer. It's not clear what type of brain cancer Biden had, but in 2013, he had a small lesion removed from his brain, according to The New York...

Apr 19, 2016

Aspirin Linked to Lower Brain Cancer Risk

NEW ORLEANS — Taking aspirin regularly may reduce a person's risk for a certain type of brain cancer, a new study finds. In the study, researchers found that people who regularly took aspirin had a nearly 34 percent lower risk of a type of brain tumor called a glioma, compared...