Science Media Centre

Physicist Sir Paul Callaghan’s high public profile has meant the country has taken a genuine interest in his terminal colon cancer diagnosis and subsequent unorthodox treatments. Sir Paul spoke to Radio New Zealand’s Kiwi Summer programme about his personal trial, his conclusions and concern at becoming a poster boy for the alternative therapy industry. The [...]

A new review has cast doubt on the findings of a large study which identified a link between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer, but experts are treating the conclusions of both pieces of research with caution. In the ongoing debate over the benefits and harms of hormone replacement therapy, an international team of researchers [...]

International concern is growing over the high rupture rate of a particular brand of silicone breast implant, compounded by fears that implant may also increase cancer risk. The French company implant Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) was shut down in 2010 after authorities recalled its implants when surgeons reported abnormally high rupture rates. It was later [...]

A recent study suggests that historical milk-in-schools programmes – similar to the planned initiative announced by Fonterra today – may have played a role in preventing colon cancer in New Zealand. Today dairy cooperative Fonterra announced they will be launching a free milk in schools pilot programme, covering 110 schools in Northland during the first [...]

As the United Nations High Level Meeting on Noncommunicable diseases (NDCs) concludes, some general resolutions have been agreed to – but public health researchers are deploring a lack of action and accountability from Member States. The meeting was held in New York on the 19th and 20th of September, bringing together UN Member States to [...]

Malaghan Institute biochemist Bridget Stocker was interviewed by Kathryn Ryan on Radio New Zealand’s Nine to Noon Show. Dr Stocker shares her background in New Zealand and Switzerland and talks about her current research, which focuses on the use of carbohydrates to stimulate an immune response against cancer. She also weighs in on the current [...]

Scientists are cautiously optimistic about a trial cancer therapy which uses a virus to selectively kill tumor cells. Canadian researchers have completed the first clinical trial in which viral therapy is delivered to cancer patients intravenously, and the virus selectively replicates only within tumour cells. The trial, published in Nature this week, show promising results. [...]

From the Otago Daily Times: New Zealand scientists, part of a team which includes researchers at prestigious US university Stanford, today unveiled two advances in the fight against cancer.(read in full) Other coverage Stuff/Dominion Post: New Zealand scientists help starve cancer cells TV3: New drug could reduce side-effects of chemotherapy Scope: Potential anti-cancer therapy starves [...]

The suggestion from a WHO task-force that cellphone exposure is “possibly carcinogenic”  has generated wide spread media buzz over the potential risks of mobile devices. At 4am on Wednesday (NZ time) the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a subsidiary of the World Health Organization, released a monograph classifying exposure to mobile phones as [...]

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a subsidiary of the World Health Organization, has released a monograph classifying exposure to mobile phones as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”, or in Group 2B by their classification system. They found that wireless phone use may increase the risk of glioma, a malignant brain cancer. The official [...]