Woman's Health:Pollutants in early pregnancy linked to gestational diabetes ♦ New approach to mammograms could improve reliability ♦ Vaccine clears some precancerous cervical lesions

Women exposed to organic pollutants in early pregnancy have more than four-times increased risk of gestational diabetes New research shows that a 10-times increased exposure to organic pollutants in early pregnancy is associated with a 4.4 times increased risk of a pregnant woman developing gestational diabetes.

New approach to mammograms could improve reliability Detecting breast cancer in women with dense mammary tissues could become more reliable with a new mammogram procedure that researchers have now tested in preclinical studies of mice. Scientists describe injecting gold nanoparticles in mammary tissue to enhance the imaging of early signs of breast cancer.

No long term effects of antidepressant use during pregnancy The use of antidepressants during pregnancy has no long term neurodevelopmental or behavioral effects on the child, however they may be associated with an increased risk of postpartum haemorrhage.

Vaccine clears some precancerous cervical lesions Scientists have used a genetically engineered vaccine to successfully eradicate high-grade precancerous cervical lesions in nearly one-half of women who received the vaccine in a clinical trial. The goalwas to find nonsurgical ways to treat precancerous lesions caused by HPV.

Grieving Before Conception May Be a Risk Factor for Infant Mortality An elevated infant death rate may be linked to mourning experienced by women in the months before they become pregnant.

Cancer Research: Stress hormones could undermine breast cancer therapy ♦ new drug combo offers hope for people battling melanoma ♦ Decreased rates of high-grade cervical lesions in young women

Stress hormones could undermine breast cancer therapy Stress hormones often given to patients to treat the side effects of therapy may cause a subset of breast cancers to become treatment-resistant.

Decreased rates of high-grade cervical lesions in young women A new analysis indicates that rates of high-grade cervical lesions decreased in young US women after vaccines were made available to protect against human papillomavirus (HPV), but the trend may be due in part to changes in cervical cancer screening recommendations.

Study identifies multiple genetic changes linked to increased pancreatic cancer risk In a genome-wide association study believed to be the largest of its kind, researchers have uncovered four regions in the human genome where changes may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Annual low-dose CT screening safe, reliable for identifying pre-cancers An annual exam using a key imaging technology could spare patients with lung nodules from unnecessary tests and surgery. The study authors found the imaging technology, called low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), to be a safe and effective screening tool to monitor those with non solid lung nodules, which in some cases are precursors to cancer.

Promising new drug combo offers hope for people battling melanoma Summer inspires many people to think about their vacation plans, however, it makes one medical oncologist think about melanoma. He hopes to be able to offer a new treatment for melanoma patients in the near future.