A number of drugs that are currently used to treat diabetes has been going through studies and trials recently to determine if they have any additional medical value and according to a report released this week it looks like they might just be the next big thing in cancer treatment. The drugs are all very similar in the way they work and while they’re approved for use, the FDA keeps very tight restrictions on their usage for patients. Due to a number of preliminary studies many medical experts felt that these drugs could have an impact on cancer risk and now they’ve concluded that the drugs do in fact lower the risk of developing cancer in women.

Essentially according to doctors the drugs increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin which can reduce the risk for diabetes, since diabetes is often followed by cancer they believed this could have an impact on cancer development. After months of studies the reports concluded that the drugs did in fact have a measurable impact on cancer rates in women. Obviously it’ll be quite a while before anything like this could become a real, usable treatment, but many doctors are hopeful that this is a step in the right direction for cancer testing.

This week the largest medical testing company in the United States officially announced that they are going to begin offering breast cancer testing to the public using a radical new gene analysis method. The test is not new or particularly complicated and it is already used in some fashion by a few other companies but by adding in another testing company many doctors believe that the cost of breast cancer testing will likely go down dramatically.

Essentially the test analysis multiple genes found in a person’s DNA in order to detect abnormalities or strange occurrences that could develop into breast cancer. Doctors are quick to note that this is not a definitive test but it does in fact show whether a person is high risk or not for developing breast cancer. The good news is that because multiple companies will now be offering this preliminary screening the cost of the actual test will likely go down dramatically due to competition. Regardless of the price this is absolutely great news because millions of Americans will be able to get at least a glimpse of their genetic stance when it comes to breast cancer. No matter the results doctors encourage regular checkups, but this is still a good way to determine a person’s risk for breast cancer.

For years now researchers have been conducting in depth studies to determine exactly what kinds of effects video games have on the brain. Throughout these tests there have been all sorts of results and today another surprising and unexpected result was released. According to the study certain video games can and in fact do lead to significant improvements in a subject’s daily life, especially when they target certain cognitive areas.

This is great news because it once again has continued to show that with a little work and technology even something as simple as a video game can be used to treat various brain functional issues. Of course doctors say that most video games you would find on the shelves don’t really have any major benefits to them but they’re still happy with this result. This is definitely good news for many people suffering from various brain deficiencies as well because a number of doctors are hopeful that this could eventually lead to a video game based treatment system for many patients. Overall doctors are happy with the results and say they plan to continue researching exactly how the brain can be affected by video games of all kinds, they might yet find positive or negative impacts of video games.

Every single year a new version of the flu vaccine is created in order to try and reduce the effects of the flu. Unfortunately due to the ever evolving nature of the flu it is impossible for doctors and researchers to be completely accurate when creating the new vaccine and that is why many people still get the flu, fortunately now it looks like something better is on the horizon.

The newest flu vaccine in development this year is not like the vaccines from the past that only target a specific strand of the virus. The new flu vaccine was designed specifically to fight against a multitude of flu possibilities, the idea is that spreading the coverage will in fact make the vaccine more effective. So far researchers say they’re incredibly happy with the results and as such they’re beginning to put it into production for primary use this coming flu season. This has been attempted before but this time doctors say it is looking much more promising, this is absolutely good news for everyone given that thousands of people die of the flu ever year. Of course doctors are obviously recommending that everyone above the age of 6 months get vaccinated so make sure this fall you get a flu shot to stay protected.

Brain Exercises Linked to Math Skills

A research report released this week shows some interesting and powerful brain connections that are absolutely great news. The study was focused on simple forms of brain stimulation and brain exercises as well as their link to math skills and the results from the study were quite profound.

The researchers at the heart of the study claim that with just a week’s worth of brain stimulating exercises a patient was very likely to see an increase in cognitive and brain function improvements as long as 6 months from the time of exercise. This is a very big deal because researchers have always known that increased brain activity lead to increased brain ability, but now they know that the effects can actually last for a very long time as well.

Doctors are hopeful that this could likely be used in the future to help develop better education practices as well as improved mental health treatment. Many researchers are also hopeful that this will eventually be applied as a study to children and infant development so that parents can begin to educate their children early on with mental stimulation and simple forms of brain exercise.

Cancer testing is always a major area of research because in most cases detecting and diagnosing cancer early can significantly improve treatment possibilities. Fortunately this week a medial study published results that indicate there may soon be an entirely new way to test for colon cancer and it is shockingly simple.

The new colon cancer test is significantly more effective than most cancer tests and doctors say that it will likely catch on because it is simple, fast, cheap, and effective. Breathing onto a test pad or machine is all it takes according to the report and based upon chemicals found in the patient’s breath the test can determine whether or not colon cancer is present. It seems farfetched by dozens of medical studies have been conducted to determine the accuracy and effectiveness, so far they’re all seeing the same results.

Doctors are hopeful that this test will roll out onto the worldwide market soon so that more people begin screening for colon cancer. Doctors also say that this is a step in the right direction for a number of reasons, primarily because it shows that with enough research a simple and effective cancer test can be created in many cases. This is great news for the medical industry for sure.

Suicide is a very real issue for thousands of people. Many people suffer in silence and when they finally cry out for help things are often either ignored or misunderstood. Because social media like Facebook has become so popular it only makes sense that some people would cry out for help through something like Facebook and now Facebook is going to offer a new suicide prevention system to help out.

Facebook, along with the U.S. Surgeon General, is going to allow and encourage users to report any and all suicidal posts so that the person can get the help they need. Facebook hasn’t said exactly how the system is going to work but they have made it clear that every report will be dealt with quickly and abuse of the system will not be tolerated.

The fact that a massive network like Facebook is going to reach out and help with such a serious issue is great news. Suicide prevention is often possible if just one person intervenes and now that Facebook is making that possible many experts hope there will be a noticeable impact. Facebook is hoping to get the system operational as soon as possible although they have not yet said when that will be. Facebook will likely make an official announcement once the system is in place and ready to go.

Google has been waiting for approval on their attempted buyout of Motorola’s mobile division for a few months now and today we have received word that it has officially been approved. This is absolutely great news because it will likely bring all sorts of technical advancements to the industry and many analysts feel it will even help cut the price down in many ways.

This merger is going to be huge for the industry given the fact that it involves two of the largest companies in their respective markets. Google and Motorola Mobile have been working together on Android devices for quite some time so it only makes sense that they would merge into a single company at some point. Obviously we don’t know when the merger will be finalized or when Motorola Mobile and Google will begin working together but it is great news that they have in fact received the official approval.

Google has publicly announced how happy they are that the merger was approved, and depending on how things work out this may also benefit other major companies producing Android phone as well as Motorola. Keep an eye out for Google’s big plans in the future as it will likely affect the consumer market in a major way and if things go how Google wants it will bring all sorts of great news to consumers all around the world. Analysts are hopeful that Google and Motorola will begin working together as soon as possible now that it has been approved.

India Has Polio Free Year

Polio is one of the world’s most dreaded diseases and in the past it has been a big deal in developing countries like India for quite some time but today we got some good news regarding the disease. India has officially gone one full year without and recorded or suspected cases of Polio which is absolutely great news for the dozens of organizations working to wipe out the disease.

Of course doctors in the area say that the fight is not over, continued immunization is required as the disease is far from eradicated but for now they’re definitely happy to see the significant decline in the number of new cases. Children in particular are much more at risk for contracting polio which is why much of the humanitarian efforts were focused on children and it definitely seems like it has worked as the number of cases is down to the record low of 0 reported cases.

Doctors and medical professionals alike are still working to develop new vaccines and cures for polio despite the significant decline in cases just in case a future flare up would happen. For now though it is great news to see that yet another major developing country has managed to win the fight against polio, this clearly means that other major diseases are likely to be dealt with in the near future as long as the development continues for the next few years.

For the past week congressional leaders have been arguing nearly constantly about what to do with the expiration of the payroll tax cut. A deal was originally struck, then rejected later, but it seems now that Congress has yet again struck a deal and this time it is going to happen for sure.

This is great news for working Americans as it will definitely help them early in 2012; had Congress not reached a decision on extending the tax cut Americans would have spent on aver $2000 more on taxes simply because the tax break ended. This obviously upset millions of people and after a week of constant attention Congress reached a deal that should please everyone while also making sure that Americans are not forced to pay more in income taxes.

Assuming things go as planned the tax break extension will officially be signed into action tomorrow, making it one of the fastest provisions passed recently. The new extension is very similar to the original deal reached, though congressional members say that there are a few key differences. Either way Americans are simply happy to hear that come 2012 they will still have all of the money in their pockets rather than being forced to pay a significant amount more in taxes. This is great news for everyone and the timing could not be better as Congress has given the entire country an amazing Christmas present this year.