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US Supreme Court rules human genes can’t be patented
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Istanbul warzone: Thousands of protesters try to reclaim Taksim Square
Turkish riot police are driving thousands into narrow side streets, Reuters report citing witnesses, with water cannon vehicles advanced across the square. Struggling to disperse the crowd, riot police water- cannoned a disabled protester who was unable to leave Taksim. Barrage of gas being fired. About one canister every three seconds at the moment. — Simon Johns (@simonwjohns) June 11, 2013 Prior to that, protesters, mocking and calling for police to leave, confronted the forces. Read RT’s live updates on the Turkish protests. Some of protesters are burning colorful flares and fireworks. Fire could be seen in the crowd. Fire can be seen in a few locations across the square with the chaos raging at the cradle of the two-week long anti-government protest. Photo: occupygezipics: Taksim Sq at 8:15 PM, Tuesday. No one knows what (if anything) prompted the police to… tmblr.co/ZHMWksn6Negj — quite contrarian (@QuiteContrarian) June 11, 2013 Earlier Tuesday, police and protesters clashed over a new barrier inside the square. Hundreds of police took over Taksim Square, using tear gas and water cannon to oust the few protesters present there in the morning. The raid allowed the removal of barricades and banners. PM Erdogan praised the troops for removing the ‘rags’ as he’s branded the revolutionary symbols. At least 18 people were injured in Tuesday’s violence, medical officials said, reporting numerous broken bones and several head injuries, AFP reports. Following the crackdown, protesters said they have lost faith in the prospect of dialogue with Erdogan, who hours before said he would meet with protest leaders on Wednesday. Also on Tuesday some 30 to 50 lawyers protesting against the handling of the protest were reportedly detained in front of a courtroom in Istanbul. … Read More
Does breast cancer screening present more risks than benefits?
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An independent investigation into breast cancer screening has been launched by the UK government’s cancer chief, Prof Sir Mike Richards to try to settle the growing controversy around its usefulness and potential harm, writes the Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jun/11/breast-cancer-screening-no-evidence
Prof Richards’ enquiry is a response to the criticism of a number of scientists who say the NHS screening program wrongly identifies cancers that might never harm women, leading to unnecessary and potentially damaging treatment with surgery, drugs and radiation therapy.
Open-letters war
The case started with an open letter from Susan Bewley, professor of complex obstetrics at King’s College London, who had written to Richards with her concerns over routine screening.
She herself had decided not to be screened, even though she had a family history of breast cancer “as the NHS breast screening program was not telling the whole truth”.
“The distress of over-diagnosis and decision-making when finding lesions that might (or might not) be cancer that might (or might not) require mutilating surgery is increasingly being exposed. The oft-repeated statement that ’1,400 lives a year are saved’ has not been subjected to proper scrutiny. Even cancer charities use lower estimates,” she wrote.
In his reply, Richards assured her that he took the current controversy “very seriously” and he listed the evidence that supports screening – including a WHO paper from 2002, which said it reduced deaths in 50- to 69-year-old women by 35%. He said they were seeking independent scientists who had not been involved in the controversy to undertake it and a second independent team was working on an improved screening leaflet that would include both risks and benefits, he said.
“Should the independent review conclude that the balance of harms outweighs the benefits of breast screening, I will have no hesitation in referring the findings to the UK national screening committee and then ministers,” he wrote.
Nordic countries’ screening scepticism
The chief critics of breast cancer screening come from the reputable Cochrane collaboration of scientists, based in Nordic countries. Their studies of the original trials used to support the introduction of screening have been published in leading medical journals including the British Medical Journal.
Most of the large-scale trials of screening were flawed. A well-run major trial in Malmo, Sweden, however, produced results that appeared to show screening saved lives. But in recent years, work by Nordic Cochrane Collaboration authors has disputed the mortality findings. The most recent paper found that many of the early-stage cancers spotted at screening – too small to be detected other than by x-ray – either would not have gone on to cause problems or might even have regressed.
More about: Brest, Cancer, Medical research, Research on cancer
Copyright © 2013 euronews
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Breaking: Multiple victims as gunman opens fire near Santa Monica College, school on lockdown
A “fully armed” suspect has opened fire at cars and a bus in the area, local police said. Witnesses reported hearing at least one shotgun blast and several handgun shots. … Read More
