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Ketamine and many other psychoactive substances can't be detected by most standard drug screens, so it's unclear how often they play a role in sexual assault. D-Keine/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Ketamine’s role in alleged Cornell rape highlights flood of psychoactive drugs on campus

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Former Cornell student Jane Doe, who filed a civil lawsuit in September 2026 alleging that seven fraternity members raped her at a party, said the young men who assaulted her pressured her into taking the drug ketamine.

As an emergency room physician, medical toxicologist and the head of student health services at the University of ...Read more

Jackie Fortiér/KFF Health News/TNS

California's billionaire tax promises healthcare relief. The fine print is murkier

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The pitch behind California’s billionaire tax proposal is simple: Tax the richest residents in the nation’s wealthiest state to offset steep federal cuts to healthcare, food assistance, and education.

But if approved by voters in November, it’s unclear how much money the ballot initiative would raise, how quickly the funding would become ...Read more

Rob Bouwman/Dreamstime/TNS

Mayo Clinic Q&A: What should you know after a blood cancer diagnosis?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My spouse was recently diagnosed with a blood cancer, and we're overwhelmed by everything we're being told. What should patients and families expect after a diagnosis, and how do doctors determine the right treatment?

ANSWER: A blood cancer diagnosis can bring a lot of information and uncertainty all at once. In the first days...Read more

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Mayo Clinic Q&A: What are the treatment options for brain metastases?

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DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My doctor told me my cancer has spread to my brain. What treatments are available, and what should I expect next?

ANSWER: Brain metastases, sometimes called "brain mets," occur when cancer that began elsewhere in the body spreads to the brain.

Treatment may include surgery, focused radiation, whole-brain radiation, medicines ...Read more

Prior to effective treatments, it was difficult for children with cystic fibrosis to live full lives. Chris Carlson/AP Photo

Cystic fibrosis patients got their ‘miracle drug’ thanks to federal research funding – new Trump administration rules may cut future miracles short

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The hardest disease to care for when I was training as a pediatrician in the late 1970s was cystic fibrosis, a disease in which abnormally thick mucus secretions block the lungs’ airways and make it progressively harder to breathe.

Back then, there was no treatment for the disease itself. All we had was physical therapy to clear ...Read more

Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

CDC sends a 'disease detective' to Pennsylvania as measles cases top 1,200

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PHILADELPHIA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will send a “disease detective” to Pennsylvania this week to help address an ongoing measles outbreak that has now sickened more than 1,200 people across the state, an HHS official said.

The state requested the assistance of the CDC’s Epi-Aid program, part of the Epidemic ...Read more

Headlice have a high ick factor, but thankfully but these insects aren't dangerous and don't spread disease.  Catherine DELAHAYE/Photononstop via Getty Images

I’m a pediatrician and a mom - here’s how to treat lice without stigma

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Four words that parents in the classroom group chat dread to read: ‘My kid has lice.’

Head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) are parasites that primarily infest children in childcare, preschool or elementary school. Having lice doesn’t indicate poor hygiene, despite a longstanding misconception driven by stigma, and lice don’t ...Read more

Pope Leo XIV had his lung nodule surgically removed. AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard

Pope Leo XIV’s lung cancer highlights growing number of nonsmokers diagnosed with the disease – and younger people too

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

When many people think of an average lung cancer patient, they often imagine an older man smoking. But the face of lung cancer has changed. Over the past 15 years, more women, never smokers and younger people are being diagnosed with lung cancer.

In fact, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women, and more women die...Read more

Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/TNS

No family history? Under 40? Why common breast cancer myths put you at risk

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Having no family history does not mean that someone can’t still get breast cancer, nor does having a double mastectomy.

While widespread awareness of breast cancer has helped save lives, persistent myths about the disease continue to cause dangerous delays in screening, treatment and follow-up. From misjudging age-...Read more

10 things you should know about Medicare Part D plans (Part 2)

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Enrolling in Medicare Part D isn’t a “one-and-done” decision. Leaving your plan on autopilot during open enrollment (Oct. 15-Dec. 7) could cost you hundreds in unexpected premiums and out-of-pocket fees. A different plan might offer a much better deal — especially if you’ve started new medications or your current drugs have ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: Raisin’ the bar

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Raisins are the most popular dried fruit in the U.S., beloved as a naturally sweet treat that’s also rich in important nutrients.

The folklore

Grapes have been dried into the tiny wrinkled gems we call raisins as early as 2,000 B.C. Raisins were not only revered as a delicious food, they were used as decor at feasts and religious ceremonies,...Read more

What medications should you stop before a dental procedure?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Q: I have a major dental procedure coming up. Do I need to stop taking any of my medications?

A: That’s an answer only your healthcare team can provide, and it depends on several factors, including the type of dental work you’re having and the specific drugs (and supplements) you take. But you’re not alone in wondering.

Many people find ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: How does diabetes affect your eyes?

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DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I know that diabetes can take a real toll on your body, but I didn’t know that it includes your eyes. How are they affected by this disease?

ANSWER: While eye care and regular eye exams are important for everyone, they’re particularly vital for people with diabetes.

Diabetes is a prevalent condition worldwide, affecting ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Minute: Early screening and treatment advances improve prostate cancer outcomes

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, and finding it early can expand treatment options, including highly precise radiation that targets the tumor while protecting nearby tissue.

Screening for prostate cancer can start with a blood test. A prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test measures a protein produced by the prostate. ...Read more

Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Barry Manilow walks off stage after 2 songs, cancels weekend shows because of health issues

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LOS ANGELES — As swiftly as Barry Manilow returned to the stage following a health-related hiatus, he has stepped away.

On Friday, Manilow cut his concert short just two songs after it began. The 83-year-old crooner abruptly told the crowd to talk among themselves as he walked off stage, according to concertgoers who detailed the incident on ...Read more

Though the labels on sexual enhancement products are pretty explicit, they leave a lot of important ingredients off the label. Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images

That brightly packaged sexual enhancement pill at the gas station might be laced with dangerous drugs

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Brightly colored packaging, promises of better sexual performance and names like “Rhino,” “Anaconda” and “Magnum” make sexual enhancement products difficult to miss. They can be found online, in convenience stores and at gas stations, and some can even be ordered through delivery services.

But what’s inside the package ...Read more

Cigarette combustion generates a toxic mixture of substances, many of which cause cancer.
              Darya Komarova/Moment via Getty Images

Nicotine pouches, vaping or cigarettes: Which nicotine product is actually the least harmful?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

“Do you smoke cigarettes?” I asked my patient succinctly in a recent clinic appointment.

He matter-of-factly responded, “Not anymore, I use Zyn pouches now.”

As with any patient, I gauged his readiness – or reluctance, in some instances – to disrupt his use of nicotine.

I asked about his interest in trying ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Mayo Clinic Minute: Seeing glioblastoma more clearly could improve how it's treated

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

What doctors can't see can make glioblastoma especially difficult to treat.

This aggressive brain cancer can extend beyond what's visible on a standard MRI, making it difficult to precisely target treatment. Just 5% to 7% of patients survive five years after diagnosis.

Mayo Clinic researchers are studying advanced imaging techniques designed ...Read more

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News analysis: 'Medicare for All' is back. Now comes the hard part

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

As Americans grow increasingly frustrated with their healthcare system, a proposal that has long been kicked around on the Democratic periphery is showing up in debates and on political platforms: “Medicare for All.”

According to a 2025 Economist-YouGov poll, nearly 60% of Americans favor a system of Medicare for All, while 85% of Democrats...Read more

Maria Fabrizio/WPLN/KFF Health News/TNS

Before saying yes to the medical test, know the risks and benefits

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

When Lori Baute first learned about precautionary full-body MRI scans, she dismissed the idea.

“ I heard Kim Kardashian got one, and some other wealthy people,” Baute said. But at 59, she was worried about her long-term health. She has a family history of cancer, and she’s a critical caregiver for her aging mom and her adult brother ...Read more