News

A new MRI breast screening trial aims to find cancers missed by mammograms in women with average breast density. The Fast MRI Dyamond study will involve around 1,000 women aged 50 to 52 at six NHS sites, including Cheltenham, Swindon and Truro. The scans, which take around three minutes, will test whether the method can [...]

The US Food and Drug Administration has delayed its decision on Bayer’s non-hormonal menopause treatment elinzanetant by up to three months. The agency said it needed more time to complete its review but raised no concerns about the safety or effectiveness of the drug, which is designed to treat moderate to severe hot flushes. Elinzanetant, [...]

An NHS England report has identified significant concerns about the safety and quality of maternity care at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The findings, published after a visit in March, included 101 recommendations to improve the quality of care and ensure the wellbeing of mothers and babies. Key issues involved staffing problems, a “challenging” culture, [...]

Reusable menstrual cups have been tested in outer space to assess their safety and effectiveness for managing menstrual health during long-term astronaut missions. As part of the AstroCup Project, Lunette launched two menstrual cups aboard a suborbital rocket to test their performance in zero gravity. The cups did not leak, break, or become contaminated. Made [...]

Lobular breast cancer affects 15 per cent of patients but rarely forms lumps, meaning symptoms are often missed or misdiagnosed until later stages, experts have warned. Also known as invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), the disease begins in the lobules—the milk-producing glands—and spreads in a spider’s web pattern. This growth makes it difficult to detect through [...]

China is introducing annual childcare subsidies of 3,600 yuan (US$500) per child under three, as it seeks to counter a continuing drop in birth rates. The national programme, launched this week, is expected to benefit more than 20 million families with toddlers and infants. It will be funded by the central government, with partial support [...]

FT World explores the latest business developments in the world of women’s health. Digital hub to support modern parents Baby Dove has launched Nested, a new digital hub created in partnership with Peanut, the leading community app for mothers. Informed by the rising "nesting" trend, where expecting mothers prepare a safe, comforting space before baby, [...]

Nearly 40 per cent of perimenopausal women in a new study had untreated and potentially debilitating vasomotor symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats. This first-of-its-kind study explored how symptoms differ across the menopause transition and which best define the onset of perimenopause – the phase before full menopause. It found that moderate to [...]

Singer Ella Henderson says it took years of symptoms and repeated GP visits before she was finally diagnosed with endometriosis earlier this year. The 29-year-old former X Factor contestant was diagnosed in January after undergoing a laparoscopy – a form of keyhole surgery – which revealed severe endometriosis behind her uterus, along with scar tissue [...]

A new ovarian cancer drug has been approved in the UK for patients whose tumours no longer respond to platinum-based chemotherapy. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved mirvetuximab soravtansine—sold as Elahere—for certain types of ovarian, fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancers. The treatment is for adults whose cancer cells are positive [...]