Australian Medical Association

MJA release - Australia needs to implement world’s best practice in reducing exposure to cancer-causing agents to reduce the toll of work-related cancers, according to an article published in the February 20 issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.

MJA release - Survival rates for rectal cancer may be lower for people living in areas furthest from critical cancer treatment facilities, according to research published in the latest Medical Journal of Australia.

MJA release - Almost a quarter of resections for colorectal cancer are done laparascopically in Australia, a study in the latest edition of the Medical Journal of Australia shows.

MJA release - Any level of alcohol use is a cause of cancer and there is no evidence that there is a safe threshold of alcohol consumption to avoid cancer, according to Cancer Council Australia’s position statement published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

MJA release - Several cancers with a high burden of disease are not receiving the clinical trial investment they require, according to a study in the Medical Journal of Australia.

MJA release: Men with prostate cancer who are being treated with androgen deprivation therapy are at increased risk of osteoporotic fractures, type 2 diabetes, and possibly, cardiovascular events, a new set of management guidelines states.

MJA release: Survival rates for prostate cancer are poorer for rural men than urban men, according to a study in the Medical Journal of Australia.

MJA release: The introduction of a biennial bowel cancer screening program for Australians aged 50-74 years will prevent between 300 and 500 deaths a year, according to a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

The AMA advises Australians to increase their enjoyment of Christmas and the holiday season this year by making informed choices about their health and avoiding risky behaviour.

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that summer is great for families, friends, festivities, food, fun and outdoor recreation, but it is also a time when people can take unnecessary risks with their health.

MJA media release: Cancer reporting in the media is generally of low quality. However, many of the poorer aspects of the content are directly attributable to the researchers, according to a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Amanda Wilson, Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Newcastle, and co-authors reviewed the content, context and quality of cancer reporting in Australian media from June 2004 to June 2009.

A total of 1323 stories about new treatments and procedures were identified. Of these, 272 were cancer related. Cancer was the primary focus of around 20 per cent of all stories about new drugs and 40 per cent for all stories about diagnostic tests. Most cancer stories identified the source of their information, with the predominant source being the researcher or doctor who had tested or administered the intervention.