&*$# Health News Links

An inexpensive diabetes medication may hold a key to curing breast cancer:

"Scientists have developed a new test that identifies patients who could benefit from the cheap treatment. They found that the people whose cancer cells “fed” off high-energy compounds were more likely to see their tumours spread or to die ... If cancer cells are consuming high-energy food, this makes a tumour more aggressive and harder to treat. However, patients could benefit from metformin, which cuts off this fuel supply."

Turns out, the Metformin effectively cuts off the cancer's "food supply," literally starving it to death.

Until that protocol's approved here, though, there's another low-tech ameliorative available:

"Scientists from Keele University found that letting forth a volley of foul language can have a powerful painkilling effect, especially for people who do not normally use expletives ... The team believes the pain-lessening effect occurs because swearing triggers the ''fight or flight'' response."

And you don't even need a danged prescription!