No Needle Prick: Laser-Based Test Hunts Stray Melanoma Cells in Blood

WEDNESDAY, June 12, 2019 -- Monitoring a melanoma patient's progress is challenging. But a laser-based test might allow doctors to quickly screen the patient's blood to spot tumor cells roaming the body, a preliminary study suggests.

Those cells, known as circulating tumor cells, are "shed" from the original cancer site into the blood vessels or lymph system. They are considered a potential red flag. They could be a sign that a current treatment is not working, or that the cancer is more likely to spread to distant sites in the body.

Young, and Learning Too Late That Sun Safety Matters

TUESDAY, May 14, 2019 -- The pain Sara Langill felt in her right hip didn't concern her much, until she felt a lump as she massaged tendons near her hip flexors following a soccer game.

"I felt this thing that felt like a rubbery grape," recalls Langill, 33. Thinking it might be a hernia, she went to the doctor.

Are DIY Sunscreens Dangerous?

TUESDAY, May 21, 2019 -- Interest in homemade sunscreens is hot, but many of these do-it-yourself brews lack effective sun protection, a new study warns.

Researchers found that only about one-third of homemade sunscreens on the popular information-sharing website Pinterest specified how much sun protection factor (SPF) each "natural" sunblock contained. In some cases, SPF content dipped as low as 2 -- far below recommended guidelines for preventing premature aging and skin cancer.

Lyme Disease Now a Threat in City Parks

WEDNESDAY, May 15, 2019 -- As deer populations have exploded across America, moving from forests to suburbs to urban parks, they have brought the threat of Lyme disease to millions of city dwellers, a new study finds.

In fact, the deer tick that spreads Lyme disease is as prevalent in many New York City parks as it is in areas known to be endemic for the bacterial disease, such as Connecticut and other states in the Northeast.

Sunscreen Chemicals Enter Bloodstream at Potentially Unsafe Levels: Study

MONDAY, May 6, 2019 -- For years, you've been urged to slather on sunscreen before venturing outdoors. But new U.S. Food and Drug Administration data reveals chemicals in sunscreens are absorbed into the human body at levels high enough to raise concerns about potentially toxic effects.

Bloodstream levels of four sunscreen chemicals increased dramatically after test subjects applied spray, lotion and cream for four days as directed on the label, according to the report.

How to Avoid Skin Problems When You Garden

MONDAY, April 22, 2019 -- As you dig into gardening this spring, be sure you don't plant the seeds of skin problems, an expert advises.

"Adverse skin reactions from gardening are very common and may include bug bites and stings, plant-induced rashes, and cuts and infections," said Dr. Sonya Kenkare, a dermatologist in Evergreen Park, Ill.