Health Buzz: Cancer Death Rates Down and Other Health News

Researchers Find Cancer Deaths Dropping

A new study finds that rates of deaths caused by cancer have been falling for the past three decades, especially in those ages 35 to 45, Reuters reports. Past analyses of death rates, conducted by government researchers, tracked trends in cancer deaths across the entire population, not by individual age groups. Those analyses had suggested that rates were improving only minimally, despite efforts to screen for and prevent many cancers, according to Reuters. While the study, published in Cancer Research, shows the risk of dying from cancer is lessening for all age groups, the lead researcher tells Reuters that cancer deaths among 35-to-45-year-olds have declined at a pace of more than 25 percent per decade.

In May, the American Cancer Society's Cancer Statistics 2009 report showed that cancer death rates among men dropped by 19.2 percent between 1990 and 2005; among women, rates fell by 11.4 percent. Consider whether PSA screening for prostate cancer is worthwhile.

Hamstrung! How to Prevent and Heal Hamstring Injuries

U.S. News's Katherine Hobson finds out what it means to pull a hamstring and why everyone from pro athletes to weekend warriors is susceptible to hamstring injuries.

Baseball, soccer, and football players, track and field athletes, and even water skiers are notably vulnerable to hamstring injuries because of the motions their sports entail. When someone quickly accelerates from standing still to a run, his quadriceps muscle contracts rapidly. If the hamstring can't keep up, it may be strained or torn, says one expert. The severity of the injury depends on the extent of damage to muscle fiber. It can range from tiny tears to a complete rupture, Hobson writes. A "finger test" may be used to judge how bad it is: The athlete lies, face down, on the exam table and attempts to bend his knee and flex his lower leg. If he can't do it at all, it's a severe injury. Read more.

Learn how to protect a teen athlete from getting a sports injury, and find out about these hands-on fixes for sports injuries.

9 Drug-Free Approaches to Managing ADHD

For decades, Ritalin and similar stimulants have reigned over other treatments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD or ADD. The meds are seemingly tried and true, with numerous studies backing their effectiveness. However, the latest results from the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD, the largest investigation of the benefits of medication against behavioral therapy, found that stimulants' effects wane over time.

U.S. News asked experts what treatments besides stimulants may help manage ADHD symptoms. The list includes meditation (one type in particular affects the brain by reducing stress and anxiety) and a therapy known as neurofeedback. Also called EEG biofeedback, this treatment tries to train patients to control brain waves typically associated with focus and attention. Unlike medication, which must be taken for years, neurofeedback is said to work permanently after the training sessions are completed. See the full list.

U.S. News contributor Nancy Shute has written extensively on ADHD and on behavioral therapy interventions used to treat the disorder, which include summer treatment programs and parent training sessions. Learn where to find a summer treatment program in your area.

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