Kelsey Matichuk, RMT

03/12/2026

The number of cancer deaths worldwide has more than doubled since the 1980s. Does that mean we're losing the fight against cancer? Not necessarily, because it depends on how you measure it. On this chart, you can see three ways to look at the same data.

The red line shows the total number of cancer deaths. It has increased by about 120%, but this measure doesn't account for the fact that the world's population has also grown enormously over this period.

Another approach is to look at the death rate: the number of cancer deaths divided by the total population. That's the brown line, called the crude cancer death rate. It has increased too, but much less — around 20%.

But there's still a problem: the world's population has been getting older. Cancer is mostly a disease of old age, so even per capita, we'd expect more cancer deaths simply because there are more older people than before.

That's where the method of “age standardization” comes in. It's a way of asking: what would the cancer death rate look like if the age structure of the population hadn't changed?

The blue line shows this age-standardized rate: it's fallen by about 25%. At any given age, people are now less likely to die of cancer than they were in the 1980s.

The same underlying data gives us three different pictures. The absolute number of deaths is up; the crude rate is up slightly; the age-standardized rate is down. None of these are inaccurate, but they answer different questions.

Age standardization is one of the most important statistical methods for making sense of health data. Without it, population aging can hide progress or mask problems.

03/11/2026

For the 750 million people who hear a relentless ringing, buzzing, or hissing sound that no one else can hear, there has never been a genuine cure — until now. Northwestern University researchers developed a bimodal neuromodulation device that delivers precisely timed electrical impulses to the tongue and auditory nerve simultaneously, retraining the brain's auditory cortex to stop generating the phantom sound. After 12 weeks of daily use, a majority of participants reported significant and lasting relief. 👂

Tinnitus is not a problem in the ear — it is a problem in the brain. After hearing damage, the auditory cortex becomes hyperactive, firing spontaneously and generating sounds that have no external source. The Northwestern device exploits a neurological principle called spike-timing-dependent plasticity: by delivering two simultaneous sensory signals at precise timing intervals, it forces the overactive auditory neurons to recalibrate and dampen their abnormal firing patterns.

This breakthrough matters enormously for quality of life. Tinnitus is the leading cause of disability among military veterans, affects 15% of adults globally, and has strong links to sleep disorders, depression, and cognitive decline. Current "treatments" — white noise machines, counseling, hearing aids — manage symptoms at best. This is the first therapy that appears to address the neurological root cause directly. 🔬

The device, called Lenire, is already FDA-cleared and commercially available in the US following the Northwestern trials. For millions, a silent night is now medically achievable for the first time in years.

Source: Northwestern University, Nature Reviews Neurology, 2023

03/08/2026

03/07/2026

This Week In Science (March 1–7) 🧪

The bonus benefits of Ozempic, a uniquely universal vaccine, the secrets of 'superagers', and much more!

Links to the full articles 📖
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Ozempic https://buff.ly/cSs3eJi
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Vaccine https://buff.ly/ZqJFM5L
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Superagers https://buff.ly/70u13x8

03/06/2026

03/05/2026

A prospective single-cohort study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2023) investigated the efficacy of oral N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in women with endometriosis. The study included 120 patients aged 18–45 years who received NAC 600 mg three times daily for three consecutive days per week over a three-month period. Results showed significant improvements in endometriosis-related pain symptoms, including dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and chronic pelvic pain, as measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores. The use of NSAIDs significantly decreased, and there was a meaningful reduction in the average size of ovarian endometriomas as well as serum Ca125 levels, suggesting reduced inflammatory activity.

Additionally, among the 52 women who expressed a desire for pregnancy, 39 achieved spontaneous conception within six months of initiating NAC therapy, and 6 conceived through assisted reproductive techniques. These findings indicate that NAC’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may contribute to improved fertility outcomes, possibly by enhancing oocyte quality and reducing oxidative stress. Overall, the study suggests that NAC may serve as a safe and effective non-hormonal therapeutic option for managing pain, reducing lesion size, lowering Ca125 levels, and supporting fertility in women with endometriosis.

PMCID: PMC10048621 PMID: 36981595

03/01/2026

Epigenetics researchers at the Institut Pasteur in Paris and INSERM have completed the most definitive human study of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance ever conducted — following three generations of Holocaust survivor families, Cambodian genocide survivor families, and control populations across 25 years — finding specific, reproducible methylation changes in stress-response genes (particularly the FKBP5 and NR3C1 glucocorticoid receptor genes) that are present in trauma survivors, transmitted to their biological children, and detectable in grandchildren who never experienced trauma themselves. Emotional pain leaves molecular scars. Those scars are heritable. 🧬
The mechanism — once considered impossible in mammals because the genetic dogma held that acquired characteristics cannot be inherited — operates through the germline epigenome. During the formation of s***m and eggs, the genome undergoes near-complete epigenetic reprogramming to remove parental marks. "Near-complete" is the operative word. Certain loci, including stress-response gene promoters, resist this reprogramming when the parent's stress exposure has been sufficiently severe and prolonged, maintaining their trauma-induced methylation patterns through the reprogramming process and passing them to the offspring's genome. The trauma experience writes itself into the reproductive cells.
The clinical implications are profound and already actionable. Children and grandchildren of trauma survivors show elevated baseline cortisol levels, altered HPA axis responsiveness, and increased risk of PTSD, anxiety, and depression — not because of how they were raised, but because of how their grandparents suffered. Understanding this mechanism means targeted epigenetic therapies could potentially reverse inherited stress marks, liberating future generations from trauma they never personally experienced.
The Pasteur team is now working with EMDR and methylation-targeting drug combinations. This is no longer metaphor — the inheritance of trauma is molecular, measurable, and potentially reversible.
Source: Institut Pasteur Paris / INSERM, Nature Reviews Genetics 2025

02/28/2026

Scientists finally have a regenerative alternative to surgery for chronic neck and back pain sufferers.

And it’s a gel.

Medical science is pivoting from merely managing chronic spinal pain to actively reversing it through the use of advanced, injectable hydrogels. These biocompatible materials are designed to mimic the nucleus pulposus—the gel-like center of spinal discs—providing immediate mechanical support and restoring lost disc height. Delivered through a minimally invasive needle, the hydrogel fills structural gaps and re-establishes a healthy microenvironment within the spine. This approach represents a significant shift from traditional treatments, as it addresses the physical decay of the disc rather than just masking the resulting symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD).

Beyond providing structural stability, these hydrogels serve as high-tech scaffolds that deliver stem cells and growth factors directly to the site of injury. By inhibiting inflammatory enzymes and stimulating natural cellular repair, the treatment encourages the body to regenerate damaged tissue from within. Early clinical research indicates that patients experience substantial pain relief and improved mobility following the procedure.

By restoring hydration and biological function to the spine, hydrogel therapy offers a promising path toward long-term recovery, potentially eliminating the need for more invasive spinal fusion surgeries.

source: Li, Z., Mao, H., & Wang, J. Injectable Hydrogels for Intervertebral Disc Regeneration: A Review of Current Materials and Strategies. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A.