Radiotherapy in childhood cancer patients raises their risk of diabetes - IN60

From France - Childhood cancer survivors who undergo radiotherapy may be at raised risk of diabetes, according to a report published in the Lancet Oncology. Researchers reviewed data on over 2500 childhood cancer patients who had survived at least 20 years following treatment. They found that patients were much more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes later in life if they received radiotherapy, particularly if they received a high dose to the tail of their pancreas. From the Netherlands - Research published in PLoS ONE finds that many medications prescribed for the elderly are inappropriate. Results of a meta-analysis found that the median rate of inappropriate medication prescriptions in the elderly was 21%. From the UK - Having a wide network of friends improves mental wellbeing in midlife adults, according to a report published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Studying more than 6500 individuals over the age of 40, researchers found that those with more than 10 regular contacts had improved psychological wellbeing when compared to those with smaller networks of friends.