Men with prostate cancer caused by a fault in the BRCA2 gene face more than double the normal risk of death from the disease, says a study in the British Journal of Cancer (June 25). The University of Toronto study says that new therapies are needed to target this gene-precipitated cancer. The BRCA2 gene is also linked to a significantly increased risk of breast cancer in women.

People who play contact team sports such as rugby and American football face a raised risk of contracting antibiotic-resistant infections such as MRSA, reports the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (June). Physical contact, shared facilities and poor hygiene all contribute to a raised MRSA risk among athletes, says the University of Cincinnati report, which adds that five members of one English rugby team have contracted drug-resistant skin infections.

Subtle but clinically detectable neurological abnormalities such as reduced reflexes and unstable posture may indicate a higher risk of death or stroke in otherwise healthy adults, report Florence University investigators in the Archives of Internal Medicine (June 23). The study of more than 500 people over four years found that those with at least one subtle abnormality were at higher risk of depression and declining cognitive and physical status.

Giving cancer patients interleukin-7 (IL-7) can significantly boost their immune systems, says a report in The Journal of Experimental Medicine (June 23) by researchers at America's National Cancer Institute. IL-7, a protein, appears to help the human immune system to recover from chemotherapy, as well as from drug therapy for HIV.

Is patient data being abused?

Evidence suggests that NHS trusts around the country are letting staff off the hook for breaking data privacy rules

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Children with lower IQs are more likely to develop vascular dementia decades later, says a study of 173 Scottish sufferers in Neurology Online (June 25). Vascular dementia occurs when bloodflow to the brain is impaired. It is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer's. The study found that people with vascular dementia were 40 per cent more likely to have low IQ test scores as children. This link was not seen in those with Alzheimer's.

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