Ig Nobel Prizes; more survivors of more cancer; oral antiobesity drugs – Morning Medical Update

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Mammals can breathe through their what?

If you’re a physician, undoubtedly you’ve read (or at least read about) research that seems obvious, pointless, or useless. But sometimes those studies lead to new and creative thinking that in turn can lead to real advances in human knowledge. Check out this report on the Ig Nobel Prizes awarded for discoveries that “first make people laugh, and then make them think,” including in medicine, according to The Guardian.

More cancer, better survival

As medicine advances to the quarter-mark of the 21st century, there’s good news and bad news about cancer. The bad news: More young people are being diagnosed with various forms of the disease. The good news: More people are surviving them. NPR has this report on diagnosis and recovery rates.

Health in a pill

Physicians and patient use injections to administer the new blockbuster antidiabetes and antiobesity drugs. But the industry is moving on putting that pharmaceutical power in a pill. Recently scientists reported the latest findings of a first-in-human study of a novel oral antiobesity medicine. Spoiler alert: It “significantly reduced body weight” compared to placebos. Read by how much here.