This week a jury found that a man’s use of Roundup on weeds in his yard was a “substantial factor” in causing the cancer that he developed years later. But court cases are not scientific studies, and scientists are still divided on whether glyphosate should really be considered a carcinogen.

Not that many people get excited about the prospect of having a doctor put a scope up their bum, but consider the alternative: 50,000 people die of colorectal cancer each year. If everyone got screened, that number could be cut in half, says Dr. Jordan Karlitz, an associate professor of gastroenterology at Tulane University and a member of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable.

Tragically, many people do not get screened - some because they lack access to information and healthcare, and others who know they should get screened and have access but are squeamish about anything poop-related, or fearful that it will be painful or embarrassing.

I switched to a new OB-GYN this year, thanks to changes in my Affordable Care Act health insurance plan. When I went for my annual Well Woman check-up, my new doctor told me that manual breast exams - which I had received at every previous OB-GYN appointment - were no longer recommended.

Asbestos, a fireproof, fibrous mineral, was once in all kinds of products: building insulation and tiles, the linings of anything that could be exposed to heat, and even fake snow used as a Christmas decoration. Too bad it's a carcinogen.

Death rates from cancer are down by 27 per cent over the last 25 years, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society. Smoking is a big part of that (lung cancer deaths are way down), and treatments have gotten better over the decades.

We learned recently that Johnson & Johnson, makers of baby powder, knew for years that their talc contained trace amounts of asbestos, and hid that fact from regulators and from people who sued them over cases of cancer. Here’s what you need to know.

Living a healthy lifestyle can help to prevent cancer. (No cancer is completely preventable, though; genetics and bad luck are factors, too.) But which lifestyle factors really matter? The World Cancer Research Fund has a handy graphic to point them out.

I'm so diligent about my sunscreen these days that my skin now, in November, is still the same light beige colour that it was all winter. But if you yearn for that sun-kissed glow, you're probably wondering what is the best way to get a tan - and whether any method is truly safe.

A new study out this week has shoppers wondering whether it’s worth paying more for pesticide-free organic food. The research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, found those who chose more organically grown foods over 4.5 years had slightly lower rates of cancer, and in particular, lymphoma and postmenopausal breast cancer. So is this actually legit?

Ever since his daughter Emma was in primary school, W. Garth Callaghan would jot down inspirational quotes and bits of dad wisdom onto napkins and slip the notes into her lunchbox. It became their special thing, their way to connect. He wanted to make sure Emma could read a note from her father every single school day until graduation — even if he was no longer around to write them.

Cancer is among the leading causes of death in Australia. As far too many of us know, its impact on individuals and communities can be devastating. But how does cancer affect Australia overall? To find out, we mapped cancer rates across the whole country – search for your postcode here.

Sue Matthews' world was shaken when daughter Taylor was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 11. For the next five years, the family of five would be caught in a whirlwind of treatment plans, surgeries, biopsy results and medical terms they couldn't pronounce. Yet while so much was uncertain, Matthews discovered that their day-to-day experience was still in their control.

When you quit smoking, your body begins to function differently. In the short term, your heart rate and blood pressure adjust themselves. As the years go by, your risks for cancer and heart disease get closer to those of non-smokers. This calculator can give you specific dates for when all these things happen if you were to quit right now.

If you spend a lot of time with a notebook in your lap, you've probably worried about the health risks at least once — especially if you can sense that your laptop is running a bit warm near your tender regions.

There's a whole market for aluminium-free deodorants. They're marketed as natural or vaguely better for you. But hold up a sec: why are you avoiding aluminium, which (unlike those natural deodorants) can actually stop you from sweating? It's fine.

Last year, nearly 14,000 Australians were diagnosed with melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. A new tool, designed to predict the risk of developing melanoma, has just been released by the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. It only takes a minute to predict your risk of disease in the next 3.5 years.

A recent study confirmed a link between breast cancer and hormonal birth control (including pills but also the patch, implant and some IUDs). Give yourself two seconds to freak out, then take a deep breath, and let's discuss.

Every now and again, Lifehacker asks a medical professional the health questions that you wish an expert would answer but you can't quite bring yourself to ask. Today's letter writer just wants to take care of their skin health - but one of their moles is in a very private location.

Unless you are sure you have every inch of your face covered in sunscreen right now, sit down. We need to talk.