The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) this month became the first U.S. medical center to offer a speedier cancer radiation therapy. The new RapidArc therapy, which is the next-generation of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), can turn a 20-minute radiotherapy session into a 90-second session for selected cancer patients. Additionally, the new therapy saves healthy human tissue from unwanted radiation exposure at rates that are similar to or better than other radiotherapy techniques. Faster radiation delivery times reduce the chances that a slight move will affect the accuracy of the radiotherapy targeting.

A team of doctors, along with the Sense About Science charitable trust, based in the U.K., has said that it does not agree with the way the Do It Yourself (DIY) tests are being targeted at the general public. Previously, U.K. government advisors had warned private firms offering body scans. A study by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (Comare) also said that cancer risks may increase if people expose themselves to radiations through unnecessary scans.