Doctors say they have used a genetically engineered herpes virus to treat successfully patients with head and neck cancer.

A London hospital trial of 17 patients found that use of the virus alongside chemotherapy and radiotherapy helped kill the tumours in most patients.

It works by getting into cancer cells, killing them from the inside, and also boosting the patient's immune system.

Detecting oral cancer in its earliest stages can save the lives of the nearly 40,500 people diagnosed annually. But early detection has been difficult. Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine researchers discovered a biomarker, called human beta defensin-3 (hBD-3), which may serve as an early warning.

Osteonecrosis of the jaw is not just a problem for IV bisphosphonates used in cancer patients but is also emerging as a significant side effect in osteoporosis patients taking oral drugs, surgeons say this month.

An investigation into 470 cases of osteonecrosis of the jaw found that almost 8% occurred in patients using oral bisphosphonate drugs - a higher rate than previously suspected.

Thyroid cancer is on the rise, and even the smallest signs can help prevent it.

Cynthia’s butterfly tattoo has nothing to do with her love of nature. Instead, the butterfly, an international symbol for the body’s thyroid gland, represents my friend’s survival of thyroid cancer.

The avid photographer, who lives in Calgary, didn’t even know where her thyroid was when her doctor told her she had a problem.