Using marijuana does not reduce chances of getting pregnant

Marijuana use by either men or women does not lower chances of getting pregnant, according to a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researchers. Marijuana is one of the most widely used recreational drugs among individuals of reproductive age. Previous studies have examined the effects of marijuana use on reproductive hormones and semen quality, with conflicting results.

In Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO), a web-based prospective cohort study of North American couples, the researchers surveyed 4,194 women aged 21 to 45 living in the United States or Canada. The study specifically targeted women in stable relationships who were not using contraception or fertility treatment.

 Female participants were given the option to invite their male partners to participate; 1,125 of their male partners enrolled. The researchers found that during the period from 2013 through 2017, approximately 12 percent of female participants and 14 percent of male participants reported marijuana use in the two months before completing the baseline survey.

 After 12 cycles of follow-up, conception probabilities were similar among couples that used marijuana and those that did not. The researchers stressed that questions about the effects of marijuana use remain. Classifying people correctly according to the amount of marijuana used, especially when relying on self-reported data is challenging.
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Drug for breast cancer gene

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved drug  for treating metastatic breast cancers linked to the BRCA gene mutation. These mutated genes, called BRCA1 and BRCA2, first came to prominence in five years ago. According to FDA, expanding approval of Lynparza (olaparib) to include use against BRCA-linked tumors that have spread beyond the breast. Lynparza is one of a group of powerful new cancer drugs known as PARP inhibitors, and it's the first such drug to be approved for use against breast cancer.

 This approval demonstrates the current paradigm of developing drugs that target the underlying genetic causes of a cancer, often across cancer types. BRCA mutations are involved in up to one in every four breast cancers that are thought to have a hereditary component. These aberrant genes are also implicated in between 5 and 10 percent of non-hereditary breast tumors. When it's functioning properly, BRCA actually helps repair damaged cellular DNA and prevent tumors, but when BRCA1 and BRCA2 go awry they instead encourage breast cancers.

PARP inhibitor medicines such as Lynparza appear to interfere with the function of mutated BRCA with breast cells, causing them to die rather replicate-slowing tumor growth. The safety and effectiveness of Lynparza for women with advanced BRCA-linked breast cancers was established after a trial on patients. The trial measured the length of time the tumors did not have significant growth after treatment. The median progression-free survival for patients taking Lynparza was 7 months compared to 4.2months for patients taking chemotherapy only.

Common side effects of Lynparza include anemia, low white blood cell counts, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, headache, joint pain, increased susceptibility to colds and other respiratory tract infections, and other effects. Because Lynparza can harm a developing fetus, women are advised to use contraception while on the drug. Women should also not breast-feed while using Lynparza.
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