Health Report - Separate stories podcast

A new Australian review finds vapes with nicotine are likely to cause lung and oral cancers.Treatment pathways for peanut allergy in kids and their cost-effectiveness.And concerning declines in vaccine coverage in Australia, still markedly below pre-pandemic benchmarks.ReferencesThe carcinogenicity of e-cigarettes: a qualitative risk assessmentCost-Effectiveness of Oral Immunotherapy Treatments vs No Treatment for Peanut Allergy in ChildrenAnnual Immunisation Coverage Report 2025Vaping likely to cause cancer, new Australian review of evidence finds (ABC News)

Professor Patrick Reading, director of the WHO Collaborating Centre at the Doherty Institute and influenza expert. He explains original antigenic sin and how past immune memory shapes vaccine responses. He outlines 2026 vaccine strain changes and which variants have dominated recent seasons. He also compares injectable, enhanced elderly, and nasal live attenuated vaccine options.

Could a saline nasal spray stop kids with sleep apnoea from having unnecessary surgery?It’s low-cost and simple to try – so how often does it work and who should be using it?GuestAdjunct Clinical Professor Gillian Nixon, Paediatric Sleep and Respiratory Specialist, Monash Children’s Hospital. ReferencesIntranasal Treatments for Children With Sleep-Disordered Breathing: The MIST+ Randomized Clinical Trial

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is an enlargement of the prostate that can cause urinary problems - feeling like you need to pee often, waking up to go to the toilet in the night or weak flow.Traditionally it's been treated with surgery, but a suite of studies over almost a decade finds a treatment called 'prostate artery embolisation' can achieve comparable outcomes and fewer side effects.GuestNick Brown, Associate Professor at the University of Queensland; Clinical Director of Radiology with I-MED at Wesley Hospital; Interventional RadiologistReferencesProstate artery Embolisation Assessment of Safety and feasibilitY (P-EASY): a potential alternative to long-term medical therapy for benign prostate hyperplasiaThe ‘Prostate Embolisation AS first-line therapY compAred to meDication in treatment naïVe men with prostAte eNlargement, a randomised ControllEd trial’ (P-EASY ADVANCE): a randomised controlled trial of prostate embolisation vs medication for BPHProstate artery EmbolisAtion Safety and efficacY: Preliminary and foLlow-Up urodynamic Studies (P-EASY PLUS)

Listeners' letters spark a discussion about whether iodised salt is still needed for children's iodine. They explore common iodine sources like bread, fish, shellfish and processed foods. Regional iodine gaps and when to check with a GP are mentioned. The segment also shares listener feedback, international greetings and light closing banter.

3D printing is becoming an incredibly versatile modern tool — there’s scope in engineering, manufacturing, architecture and design — and very much in several aspects of health care.Today we tour the Herston Biofabrication Institute, part of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, where clinicians, academics, and industry work together in a state of the art facility.This story is one from our archives. It was first broadcast on 2 October 2023.GuestsMathilde Desselle, Biomedical Engineer, General Manager, Herston Biofabrication Institute, Metro North, Queensland Dr Martin Batstone, Director, Maxillofacial Unit, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Dr Tanya Kairn, Director, Medical Physics for Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital Dr Jason Brown, Director, Queensland Adult Statewide Burn Service

Kylie and Gillian had been friends for years when Kylie had a stroke in her early 30s. It turned Kylie's work-driven life upside down, and forced her and husband Chris to re-evaluate everything. Just 12 months after the stroke they decided to have children, and were soon navigating stroke recovery with raising Beren and Corey.  In episode one of A Stroke of Luck, we hear from Kylie and her family about the experience.This story is one from our archives. It was first broadcast on 30 January 2025.You can hear all of the episodes from the 'A Stroke of Luck' series on the Health Report website.

A possible new tool to help quit smoking - psilocybin, the active component of magic mushrooms. But there are plenty of caveats.Significant differences between women and men after a diagnosis of cancer - both in their risk of death and adverse outcomes.And an update on a story from Health Report producer Shelby Traynor last year - about Paul and a pioneering cancer treatment for his dog Rosie with the help of artificial intelligence.ReferencesPsilocybin or Nicotine Patch for Smoking CessationSex-based prognosis in industry-sponsored advanced solid tumour trials: an individual participant data meta-analysis of survival and adverse eventsThanks to AI, Paul can see the culprit of his dog's cancerMeet the man who designed a cancer vaccine for his dog

Could diets high in ultra-processed food for kids be increasing their risk of anxiety, aggression and hyperactivity? Researchers in Canada have been investigating that question.GuestDr Kozeta Miliku, Assistant Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto.  ReferencesUltraprocessed Food Consumption and Behavioral Outcomes in Canadian ChildrenMultilevel predictors of ultra-processed food intake in Canadian preschoolers

The spotlight in women's health is often on conditions like endometriosis, menopause and perimenopause.But a new study finds that the top issues for women might include some very different areas.GuestDr Sara Holton, Senior Research Fellow, Monash UniversityReferences‘Women deserve better’: a national mixed-methods exploration of the ‘silent’ health conditions and social issues affecting women and girls in Australia