Siddhartha Mukherjee: ‘A positive attitude does not cure cancer, any more than a negative one causes it’

How, exactly, do you go about writing a prize-winning book about cancer? Siddhartha Mukherjee, who has just won the Guardian First Book award for The Emperor of All Maladies, explains

Heavy drinking in pregnancy can alter unborn babies’ brains, study shows

People born to alcoholic mothers at risk of problems ranging from poor brain development to loss of hearing and vision

Insomnia: Britons’ health ‘at risk’ as 50% fail to get enough sleep

NHS must take action or face an increase in a raft of illnesses, including diabetes and depression, warns expert

Multiple gene test allows more targeted treatment of cancer

SNaPshot test looks for mutations in key genes of patients with cancer so they can be given the most effective drugs

Resveratrol pills may mimic effects of exercise and low-calorie diet

A small study suggests the grape extract resveratrol has similar metabolic effects to exercise and calorie restriction

Yoga may work better for lower back pain than conventional treatments

Patients with lower back pain who did yoga showed bigger improvements in their ability to perform everyday physical tasks

Sugar-free drinks and chewing gum may cause damage to teeth

British Dental Journal paper finds products contain acidic additives that can lead to the erosion of tooth enamel

Breastfed babies are smarter and get a better chance in life

Encouraging disadvantaged mothers to breastfeed should be a key part of the government's plan for improving social mobility

Music for surgery

Surgeons who listen to music while they work are more relaxed and better at their jobs, according to a new survey. But which is best – Beethoven, the Black Eyed Peas or Black Sabbath?

First trial of embryonic stem cell treatment in Europe gets green light

Patients in Britain with an eye disease that leads to blindness will take part in Europe's first human embryonic stem cell trial