Roundup of the Day's Health News

Aug. 29 -- In the medical file today:

Weekend End

A Canadian study finds that seriously ill patients who went to the hospital on a weekend were more likely to die than people who went during the week. This is because fewer doctors, and less experienced ones, work weekends. Read more.

Seizing Mutation

Scientists at the University of Utah say they've isolated the gene mutation that causes sudden seizures triggered by certain sounds. In one famous case, a woman had seizures whenever she heard the voice of television host Mary Hart.

Tricky Virus

Scientists report in the journal Nature that they've wiped out cancerous tumors in mice by using the adeno-associated virus, a common virus that apparently tricks the cancer cells into self-destructing. It's too early to know if the approach works in humans. Read more.