Cancer Rising Among Young Americans, Particularly Women
A new study found that gastrointestinal, endocrine, and breast cancers were climbing at the fastest rates. Meanwhile, NBC News reports that price gouging by gray market vendors of chemo drugs amid current supply shortages is hitting some hospitals hard.
The Washington Post:
Cancers Among Younger Americans Are On The Rise, New Study Shows
Most cancers in the United States are found in people age 65 and older, but a new study shows a concerning trend: Cancer among younger Americans, particularly women, is on the rise, with gastrointestinal, endocrine and breast cancers climbing at the fastest rates. A study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open showed that while cancers among older adults have declined, cancers among people younger than 50 have increased slightly overall, with the largest increases among those age 30 to 39. (Bever, 8/16)
In other cancer developments —
NBC News:
Cancer Drug Shortage: Price Gouging Of Chemo Drugs Hits Some Hospitals Hard
NBC News spoke to seven hospitals and cancer clinics in the U.S. that said they are being asked to pay five to 10 times more for vital cancer drugs, putting patients at risk of losing access to the lifesaving treatments if the providers are unable to cover the marked-up cost. The culprits behind the price gouging, they say, are so-called gray market vendors who exploit drug shortages by buying desperately needed medications from distributors or pharmacies and then selling them to hospitals or clinics at inflated prices. ( Lovelace Jr., Klingbaum and Kopf, 8/17)
NBC News:
Being In Good Shape May Reduce Risk Of Nine Types Of Cancer: Study
A new study adds to the large body of evidence that being in good physical shape can dramatically reduce cancer risk. The study, published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that men with high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness in young adulthood had a lower risk of developing nine forms of cancer years later, including in the head and the neck, the lungs, the kidneys and the gastrointestinal system. (Pandey, 8/15)
The Times Of Israel:
Israeli Doctors Treat Hypoglycemia In Lung Cancer With Breast Cancer Drug
A breast cancer drug can be used to treat severe hypoglycemia in patients with lung cancer, a team of physicians at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center together with researchers at the Technion in Haifa has found. Until now, one of the only ways to treat a cancer patient’s precipitous drop in blood sugar levels was for them to undergo continuous glucose infusions. Steroids and other medications have rarely worked in treating the rare condition and they can include unpleasant side effects. (Ghert-Zand, 8/17)
The Guardian:
US Mother Accuses GE And Bayer Of Causing Son’s Cancer
A Massachusetts mother has filed a lawsuit blaming widespread PCB pollution by General Electric (GE), Monsanto and its German owner Bayer, and several other companies for causing her nine-year-old son to develop leukemia and suffer repeated debilitating medical treatments. (Gillam, 8/17)
In celebrity news —
USA Today:
Andy Taylor Of Duran Duran Opens Up About Prostate Cancer Treatment
During a recent interview, former Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor said his cancer treatment, Lutetium-177, will extend his life by five years. (Segarra, 8/14)
