Study Says 134,000 Cancer Diagnoses Were Missed In Early Covid Months
"There will undoubtedly — and unfortunately — be a subsequent rise in cancer mortality," the authors said. Separately, a survey shows that over half of Americans don't know that drinking increases risks of colon and rectal cancer.
CIDRAP:
Study Estimates 134,000 Missed Cancer Diagnoses In US In 2020
A new large study based on nationwide surveillance data suggests upwards of 134,000 cancer diagnoses were missed in the United States in the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, due to a combination of delayed screening and missed appointments. ... Cancers caught by annual screening were the most missed, with prostate cancer accounting for most potentially missed cases (22 ,950), followed by female breast (16,870) and lung (16,333) cancers, the authors said. (Soucheray, 2/26)
The Hill:
More Than Half Of Americans Don’t Know Drinking Increases Risk Of Colon, Rectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer cases are rising in the U.S., and many Americans don’t know the risk factors. Slightly more than half of Americans—51 percent—did not know that alcohol consumption is a risk factor for colon or rectal cancer, according to a new 1,000-person survey from The Ohio State University. According to the survey, 42 percent of adults did not know lack of exercise may contribute to these types of cancer and 38 and 37 percent did not know obesity and poor diet are also risk factors. Black and Hispanic Americans were less likely to know about the risk factors for colon and rectal cancers than white Americans, according to the survey. (O'Connell-Domenech, 2/26)
On social media and mental health —
The New York Times:
Supreme Court Seems Wary Of State Laws Regulating Social Media Platforms
The Supreme Court seemed skeptical on Monday of laws in Florida and Texas that bar major social media companies from making editorial judgments about which messages to allow. The laws were enacted in an effort to shield conservative voices on the sites, but a decision by the court, expected by June, will almost certainly be its most important statement on the scope of the First Amendment in the internet era, with broad political and economic implications. (Liptak, 2/26)
In other health and wellness news —
The New York Times:
Lead-Tainted Applesauce Sailed Through Gaps in Food-Safety System
Hundreds of pages of documents obtained by The New York Times and the nonprofit health newsroom The Examination, along with interviews with government and company officials in multiple countries, show that in the weeks and months before the recall, the tainted applesauce sailed through a series of checkpoints in a food-safety system meant to protect American consumers. (Jewett and Fitzgibbon, 2/27)
Bloomberg:
Covid Made Heart Disease Deadlier, Puzzling Scientists
Almost three weeks before Covid-19 was reported to be spreading in the US, Patricia Cabello Dowd dropped dead in the kitchen of her San Jose, California, home. A previously healthy 57-year-old, Dowd had complained of body aches and flu-like symptoms days earlier, but nothing could explain why she died so suddenly. Lab results 10 weeks later revealed Dowd, a manager at a Silicon Valley semiconductor firm, was one of the first US Covid fatalities. Inflammation of the heart muscle led to a finger-sized rupture which caused lethal hemorrhage, an autopsy report showed. (Gale, 2/26)
CBS News:
Eating A Plant Based Diet Could Reduce Snoring, Study Finds
A new study out of Australia analyzed data on more than 14,000 people and found that those who adhered to a healthy plant-based diet had a lower risk of obstructive sleep apnea while those on an unhealthy plant-based diet were at higher risk. A healthy plant-based diet is one high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and nuts not refined carbohydrates like sugary drinks, and high-sugar and high-salt foods. (Marshall, 2/26)
Reuters:
Mauritius Allows Norwegian Dawn Cruise Ship To Dock After No Trace Of Cholera Found
Mauritius will allow a ship belonging to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to dock after no trace of cholera was found in samples taken from passengers on board, a senior health official said on Monday. Authorities on the island nation off the coast of east Africa prevented the Norwegian Dawn from docking over the weekend over what they said were "health risks," without elaborating. (2/26)
NPR:
When Is Forgetting Normal — And When Is It Worrisome? A Neuroscientist Weighs In
When cognitive neuroscientist Charan Ranganath meets someone for the first time, he's often asked, "Why am I so forgetful?" But Ranganath says he's more interested in what we remember, rather than the things we forget.~"We're not designed to carry tons and tons of junk with us. I don't know that anyone would want to remember every temporary password that they've ever had," he says. "I think what [the human brain is] designed for is to carry what we need and to deploy it rapidly when we need it." (Gross, 2/26)
