Research Efforts To Eliminate Unnecessary Prostate Cancer Treatments Is ‘On Fire’
Scientists want to find alternatives to controversial PSA tests, which often lead to unnecessary biopsies. And in other public health news today: the health impact of racism on kids; concussion testing; monitoring violence online; why we sleep and dream; and men as caregivers.
Stat:
Thousands Of Men With Prostate Cancer Get Risky Treatment They Don’t Need. New Approaches Could Curb That
There’s now no reliable way to tell a lethal prostate cancer from one that’s so slow-growing it can safely be left alone: the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test can’t, and neither can looking at the cancer cells under a microscope. But researchers are developing genetic tests, imaging tests, and algorithms like those in face-recognition software in an effort to reduce the 1 million US men a year who have prostate biopsies and, even more important, reduce the thousands who get treatment they don’t need. (Begley, 5/4)
USA Today:
Racism May Be Making Our Kids Unhealthy
Racism damages our children’s health, a recent study found, negatively affecting the wellness of wealthy white kids and poor minorities the most. The study, which will be presented this weekend by lead author Dr. Ashaunta Anderson, found kids who endured racism had lower levels of general health, including higher rates of anxiety, depression and ADHD. The study isn’t the first to explore racism’s link to physical health. (Rossman, 5/4)
NPR:
Spit Test May Reveal Concussion Severity In Children
A little spit may help predict whether a child's concussion symptoms will subside in days or persist for weeks. A test that measures fragments of genetic material in saliva was nearly 90 percent accurate in identifying children and adolescents whose symptoms persisted for at least a month, a Penn State team told the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting in San Francisco, Calif. In contrast, a concussion survey commonly used by doctors was right less than 70 percent of the time. (Hamilton, 5/4)
The Washington Post:
The Work Of Monitoring Violence Online Can Cause Real Trauma. And Facebook Is Hiring.
Steve Stephens filmed himself shooting a Cleveland bystander, then confessed to the killing on Facebook Live. A man in Thailand broadcast himself killing his infant daughter on Facebook Live before killing himself. There have been other live-streamed suicides and rapes, many lingering on the popular platform for hours. The first line of defense against those violent images spreading is, in most cases, a human being. After concern that Facebook doesn’t move quickly enough to address violence broadcast on its platform, the company announced Wednesday that it will nearly double the number of moderators it pays to monitor for inappropriate content. (Ohleiser, 5/4)
Minnesota Public Radio :
The Weird World Of Sleep
Why do we sleep? Why do we dream? And what happens to our brains at night? (Shortal and Shockman, 5/3)
The Philadelphia Inquirer:
Forget The Stereotypes; Study Finds Men Increasingly Are Caregivers
The report estimated that 40 percent of family caregivers are men, up from 34 percent eight years ago. The men are slightly younger on average than female caregivers — 47.8 vs. 49 — and provide slightly less care per week — 23 vs. 24.4 hours. They do similar things, from paying bills and driving to medical appointments, to hands-on care such as bathing and using medical equipment. Many wish they had more training. Male caregivers were more likely than women to be employed, but 37 percent did not tell their bosses about their caregiving responsibilities even though many said they had to come in late, leave early, or take days off to take care of a loved one. (Burling, 5/3)
