Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Hard-To-Detect Breast Cancer Type Is Rising At Triple The Rate Of Others
ABC News: A Hard-To-Spot Breast Cancer Now Makes Up More Than 1 In 10 Cases In The US: Report
A fast-rising form of breast cancer that's harder to detect on mammograms now makes up more than one in ten cases in the United States, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society (ACS). Invasive lobular carcinoma, the second most common breast cancer type, is increasing about 3% each year, more than triple the rate of other breast cancers, the report, published on Tuesday morning, found. (Parkerson, 10/7)
Newsweek: Weight Loss Jabs Can Compromise Cancer Scans, Study Warns
The rise of GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs prescribed for weight loss and type 2 diabetes could be compromising the interpretation of some cancer scans and throwing doctors off course. This is the discovery of UK-based researchers who found the medications—known to alter glucose metabolism, stomach function and the body’s stress and energy system—may lead to “unique uptake” patterns of FDG PET-CT scans. (Millington, 10/7)
NBC News: U.S. Women Are Increasingly Shut Out Of A Breast Cancer Treatment Valued Around The World
It’s not uncommon for breast cancer patients in the rural South to travel hundreds of miles to reach the medical practice run by Dr. Phillip Ley, a cancer surgeon in Jackson, Mississippi. For those who are good candidates, Ley recommends a therapy that delivers a single, targeted radiation dose to a patient’s breast tissue immediately after surgery to remove a tumor. Known as intraoperative radiation therapy, or IORT, it costs patients less in both time and money than traditional radiation treatments, and it is far less grueling. (Morgenson, 10/7)
MedPage Today: New Drug Approved For Deadly Lung Condition, First In Over A Decade
The FDA approved nerandomilast (Jascayd) tablets for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the first new product for the progressive lung condition in over a decade, the agency announced on Tuesday. (Ingram, 10/7)
The Baltimore Sun: Immune Therapy Boosts Chances Against Cancer
Cancer researchers with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital successfully boosted immune response to cancer tissue in a study that could dramatically improve survival and prevent tumor relapse. (Hille, 10/7)
MedPage Today: Medicaid Expansion Linked To Better Cancer Survival At 5 Years
States that expanded Medicaid coverage had significantly better cancer survival among patients in rural and high-poverty areas as compared with non-expansion states, data from U.S. cancer registries showed. Five-year cause-specific survival improved by 2.55 percentage points (ppt) among patients in rural areas of states that expanded Medicaid coverage versus those that did not. (Bankhead, 10/8)
In other health and wellness news —
Newsweek: Landmark Study Reveals Long-Term Impact Of Heart Health In Your 20s
Heart health (or lack of) in your 20s could have more of a long-term impact than you realize. As well as being generally linked to heart attack and stroke, researchers discovered young adults who failed to maintain good heart health saw their risk of future cardiovascular disease directly increase by 10 times compared to people who stayed healthy. (Millington, 10/7)
NBC News: 'Exercise Snacks,' Or Short Bursts Of Activity, Shown To Improve Fitness And Strength
Short bursts of purposeful activity — such as walking around the block or lifting small weights — may be the best way to get in the habit of exercising. Bite-sized bits of exercise also improve heart and muscle fitness, a study published Tuesday in BMJ Sports Medicine found. Less than half of adults in the United States get enough aerobic activity and less than a quarter get the recommended amount of both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise. (Sullivan, 10/7)
On climate change —
AP: Molecular Discovery That Won Nobel Prize In Chemistry Is Likened To ‘Harry Potter’ Enchanted Handbag
Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for their development of metal–organic frameworks that could eventually help reduce pollution and combat climate change. A member of the Nobel committee likened the discovery to Hermione Granger’s seemingly bottomless enchanted handbag in the fictional “Harry Potter” series, in that the frameworks may look small from the outside, but are able to hold surprisingly vast quantities within them. The Nobel Committee said Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi were being awarded for “groundbreaking discoveries,” saying “some of these may contribute to solving some of humankind’s greatest challenges.” (Manenkov and Dazio, 10/8)
Bloomberg: Nestle Bows Out Of Initiative To Reduce Dairy’s Climate Impact
Less than two years ago, a group of the world’s biggest food companies, including Nestle SA, Danone SA and Kraft Heinz Co., announced a major alliance to cut methane emissions from their hundreds of thousands of dairy suppliers. Last month, however, Nestle’s logo vanished from the initiative’s website. Officials at the Swiss food giant confirmed that they’ve withdrawn from the effort, known as the Dairy Methane Action Alliance. (Elgin, Raimonde, and Peng, 10/8)
