Brain Cancer Takes Over As Leading Cause Of Cancer Deaths Of Children, Adolescents
Also in this public health roundup, a small federal agency that monitors biomedical research misconduct is in turmoil, the Food and Drug Administration cracks down on online sales by the E-cigarette industry and the number of railroad workers in the U.S. who test positive for drug use is on the rise.
The Washington Post:
Brain Cancer Replaces Leukemia As The Leading Cause Of Cancer Deaths In Kids
It's official: Brain cancer has replaced leukemia as the leading cause of cancer deaths among children and adolescents. In 1999, almost a third of cancer deaths among patients aged 1 to 19 were attributable to leukemia while about a quarter were caused by brain cancer. By 2014, those percentages were reversed, according to a report published Friday by the National Center for Health Statistics, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (McGinley, 9/16)
The Washington Post:
Turmoil At Federal Agency Threatens Oversight Of Biomedical Research
A small government office that monitors misconduct in biomedical research is in turmoil, jeopardizing oversight of billions of dollars in grants to universities and other institutions around the country. Six of the eight investigators in the federal Office of Research Integrity have signed a letter hinting that they may leave, a move that could hobble federal efforts to detect data manipulation and other misconduct by laboratory researchers. The office’s new head has filed personnel actions against the two division directors she inherited and installed a new deputy to supervise the entire staff. (Bernstein, 9/15)
The Wall Street Journal:
FDA Cracks Down On Online Sales By E-Cigarette Industry
A month after assuming regulatory oversight over e-cigarettes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cracked down on online sales by the industry, issuing 24 letters to websites for illegal sales to minors. The letters, which the FDA released Thursday, are the first sent since the FDA banned e-cigarette sales to anyone under 18 years old on Aug. 8. The agency also issued warning letters to 28 retailers of cigars and e-cigs and three letters to websites selling cigars. (Mickle, 9/15)
The Washington Post:
Number Of U.S. Railroad Workers Testing Positive For Drug Use Skyrockets
Early this year, a railroad worker who had just been briefed on his duties for the day was discovered in a restroom, dead from an overdose of illegal prescription drugs. In the months that followed, tests conducted after three railroad accidents resulted in six employees testing positive for drugs. Testing in 2016 has shown that nearly 8 percent of workers involved in rail accidents were positive for drug use, including marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, benzodiazepine, OxyContin and morphine, according to internal federal documents obtained by The Washington Post. (Halsey, 9/15)