Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Cancer Cases On The Rise Worldwide For Those Under 50: Study
USA Today: Western Diet, Sedentary Lifestyle Likely Factors In Global Rise In Cancer For Adults 50 And Under
Cancer is on the rise among adults under the age of 50, new research suggests. Early onset cases of cancers of the breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, liver, and pancreas are among those that have risen worldwide since about 1990, according to a study by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and published this week in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology. (Snider, 9/7)
ABC News: Cancers In Adults Below 50 Have 'Dramatically Increased': Report
Researchers said breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, liver, and pancreas cancers among others have shown a drastic rise beginning in the 1990s. "From our data, we observed something called the birth cohort effect. This effect shows that each successive group of people born at a later time (e.g., decade-later) have a higher risk of developing cancer later in life, likely due to risk factors they were exposed to at a young age," Shuji Ogino, MD, Ph.D., professor and physician-scientist, said in the report, suggesting increasing risk with each generation. (Grant, 9/7)
And there's a possible link between frozen embryos and cancer —
New York Post: Kids Born From Frozen Embryos May Have Increased Cancer Risk: Study
New research out of Sweden suggests that babies born from frozen embryos were more at risk to develop cancer than those born through other methods. The findings, which were published in peer-reviewed journal PLOS Medicine, were based on a study of almost 8 million children from four European countries.“[There is] a higher risk of cancer in children born after frozen-thawed embryo transfer in assistant reproduction, a large study from Nordic countries found,” said co-author Ulla-Britt Wennerholm of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. (Fleming, 9/6)
Newsweek: Kids Born From Frozen Embryos More Likely To Develop Cancer: Study
The most common forms of the disease were leukemia and those affecting the central nervous system. The study did not find IVF or other types of assisted reproductive technology (ART) led to any greater risk of cancer. The link only existed for frozen embryos. ART allows an embryo to be created from a human egg and sperm in a laboratory. A doctor usually immediately transfers the embryo to the uterus. However, the practice of freezing and later thawing before implantation is increasing worldwide. (Kitanovska, 9/5)
On breast and ovarian cancer —
Stat: Gilead Drug Prolongs Survival Of Women With Form Of Breast Cancer
Gilead Sciences said Wednesday that its cancer drug Trodelvy prolonged the survival of women with the most common form of breast cancer by just under 30% — a clinical trial result that could lead to a better treatment option for patients with advanced disease and strengthen the drug’s commercial outlook. (Feuerstein, 9/7)
Medical News Today: Breast Cancer: Less Sitting, More Physical Activity May Lower Risk
Physical activity and less sedentary time have been linked to a lower risk for breast cancer in observational studies. While research suggests a generally consistent link between breast cancer risk and physical activity, the link between sedentary time and breast cancer risk is less clear and less well-studied. Most studies investigating the link between breast cancer and physical activity or sedentary time have been observational in nature. This means that rather than providing a causal link, they provide a correlation that may be subject to biases. (Lennon, 9/7)
PBS NewsHour: Who’s At The Greatest Risk Of Ovarian Cancer?
Nearly 20,000 women will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer this year and more than 12,000 will die from the disease. Dr. Carol Brown, a gynecologic cancer surgeon and chief health equity officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, joined Amna Nawaz to discuss who should consider themselves at the greatest risk of ovarian cancer. (Nawaz, 9/7)
On prostate cancer —
KCCI: Iowa Man With Advanced Prostate Cancer Finds Hope In New Treatment At DSM Hospital
In the spring of 2022, the Food and Drug Administration authorized Pluvicto, an infusion treatment delivering radiation to targeted cells in the body causing the cells to die. David Clark is one of two patients at John Stoddard Cancer Center undergoing the trial, with physicians overseeing. "This really is kind of the last resort," said Dr. Arshin Sheybani, a physician at John Stoddard Cancer Center. (James, 9/7)
On President Biden's cancer "moonshot" —
AP: Biden To Channel Kennedy In His Push For A Cancer 'Moonshot'
President Joe Biden next week will highlight his plans for drastically reducing cancer deaths and boosting treatments for the disease in what he has called “this generation’s moonshot,” the White House announced Wednesday. Biden’s speech at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on Monday will come on the 60th anniversary of his predecessor’s speech outlining his vision for putting the first man on the moon. The White House said Biden will outline what his administration is doing to “end cancer as we know it.” (9/7)
