Cancer Death Rates Have Fallen Nearly 30% Over 25 Years
The Baltimore Sun focuses on what's being called a "new era" in the battle against cancer, with profound improvements in cancer death rates in the last few decades. Also in the news: misdiagnoses, wildfire smoke and dementia, and more.
The Baltimore Sun:
‘New Era’ In War On Cancer: 29.2% Drop In Death Rates Since 1999
You’re less likely to die of cancer today than you were a generation ago. True, you could’ve said the same thing 20 years ago and 40 years ago. But the gains made against cancer during the first two decades of the 21st century are so profound – and so unexpected given other trends that should be leading to more cancer deaths, not fewer – that some experts are talking again about the idea that cancer could be cured. (Mouchard, 7/29)
NPR:
Misdiagnosis Is A Big Problem For Older Adults. Here's What Can Help
Errors in diagnosis are relatively common among older people. The reasons are many: older adults may have multiple conditions, take many medications, and illnesses can look very different in older people than they do in younger ones. Older adults may show different symptoms or none at all. And sometimes health care workers assume that whatever is bothering the patient is “because of your age.” All this can lead to older patients being either under-treated or over-treated. (Milne-Tyte, 7/30)
Los Angeles Times:
Study: Wildfire Smoke Raises Dementia Risk More Than Other Pollutants
Exposure to wildfire smoke increases the odds of being diagnosed with dementia even more than exposure to other forms of air pollution, according to a landmark study of more than 1.2 million Californians. The study — released Monday at the Alzheimer’s Assn. International Conference in Philadelphia — is the largest and most comprehensive review of the impact of wildfire smoke on brain health to date, according to its authors. (Wigglesworth, 7/29)
The Washington Post:
A Surprising Byproduct Of Wildfires: Contaminated Drinking Water
When the mayor of Las Vegas, N.M., issued a warning in 2022 to its 13,000 residents, it wasn’t over a fire — they had recently lived through the state’s largest wildfire in its history: Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak. The dire warning was that the city had 30 days of clean water left. The 2022 monsoon rains covered the Gallinas watershed, where cleared trees from the Santa Fe National Forest and ash-covered grounds made for flash-flood conditions. The storms introduced massive amounts of carbon from burned trees and plant life into the streams and reservoirs. Water treatment couldn’t keep up, making their stores undrinkable. (Wolfe and Steckelberg, 7/29)
Reuters:
Nearly A Quarter Of Adolescent Girls Suffer Partner Violence, WHO Study Finds
Around a quarter of adolescent girls who have been in relationships have endured physical or sexual violence, a World Health Organization study said on Tuesday, calling for more prevention actions. The WHO analysis published in the Lancet medical journal was based on surveys from thousands of adolescent girls aged between 15 and 19 from 154 countries and areas. It showed that 24% of them had been subjected to intimate partner violence at least once, with 16% reporting it in the past year. (Farge, 7/29)
