Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Colon Cancer Is Increasing Among Younger People, More Likely Among Blacks
The New York Times: What To Know About Colon Cancer
In the wake of Chadwick Boseman’s death from colon cancer at age 43, many people have questions about the disease, especially about the risk of colon cancer in younger people. Here’s what is known and what experts recommend. (Belluck, 8/29)
The New York Times: Dermatology Has A Problem With Skin Color
In the spring, teenagers started showing up at doctors’ offices in droves with angry red and purple blisters on their fingers and toes. The latest unexpected feature of the coronavirus infection fascinated the public, and suddenly photographs of so-called Covid toes were everywhere on social media. But almost all of the images depicted glossy pink lesions on white skin. Though people of color have been affected disproportionately by the pandemic, pictures of Covid toes on dark skin were curiously hard to find. (Caryn Rabin, 8/30)
Stat: How OneFifteen, Verily's Addiction Medicine Campus, Is Taking Shape
Verily drew widespread praise last year when it announced an “ambitious endeavor” to combat the opioid epidemic: an addiction medicine campus in Ohio called OneFifteen, its name a nod to the 115 people who died each day in 2017 of opioid overdoses. But in the year and a half since OneFifteen’s high-profile launch, Verily has remained relatively quiet about its progress — and its role in the effort, which is a collaboration between the Alphabet life science spinout and two local health systems. (Brodwin, 8/31)
The New York Times: How To Choose The Right Pediatrician
The final months of pregnancy are marked by a flurry of preparation: setting up a nursery, packing a hospital bag and deciding on baby names. It’s also the perfect time to choose your child’s pediatrician. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents take their baby in for at least seven well-child visits during their first year of life, but ear infections, fevers, rashes and other unexpected baby maladies could make visits to the doctor more frequent. After that first year, pediatricians guide parents on topics ranging from potty training to tantrums to school performance and more. All of this face-time makes choosing the right doctor among the most important decisions new parents make, especially during a global pandemic when parents often turn to primary care providers with their questions. But with almost 60,000 practicing general pediatricians in the United States alone, finding the best doctor for your family can be a stressful process. (Cheng and Wilkinson, 8/28)
Boston Globe: Months After His Death, Pete Frates’s Legacy Lives On In Family’s Push For ALS Patients To Try Medical Marijuana
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects a person’s motor function and muscle movement. But for many patients, their cognitive brain function is left intact, making them completely aware of their regression but increasingly unable to communicate about it. That was the case for Frates, who drew national attention when he helped popularize the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise ALS awareness and money for research. (Gans, 8/29)
