Colorectal Cancer Ousts Lung Cancer As Deadliest Type For People Under 50
Colorectal cancer leaped from the fifth-leading cause in 1990 to first place in 2023, the most recent year examined in the JAMA study. Of the top cancers, it was the only one that increased. Lung cancer deaths fell to No. 4.
NBC News:
Colorectal Cancer Is Now The Leading Cause Of Cancer Death In People Under 50
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths among people younger than 50 in the United States, according to a study published Thursday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Colorectal cancer death rates in that age group climbed by 1% every year since 2005, in stark contrast with the larger trend: Overall, cancer death rates in people younger than 50 have dropped by 44% since 1990. And of the five most common causes of cancer-related death in people younger than 50, colorectal cancer deaths were the only one to increase. (Sullivan, 1/22)
Bloomberg:
New Potent Cancer Treatments Are Raising Heart Risks For Survivors
Sydney oncologist Bogda Koczwara knew something was wrong when a police officer she’d treated for non-Hodgkin lymphoma returned to her clinic exhausted. ... The chemotherapy had quietly damaged his heart muscle. The cancer never came back, but his heart never recovered. Koczwara says the case, in the late 1990s, was an early warning of what is now an established pattern. Cancer therapies are producing unprecedented numbers of long-term survivors, many of whom are living long enough to experience the delayed effects on their heart. (Gale, 1/23)
The New York Times:
Some Immune Systems Defeat Cancer. Could That Become A Drug?
Is there a way to use the body’s way of fighting cancers to make a new drug? Perhaps, according to preliminary research studies. The idea is to exploit what is known about the growth of cancers. While many grow and spread and are deadly without treatment, some go away on their own or simply do not progress. They remain in the body, harmless and causing no symptoms. It’s contrary to conventional wisdom. (Kolata, 1/22)
KBIA:
Nipple Tattoos Help Breast Cancer Survivors Feel Like Themselves
Melissa Kinkade said she probably embarrasses her young sons nearly every day, as they come home from school and she’s practicing and sketching for her medical tattooing business. “I have two sons. I think one of the quotes was, ‘Mom's drawing nipples again,’” Kinkade said. “First, they laughed when they saw it, and then I explained why it's not funny, like, get all your laughing out. It's not funny. These people have gone through a lot.” (Smith, 1/22)
In mental health news —
The Washington Post:
Walmart Found Negligent For Selling A Shotgun Used In A Suicide
A federal jury on Thursday found Walmart negligent for selling a shotgun used in a suicide and awarded the family of the victim — who worked at the store — millions in damages. The verdict followed a 10-day civil trial in Maryland that focused on communications among employees inside a Walmart store 45 miles south of Washington. The family of the 23-year-old who took his life, Jacob Mace, said store managers knew Mace was suicidal and did nothing to ensure that he couldn’t buy a gun from the store. (Morse, 1/22)
NBC News:
Using AI For Advice Or Other Personal Reasons Is Linked To Depression And Anxiety
People who interact with chatbots for emotional support or other personal reasons are likelier to report symptoms of depression or anxiety, a new study finds. The researchers from Mass General Brigham surveyed 20,847 mostly white men and women in the United States about their AI usage and mental health symptoms. (Ozcan, 1/22)
More health and wellness news —
The Washington Post:
Obesity And High Blood Pressure May Play Role In Vascular Dementia, Study Says
Obesity in midlife may cause vascular dementia later in life by raising blood pressure over decades and quietly damaging brain vessels, according to new research released Thursday. The danger could be significant. Having a higher body mass index increases the risk of vascular dementia by roughly 50 to 60 percent, according to the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. An association between obesity and dementia has long been the subject of study, and the new research strongly indicates there is indeed a link. (Johnson, 1/22)
AP:
Winter Storm Threatens Millions With Power Outages And No Heat
Every morning this week, Newberry Electric Cooperative CEO Keith Avery walks into his office and turns on The Weather Channel. Then he starts making calls, lining up crews and equipment to respond to outages if a forecasted ice storm cripples power across South Carolina. Avery has dealt with disasters before. Nearly every one of his 14,000 customers lost power when the remnants of Hurricane Helene tore through in 2024. But the approaching ice storm has him even more worried because ice-coated trees and power lines can keep falling long after the storm itself has passed. (Rico and Collins, 1/23)
