Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Lung Cancer Rates Are Now Higher In Women Than Men And Experts Aren't Sure Why
The Washington Post: Lung Cancer Rates In Younger White And Hispanic Women Surpass Those Of Men
Reversing a historic trend, rates of lung cancer among younger white and Hispanic women have surpassed those of men — and the change cannot be fully explained by gender differences in smoking behavior, researchers said Wednesday. Previous research pointed to shifts in the incidence of lung cancer, with rates creeping up among some groups of women. The new study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, is the largest and most definitive on the topic and one that incorporates smoking patterns and tumor characteristics in its analysis, according to its authors. (McGinley, 5/23)
Los Angeles Times: Weight-Loss Surgery Is Associated With A Reduced Risk Of Melanoma, Researchers Say
In addition to rapid and lasting weight loss and a passel of other health benefits, bariatric surgery has now been linked to a 61% reduction in the risk of developing malignant melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer most closely associated with excessive sun exposure. The new research, to be presented Thursday at the European Congress on Obesity in Vienna, Austria, also found that people who underwent weight-loss surgery saw their risk of skin cancer in general decline by 42%. (Healy, 5/23)
Los Angeles Times: Obesity May Make Women More Vulnerable To A Host Of Cancers, Especially If They Gain Weight Quickly
Compared to women of normal weight, those with obesity are 24% more likely to develop one of a handful of cancers linked to the condition, and their chances of developing cancers of the kidney or endometrium were around twice as high as those of normal-weight women, new research has found. In a Norwegian study that tracked 137,205 women between 30 and 70 years old, researchers also found that those who gained more than 22 pounds over a period of five to eight years were nearly twice as likely as those who maintained a stable weight to develop pancreatic cancer. (Healy, 5/23)
