Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
This Chemotherapy Doctor Wants To Break All The Rules: 'I Sweated Bullets Worrying ... I Didn’t Know If It Would Work'
Stat: A Heretical Approach To Chemotherapy Is Extending Patients' Lives
No scientist with even a rudimentary moral compass and an ounce of intellectual humility takes human experiments lightly, given how much can go wrong. But Dr. Robert Gatenby was especially aware of the stakes. An oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., he has spent years studying how tumor cells respond to chemotherapy, especially in patients whose cancer has metastasized well beyond the original tumor, as when malignant prostate cells invade bones like gang members expanding their turf. Now Gatenby was ready to put his theories to a real-world test by treating men with advanced prostate cancer in a way that broke all the rules. (Begley, 8/29)
The New York Times: Why Aren’t More Women Working? They’re Caring For Parents
Aisha Adkins would rather have her own place, instead of living with her parents. She would also like a job, a car, a master’s degree and savings. But at 35, a decade after graduating from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro with a specialty in social services, she has had to put off those goals. Her mother, Rose, received a diagnosis of dementia six years ago, at 57, and cannot be left alone. Since then, Ms. Adkins has been consumed with her care. “I’ve gone on three dates in the last three or so years,” she said. (Porter, 8/29)
The Associated Press: Deaths Caused By Drivers Running Red Lights At 10-Year High
The number of people killed by drivers running red lights has hit a 10-year high, and AAA is urging drivers and pedestrians to use caution at traffic signals. In 2017, the latest figures available, 939 people were killed by vehicles blowing through red lights, according to a AAA study of government crash data. It’s the highest death toll since 2008 and 28% higher than in 2012. AAA says two people are killed every day in the U.S. by drivers who don’t stop for the signals. (8/29)
PBS NewsHour: Why Doctors Are Increasingly Prescribing Nature
As rates of chronic disease among children have skyrocketed over the past few decades, pediatricians have increasingly looked for solutions beyond the clinic. Sometimes that means actually prescribing time outside. Special correspondent Cat Wise reports from Oakland on the medical evidence that indicates escaping modern urban life, even temporarily, can yield health dividends. (Wise, 8/28)
The New York Times: Surfing With A Disability
Dylan Hronec has been in a wheelchair since he was 2 years old. Surfing is his favorite activity. “When you’re surfing you don’t really think about anything else — it’s the closest thing to an out of body experience,” said Mr. Hronec, 27, who has cerebral palsy and uses a special surf board retrofitted with handles to help him grab on. “I’m more in control of my body and my muscles in the water. So I’m not limited in any way.” (Ellin, 8/29)
The New York Times: Tattoo Needles May Trigger Allergic Reactions
Tattoos can cause allergic reactions, and tattoo needles, even clean ones, may be partly to blame, a new study found. Previous studies have shown that tattoo inks contain high amounts of nickel, chromium, cobalt and mercury, which are transported to the lymph nodes and can cause allergic reactions. But now researchers have found that an additional source of metal is the needles themselves. (Bakalar, 8/28)
The New York Times: Peloton Is A Phenomenon. Can It Last?
As far as indoor cycling machines go, the $2,245 Peloton bike is nothing special. It has a sleek black and red frame. It has a big screen. It’s on Wi-Fi. But a combination of aspirational infomercials (“This … is fitness evolved.”) and streaming classes taught by glamorous instructors has led Peloton to sell 577,000 of its bikes and treadmills in five years. Richard Branson is a fan. So are Jimmy Fallon, Kate Hudson and the Obamas. (Griffith, 8/28)
