To Tackle Cancer, EPA Announces New Chemical Plant Pollution Limits
Over 200 chemical plants will have to limit toxic chemicals they release into the air in an effort to reduce cancer risks for those living nearby. Separately, seven studies from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have now been retracted over a manipulation controversy.
The New York Times:
To Cut Cancer Risks, E.P.A. Limits Pollution From Chemical Plants
More than 200 chemical plants across the country will be required to curb the toxic pollutants they release into the air under a regulation announced by the Biden administration on Tuesday. The regulation is aimed at reducing the risk of cancer for people living near industrial sites. This is the first time in nearly two decades that the government has tightened limits on pollution from chemical plants. (Friedman, 4/9)
NBC News:
Cancer Research Institute Retracts Studies Amid Controversy Over Errors
Seven studies from researchers at the prestigious Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have been retracted over the last two months after a scientist blogger alleged that images used in them had been manipulated or duplicated. The retractions are the latest development in a monthslong controversy around research at the Boston-based institute, which is a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. (Bush, 4/9)
Stat:
After Disappointments, Cancer Vaccines Gain Momentum At AACR- STAT
Cancer vaccines have traveled a potholed road over the last decade. But as researchers from different companies and academic institutions presented promising early data at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting in San Diego this week, experts said there’s a collective feeling of turning a corner. “There’s a lot more interest in vaccines” now that the technology is improving, said Roy Herbst, chief of medical oncology at Yale Cancer Center. (Chen, 4/10)
Stat:
U.S. Urged To License Xtandi Patents To Cut Pricey Cancer Drug's Cost
In the latest gambit to lower the cost of a pricey medicine, three advocacy groups are pushing the Biden administration to use federal laws to license patents on a cancer treatment to outside manufacturers in order to produce lower-cost versions. In a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the groups maintain the U.S. government has the right under two different federal laws to authorize “qualified companies” to make and sell generic versions of the Xtandi prostate cancer drug. And in this instance, they argue this could be done without having to pay royalties or encounter a court injunction that would block production. (Silverman, 4/9)
The New York Times:
Should Alcoholic Beverages Have Cancer Warning Labels?
Fifteen words are roiling the global alcohol industry. Beginning in 2026, containers of beer, wine and liquor sold in Ireland will be required by law to bear a label in red capital letters with two warnings: “THERE IS A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN ALCOHOL AND FATAL CANCERS” and “DRINKING ALCOHOL CAUSES LIVER DISEASE.” ... Last week, the Alaska State Legislature held a committee hearing on a bill that would require businesses selling alcohol to post signs carrying a cancer warning. (Alcorn, 4/9)
ABC News:
About One-Third Of Socially Vulnerable Women Missing Recommended Mammograms: CDC
Thousands of women between ages 50 and 74 are not receiving life-saving mammograms, according to new federal data. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the prevalence of mammography use over a two-year period, in a report published Tuesday. (Kekatos, 4/9)
