‘Very Alarming’: Increase In Newly Diagnosed Colorectal Cancers Among Younger Patients Continues To Rise
Younger patients were also more likely than older people to have advanced cases. Awareness and testing, which has attributed to decreasing rates among older adults, needs to improve among people under age 50. Persistent constipation, cramps, bloating, blood in stool, unexplained weight loss and fatigue can all be symptoms. Other public health news focuses on disparities in post-cancer care for LGBTQ survivors, Ebola, mosquito-borne viruses, options for cows milk, vegetarian burgers, fighting obesity, and challenges for athletic moms.
The New York Times:
Colorectal Cancer Rises Among Younger Adults
Colorectal cancer is typically considered a disease of aging — most new cases are diagnosed in people over age 50. But even as the rates decrease in older adults, scientists have documented a worrisome trend in the opposite direction among patients in their 20s and 30s. Now, data from national cancer registries in Canada add to the evidence that colorectal cancer rates are rising in younger adults. The increases may even be accelerating. (Sheikh, 7/31)
WBUR:
LGBT Cancer Survivors Face Disparities In Post-Cancer Care, BU Study Says
A study of more than 70,000 cancer survivors conducted by Boston University researchers shows that LGBT cancer survivors receive less access to follow-up care for preventing and detecting recurrences, and screening for long-term effects of cancer treatments than their heterosexual counterparts. That can lead such sexual minorities, especially LGBT women, to suffer from poorer mental and physical health post-cancer in a country where there could be more than 1 million LGBT cancer survivors in need of care. (Thompson, 8/1)
The Hill:
Ebola Outbreak Highlights Global Rise In Epidemics
A year after the deadly Ebola virus broke out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, public health officials are struggling to contain what has become the second-worst epidemic of the virus in modern history. That outbreak — which as of Wednesday had infected more than 2,700 people and killed two-thirds of them — is just one of a troubling spread of viral epidemics happening around the world. (Wilson, 8/1)
CNN:
Massachusetts Towns Are At 'High Risk' For A Mosquito-Borne Virus That Can Cause Brain Swelling
Health officials are warning that seven towns in southeastern Massachusetts are at "high risk" for a potentially fatal mosquito-borne virus known as Eastern equine encephalitis or EEE. The virus has been found in 92 mosquito samples this year, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said Wednesday, and one-third of them are from a species that can spread the virus to people. "We're raising the risk level because there is more activity than we typically see and it is happening early in the season," Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel said in a statement. (Lou, 8/1)
The New York Times:
Got Impossible Milk? The Quest For Lab-Made Dairy
In recent years, the alternatives to conventional cows’ milk have proliferated. The local grocery store is likely to offer any number of plant-based options: milks made from soy, almonds, oats, rice, hemp, coconuts, cashews, pea plants and more. But most nondairy milks pale in comparison to cows’ milk. Plant-based milks are made by breaking down plants and reconstituting their proteins in water to resemble the fluid from a lactating bovine. (Sheikh, 8/2)
The Wall Street Journal:
Meatless Burgers Stoke Sales And Questions About Nutrition
Plant-based burger makers say their products are better for the planet than beef. Whether they are better for consumers’ health is a different question. Debate over the nutritional merits of patties made from soy, peas, coconut and other plants is growing as meatless products stampede into tens of thousands of supermarkets and restaurants, and their manufacturers rush to ramp up production. (Bunge and Haddon, 8/1)
Los Angeles Times:
These Six Things Can Stave Off Weight Gain, Even If Your Genes Boost Your Risk Of Obesity
You can run away from your fat genes, and you can waltz right on by a hereditary risk of gaining weight. But it’s a little less clear that mimicking funky moves in front of a video game console will protect you from a genetic vulnerability to becoming obese. So finds a new study that identifies six ways people with unlucky bits of DNA can stave off the accumulation of excess pounds. (Healy, 8/1)
The Washington Post:
Allyson Felix Became A Mother, And Now She Wants To Be An Activist
A fundamental tenet of being a sprinter is staying in your lane, and for years, Allyson Felix applied it to every portion of her career. Obsessive focus helped make her the most decorated American woman in Olympic history. By age 30, she had won nine Olympic medals — six gold, three silver — and nine of her 11 world championships. She ran for an apparel company, endorsed products and stayed silent on issues outside of her performance. The thought of using her platform for other purposes scared her. She viewed herself, first and only, as an athlete. (Kilgore, 8/1)
