Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Testosterone For Menopause Might Elevate Heart Hazards, Study Finds
MedPage Today: Testosterone For Menopause May Carry Heart Risks
Testosterone therapy for menopause was linked to heightened risk of incident cardiovascular disease, a large retrospective cohort study suggested. (Robertson, 10/21)
CIDRAP: US Cervical Cancer Screening Rates Have Risen, But Disparities Remain, New Data Show
Since the 1970s, cervical cancer deaths in the United States have plummeted by more than half, thanks in part to screening, according to the American Cancer Society. Still, about 13,000 women receive new cervical cancer diagnoses annually—and about 4,000 of them die. Understanding cervical cancer screening (CCS) uptake trends can help doctors reach more patients and reduce the number of deaths. From 2019 to 2024, rates of CCS increased overall, but there were differences among the groups screened, finds a study published late last week in JAMA Network Open. (Holohan, 10/21)
MPR News: As Obstetric Care Dwindles In Rural Minnesota, New Fellowship Aims To Fill Gaps
Nearly 30 Minnesota hospitals have stopped providing obstetric services over the past 15 years, leaving fewer options for families who need maternity care close to home, according to University of Minnesota research. (Gordon and Finn, 10/21)
NBC News: EXCLUSIVE: Nurse, 33, Diagnoses Own Breast Cancer After Doctor, Scans Missed The Signs
In October of 2023, Marci Bothwell had just turned 33 and completed her certification to become an oncology nurse. The mom of three was very knowledgable about the symptoms of many cancers, and how to monitor for them. But she wasn’t looking for unusual changes in her breasts when she found one. (Kee, 10/21)
In other public health news —
CIDRAP: Kids More Likely To Be Vaccinated Against HPV If Doctors Offer Shots At Earlier Ages, Study Finds
When it comes to protecting kids from the human papillomavirus (HPV), earlier vaccination is better, new research shows. Children are more likely to be fully vaccinated against HPV—a ubiquitous virus that causes six types of cancer— if doctors offer the immunization when kids are 9 or 10 years old, compared with beginning the series of injections at ages 11 or 12, the age when most clinicians now offer the shots. (Szabo, 10/21)
CBS News: We Bought And Tested What Was Sold As An Experimental Weight Loss Drug. The Lab Results Were 'Pretty Terrifying.'
A drug that's not FDA approved and still in clinical trials is being advertised all over the internet. Buying it turned out to be alarmingly easy. First, CBS News national correspondent Adam Yamaguchi placed an online order through the website for Reset Wellness, a clinic started by a nurse practitioner, for 20 milligrams of retatrutide. The weight-loss medication, known as Reta, is an experimental peptide drug that Eli Lilly is studying as a next-generation obesity treatment. At checkout, he was promised a health evaluation, but the product arrived a week later without ever having to speak to a health professional. (Yamaguchi and Geller, 10/21)
Newsweek: Children’s Toothpaste Among 4M Tubes Recalled Over Potential Health Risk
More than 4.3 million tubes of toothpaste, including children's products featuring popular characters such as Barbie, Hot Wheels, Crayola and My Little Pony, have been recalled nationwide, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The voluntary recall affects 17 toothpaste varieties sold under the Brush Buddies, evo and ARU brands. The FDA lists “current good manufacturing practice deviations” as the reason, but does not specify the exact manufacturing issues. The agency classified the recall as Class II on October 19. (Backus, 10/22)
Pope Leo's cancer prognosis —
AP: Pope Leo Needs No Further Treatment For Lung Cancer After Tests, Vatican Says
Pope Leo XIV will need no further treatment for lung cancer after tests confirmed the disease was localized, the Vatican said Wednesday. Leo, 71, had part of one lung removed last week in the first major health event of his 17-month pontificate. The surgery confirmed he had adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. Leo was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Polyclinic on Saturday, four days after surgery, and said he would gradually resume his activities. (10/22)
