Â鶹ŮÓÅ

In the U.S, over half of our daily energy intake comes from ultra-processed foods. ... Increasingly, we are learning that these ultra-processed products are associated with an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, mental health problems, diabetes and certain forms of cancer. In a new study, published in the journal PLoS Medicine, researchers from France have found yet more evidence that common ingredients in these foods may increase our risk of certain cancers, especially breast and prostate cancers. (Dewan, 2/20)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a bi-weekly dose of Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ.N), opens new tab blood cancer therapy Tecvayli, the drugmaker said on Tuesday. The approval allows the therapy to be used in a reduced dosing of 1.5 milligrams per kilogram every two weeks, in patients who have achieved and maintained a complete response or better for a minimum of six months. (2/20)

A new class of cancer treatments that harness the body's immune system to fight tumors is being hailed as the biggest thing in oncology since CAR-T revealed the promise of cell therapy more than a decade ago. But with price tags of hundreds of thousands of dollars, the drugs raise familiar concerns about affordability and access. (Reed, 2/21)

Pharmaceutical companies are spending billions of dollars to develop drugs that can target cancer like guided missiles.Therapies known as antibody-drug conjugates, which help deliver chemotherapy directly to tumors, have gotten most of the attention and are farthest along: Pfizer’s $43 billion acquisition of biotech Seagen Inc. last year underscored how hot the field has become. More quietly, a concept known as radiopharmaceuticals is also gaining ground. (Wainer, 2/20)

An estimated 21,000 Iowans will be diagnosed with cancer in 2024, according to an annual report that tracks yearly cancer trends. The annual Cancer in Iowa report by the Iowa Cancer Registry found Iowa has the fastest-growing rate of new cancers and the second-highest rate of new cancers in the country. It found the top new diagnoses will be breast, prostate and lung cancer, which are estimated to make up 40.5% of new cancer diagnoses. (Krebs, 2/20)