Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Some Breast Cancer Tumors Steal From Fat Cells To Power Growth, Study Finds
Being overweight or obese has long been linked to a greater risk of developing or dying from breast cancer. New research suggests a reason: Certain breast cancer tumors may feed on neighboring fat cells. The findings may help scientists find ways to treat triple-negative breast cancer, which is notoriously aggressive and has lower survival rates. Moreover, the results may apply to any cancer that uses fat as an energy source, according to the report, published Wednesday in Nature Communications. (Carroll, 8/20)
A small, preliminary study found that marathoners were much more likely to have precancerous growths. Experts aren’t sure why. (Rabin, 8/19)
A nanobody-based technology can precisely identify and attack lung cancer cells—sparing surrounding healthy tissue. This is the promise of researchers at the Bio-Nano Research Center at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), who say that the approach could improve cancer therapy by reducing harmful side effects and maximizing efficiency. (Millington, 8/19)
An experimental cancer vaccine has shown promising results in keeping pancreatic and colorectal cancers from coming back. In a clinical trial led by the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, researchers tested the vaccine on 25 patients who had previously been treated for pancreatic and colorectal cancers. (Perkins, 8/19)
Cancer survivors had disproportionately higher rates of drug prescriptions for antidepressants and anxiolytics in a survey of more than 50,000 people. Individuals who reported a personal history of cancer had a 32% higher rate of prescriptions for medications used to treat depression, increasing to almost 40% higher for anti-anxiety medications, compared with the general population. (Bankhead, 8/20)
Also —
UChicago Medicine hopes to expand its cancer care across the country — becoming the latest hospital system to try to grow by working with health systems outside its home turf. UChicago Medicine announced its first affiliation Tuesday with AdventHealth Cancer Institute Shawnee Mission in the Kansas City area. As part of the affiliation, patients at the Kansas cancer institute will have access to UChicago Medicine treatments, clinical trials and second opinions from UChicago Medicine doctors. (Schencker, 8/20)
