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A new report on cancer in the US shows a steady decline in overall deaths from 2001 through 2022. The rate of diagnoses among men fell from 2001 through 2013 and then stabilized through 2021 but these incidence rates among women increased slightly every year between 2003 and 2021. (Dillinger, 4/21)

A groundbreaking microscope at Harvard Medical School could lead to breakthroughs in cancer detection and research into longevity. But the scientist who developed computer scripts to read its images and unlock its full potential has been in an immigration detention center for two months — putting crucial scientific advancements at risk. The scientist, the 30-year-old Russian-born Kseniia Pertova, worked at Harvard’s renowned Kirschner Lab until her arrest at a Boston airport in mid-February. (Lee, 4/21)

A two-drug regimen involving AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s Enhertu topped standard therapy in a large study in HER2-positive breast cancer, the companies said Monday. In a Phase 3 trial, a combination of Enhertu and the targeted therapy pertuzumab held tumors in check longer than THP, a regimen of chemotherapy and precision medicines that’s commonly used as an initial treatment for metastatic breast tumors expressing the HER2 protein. The companies didn’t provide specifics, but said the regimen displayed a “highly statistically significant and clinically meaningful effect” on so-called progression-free survival in the study, with benefits across all patient subgroups. (Fidler, 4/21)

Few women wanted artificial intelligence (AI) as the sole reader of their screening mammograms, according to a survey, though most respondents generally supported some use of the technology. Among more than 500 women who presented for a screening mammography during a 6-month period in 2023, just 4% of survey respondents accepted the idea of stand-alone AI interpretation, whereas 71% were comfortable with AI as a second reader, reported Basak Dogan, MD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and colleagues. (Bassett, 4/21)

A simple blood test could reveal who is at high risk of skin cancer recurrence after tumor-removal surgery. The test can detect fragments of tumor DNA with a simple blood draw to reveal the lingering presence of Stage III melanoma — a metastatic form of the deadliest form of skin cancer — that can't be seen with CT scans. Although the test isn't perfect, it could help flag patients who need aggressive treatment because their cancer is likely to come back. (Pappas, 4/21)

Vitamin D plays an important role in your energy levels and the health of your bones, brain, heart, and gut. Now, researchers say this powerhouse vitamin may also play a crucial role in lowering risk for colorectal cancer, which has been on the rise in younger adults, becoming the leading cause of cancer death for men under 50, and the second leading among women under 50, according to the American Cancer Society. A study published in the journal Nutrients has linked vitamin D levels with colorectal cancer risk. Reviewing data from 50 different studies on vitamin D and colorectal cancer, researchers found that those with the highest dietary intake of vitamin D (80 ng/mL) had a 25% decrease in colorectal cancer risk compared to those with the lowest amount (10 ng/mL). (Freedman, 4/21)