Cancer

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New cancer diagnoses expected to hit record high this year

New cancer diagnoses in the U.S. are expected to top 2 million for the first time in 2024, driven in large part by an alarming increase in cancers among younger Americans, according to new American Cancer Society data.

https://www.axios.com/2024/01/17/new-cancer-diagnoses-record-high?

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🩺 Texas cancer diagnoses expected to hit record high

Data: American Cancer Society; Map: Tory Lysik/ Axios Visuals Nearly 148,000 Texans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2024, according to new American Cancer Society data. That number is up from 2023's 139,000 projected new cases. Why it matters: Increases are driven by diagnoses of younger Americans, and doctors are trying to figure out why they're seeing more young patients with cancer, Axios' Tina Reed reports. The big picture: The proportion of people 65 and older diagnosed with cancer dropped from 61% to 58% in the last 30 years, even as the size of that group increased. The proportion of those diagnosed between ages 50 and 64 was largely stable, but those younger than 50 saw an increase in overall cancer incidence. By the numbers: Texas ranks third among states for residents expected to be diagnosed with the disease this year. More than 23,000 of Texas' projected diagnoses are expected to be for female breast cancer, nearly 21,000 for prostate cancer, and about 14,500 for lung and bronchus cancer. Of note: The decline in cancer mortality has resulted in more than 4 million fewer deaths in the U.S. since 1991 when compared with the number of cancer deaths expected if rates had remained at their peak. Still, the study projects cancer will kill nearly 612,000 people this year, up from a projected 609,820 in 2023.

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🔬 Gene editing takes on cancer

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Gene editing's next chapter will be focused on tackling cancers and uncovering new details about aging, top scientists in the field said this week. The potential of CRISPR gene-editing technology was realized six months ago, when the Food and Drug Administration approved the first therapy that uses the system to treat sickle-cell anemia, Axios managing editor Alison Snyder reports. 👀 What we're watching: Scientists now are setting their sights on more complex molecular targets and trying to develop therapies for cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The next unsolved riddle for gene editing is to answer fundamental questions about aging, said Omar Abudayyeh, a Harvard Medical School professor. Go deeper.

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Cancer patients often do better with less intensive treatment, new research finds Scaling back treatment for three kinds of cancer can make life easier for patients without compromising outcomes, doctors reported at the world’s largest cancer conference. Read more.

Why this matters: It’s part of a long-term trend toward studying whether doing less — less surgery, less chemotherapy or less radiation — can help patients live longer and feel better. The latest studies involved ovarian and esophageal cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Biden administration seeks to wipe consumer medical debt off most credit reports with proposed rule   Alzheimer’s drug that can slow disease gets backing from FDA advisers   Being a patient is getting harder in a strained and complex US health care system

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🔎 Melanoma cases rise

Data: cancer.gov. Map: Axios Visuals Doctors are diagnosing more people with melanoma, Axios' Carly Mallenbaum reports. Why it matters: Melanoma accounts for only about 1% of skin cancers. But it's responsible for the large majority of skin cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. ACS estimates that about 100,640 new cases of melanoma skin cancer will be diagnosed in 2024. Go deeper.

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☀️ Melanoma cases are on the rise

By Carly Mallenbaum

Data: cancer.gov; Map: Axios Visuals Despite our relentless sun, Texas has the second-lowest melanoma rate in the country. Why it matters: Doctors are diagnosing an increasing number of patients with melanoma. Although melanoma accounts for only about 1% of skin cancers, it's responsible for the majority of skin cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Zoom in: The American Cancer Society found that Texas had a rate of 14.1 new cases per 100,000 people each year between 2016 and 2020. Only Washington, D.C., ranks lower. States like Vermont, Minnesota, and Utah tend to see higher rates of skin cancer. Experts say that's because those states have a higher population of fair-skinned people, who are at a higher risk of developing skin cancer. Yes, but: Every person, no matter their race or ethnicity, can develop skin cancer and should use sunscreen. Threat level: Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S. People who periodically get sunburnt tend to have a higher melanoma risk. Go deeper: How to pick a "safe" sunscreen

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A rare voice box transplant helped a cancer patient speak again, part of a pioneering study

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Massachusetts man has regained his voice after surgeons removed his cancerous larynx and, in a pioneering move, replaced it with a donated one.

https://apnews.com/article/larynx-voice-box-transplant-mayo-4feb9cb71dcb9c38837169344730832e?

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Biden's "moonshot" injection

President Biden praised the "incredible" developments he saw in New Orleans as part of his $150 million in awards for the cancer "moonshot" program, Axios New Orleans co-author Carlie Kollath Wells reports.

Why it matters: Tulane University is getting $22.9 million to invent new imaging systems that will allow surgeons to see in real time if they removed all cancer cells while their patients are still under anesthesia.

• The goal is to reduce the turnaround from days down to 10 minutes within the next five years, said Quincy Brown, the lead researcher on Tulane's project called MAGIC-SCAN.

Zoom in: The Bidens' daughter, Ashley, graduated from Tulane in 2004 with a degree in anthropology.

• "It's an honor to be back at Tulane without having to pay tuition," the president joked to dignitaries and researchers.
• "Every time a kid or grandchild graduates, it's a pay raise."

 

Biden announces $150 million in research grants as part of his ‘moonshot’ push to fight cancer

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — President Joe Biden is zeroing in on the policy goals closest to his heart now that he’s no longer seeking a second term, visiting New Orleans on Tuesday to promote his administration’s “moonshot” initiative aiming to dramatically reduce cancer deaths.

https://apnews.com/article/biden-cancer-moonshot-new-orleans-event-df375e5e4dd1511276710b192bad9c0a?

 

Cancer research

 

President Joe Biden made a major cancer funding announcement Tuesday in his first official trip since dropping out of the 2024 race. The "Cancer Moonshot" program, founded while Biden was vice president and bolstered with billions in new funding since 2022, aims to provide cutting-edge research to halve the number of cancer deaths in the coming decades. Biden highlighted $150 million in new research awards to eight organizations, including $23 million to Tulane University — the backdrop for the announcement. This comes as the White House is working to disburse as much funding as allowable under current programs, with uncertainty looming in November. The topic of the trip was also personal for the president: His eldest son Beau Biden died at age 46 in 2015 after battling brain cancer.

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Volunteers build backyard playsets for St. Cloud, Orlando children fighting cancer

Foundation building nearly 80 across nation over next 3 days — including 13 in Florida

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/09/11/volunteers-build-backyard-playsets-for-st-cloud-orlando-children-fighting-cancer/?

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Toxic warning

Black-colored plastic used in toys, food containers and kitchen utensils may contain alarming levels of a dangerous flame retardant, according to a new study. People with high levels of those chemicals in their blood were much more likely to die from cancer, research previously found.

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AI fuels cancer breakthroughs

Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios

AI and other new technologies are ushering in a revolution in cancer care, Axios Future of Health Care author Caitlin Owens reports. AI tools are going to "start generating much more patient-specific insights," former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said. "And that's really the future." The big picture: The holy grail of cancer treatment is precision medicine — care tailored to a patient's unique manifestation of the disease. Getting there requires better insight into each patient's cancer, more sophisticated tools to help match it to the right treatment, and the ability to do that work at scale — and at a price patients and insurance companies can handle. All that is happening, or at least getting closer. Go deeper.

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Cancer treatments jump among young adults

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Cancer treatment rates jumped among adults younger than 50 between 2020 and 2023, Axios' Tina Reed writes from a FAIR Health analysis. Why it matters: The report reflects a puzzling rise in the rates of certain cancers, such as colorectal cancer, among younger patients. The most common types of cancer among younger adults include cancer of the skin, breast and thyroid. Keep reading ...

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US health panel adds self-testing option for cervical cancer screening

Women should have the option of taking their own test samples for cervical cancer screening, an influential health panel said Tuesday.

https://apnews.com/article/cervical-cancer-pap-test-hpv-4fca6f6072531a976a27cf369878fb59?

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Some breast cancer patients can avoid certain surgeries, studies suggest

Some early breast cancer patients can safely avoid specific surgeries, according to two studies exploring ways to lessen treatment burdens.

https://apnews.com/article/breast-cancer-treatment-surgery-dcis-lymph-nodes-983e2835a4ecd1f90f53105a5bab4bb9?

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Surgeon General calls for new label on drinks to warn Americans of alcohol’s cancer risk

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alcohol is a leading cause of cancer, a risk that should be clearly labeled on drinks Americans consume, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy proposed on Friday.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/01/03/surgeon-general-calls-for-label-on-drinks-warn-alcohol-cancer-risk/?

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How Drinking Alcohol Raises Cancer Risk

You probably know that smoking and getting too much sun can give you cancer. But you may not realize the dangers of cancer from tipping back wine, beer, or cocktails. In fact, 7 out of 10 Americans are unaware of the link.

https://www.webmd.com/cancer/cancer-alcohol-cancer-link?

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‘We’re seeing a change’

Cancer diagnoses are shifting from older to younger adults and from men to women, according to a new American Cancer Society report. It appears that breast and thyroid cancers in women are driving this trend.

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Does This Cause Cancer? & Lower Your Risk of Cancer

Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on August 28, 2023 Written by Marcia Wade

https://www.webmd.com/cancer/ss/does-this-cause-cancer

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Guide to Head and Neck Cancers

Medically Reviewed by Jabeen Begum, MD on August 28, 2023

https://www.webmd.com/cancer/ss/slideshow-head-neck-cancers?

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Renal Cell Carcinoma

What Is Renal Cell Carcinoma?

It's the most common type of kidney cancer. Although it’s a serious disease, finding and treating it early makes it more likely that you’ll be cured. No matter when you’re diagnosed, you can do certain things to ease your symptoms and feel better during your treatment.

https://www.webmd.com/cancer/renal-cell-carcinoma?

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Blood and Bone Marrow Cancer

Bone marrow cancer is a form of cancer that starts in the spongy tissue -- the marrow -- inside your bones. Marrow’s main job is to make blood cells.

Blood cancer is when abnormal cells in the bone marrow grow out of control, disrupting how many blood cells your body makes. Blood cancer affects how your blood cells form and function, mostly starting in the bone marrow. In some conditions, your bone marrow makes abnormal white blood cells that don’t die when they should, outnumbering normal cells and making it hard for your blood to fight infections, carry oxygen, or control bleeding.

https://www.webmd.com/cancer/multiple-myeloma/what-is-bone-cancer?

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What Is Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia?

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a cancer that affects a type of white blood cell called a "lymphocyte."

https://www.webmd.com/cancer/lymphoma/chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia-rare?

What Is Mantle Cell Lymphoma?

Mantle cell lymphoma is a cancer of white blood cells, which help your body fight infections.

https://www.webmd.com/cancer/lymphoma/mantle-cell-lymphoma?

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Lung Cancer Risks: Myths and Facts

Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on October 14, 2024

https://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/ss/slideshow-lung-cancer-risks?

[Joe Knapp]

Cancer in Asia is much lower than North America.  I wonder why that is.

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On 3/21/2025 at 3:05 PM, Joe Knapp said:

Cancer in Asia is much lower than North America.  I wonder why that is.

I would imagine it might have to do with the amount of red meat eating we do here. I remember reading an article once about Japan not having this problem until they got more into eating red meat?? Obviously there are other things too!!