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TUESDAY, Jan. 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- New research reveals an encouraging trend: Despite the rate of suicide rising overall for Americans, U.S. cancer patients are actually less likely now to take their own life than in the past.

Researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) tracked national data on causes of death among Americans for the years 1999 through 2018...

As clinics closed for non-essential care and patients' COVID-19 fears kept them from check-ups, the United States saw a steep drop in cancer screenings and diagnoses during the first peak of the pandemic, a new report finds.

Researchers analyzed data on how many patients underwent cancer screening tests -- procedures such as mammograms, colonoscopies, Pap tests, PSA blood tests for prost...

Improved lung cancer treatment is a major reason for the 31% decline in cancer death rates in the United States between 1991 and 2018, including a record 2.4% decrease from 2017 to 2018, the American Cancer Society says.

How the COVID-19 pandemic will affect this downward trend is unknown, the society noted.

"The impact of COVID-19 on cancer diagnoses and outcomes at the population...

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6, 2021 -- In extremely rare instances, newborns can contract cancer from their pregnant moms during delivery, a new case report suggests.

Two boys, a 23-month-old and a 6-year-old, developed lung cancers that proved an exact genetic match to cervical cancers within their mothers at the time of birth, Japanese researchers report.

It appears that the boys breathed in ...

Cancer survivors are at greater risk of developing another cancer and dying from it, a new study finds.

These new cancers can result from a genetic predisposition, from treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy used to fight the first cancer, as well as from unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking and obesity, according to researchers from the American Cancer Society.

Some of these...

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, many routine cancer screenings were put on hold. Now a new study suggests that lung cancer screenings have yet to rebound.

The findings come from one hospital system, but experts said they add to worries about the pandemic's impact on cancer care.

In the spring, when many U.S. hospitals were overrun with COVID-19 patients and stay-at...

Nearly 15% of talc-based cosmetic products analyzed in a recent study contained asbestos.

Environmental Working Group (EWG) -- an American advocacy nonprofit that commissioned the tests and did the analysis -- said methods used by the cosmetics industry to screen talc supplies are inadequate. The voluntary testing method developed by industry is not sensitive enough to screen for asbestos...

Women have higher survival rates after lung cancer surgery than men, according to a new study.

Previous research on sex differences in survival after lung cancer treatment has yielded conflicting results, so researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden decided to study the association between gender and survival after lung cancer surgery.

"The health care sector is always striv...

Social and financial struggles are common among Black American cancer survivors and take a heavy toll on their health-related quality of life, according to a new study.

Health-related quality of life among cancer survivors -- how a person perceives their mental, physical and social well-being -- tends to be significantly lower among Black Americans than in other groups.

In this stud...

Lung cancer patients who harbor certain bacteria in the airways may have a poorer prognosis, a new study finds, adding to evidence that the body's "microbiome" may play a role in cancer patients' outlook.

The microbiome refers to the trillions of bacteria and other microbes that naturally dwell in the body. Research in recent years has been revealing how important those bugs are to the bo...

Expanded Medicaid passed in some states as part of the Affordable Care Act has significantly reduced deaths from newly diagnosed breast, lung and colon cancers, a new study finds.

Death rates from these cancers are lower in states that opted for expanded Medicaid than in those that didn't. The positive trend is largely due to earlier diagnosis, which increases the odds of survival, t...

A newly approved drug for the leading form of the number one cancer killer, lung cancer, does improve patient survival, a new study confirms.

The immunotherapy drug Tecentriq (atezolizumab) was approved earlier this year by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat patients with newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), which comprise up to 85% of all lung tumors.<...

Blood pressure drugs don't increase the risk of cancer, according to the largest study to examine the issue.

A possible link between blood pressure drugs and cancer has been the subject of debate for decades, but evidence has been inconsistent and conflicting.

For this study, researchers analyzed data from 31 clinical trials of blood pressure drugs that involved 260,000 peop...

Even light smokers are much more likely to die of lung disease or lung cancer than nonsmokers, a new study warns.

"Everyone knows that smoking is bad for you, but it's easy to assume that if you only smoke a little, the risks won't be too high," said study co-leader Pallavi Balte, of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, in New York City.

The new study shows how wrong ...

Fewer Americans have been dying of lung cancer in recent years -- partly because of advances in treatment, a new government study finds.

The researchers found that after a gradual decline, lung cancer deaths in the United States started to drop more quickly in 2013. That coincided with the introduction of new "targeted" drugs that can more precisely go after certain lung tumors.

As COVID-19 continues to impact nearly all aspects of American health care, researchers warn that the United States has seen a troubling drop in cancer diagnoses since the pandemic began.

The drop is not being attributed to a downturn in cancer incidence, but rather a COVID-driven reluctance to get screened.

"Our research found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, between Marc...

Scientists are working on a blood test that may catch five common cancers years sooner than current methods.

The blood test, which is still experimental, hunts for certain genetic "signatures" associated with tumors. Researchers found that it can detect five types of cancer -- colon, esophageal, liver, lung and stomach -- up to four years earlier, compared to routine medical care.

Irene Johnson noticed a big, blue bus bearing the words "Breathe Easy" outside the Benton, Tenn., library during the 2019 Labor Day weekend.

Inside, a librarian told Johnson that the bus was a mobile CT unit that travels around screening smokers for lung cancer.

Former longtime smokers, both Johnson and her husband, Karl, fit the criteria for getting screened, so they decide...

CT scans have been proven to help spot lung cancer early and save lives. Now, updated expert recommendations could double the number of Americans who are eligible for the yearly screening.

The recommendations -- from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) -- would expand the definition of "high risk" for lung cancer. That's expected to not only increase the number of people ...

Smoking is terrible for your heart and lungs, and simply switching to e-cigarettes won't do much good, a major new analysis finds.

That's especially true now amid the COVID-19 pandemic, experts added.

The only truly healthy way out for nicotine addicts is quitting, said a team led by Thomas Münzel, a cardiologist at University Medical Center in Mainz, Germany. His team...

MONDAY, June 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The drug Tagrisso could offer hope to patients battling a form of lung cancer that typically hits people with little or no history of smoking, a new trial finds.

Taken after surgery to remove the lung tumor, Tagrisso (osimertinib) greatly extended the average survival of people battling a non-metastatic form of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCL...

The human body is teeming with bacteria, and a new study finds the same is true of many cancers -- raising questions about what role microbes might play in the diseases.

Researchers have already known that tumors in certain areas of the body -- like the gut -- harbor bacteria of their own. But the new research reveals that a range of cancers, including those of the breast, lungs, bone...

Nonsmokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a greater risk for lung cancer, a new study indicates.

In fact, their risk is similar to that of smokers without chronic lung disease, researchers found.

COPD includes respiratory conditions that narrow the airways, such as bronchitis and emphysema. Smoking is the leading cause of both COPD and lung cancer.

A simple blood test for dozens of cancers is in the works.

Researchers say their test can detect more than 50 kinds of cancer at early stages and pinpoint their location in the body.

"If these findings are validated, it will be feasible to consider how this test might be incorporated into a broader cancer screening strategy," said lead researcher Dr. Michael Seiden, preside...

Early findings involving cancer patients from Wuhan, China -- the original epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic -- suggest that many contracted the coronavirus while undergoing treatment in the hospital.

That could mean that this vulnerable population might need to discuss delaying cancer care to help minimize their odds of infection, the study authors said.

"We propose that a...

New treatments for melanoma have dramatically reduced deaths from this often fatal skin cancer.

Leaders of a new study report that the death rate from aggressive melanoma that spread to other organs plummeted 18% between 2013 and 2016, after jumping 7.5% between 1986 and 2013. The figures apply to white Americans, the group that accounts for nearly all cases of melanoma in th...

People with a history of certain cancers have more than double the risk for the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation, a new study says.

A-fib is a common disorder that can lead to palpitations, dizziness and fatigue. Untreated, it can cause blood clots, stroke and heart failure, and people with a-fib have five times the risk of stroke than other people.

"When we looked ...

Black and Hispanic Americans are less likely than whites to receive recommended lung cancer imaging, a new study claims.

PET-CT imaging is recommended because it provides doctors the best possible picture of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which helps determine the best treatment for the patient.

The University of Colorado Cancer Center study examined PET-CT use and outc...

Low-dose chest CT scans don't appear to damage human DNA, a new study shows.

The U.S.-based National Lung Screening Trial, conducted between 2002 and 2010 and involving more than 53,000 heavy and former smokers, revealed that these chest scans can significantly cut lung cancer deaths compared to chest X-rays. They do so by finding cancers at an earlier stage, researchers explained.

Regular exercise can benefit black cancer survivors' physical and mental health, but most don't get the recommended amount of activity, a new study says.

Cancer survivors should get at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

For most cancers, black patients have a higher risk of dying from their diseas...

A new Dutch study is being hailed as proof of the need for annual CT screenings of former and current longtime smokers to reduce deaths from lung cancer.

Dr. Debra Dyer, a spokeswoman for the American College of Radiology and chair of radiology at National Jewish Health in Denver, called the findings "wonderful news."

"There's no doubt about the effectiveness" of annual CT ...

Combining an imaging technology with a new drug that "lights up" lung cancer cells may help surgeons spot hidden bits of cancer, a new study suggests.

The small, preliminary study found that the new combo -- dubbed intraoperative molecular imaging (IMI) -- helped improve outcomes in surgeries of 1 out of 4 patients.

The drug used in IMI is called OTL38. The drug isn't yet ...

An immune system that's not functioning normally may lead to lung cancer in patients who don't smoke, a new study suggests.

"A strong immune system helps to keep inflammation under control and chronic inflammation is known to promote cancer," said co-author Rayjean Hung.

"Our research suggests that it's underlying dysfunction of immune regulation that can lead to lung cance...

A 29% drop in U.S. cancer deaths between 1991 and 2017 was driven by declines in deaths from four major cancers -- lung, colon, breast and prostate, according to the latest American Cancer Society (ACS) annual report.

Cancer deaths in the United States fell 2.2% between 2016 and 2017, the largest-ever single-year decrease.

That record drop was spurred by a rapid decl...

Obesity is seldom a friend to health, but in one medical context it might give patients a slight advantage, new research suggests.

Specifically, when Australian researchers looked at trials of atezolizumab, an immune system-based treatment for lung cancer, they found that the drug worked better in people who were overweight.

The trial involved more than 2,100 people with th...

Nikki Moreno had spent nearly a year struggling for breath, and nothing seemed to help.

Not the inhalers, not the antibiotics and other drugs. Nothing seemed to help her breathe, and nothing got rid of her constant cough.

It finally got so bad that she landed in the emergency room at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica.

Moreno was not prepared for the series of sho...

Natural compounds added to marijuana-derived vaping liquid produce toxic chemicals in the vapor that users inhale, a new lab study reports.

The compounds, known as terpenes, are added into pure THC distillations to dilute the product and provide the vapor with aroma and taste, said senior researcher Robert Strongin, a professor of organic chemistry at Portland State University in Ore...

Depression is common among lung cancer patients and can damage their quality of life and treatment outcomes, a new study indicates.

The findings suggest that doctors should screen lung cancer patients for depression and refer them for mental health care if necessary, said lead author Barbara Andersen, a professor of psychology at Ohio State University in Columbus.

"Depressio...

An epidemic of vaping by American teenagers shows no signs of stopping, with 2019 data finding more than a quarter (27.5%) of high school students using e-cigarettes.

The rate was somewhat lower, but still troubling, among middle school kids -- about 1 in every 10 vaped, according to new research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And just as happ...

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was discharged from the hospital on Sunday after being admitted on Friday with chills and a fever.

The news of her recovery and return home was issued by a court spokeswoman, ABC News reported.

The 86-year-old was first evaluated on Friday at a hospital in Washington, D.C., after feeling unwell. She was then transferred to The...

Here's some worrisome news for folks who manage to survive a heart attack: New research suggests they might be far more vulnerable to developing cancer down the road.

People who suffered a heart health scare -- a heart attack, heart failure or a dangerously erratic heart rhythm -- had a more than sevenfold increased risk for subsequently developing cancer, compared to those with healt...

More Americans are surviving lung cancer in recent years, but very few people at high risk are getting the recommended screening.

Those are the highlights from the latest "State of Lung Cancer" report from the American Lung Association (ALA), published Nov. 13.

There are positive trends, including the survival numbers: Compared with a decade ago, the five-year survival rate ...

Only two-thirds of lung cancer patients in the United States get the minimal recommended treatment, a new study finds.

And race and age appear to play a role in who gets the best care, the researchers said.

Black patients were only 78% as likely to receive the minimum care, compared with white patients, the findings showed. Meanwhile, those aged 80 and older were onl...

Could a person's risk for lung cancer someday be determined with a quick swab of the nose?

If the preliminary findings of a new study are any indication, it's a distinct possibility.

The experimental nasal swab relies on the fact that most lung cancer patients are current and former smokers. It's meant to be a noninvasive means of separating high-risk patients from low-risk ...

Rising rates of obesity and diabetes could be pushing up rates of pancreatic cancer across the globe, a new report suggests.

Global rates of colon cancer are also on the rise, although fewer cases are now proving deadly, researchers said.

Colon cancer rates and pancreatic cancer deaths rose by 10% worldwide between 1990 and 2017, according to a new study of global trends...

As concerns about baby powder being contaminated with asbestos mount, a new study finds a link between such contamination and a rare and deadly cancer.

A group of 33 people developed mesothelioma after long-term use of talcum powder and no exposure to other sources of asbestos, the report stated.

"All of them had significant exposure to talcum powder," said lead researcher D...

Even light smoking causes long-term damage to lungs, researchers warn.

In a new study, they compared lung function -- how much air a person can breathe in and out -- from more than 25,000 people. The analysis included nonsmokers, light smokers (fewer than five cigarettes a day) and heavy smokers (more than 30 cigarettes a day).

The light smokers' lung function declined at a ...

The nicotine in e-cigarette vapor appears to cause cancer in mice, a new lab study suggests.

The proportion of mice who developed lung cancer after a year's exposure to nicotine-laced e-cigarette vapor was about four times that of mice who breathed only filtered air, the researchers found.

Mice exposed to the nicotine vapor were even more likely to develop pre-cancerous grow...

A tuberculosis vaccine commonly used in other parts of the world might reduce a person's risk of developing lung cancer if given early in childhood, a six-decade-long study reports.

The Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is the only vaccine approved for preventing tuberculosis (TB) -- a potentially fatal infectious disease that typically attacks the lungs. Because TB risk is low i...

If you are a senior who is poor or from a minority group, the chances may be higher that you could receive a cancer diagnosis in the emergency room, a new study suggests.

Cancer is typically diagnosed by a specialist, but 20% to 50% of cancers are only caught during an ER visit, researchers said.

"Emergency room detection of cancer provides a window to understanding ...