Tattoo-lymphoma connection discovered, but cancer experts cast doubt on findings
The researchers found “no evidence that tattoos increased the risk.” On the other hand, patients in England will take part in a study to see if the cancer vaccine is as promising as they hope in killing cancer cells and preventing disease recurrence.
CNN: New study points to a possible link between tattoos and lymphoma, but experts say more research is needed
A Swedish study found a possible link between tattoos and a type of cancer called malignant lymphoma, but ultimately more research is needed on the topic, and cancer experts say the possible connection is overstated. (Christensen, 5/30)
The Guardian: Patients in England to be offered trial of world’s first cancer vaccine
Thousands of patients in England will be fast-tracked into groundbreaking trials of personalised cancer vaccines in a revolutionary world-first NHS “matchmaking” scheme set to save lives. The game-changing vaccines, which aim to provide a permanent cure, are custom-made for each patient in just a few weeks. They are tailored to the individual’s tumour and work by telling their body to hunt down and kill any cancer cells and prevent the disease returning. (Gregory, 5/30)
FiercePharma: Gilead’s Trodelvy suffers a double whammy as bladder cancer trial failure raises concerns over premature deaths
In the span of half a year, Gilead Sciences’ Trodelvy has failed a second phase 3 trial. After a high-profile setback in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in January, Gilead said on Thursday that Trodelvy also failed to move the needle in a bladder cancer study. The TROP2-directed antibody-drug conjugate did not outperform single-agent chemotherapy in extending the lives of urothelial cancer patients who had tried prior treatment with chemotherapy and PD-1/L1 therapy. (Liu, 5/30)
In mental health news —
New York Times: College students at increased risk of PTSD
Diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder more than doubled among college students between 2017 and 2022, driven most sharply by campus closures and the upheaval in young adults’ lives caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to new research published Thursday. PTSD prevalence rose from 3.4 percent to 7.5 percent during that period, according to the findings. Researchers analyzed responses from more than 390,000 participants in the Healthy Minds Study, an annual web-based survey. (Barry, 5/30)
Military.com: 22 lawmakers request oversight probe of Pentagon’s traumatic brain injury efforts
A large, bipartisan group of lawmakers say they have concerns about how the Pentagon is tracking traumatic brain injuries among troops and whether it’s taking the issue seriously — and they want a government watchdog to keep an eye on it. In a letter shared exclusively with Military.com, 22 members of Congress, led by Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, are urging the Government Accountability Office to review the Pentagon’s efforts to identify, prevent and treat traumatic brain injuries related to soldiers’ exposure to blast pressure, a term used to describe the traumatic effects of ammunition. (Toropin, 5/30)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Atlanta club wants black men to ‘kill their pride’ to save their mental health
Terence Smith used to get angry at happy occasions–birthdays, Christmas time, parties. “Normally, I’m a pretty balanced person. I don’t really get too upset or too frustrated,” says Smith, 40. “But I started getting angry. It seemed so random, and I couldn’t understand it.” (Parker, 5/29)
On the opioid crisis –
Statistics: Opioid addiction treatment policy has shifted away from drug abstinence
Ever since the federal government worked to support substance abuse treatment, it has operated on a simple premise: The goal of addiction treatment is to help people who use drugs quit completely and forever. But with more than 100,000 Americans dying from drug overdoses each year, the Biden administration appears to be changing its stance. (Facher, 5/31)
Axios: America’s drug addiction crisis is affecting the lives of millions
Everyone knows the country’s drug addiction crisis is bad, but even the most horrifying headlines barely scratch the surface. We spend a lot of time talking about drug overdose deaths, which are about twice the number of Americans killed each year in the Vietnam War. But overdose deaths are just one measure of the severity of the drug epidemic — and experts say even the formal toll doesn’t reflect the true extent of drugs’ deadly power. (Owens, 5/31)
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