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Unusual treatment shows promise for kids with brain tumors

Unusual treatment shows promise for kids with brain tumors
MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Chief Medical Writer
April 11, 2021
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1of6This 2016 photo provided by the family shows Jake Kestler, center, with his parents, Gallite and Josh, and his sister, Lily, a month before he was diagnosed with brain cancer. Jake received a genetically-modified virus-based treatment for the cancer when he was 12. "He lived for a year and four months after that," long enough to celebrate his bar mitzvah, go with his family to Hawaii and see a brother be born, said his father, Josh Kestler, of Livingston, N.J. Jake's parents started a foundation, Trail Blazers for Kids, to further research. (Family Photo via AP)APShow MoreShow Less

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Immune-boosting drug may help before lung cancer surgery

Immune-boosting drug may help before lung cancer surgery
MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Chief Medical Writer
April 12, 2021
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FILE - This product image provided by Bristol-Myers Squibb shows their drug Opdivo. On Saturday, April 10, 2021, doctors say that the drug, which helps the immune system fight cancer, gave dramatic results when used with chemotherapy before surgery in patients with operable lung tumors. (Bristol-Myers Squibb via AP)AP
A drug that helps the immune system fight cancer gave dramatic results when used with chemotherapy before surgery in patients with operable lung tumors, doctors report.
One out of 4 patients given chemo and the Bristol Myers Squibb drug Opdivo had no signs of cancer remaining once they ultimately had surgery, a study of about 350 such people found.

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US allows 2 more over-the-counter COVID-19 home tests

US allows 2 more over-the-counter COVID-19 home tests
MATTHEW PERRONE, AP Health Writer
April 1, 2021
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FILE - This Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021 file photo shows a BinaxNOW rapid COVID-19 test made by Abbott Laboratories, in Tacoma, Wash. On Wednesday, March 31, 2021, the FDA said Abbott’s BinaxNow and Quidel’s QuickVue tests can now be sold without a prescription for consumers to test themselves repeatedly at home.Ted S. Warren/AP
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials have authorized two more over-the-counter COVID-19 tests that can be used at home to get rapid results.
The move by the Food and Drug Administration is expected to vastly expand the availability of cheap home tests that many experts have advocated since the early days of the outbreak. The announcement late Wednesday comes as U.S. testing numbers continue to slide, even as the number of new coronavirus infections is rising again.

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As endangered birds lose their songs, they can't find mates

As endangered birds lose their songs, they can't find mates
CHRISTINA LARSON, AP Science Writer
March 16, 2021
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1of3This 2016 photo provided by Murray Chambers shows a male regent honeyeater bird in Capertee Valley in New South Wales, Australia. The distinctive black and yellow birds were once common across Australia, but habitat loss since the 1950s has shrunk their population to only about 300 wild birds today. (Murray Chambers via AP)Murray Chambers/APShow MoreShow Less
2of3This 2015 photo provided by Lachlan Hall shows male regent honeyeater birds in Capertee Valley in New South Wales, Australia. The distinctive black and yellow birds were once common across Australia, but habitat loss since the 1950s has shrunk their population to only about 300 wild birds today. (Lachlan Hall via AP)Lachlan L. Hall/APShow MoreShow Less

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Assumptions about hurricane season face winds of change

Bye Alpha, Eta: Greek alphabet ditched for hurricane names
SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer
March 17, 2021
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1of3FILE - This Wednesday, May 27, 2020 satellite image made available by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Bertha approaching the South Carolina coast. On Wednesday, March 17, 2021, a World Meteorological Organization committee plans to discuss whether the Atlantic hurricane season should start on May 15 instead of the traditional June 1. (NOAA via AP)APShow MoreShow Less
2of3FILE - This Oct. 31, 2012 file photo shows destroyed homes left in the wake of Superstorm Sandy in Ortley Beach, N.J. Calling storms hurricanes or in some cases extratropical cyclones _ when a system has a cold core instead _ is a problem because weaker storms can kill with water not wind. People including some officials started to ignore or downplay 2012’s Sandy because it wasn’t a hurricane and lost its tropical characteristic.Mike Groll/APShow MoreShow Less

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No cigar: Interstellar object is cookie-shaped planet shard

No cigar: Interstellar object is cookie-shaped planet shard
MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer
March 17, 2021
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This 2018 illustration provided by William Hartmann and Michael Belton shows a depiction of the Oumuamua interstellar object as a pancake-shaped disk. A study published in March 2021 says the mystery object is likely a remnant of a Pluto-like world and shaped like a cookie. (William Hartmann and Michael Belton via AP)William Hartmann/AP
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Our solar system’s first known interstellar visitor is neither a comet nor asteroid as first suspected and looks nothing like a cigar. A new study says the mystery object is likely a remnant of a Pluto-like world and shaped like a cookie.

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Researchers study impact of pandemic cancer screening pause

Researchers study impact of pandemic cancer screening pause
MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Chief Medical Writer
March 16, 2021
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1of3This February 2021 photo shows Stacy Hill, 48, of Philadelphia. After she lost her job and health insurance, a colonoscopy revealed two growths that were caught before they turned cancerous. “I was shocked,” Hill said. “I’m a proactive-type person so I was glad to know.” Doctors also helped her enroll in Medicaid, “so now I have medical insurance” and can continue getting cancer screenings, she said. (Stacy Hill via AP)Stacy Hill/APShow MoreShow Less
2of3In this Oct. 31, 2020 photo provided by Dr. Carmen Guerra of the University of Pennsylvania, volunteers work at a drive-thru flu shot event in Stenton, Pa., where they also distributed home test kits to detect possible signs of colon cancer. Guerra had a federal grant to increase cancer screening in racially diverse communities and realized that home tests could help fill a gap. (Carmen Guerra via AP)Carmen Guerra/APShow MoreShow Less

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How well do COVID vaccines protect after organ transplant?

A new study raised questions about how well COVID-19 vaccines protect organ transplant...

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Survivors struggle as scientists race to solve COVID mystery

There was no reason to celebrate on Rachel Van Lear’s anniversary. The same day a...

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Health panel expands lung cancer screening for more smokers

Health panel expands lung cancer screening for more smokers
LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer
March 9, 2021
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FILE - This March 28, 2019 photo shows cigarette butts in an ashtray in New York. On Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Lung cancer is the nation’s top cancer killer, causing more than 135,000 deaths each year. Smoking is the chief cause and quitting the best protection.Jenny Kane/AP
More Americans now qualify for yearly scans to detect lung cancer, according to guidelines released Tuesday that may help more Black smokers and women get screened.
Lung cancer is the nation’s top cancer killer, causing more than 135,000 deaths each year. Smoking is the chief cause and quitting the best protection.

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