Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
American Oncology Network To Be Publicly Traded On NASDAQ
The U.S. is about to have not just one, but two, standalone publicly-traded oncology providers. (Bannow, 10/10)
The oncology provider will be the second of its kind to be publicly traded on NASDAQ as a result of combining with a聽SPAC. The Oncology Institute was the聽first cancer specialist to hit the stock market in November 2021 following its merger with blank-check company DFP Healthcare Acquisitions Corp. (Berryman, 10/10)
In other news about cancer 鈥
It seems like an almost impossible dream 鈥 a cancer vaccine that would protect healthy people at high risk of cancer. Any incipient malignant cells would be obliterated by the immune system. It would be no different from the way vaccines protect against infectious diseases. However, unlike vaccines for infectious diseases, the promise of cancer vaccines has only dangled in front of researchers, despite their arduous efforts. Now, though, many hope that some success may be nearing in the quest to immunize people against cancer. (Kolata, 10/10)
KHN: Miami鈥檚 Little Haiti Joins Global Effort To End Cervical Cancer聽
More than 300,000 women around the world die from cervical cancer each year. In the U.S., women of Haitian descent are diagnosed with it at higher rates than the general population. The disease is preventable, though, due to vaccines and effective treatments for conditions that can precede the cancer. That鈥檚 why health care workers and even the World Health Organization are focusing on Miami鈥檚 Little Haiti to try to save lives. (Zaragovia, 10/11)
KHN: Reporter Follows Up On 鈥楥ancer Moonshot鈥 Progress And The Bias In Digital Health Records聽
KHN correspondent Darius Tahir discussed the latest developments related to the federal 鈥淐ancer Moonshot鈥 initiative on Houston Public Media鈥檚 鈥淭own Square With Ernie Manouse鈥 on Oct. 4. Tahir also discussed how bias can be embedded in medical records on America鈥檚 Heroes Group鈥檚 鈥淩oundtable鈥 on Oct. 1. (10/8)
In related news about environmental health 鈥
On a daily basis, many people in the U.S. could be exposed to a potentially cancer-causing chemical used in the world鈥檚 most common weedkillers. Data shows that people in the Midwest, parts of the South and Colorado have the highest exposure.聽(Jefferies, 10/10)
Most American voters say they want more government and industry protection from toxic chemicals, a new poll has found. Not only do the 1,200 respondents to the survey overwhelmingly want assurances that consumer products are free from harmful chemicals, but they are also willing to pay more for the privilege. In the poll 鈥 commissioned by the University of California, San Francisco鈥檚 (UCSF) Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment 鈥 92 percent of voters agreed that the government should require products to be proven safe before reaching the market, while 63 percent strongly agreed. (Udasin, 10/11)
Ask 10 people how a federal health care agency might tackle 鈥渆nvironmental justice,鈥 and you鈥檒l get 10 answers. The only real uniting thread is that the issues are massive, amorphous, and potentially intractable. Which makes it all the more daunting for the two lone staffers currently detailed to the Office of Environmental Justice, one of whom is set to depart soon. (Owermohle, 10/11)