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Federal health officials on Monday outlined a new framework aimed at helping to implement the White House “Cancer Moonshot” initiative. One of the main goals of the Moonshot initiative is to reduce cancer mortality by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years. To accomplish that, the new National Cancer Plan includes eight distinct goals to prevent cancer, reduce mortality and maximize quality of life for people living with it.  (Weixel, 4/3)

The eight goals listed in the plan include: prevent cancer; detect cancers early; develop effective treatments; eliminate inequities; deliver optimal care; engage every person; maximize data utility; and optimize the workforce. (4/3)

Genetic markers have been shown to predict a person’s likelihood of developing various types of cancer. Now, researchers believe that new artificial intelligence (AI) tools could make it easier and faster for doctors to detect those indicators. A team of neurosurgeons and engineers at the University of Michigan announced last week that their new AI-based diagnostic tool, DeepGlioma, is capable of pinpointing genetic mutations in brain tumors during surgery within just 90 seconds. (Rudy, 4/3)

An Easter sweets staple is under fire for a concerning ingredient. Peeps are currently being called out for containing Red Dye 3, a known carcinogen, according to studies by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This includes Peeps Pink Marshmallow Chicks, Peeps Pink Marshmallow Bunnies, Peeps Lavender Marshmallow Chicks and Peeps Lavender Marshmallow Bunnies, according to Consumer Reports. (Stabile, 4/3)

Colleen Kennedy, a retired medical assistant, was prepared for the annihilation of chemotherapy and radiation treatment for stage-three lung cancer. She hadn’t expected the hiccup fits that started about halfway through her first treatment round. They left her gasping for air and sent pain ricocheting through her already tender body.  At times, they triggered her gag reflex and made her throw up. After they subsided, she felt tired, sore, breathless—as if she’d just finished a tough workout. They were, Kennedy, now 54, told me, “nothing compared to what we would consider normal hiccups at all.” They lasted for nearly a year. (Renault, 4/3)

Fewer patients across the country are getting screened regularly for breast cancer since a change in guidelines in 2009. That’s true even for the 50- to 74-year-old age group for whom a biennial or annual mammogram is still recommended. The rate for that age group dropped by an average of 4.5 percentage points across the 50 U.S. states from 2009 to 2018, according to a study recently published by University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine researchers. That translates to around 2.4 million fewer patients in the targeted age group who are not getting screened regularly, they estimate. (Fountain, 4/4)