A relatively new drug is boosting survival rates for women with a specific type of advanced breast cancer who haven’t responded to other treatments, according to a pair of clinical trials. The targeted antibody drug — trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd, sold under the brand name Enhertu) — dramatically outperformed an older antibody drug in one trial,…  read on >  read on >

An experimental therapy that uses the body’s own immune system cells may beat a standard treatment for patients with advanced melanoma, a new clinical trial finds. Researchers found that the therapy doubled the amount of time melanoma patients lived without their skin cancer progressing, versus a long-used drug called ipilimumab (Yervoy). The approach, called tumor-infiltrating…  read on >  read on >

THURSDAY, Dec. 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Lasik eye surgery is a common vision-correcting procedure that many Americans view as safe and effective, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has now drafted guidance that warns of potential complications. Although many patients are happy with the results after surgery, the recommended new guidance says complications…  read on >  read on >

Statins may do more than help your heart: New research shows the cholesterol-lowering drugs may also lower your risk for a bleeding stroke. An intracerebral hemorrhage, which involves bleeding in the brain, comprises about 15% to 30% of strokes, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. It is also the most deadly. With this…  read on >  read on >

A proposed U.S. federal ban on menthol cigarettes doesn’t go far enough and needs to include other menthol products, from pipe tobacco to cigarette tubes, researchers say. New evidence shows both the appeal and the addiction potential of these substitutes in adults who smoke menthol cigarettes, said scientists from Rutgers University Center for Tobacco Studies…  read on >  read on >

The antiviral Paxlovid has kept people from getting really sick and dying from COVID-19 since it became available — at no cost to them. But by the middle of next year, the U.S. government will stop subsidizing the medication. Instead, it will be billed for like many other medications. While the Biden administration has paid…  read on >  read on >

Many Americans believe that suicide rates spike every time the holiday season comes around. There’s just one catch: It’s not true. Yet, a new analysis reveals that 56% of stories published last year in U.S. newspapers that touched on a potential connection between the holidays and suicide perpetuated the falsehood. Only 44% debunked the notion.…  read on >  read on >