Trending News Today: Few Americans Use Cancer Prevention Strategies, Survey Finds

A new survey from the American Society of Clinical Oncology found that only 1 in 4 Americans incorporate cancer prevention into their daily lives, the organization reported in a press release. According to the third annual National Cancer Opinion Survey, which was conducted among 4001 US adults and 1009 adults who have or had cancer, respondents demonstrated low levels of awareness of known cancer risk factors, such as alcohol and obesity. The survey also revealed that nearly 1 in 4 young adults believe e-cigarettes are harmless and not addictive and 3 in 10 think flavored e-cigarettes are less damaging to a person’s health than non-flavored ones, the press release reported.

The FDA has halted Novartis’ clinical trial of onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi (Zolgensma), a gene therapy for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Reuters reported. According to the article, the hold was issued after Novartis told the FDA about findings from an animal study that showed dorsal root ganglia mononuclear cell inflammation, a neurological condition that can sometimes be accompanied by nerve damage or loss. The FDA’s partial hold on the trial affects patients aged up to 5 years with SMA who were to receive a higher dose of the gene therapy via a spinal infusion, the article reported.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced plans to invest at least $100 million over the next 4 years for the development of gene therapies for HIV and sickle cell disease, according to The American Journal of Managed Care. According to the article, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will also contribute $100 million to the goal of advancing these potential cures. The NIH said that this collaboration will focus on identifying potential candidates for cure for preclinical and clinical evaluation and defining long-term opportunities to partner with organizations in Africa, the article reported.