Article
Top news of the day from across the health care landscape.
A new study published in JAMA found that although men account for approximately 1% or less of breast cancer diagnoses in the United States, they have a 19% higher mortality rate than women with breast cancer, STAT reported. According to the article, the researchers examined data on mortality rates from more than 1.8 million women and 16,025 men who were diagnosed with breast cancer. The results of the study further enforce the need for more research into the biological features and tailored treatments in men with breast cancer, the article reported.
The US Department of Health and Human Services is urging physicians to avoid abruptly stopping opioid prescriptions for patients with chronic pain, The Associated Press reported. According to the article, the agency published a guide in the Journal of the American Medical Association that calls for slow, voluntary reductions of opioid doses to improve quality of life without worsening pain. The guide was issued to combat misinterpretations of previous cautions about opioids that have harmed some patients, the article reported.
Updated data from the CDC revealed that 26 individuals have died from vaping-related illnesses, The Hill reported. According to the article, a total of 1299 confirmed or probable lung injury cases related to vaping have been reported to the CDC thus far, an increase from the 219 cases from figures released last week. The reported deaths were confirmed in 21 states, including 3 in California, 2 in Georgia, and 2 in Kansas, the article reported.