Trending News Today: Some of Most Common, Deadliest Cancer Types Underfunded

A new Northwestern Medicine study found that many of the deadliest or most common cancers receive the least amount of nonprofit research funding, according to a press release. The study, which is the first to compare nonprofit funding distribution in the United States across cancer types, showed that colon, endometrial, liver and bile duct, cervical, ovarian, pancreatic, and lung cancers were all poorly funded despite their high incidences. In contrast, breast cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, and pediatric cancers were all well-funded, according to the findings.

A recent study suggests that cannabis use may be linked to memory deficits or difficulties with cognitive function, Reuters reported. According to the article, 1121 study participants were interviewed about any history of drug use, tested for evidence of use, and then underwent neuropsychological evaluations. Overall, participants who had tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol scored worse on tests of so-called episodic memory and of mental processing speed, the article reported.

A new assessment model may help predict venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with multiple myeloma who are being treated with immunomodulatory drugs, The American Journal of Managed Care reported. According to the article, the researchers studied 2397 patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registries and linked Medicare databases, as well as 1251 patients from the Veterans Health Administration. Overall, the researchers identified 5 common risk factors: a prior history of VTE, surgery within 90 days, being 80 years of age or older, high steroid dose, and non-Asian race.