Is an Elusive U.S. Total Ban on Asbestos Finally in Sight?

THURSDAY, July 11, 2019 -- A new U.S. government rule on asbestos is at best a toothless measure against the cancer-causing material, critics charge.

The rule, laid out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), went into effect in June. The agency says it was designed to strengthen decades-old public health protections.

Sugary Sodas, Juices Tied to Higher Cancer Risk

WEDNESDAY, July 10, 2019 -- It's long been known that sugary drinks help people pack on unwanted pounds. But new research suggests that sweetened sodas, sports drinks and even 100% fruit juice might raise your risk for some cancers.

The study couldn't prove cause and effect, but it found that drinking as little as 3 to 4 ounces of sugary drinks each day was tied to an 18% rise in overall risk for cancer.

Cancer Risk Rises After Iodine Rx for Overactive Thyroid: Study

MONDAY, July 1, 2019 -- Patients who receive radioactive iodine treatment for an overactive thyroid have an increased long-term risk of cancer death, new research finds.

The study couldn't prove cause-and-effect, but "we identified a clear dose-response relationship between this widely used treatment and long-term risk of death from solid cancer, including breast cancer, in the largest cohort study to date of patients treated for hyperthyroidism," said lead author Cari Kitahara. She's with the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI).

A New Way to Fight a Previously 'Inoperable' Pancreatic Cancer

THURSDAY, May 30, 2019 -- A new treatment protocol for locally advanced pancreatic cancer can enable surgical removal of previously inoperable tumors and improve survival rates, according to a new study.

"Locally advanced" pancreatic cancer is confined to the pancreas, but the tumor still involves major abdominal blood vessels and usually cannot be removed by surgery.

Aggressive Uterine Cancer on the Rise, Especially in Blacks: Study

TUESDAY, May 28, 2019 -- There's been a steep uptick in aggressive uterine cancers among American women, especially black women, since 2000, a new study shows.

It also found that black women with these aggressive cancers have lower survival rates than other women.

Blood Test Could Spot Multiple Cancer Types, Researchers Say

WEDNESDAY, May 29, 2019 -- A gene-based blood test can accurately detect breast, colorectal, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, gastric or bile duct cancers in patients, researchers report.

The test uses artificial intelligence to identify and interpret "fragments" of DNA in the blood that indicate the presence of cancer, explained researchers led by Dr. Victor Velculescu. He helps direct the Cancer Biology Program at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore.