The way doctors typically approach kidney cancer treatment could be evolving. Two separate studies published Saturday in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that renal cell cancer patients had significantly better outcomes when their treatment combined the targeted therapy drug axitinib, or Inlyta, with an immunotherapy — one study used pembrolizumab, or Keytruda, and…

Facebook is looking into suppressing certain anti-vaccine messaging on its social platform, a move that raises questions about free speech and public health. “We’ve taken steps to reduce the distribution of health-related misinformation on Facebook, but we know we have more to do. We’re currently working with outside experts on additional changes that we’ll be…

Barriers to genetic testing need to fall as knowledge of inherited cancer risks grows, surgeons say. Genetic testing should be made available for all patients diagnosed with breast cancer, according to guidelines published Thursday by the American Society of Breast Surgeons. The professional medical society has more than 3,000 members in the United States and…

Don’t let your guard down: The US flu season is expected to continue for several more weeks, with activity across the nation now elevated, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday. A flu shot is still recommended for those who have neglected to get one, but the CDC estimated this year’s vaccine’s…

Glyphosate, an herbicide that remains the world’s most ubiquitous weed killer, raises the cancer risk of those exposed to it by 41%, a new analysis says. Researchers from the University of Washington evaluated existing studies into the chemical — found in weed killers including Monsanto’s popular Roundup — and concluded that it significantly increases the…

Zei Uwadia, a teenage girl who defied expectations by walking while on life support, has died, according to a Facebook post by her mother. The teen had returned home from Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City on January 31, the day before her 17th birthday, after spending 467 days hospitalized. Zei died “at home, in…

A pharmaceutical company that aggressively marketed a drug to nursing home residents now faces significant financial penalties as the result of an investigation by the Justice Department. Avanir Pharmaceuticals was the subject of a 2017 CNN investigation that found inappropriate and potentially fraudulent use of its main drug Nuedexta in elderly dementia patients since its…

A study published Monday revealed an alarming statistic: Eating a lot of unhealthy, “ultraprocessed” foods may shorten your life. Specifically, researchers found that a 10% increase in the consumption of ultraprocessed foods was significantly associated with a 14% higher risk of death from all causes. Eating a lot of ultraprocessed foods could be a marker…

It’s time to say goodbye to Opportunity. The Mars rover’s team made its last attempt to contact Opportunity on Tuesday night, and it went unanswered. On Wednesday, NASA confirmed that the mission is over. The agency held a news conference to detail the results of recovery efforts since a dust storm encircled Mars last year.…

Officials in Clark County, Washington, publish a list every day of where people infected with measles have been. Among them: busy spots like Concourse D at Oregon’s Portland International Airport on January 7 and the sold-out Portland Trail Blazers’ home game four days later. There’s also a Costco, a Trader Joe’s, numerous schools, day-care centers…