Mental Health | Disparities | Two Pandemics, Cancer Information Highlights, July 22, 2020

Cancer Information Highlights

From the National Cancer Institute

Updating you about cancer causes, prevention, screening, treatment, coping, and more

New from NCI Mental Health Treatment Linked to Improved Cancer Survival   Mental health treatment and other social support may help people who have cancer and a mental health disorder live longer. Read about this finding from a recent study of veterans with lung cancer. Ovarian Cancer Studies Aim to Reduce Racial Disparities   Black women with ovarian cancer tend to not live as long as White women with the disease. NCI has launched three new studies of ovarian cancer to learn more about the causes of racial and ethnic disparities like this. Continuing Our Work in the Time of Two Pandemics NCI’s Dr. Louis Staudt shares his thoughts on the two pandemics in the United States—COVID-19 and racial injustice. Read more about how these two problems are related and how he believes science can help address them. New Drug Approval Furthers the Role of Genomics in Cancer Care   The growing list of approved uses for pembrolizumab now includes treating adults and children with advanced cancer that has large numbers of genetic changes. Learn how this new approval furthers the march toward the use of genomics in cancer treatment. Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI) Enhances NCI Research NCI Director Dr. Norman Sharpless explains this effort to collect and combine data from research on children, teens, and young adults with cancer. Learn how the CCDI will help prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer in these age groups. Tests to Detect Colorectal Cancer and Polyps This page was recently revised. Learn about the methods used to screen for colon and rectal cancers and the benefits and drawbacks of the main screening tests. FDA Approvals New Drug for Breast Cancer We’ve added a new drug summary for Phesgo (pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and hyaluronidase-zzxf). The Food and Drug Administration recently approved it to be used alone or with other drugs to treat certain adults with HER2-positive breast cancer.

Also of Interest Coping with Advanced Cancer This booklet has been updated with information for people who are at the end of life. We also have removed the larger photographs to make it easier to print.