Industry Insights Healthcare: 22/11/24
In this week’s insights, we discuss three of the latest developments in the healthcare industry.
Study discovers genetic factors behind testicular cancer
As we head into the second half of November, we turn our attention to the annual Movember activity, which focusses on increasing awareness of various aspects of men’s health. A recent study published in Nature has presented new gene faults and evolutionary patterns contributing to the development of testicular cancer. The researchers used whole genome sequencing on 60 patient samples from the 100,000 Genomes Project. Key findings that may help improve treatments include new potential cancer drivers, evolutionary trajectories of genome alterations, and a genomic immune mechanism unique to testicular germ cell tumours.
Colorectal cancer rates are rapidly growing among young people
A recent study from the University of Missouri-Kansas City found a substantial rise in colorectal cancer (CRC) cases among younger US populations over the past two decades, with increases of 500% among children aged 10–14, 330% among teens aged 15–19, and 185% among young adults aged 20–24. Despite the low absolute numbers of patients in these groups, clinicians are concerned about the rising trend given the reasons behind it remain unclear. Lifestyle and dietary habits, as well as potential genetic components, likely play a role. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends that adults of average risk, aged 45–75 years, receive regular colonoscopies every 10 years or a CT colonography or flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years.
How quitting smoking affects heart health over time
A large-scale Korean cohort study published in JAMA Cardiology found a dose-dependent association between smoking and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, with the risk decreasing over time after smoking cessation. The study included 5,391,231 participants with complete smoking histories from 2006 to 2008, followed through 2019. The researchers found that light ex-smokers experienced a rapid reduction in CVD risk, with their levels resembling those of never-smokers shortly after quitting, while heavy ex-smokers may require more than 25 years for their CVD risk to approach that of individuals who have never smoked. The researchers emphasised the importance of preventing smoking initiation altogether.
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