Metastatic Cancer ‘Thrivers’; Celebrity Cancer Diagnoses; ‘Would He Have Lived?’

Metastatic cancer “thrivers” offer hope and inspiration to others with cancer. (Washington Post)

A California court ordered the Regents of the University of California to pay former UCLA Health oncologist Lauren Pinter-Brown, MD, almost $18 million, including lawyers’ fees, following a finding in favor of the plaintiff in a sex discrimination lawsuit, according to a press release from Pinter-Brown’s attorneys.

Researchers might have identified the specific variant in the TRIM37 gene responsible for the disproportionate incidence of triple-negative breast cancer in Black women. (UC Davis Health)

A novel technology platform allows simultaneous delivery of two cancer drugs to the same tumor site, potentially enhancing anticancer activity. (Tel Aviv University)

Progress toward preventing and relieving treatment-related neuropathy in breast cancer, which disproportionately affects Black women. (News4JAX)

Actor John Reardon, perhaps best known for roles in Hallmark’s holiday movies, talks about his “long road” to recovery from tonsil cancer. (Today)

Doctors estimate that Asma al-Assad, wife of former Syrian dictator Bashir al-Assad, has a 50/50 chance of surviving leukemia. (New York Post)

Spanish music icon Raphael revealed he has primary brain lymphoma. (Hola!)

Former NFL Pro-Bowler Bill Bergey died Christmas Day, 3 years after diagnosis of what has been described as “a form of jaw cancer.” (ESPN)

The FDA has at least temporarily rejected an approval application for subcutaneous amivantamab (Rybrevant) for EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer because of shortcomings found during an inspection of a manufacturing facility, according to a statement from Johnson & Johnson.

And FDA expanded the approval of tislelizumab (Tevimbra) to include first-line treatment for PD-L1-positive gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer in combination with chemotherapy, BeiGene announced.

“Would he have lived?” When insurance companies deny cancer care. (NBC News)

Starting January 1, cancer patients with Medicare will get some financial relief when a $2,000-per-year cap on out-of-pocket medication expenses goes into effect. (NBC News)