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A Pentagon study has found high rates of cancer among military pilots and, for the first time, shows that ground crews who fuel, maintain and launch those aircraft are also getting sick. The data had long been sought by retired military aviators who have raised alarms for years about the number of those they knew who had cancer. In its yearlong study of almost 900,000 service members who flew on or worked on military aircraft between 1992 and 2017, the Pentagon found significantly higher rates of melanoma, thyroid, brain, prostate and breast cancers. The findings now require an even larger review to try to identify the causes.

Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic says she has cancer. The Minneapolis Democrat said in a statement Tuesday that she had an abnormal Pap smear in late December and underwent further tests. She said her doctors on Friday recommended that she should have surgery on Monday to remove a cancerous tumor. She says the surgery was a success. She says she plans to return to the Capitol soon, but will continue to lead Senate Democrats and serve her district remotely in the meantime. And she says regular check-ups are key to early detection and prevention of the spread of cancer.

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A Rhode Island woman who pretended to be a sick Marine veteran to collect about $300,000 in benefits, charitable contributions, and donations has been sentenced in a federal court to nearly six years in prison. Sarah Jane Cavanaugh was also ordered to pay full restitution. Prosecutors say Cavanaugh was a social worker at a Rhode Island veterans’ hospital who used stolen patient information to pass herself off as a decorated Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and got cancer after exposure to burn pits and from inhaling particulate matter from a bomb explosion during those tours.

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The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing the first federal limits on harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water, saying it could prevent thousands of illnesses. A toxic group of compounds knowns as PFAS is linked to health issues including low birthweight and cancer. The EPA proposes limiting two common types of the compounds to 4 parts per trillion, the lowest level that tests can detect. EPA Administrator Michael Regan says communities “have suffered far too long” from PFAS pollution. Environmentalists praise Tuesday's proposal as a long-awaited public health protection, but water providers warned of possible rate hikes. The proposal would also regulate four other types of PFAS.

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Pfizer is spending about $43 billion to reach deeper into new cancer treatments that target tumor cells while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. The pharmaceutical giant said Monday it will pay $229 in cash for each share of Seagen Inc. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla says his company then plans to let the biotech drug developer continue innovating, except with more resources than it would have alone. Seagen's key products use lab-made proteins called monoclonal antibodies that seek out cancer cells to help deliver a cancer-killing drug while sparing surrounding tissue.

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First lady Jill Biden visited a medical center in New Orleans to stress the importance of cancer research. Friday's trip comes a day after President Joe Biden proposed a budget that contains $2.8 billion to fight cancer. The Democratic president’s overall budget plan has been roundly criticized by Republicans and won’t make it intact through Congress. But Biden is hoping the fight against cancer will find bipartisan support. Joining the first lady at the Louisiana Cancer Research Center was U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician. He joined his fellow Republicans a day earlier in criticizing the overall budget plan.

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U.S. women getting mammograms will soon receive information about their breast density because of new government rules. The regulations were announced Thursday. They are intended to raise awareness of cancer risk among women with dense breasts, which can sometimes make cancerous growths harder to spot. The change from the Food and Drug Administration standardizes the information given to millions of women following scans to detect breast cancer. Regulators first proposed the change in 2019. Health care providers will have 18 months to comply with the policy. Some states already require that women receive information on breast density. The FDA rules direct health professionals to provide specific information about breast density and risk.

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President Joe Biden is requesting more than $2.8 billion in the federal budget proposal he's sending to Congress to help advance his cancer-fighting goals. That's according to White House officials, who shared details with The Associated Press before Biden unveils the proposal Thursday in Philadelphia. More than half of the money, $1.7 billion, would go to the Department of Health and Human Services to fund cancer initiatives across various federal agencies. The Democratic president has set a goal of cutting cancer death rates in half over the next 25 years. The White House officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details of the $2.8 billion request before Thursday's announcement.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will temporarily transfer power to Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan on Monday while he’s under general anesthesia for a colonoscopy. The 58-year-old governor sent a letter Sunday to  the House speaker and Senate president informing them of his plan, as per state law. The transfer will start at 1 p.m. Monday and will remain in effect until he sends the legislative leaders a written declaration that he is again able to discharge his duties. He's expected back in the office Tuesday. Walz says he hopes his procedure serves as encouragement for Minnesotans to seek out preventative care.

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A skin lesion removed from President Joe Biden’s chest last month was a basal cell carcinoma — a common form of skin cancer. That's according to his doctor, who added that no further treatment was required. Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House doctor who has served as Biden’s longtime physician, said Friday that “all cancerous tissue was successfully removed” during the president’s routine physical on Feb. 16. O’Connor says the site of the removal on Biden’s chest has “healed nicely” and the president will continue regular skin screenings as part of his routine health plan.

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Medi-Cal serves more than one-third of the state’s population — offering a dizzying range of care to a diverse population. In the new “Faces of Medi-Cal” series, California Healthline will assess the program’s strengths and weaknesses through the lives and experiences of its enrollees.

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Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas says he is recovering after undergoing cancer surgery in Houston. Castro said in a statement Monday that he underwent successful surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center and that his “prognosis is good."  Castro said he was diagnosed last summer with gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors. He said he will spend several weeks recovering at home in Texas. Castro is a Democrat from San Antonio and was first elected to the U.S. House in 2012. He's currently a member of House committees on Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and the committee on Education and Labor.

His debilitating back pain lasted decades, until a new implant changed everything. The new muscle-stimulating device works by strengthening the multifidus muscle, which is essential for walking, sitting and bending, doctors say. Read more

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