First proton beam arc therapy in the U.S. for rare cancer; a 6-year sentence for an opioid scheme; Trump administration cuts funding to landmark women’s health initiative – Morning Medical Update

A new step-and-shoot proton arc therapy is the first to be used by physicians and scientists to treat a patient at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan.

^{© Emily Rose Bennett, Corewell Health}

First proton beam arc therapy in the U.S. for rare cancer

A patient in Michigan is the first in the U.S. to be treated with step-and-shoot proton arc therapy, a highly targeted radiation technique developed at Corewell Health. The treatment successfully eliminated her rare salivary gland cancer with virtually no side effects — only minor skin discoloration — nine months post-treatment. The breakthrough offers new hope for hard-to-treat cancers and is paving the way for next-generation therapies like DynamicARC, currently in clinical trials and expected to seek FDA approval next year.

Leader of Philadelphia’s ‘10^th and O Crew’ sentenced for opioid scheme

Michael Procopio, 50, was sentenced to six years in prison for leading a South Philadelphia drug ring that illegally sold prescription oxycodone. As head of the “10th and O Crew,” Procopio sourced pills from local doctors and distributed them through a network of intermediaries. A search of his home uncovered a stash of drugs hidden in a hollowed-out dictionary. Prosecutors say he trafficked the equivalent of up to 100 kilograms of opioids. His conviction adds to growing efforts to curb the street sale of prescription drugs.

Trump administration cuts funding to landmark women’s health study

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will end funding this September for the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), the largest women’s health research effort in U.S. history. The WHI has tracked over 160,000 women since 1991 and produced major findings, including the link between hormone therapy and increased risks of heart disease and breast cancer. With more than 42,000 women still enrolled, researchers warn the move could jeopardize ongoing work on aging, dementia and women’s health — marking a sharp policy shift from the Biden administration’s prior $12 billion research push. Fierce Biotech has more.