Read today’s Kaiser Health News
In other news:
As Trump eyes coal revival, his job cuts hobble black lung protections for miners:
Summary
Layoffs halt black lung protection programs for miners
NIOSH and MSHA programs suspended amid Trump administration cuts
Miners face increased risk as safety regulations enforcement weakens
About pharma
The top 20 pharma companies by 2024 revenue: For the second straight year, there was no change at the top as No. 1 Johnson & Johnson, No. 2 Roche, No. 3 Merck, No. 4 Pfizer and No. 5 AbbVie each held their positions. Each company delivered modest revenue increases in 2024 of between 3% and 7%.
About the public’s health
Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer From The National Cancer Institute:
Key Points
Overall, from 2018 to 2022, cancer death rates decreased an average of 1.7% per year for men and an average of 1.3% per year for women.
Cancer death rates decreased an average of 1.5% per year from 2001–2022 among children (ages 0-14 years).
Among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) ages 15-39, death rates fell by 2.9% per year from 2001–2005, 1% per year from 2005–2020, and then remained stable from 2020–2022.
Overall cancer mortality declined for over 20 years, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The rate of new cancer cases is higher among men than women. However, the rate has increased for women by 0.3% per year from 2003 through 2021. Rates of new cancer cases among men decreased by 1.6% – 2.2% per year from 2001 through 2013 before stabilizing through 2021.
Rates of new cases and deaths for tobacco-related cancers have been decreasing, but rates for cancers associated with excess body weight have been increasing.
RFK Jr. to announce intent to phase out synthetic food dyes: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is slated to announce an intent to phase out the use of petroleum-based synthetic food dyes in a bid to ramp up pressure on an industry he has often derided.
About healthcare personnel
Physicians and Surgeons From The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Overall employment of physicians and surgeons is projected to grow 4 percent from 2023 to 2033, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 23,600 openings for physicians and surgeons are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
[The statistics are broken down by specialty.]