FDA approves once-daily pill for deadly cancer after patients' survival rates nearly double

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a new cancer treatment pill on Wednesday.

Rasonque, manufactured by Revolution Medicines in California, is an inhibitor for the most common type of pancreatic cancer. The tablet, which is taken once daily, targets multiple forms of a protein called RAS that drives tumor growth.

In a press release, the FDA called Rasonque a "new treatment option for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer," noting that the agency approved it more than six months ahead of its review deadline.

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"Today’s approval provides a critical new option for patients facing an extraordinarily difficult and historically hard-to-treat cancer. It is our fundamental duty to deliver more cures and meaningful treatments to patients as quickly as possible," said Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas, J.D., in a press release.

"I am immensely proud of the dedicated FDA scientists whose fast, thorough review and relentless commitment made this groundbreaking milestone a reality," he added.

The authorization is for adults with metastatic pancreatic cancer that either did not respond to at least one prior treatment or could not receive certain combination drug therapies.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains one of the deadliest forms of oncology in the U.S., accounting for up to 95% of the roughly 67,000 annual pancreatic cancer cases identified by the National Cancer Institute.

PATIENTS REMAIN CANCER-FREE NEARLY 3 YEARS AFTER RECEIVING EXPERIMENTAL IMMUNOTHERAPY

While the disease makes up only 3.2% of total cancer diagnoses, it causes a disproportionately high number of cancer deaths because it is often found late and can spread quickly.

The new drug was approved after a randomized, open-label trial of 500 patients with pre-treated metastatic disease. Patients taking Rasonque achieved a median overall survival of 13.2 months, nearly double the 6.7-month survival rate seen in the standard chemotherapy control group.

"This drug showed unprecedented results in an area of high unmet need," said Angelo de Claro, M.D., director of the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence.

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Regulators accelerated the medication's path to market by granting it Priority Review, Orphan Drug status and a Breakthrough Therapy designation.

Additionally, the filing was evaluated using the FDA commissioner’s National Priority Voucher pilot program to speed up access to critical public health treatments.

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Ahead of the official green light, the agency issued a "safe to proceed" letter in May, opening an expanded access protocol that allowed patients to receive the drug before final approval.

Safety profiles show that the most frequent adverse events linked to Rasonque included rash, diarrhea, mouth sores (stomatitis), nausea, fatigue, vomiting, abdominal pain, fluid retention (edema), reduced appetite and bleeding (hemorrhage).

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"Today’s landmark approval is the most significant advance we have seen in the fight against pancreatic cancer, a devastating disease," said Anna Berkenblit, M.D., chief scientific and medical officer of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN).

"I believe this drug will transform how pancreatic cancer is treated, giving people the opportunity for more time with loved ones, the possibility of a better quality of life, and optimism that continued research may lead to even greater advances."

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Dolly Parton’s private cancer battle highlights why some patients don’t share their diagnoses

Dolly Parton’s death on Tuesday followed a brief bout with cancer, according to statements from her family.

"After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones," the family shared with People.

The revelation of the singer’s previously undisclosed cancer battle raises questions about why some patients choose to keep a diagnosis private, even as public figures’ health struggles can spark wider awareness.

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Dr. Kristin Higgins, chief clinical officer at City of Hope Cancer Center in Atlanta, surmised that Parton may have preferred for people to remember her for her "amazing career" and not for a diagnosis at the end of her life.

Keeping the disease private at first is a "very natural response," Higgins said, as a diagnosis can be very overwhelming.

"It's very natural to cling to that identity of being a healthy, vibrant person without a diagnosis of cancer," she told Fox News Digital.

"The patient really needs to acclimate to the idea of themselves having this disease, and then start to tell friends and family kind of slowly after they go through that adjustment process."

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In some cases, Higgins said, people may withhold a cancer diagnosis due to some degree of shame or embarrassment.

"Things like tobacco-related cancers, unfortunately, still carry a lot of stigma when diagnosed," she shared. "Patients may feel that it was their fault. And the reality is nobody deserves a cancer diagnosis."

There are some benefits, however, to eventually sharing a cancer diagnosis with friends, family and community who can rally around the patient, according to the doctor.

"For example, for people who are religious, letting their greater circle know about that diagnosis can be really helpful, as people will pray for them as they're going through the journey of treatment," Higgins said.

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"I think overall, it's a very beneficial thing to eventually tell as many people as possible so you can get that support."

The doctor also agreed that sharing a cancer journey can raise awareness and provide support to others facing the same challenge.

"If you are somebody with a cancer diagnosis and you're beating it and you are going through treatment successfully, other people seeing that — whether it's on social media or hearing it through a friend — that can be really helpful to an individual as they're facing a new cancer diagnosis," Higgins said.

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Another benefit of disclosing cancer is that it may open up more opportunities for treatment options.

"There are so many resources out there now … clinical trials are really what moved the needle in the cure rates for cancer, and finding out about these trials is not easy," Higgins noted.

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"So the more people who know about your diagnosis, you have all these cheerleaders out there rooting for you and you can get more information. You can hear more people's opinions about where you could seek the best cancer treatment."

The doctor emphasized that there is more hope than ever for people facing a cancer diagnosis.

"Our statistic is that 70% of people diagnosed with cancer will survive five years or more," she said. "And we can do it, we can get through it."

"I think that's the beauty of sharing this diagnosis with the world, is that we can get all the support we need."

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Eating less of common ingredient early in life may slash cancer risk decades later

Limiting sugar consumption during the first 1,000 days of life, from conception through a child’s second birthday, may result in slower biological aging and a lower risk of cancer up to five decades later.

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences investigated how early-life sugar intake influences health in adulthood, examining data from over 64,000 participants in the UK Biobank born between 1951 and 1956.

The researchers leveraged a natural experiment from post-war Britain, when sugar rationing ended in September 1953.

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After rationing ended, average daily sugar consumption across the U.K. nearly doubled — from about 41 grams to 80 grams — while consumption of other major foods remained stable, according to historical National Food Survey data cited in the study.

People exposed to sugar rationing during their first 1,000 days of life were compared to those who were conceived after the policy ended. Researchers then examined cancer outcomes recorded about five decades later.

They found that people who spent more of their early lives under sugar rationing had lower rates of several cancers in adulthood, including liver, rectal, lung, prostate and breast cancers.

People exposed to early sugar limits also had longer leukocyte telomeres — protective caps on chromosomes that tend to shorten with age — equivalent to about two fewer years of biological aging. They also had lower levels of Granzyme B, a protein associated with long-term immune activation and inflammation.

EATING COMMON DAIRY FOOD EVERY DAY MAY SLOW BIOLOGICAL AGING, STUDY SUGGESTS

The study’s authors identified two key pathways that could explain these long-term benefits: a biological imprint and a persistent behavioral habit.

Five decades after rationing ended, adults who spent their earliest days under sugar restrictions were still consuming less sugar and eating healthier, more varied diets.

Experts said the findings add to ongoing research into how early diet may influence long-term health, though further research is needed to confirm the connection.

"What surprised me most was how persistent the effects were," study author Weilong Zhang of the University of Cambridge told Fox News Digital.

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"We might expect childhood diet to matter for health, but differences in sugar exposure during just the first 1,000 days were still reflected in people's diets and biological markers roughly five decades later."

"This suggests that early life may be an especially important period not only for biological development, but also for establishing long-lasting food preferences."

Dr. Brian Slomovitz, deputy director of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, described the research as an "excellent hypothesis-generating study."

"Sugar consumption is something that we have been worrying about ... most importantly, inflammation, and how inflammation can lead to some cancers," Slomovitz, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.

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High sugar intake has been linked to metabolic disruption, insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, which may contribute to disease risk, according to Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News.

Siegel said the lower cancer rates were consistent with the possibility that less early sugar exposure and healthier later-life diets played a role.

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However, outside oncologists note that natural experiments from decades past come with inherent research limitations.

"We're talking about the 1950s, so clearly there are some biases in data collection," Slomovitz noted. "Secondly, the numbers are very, very, very low. Of all the cancers, most of them had [fewer] than 100 cases ... to show a 70% decrease, I think is probably an ambitious conclusion."

The doctor also pointed out that while obesity-driven cancers align with metabolic pathways, other findings in the paper — such as reduced lung cancer risk — are traditionally tied to external factors like smoking rather than dietary sugar.

The researchers noted that, as a natural experiment rather than a randomized trial, the study could not rule out all other postwar factors.

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Additionally, the UK Biobank is not fully representative of the broader British population, and the researchers could not determine how much of the effect reflected early biological changes versus healthier diets maintained in adulthood.

Zhang cautioned against overinterpreting the findings as a reason for extreme dietary measures.

"I would not interpret our study as saying that parents should eliminate sugar completely," he said. "Rather, our findings support existing recommendations to limit added sugar, particularly during pregnancy and early childhood."

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Deadly measles outbreak hits Northeast as state records first deaths in 35 years

Pennsylvania confirmed two measles-related deaths on Tuesday, according to the state’s department of health.

This marks the first losses related to the highly contagious virus within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 35 years.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) confirmed that both Lancaster County individuals were unvaccinated, noting that the best way to prevent measles infection is to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

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The MMR vaccine administered over two doses can boost a person’s immune system and provide 97% lifetime protection, according to health officials.

In a press release, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen shared her "deepest sympathies" with the "loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss."

"Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don’t fully understand the potential severity of the illness," she said in the statement. "We want to ensure that every Pennsylvanian has the information they need to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities."

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"As a physician, I want to make sure that people understand the MMR vaccine is safe and provides the best protection we have against measles."

The state's DOH has confirmed 393 cases of measles in 28 counties so far in 2026.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that can be fatal in one to three patients per 1,000 cases, data shows.

The virus can cause long-term health problems, including pneumonia and brain swelling. Nearly 20% of individuals who contract measles are hospitalized.

Measles spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes, spreading the virus through respiratory droplets. It can remain infectious in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after the person leaves the area, experts caution.

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Early measles symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. A measles rash follows a few days later, starting on the head and spreading down to the rest of the body.

Symptoms can start seven to 21 days after exposure. Those who believe they were exposed to measles should contact a healthcare provider.

Dr. Jesse Goodman, former FDA chief scientist in Washington, D.C., spoke with Fox News Digital about the MMR vaccine, calling it "extremely safe and highly effective."

"The vaccine prevents millions of measles deaths worldwide annually, including hundreds that used to occur in the U.S.," he said. "There is no evidence that MMR vaccine causes any chronic illnesses, including autism."

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Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore, Maryland, agreed that Pennsylvania's 35-year streak without a measles-related death "wasn't luck."

"It was the vaccine working so completely that an entire generation of parents grew up never seeing what this virus does to a child’s lungs or brain," he told Fox News Digital. "That protection is increasingly not valued, and this is the predictable result when the population turns their back on a life-saving technology."

Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, previously emphasized the highly contagious nature of measles amid elevated case counts across the U.S.

"Measles is so contagious that up to 90% of susceptible people who are exposed to an infected person will become infected," he told Fox News Digital, stressing the importance of community protection. "We need a 95% vaccine coverage rate to ensure herd immunity," he said.

The herd immunity threshold is a mathematical estimate based on how contagious a disease is and how effectively immunity from vaccination or prior infection prevents its spread, according to Siegel.

"In this case, two-dose vaccination is almost 100% effective, and natural immunity after a measles infection is generally lifelong," the doctor said. "This isn’t about personal choice, it’s about community protection. We need to protect those who can’t have a live virus vaccine because they are immunocompromised or pregnant."

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Major brain changes that occur around age 50 could impact dementia risk

The brain may undergo a notable shift at midlife, as new research suggests that its protective immune cells begin to decline and are increasingly replaced by inflammatory cells at around age 50.

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego; New York Genome Center; and University of California, Irvine, found that these brain changes may help explain why aging increases the chances of neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative disease, including dementia.

The study analyzed postmortem tissue from the hippocampus – the portion of the brain that is responsible for learning and memory – in 40 neurologically healthy adults, ranging from 20 to 95 years of age.

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"The most striking change was that after about age 50, the brain’s resident immune cells, called microglia, appear to be increasingly replaced by immune cells that enter from the bloodstream," first author Nathan Zemke, Ph.D., principal investigator at the UC San Diego Center for Epigenomics, told Fox News Digital.

"Microglia normally protect the brain by clearing debris and responding to injury, but the incoming cells carry stronger inflammatory signals."

The researchers believe this shift may contribute to chronic inflammation linked to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s.

They also noted the deterioration of cells involved in maintaining the blood-brain barrier – the protective filter that helps keep harmful substances out of the brain – as well as widespread changes in DNA and gene activity.

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One of the most exciting implications of the study, according to Zemke, is that the replacement immune cells originate in the blood, which means they are more accessible than cells already deep inside the brain.

"It may eventually be possible to modify blood-derived immune cells so that they are more protective and less inflammatory when in the brain," he said. "That could provide an entirely new way to approach Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases without having to directly manipulate cells within the central nervous system."

Although these findings are still in early stages, Zemke said, gaining a better understanding of why this immune-cell replacement happens – and why it happens earlier in some people than others – could lead to new strategies for preserving brain health during aging.

The study’s chief limitation is that it studied human brain tissue collected postmortem from different individuals across the adult lifespan, the researchers noted.

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"That allows us to identify strong age-related patterns, but it cannot directly show how the same person’s brain changes over decades or prove that a particular cellular change causes cognitive decline or Alzheimer’s disease," Zemke said.

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"We also do not yet know what triggers the influx of blood-derived immune cells into the brain. Determining whether changes in the blood-brain barrier, inflammation, genetics, lifestyle or other factors initiate this process will be an important next step."

The researcher emphasized, however, that he would not recommend that people make any specific medical or lifestyle changes based on this study alone. 

"These findings are primarily about understanding the biology of brain aging and identifying new directions for prevention and treatment," he said.

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The timing and extent of the brain changes varied considerably between individuals, suggesting that brain aging is not necessarily a fixed process that happens identically in everyone.

"The next challenge is to understand what drives that variation and whether some of those factors can be modified," Zemke added.

The study also included a small sample of just 40 people and examined tissue only from the hippocampus, meaning the findings may not reflect immune changes throughout the entire brain.

The study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, was published in the journal Science.

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Anti-aging supplements taken by millions may undermine cancer treatment, study warns

Over-the-counter anti-aging supplements taken by millions of Americans to boost energy and lessen the side effects of chemotherapy may actually impair cancer treatments, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine found that popular vitamin B3 derivatives – including nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide (NAM) – could help cancer cells survive chemotherapy.

Those compounds are used by the body to produce NAD+, a molecule that helps cells generate energy and repair damage.

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The study, published in the journal Cancer Letters, examined how these supplements interact with treatments for pancreatic cancer, a particularly deadly form of the disease with a 13% five-year survival rate, according to the American Cancer Society.

While boosting NAD+ levels through dietary supplements can offer health benefits to non-cancerous cells, pancreatic cancer cells may exploit the extra resources to repair damage caused by chemotherapy and avoid cell death, the researchers found.

In both laboratory settings and animal models, the supplements shielded cancer cells against three common chemotherapy drugs: oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil and gemcitabine. As a result, tumors survived chemotherapy doses that typically would prove fatal to them.

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"Our findings highlight a potentially concerning role for NAD+-boosting supplements in the context of active cancer, especially when used in conjunction with chemotherapy," said study lead Jordan Winter, a professor at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and co-leader of the developmental therapeutics program at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, in the press release.

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"Our discovery is a call to action for the medical community."

The study notes that these B3 derivatives are not considered dangerous for healthy individuals using them for general wellness. However, the risk becomes significant for patients currently undergoing active cancer therapy.

"This research is a critical reminder that ‘natural’ doesn’t always mean safe, especially in the complex biology of cancer treatment," Winter added.

In light of the findings, the research team recommends that oncology teams begin routinely screening patients for supplement use. They also called for more studies into how NAD+ precursors interact with cancer therapies.

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Winter urged patients currently in treatment to consult their oncologists before taking any over-the-counter supplements.

Because the study relied on laboratory cell cultures and animal models, the findings may not directly translate to how human patients process these supplements during treatment, the team noted.

Additionally, the research focused exclusively on pancreatic cancer, meaning the supplements may not have the same effect on chemotherapy for other cancer types or with different drug combinations.

The study also only evaluated short-term cellular responses under controlled laboratory conditions and not human clinical trials, so it remains unclear how these supplements could affect cancer patients over time.

Fox News Digital reached out to multiple NAD+ supplement manufacturers for comment.

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'Perfect' workout formula can take just 10 minutes a day, Hilaria Baldwin says

Being motivated to work out is one thing, but staying committed to a routine is what yields results, experts say.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, certified yoga and fitness instructor Hilaria Baldwin shared her tips for building an effective exercise routine – and sticking to it.

"One of the most important things about exercise is consistency," said the mother of seven. "For many of us, life gets in the way – we are parents and we work and all the chaos comes in, so bite-sized movements are really important."

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Baldwin revealed that her "perfect" workout routine trifecta always includes cardio, strength training and stretching, even if it’s just 10 minutes per day.

For lasting consistency, a fitness routine should fit naturally into one’s lifestyle and schedule, Baldwin said. She recommends setting aside kid-free, work-free blocks of time for movement and self-care.

Baldwin said she makes time for a daily run as her cardio, which she said helps "work out her lungs." She also incorporates stretching and strength training, which might include physically picking up her kids or toning with weights.

She has also started exercising with her children as a way to blend family time with physical activity.

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The instructor emphasized consistency without overcommitment, noting that doing too much, too soon can lead to burnout.

"If something's overwhelming, we're not going to do it," Baldwin said. "Ultimately, we are going to be creatures of habit … we are going do what we feel like needs to get done – but starting to think of a workout more like brushing our teeth is really important."

"People are not moving their bodies enough and then we get sick," she went on. "So, the question is, can we do a little bit to prevent that? And obviously not everything can be prevented, but we know that we should move our bodies most days."

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Baldwin advised against "biting off more than you can chew." For example, instead of running three miles as a response to being frustrated about your fitness goals, try running for just 10 minutes – or run for just two minutes at a time and take walking breaks.

"Doing something is better than thinking about it and doing nothing," she added.

The fitness instructor also suggested making exercise a family commitment, helping to reinforce that movement and self-care are priorities.

"As moms, we [often] put ourselves last," she said. "Everybody says put your oxygen mask on first, but we don't do that."

"I think showing our children that we are human and we are worth taking care of is really important – not just for our relationship with them, but how they will treat themselves when they're older."

When life gets busy, she said, it’s easy to make excuses for not working out. Baldwin admitted that on most days, especially in the summer heat, she has "zero interest" in going for a run.

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"But I know that I'm not going to regret it," she said. "It’s just about creating the habit and saying, ‘Okay, I'm going to do this, and it's going to be 30 minutes, and I might hate it, but I’m going to be happy to do it.’"

Baldwin added, "Showing up is the hardest thing. Once you do it and you create a commitment, it completely changes everything."

Baldwin encouraged the public, especially women, to tap into how "special and unique each person’s body is."

"Start loving yourself and loving your body, no matter what outside opinions you feel like people are directing at you," she said. "Feel capable and feel strong and that you're worth investing in."

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Baldwin shared that she herself has struggled "tremendously" with this in her own life. "That is one of the reasons that I show up – to tell my body, ‘I love you, you're worth it.’"

She continued, "Nobody has ever existed who is exactly like you, and no one will ever be exactly like you again. So please live every single day cherishing your body, your unique self, and let's have fun and move together."

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