Alzheimer's drugs, dog cancer, Medicaid dental benefits, and more

June 18, 2023 Check out STAT+

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By Torie Bosch Editor, First Opinion

This week on First Opinion, an expert on Alzheimer's explains why he's optimistic, with a dash of worry, about new drugs to treat the devastating illness. Two folks explain how they are taking DNA from dog tumors and applying it to human cancer. A physician talks about the bizarre phenomenon of patients getting to their test results (and Googling themselves into panic) before he can. And much more. Have an opinion for or on First Opinion? Email me: first.opinion@statnews.com.

Lane Turner/Globe Staff The FDA needs a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy for Alzheimer's drug lecanemab As an Alzheimer's expert, I'm both optimistic and worried about lecanemab and donanemab. The health care system isn't ready. By Jason Karlawish The DNA from dog tumors may hold the secret to better human cancer drugs As the cost of genetic sequencing continues to plummet, we can no longer afford to ignore this vital tool in our fight against cancer. By Christina Lopes and James Zou STAT+ | How I'm helping companies think through whether they should cover GLP-1s like Ozempic for employees GLP-1s like Ozempic are providing not just moments of hope on scales in bathrooms but moments of reckoning in boardrooms. By Owen Tripp Adobe What happens when patients beat their doctors to their test results Any and all clinical information must be made immediately available to patients once it is finalized. Too often, that makes my patients panic. By Christopher Medrano Listen: Physicians have a moral and professional obligation to get into 'good trouble' Advocacy shouldn't just be something physicians do on the side, say Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson. It's fundamental to being a doctor. By Torie Bosch Medicaid adult dental benefits are shamefully — and dangerously — inadequate in most states Forty-seven state Medicaid programs do not offer dental benefits sufficient to maintain optimal oral health. By Myechia Minter-Jordan Adobe How predominantly white hospital leadership teams hurt care for people of color Far too little attention is paid to the persistent lack of representation of underrepresented groups in health care leadership roles. By Tiffany Cornwall The court system is not ready for child custody disputes over gender-affirming care Children's health is often a contentious issue in divorce. Conflicting state laws on gender-affirming care will complicate things further. By Alphonse Provinziano

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