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đź©ş Mail your toenails, save a life
PLUS: dementia risk slashed and anti-cancer code cracked
Good morning!
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Today’s issue takes 5 minutes to read. Only got one? Here’s what to know:
Melanoma care delays hit Latino patients hardest
AVM bleed risk doubles with age and aneurysms
Minimally invasive surgery proves just as powerful
FDA crackdown stalls multiple breakthrough drug launches
Tariffs send furniture prices through the roof
Scientists crack code for lab-made anti-cancer compounds
Quitting smoking slashes dementia risk fast
Let’s get into it.
Staying #Up2Date 🚨
1: Closing the Gap — Melanoma Diagnosis Delays in Latino Patients”
A qualitative study looked at why Latino patients face delays in melanoma diagnosis and treatment. Insurance hurdles, referral slowdowns, and language barriers were major contributors — but patients who self-advocated or received care in their preferred language saw faster diagnosis and treatment. The findings reinforce that reducing disparities means addressing both systemic delays and communication access.
2: Who’s Most at Risk for Hemorrhage in Unruptured Brain AVMs?
In a cohort study of 3,000 people with unruptured brain arteriovenous malformations, certain factors significantly increased hemorrhage risk: older age (HR 2.01 for those 60+ vs <20; P = .008), associated arterial aneurysms (HR 1.66; P = .03), and cerebellar or deep supratentorial locations (HR 1.87; P = .01). These data offer practical guidance when counseling patients on AVM natural history and surveillance decisions.
3: Minimally Invasive vs Open Pancreatectomy — No Oncologic Trade-off
In an RCT of 258 patients undergoing resection for left-sided pancreatic cancer, minimally invasive pancreatectomy proved equivalent to open surgery in long-term oncologic outcomes, including overall survival and disease-free survival. The results confirm that minimally invasive approaches are a safe alternative for eligible patients.
A Toe-tally Unique Study 🦶
Researchers are one clip closer to diagnosing lung cancer.
What happened: The University of Calgary is asking Canadians to mail in their toenail clippings — yes, really — all in the name of lung cancer research.
Why it matters: Toenails aren’t just for painting (or hiding in socks). They quietly store long-term data about exposure to radioactive toxins like radon gas — the second-leading cause of lung cancer. Fingernails get contaminated by whatever you touch all day. Toenails? They mind their business and keep a cleaner record.
The team first ran a 5-year pilot study with around 40 Canadians, comparing nail samples from people in high vs. low radon homes. No surprise: the longer someone lived with higher radon exposure, the more toxins showed up in their nails.
Now, thanks to new funding from the Canadian Cancer Society, they’re scaling up — aiming for 10,000 participants across the country. They’ve already hit 5,000. Anyone who joins gets a radon testing kit and is asked to collect four months’ worth of clippings.
So how does it actually work? A physics professor on the team melts the clippings down (yes, melts) using isotope dilution mass spectrometry, essentially blasting them with plasma to pull apart their chemical makeup. From there, researchers can detect even trace amounts of radioactive lead from radon decay.
It’s sensitive enough to catch early exposure, which could help doctors sound the alarm long before symptoms show up.
Bottom line: Before you sweep your next toenail clipping into the trash, consider mailing it instead. Turns out, they might be more useful in a lab than on your bathroom floor.
Hot Off The Press
💊The FDA just slapped Novo Nordisk’s Indiana plant with an “official action indicated” label. That’s regulator-speak for out of compliance. That puts multiple biotechs’ drug approvals at risk, including Regeneron and Scholar Rock, who rely on the facility for manufacturing. One plant just became a bottleneck for half the pipeline.
🧬 Scientists at UBC Okanagan cracked how plants make mitraphylline — a molecule with strong anti-tumour potential. They traced two enzymes that twist molecules into a rare 3D “spiro” shape, now reproducible in the lab. Could be a greener, cheaper way to churn out future cancer drugs.
Notable Numbers 🔢
2: the number of comets swinging by Earth this month. Seeing them may require binoculars or a small telescope, but for this rare celestial show, the naked eye might just catch them too.
20%: the slowdown in memory loss for middle-aged adults who quit smoking — enough to bring their dementia risk down to the level of a never-smoker.
2Ă—: the higher risk of serious side effects for chronic pain patients taking tramadol. The drug only shaved 0.9 points off pain scores (below the threshold for meaningful relief) yet was twice as likely to trigger complications, most commonly cardiac.
35–51: the number of days before major holidays when Google Flights says fares are lowest. Translation: one to seven weeks out.
Postcall Picks âś…
🎧 Listen: to a Short Wave episode on why we love being scared. A psychiatrist explains how horror movies double as DIY exposure therapy.
🥣 Make: roasted pumpkin soup. with coconut milk and toasted pepitas — comfort food that tastes like fall in a bowl.
đź“ş Watch: a doctor try on Halloween costumes and grades their anatomical accuracy. Spoiler: some are (delightfully) wrong.
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That’s all for this issue.
Cheers,
The Postcall team.