ASCO 2025: Previewing Updates in Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Mariana Chavez MacGregor, MD, MSc, shares her enthusiasm for the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, particularly for its relevance to early-stage breast cancer. She highlights key sessions focused on treatment optimization and de-escalation for HER2-positive patients, along with important updates on the management of HR-positive breast cancer in premenopausal women, including the SOFT, TEXT, and ASTRRA trials.
Dr Chavez MacGregor also points to new research on elinzanetant for managing vasomotor symptoms associated with endocrine therapy. Additionally, she is eager to attend the Dr Bernard Fisher Memorial Annual Clinical Science Symposium, which will explore circulating tumor DNA and its role in monitoring early-stage breast cancer.
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CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
Spinach, strawberries top new ‘Dirty Dozen' list of pesticide-laden produce
Agriculture Sustainability Food & health EconomyFacebookTweetLink Follow More than 90% of samples of a dozen fruits and vegetables tested positive for potentially harmful pesticide residues, according to the 2025 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. Dubbed the 'Dirty Dozen,' the list is compiled from the latest government testing data on nonorganic produce by the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, a health advocacy organization that has produced the annual report since 2004. Spinach topped the list, with more pesticide residue by weight than any other produce tested, followed by strawberries, kale (along with mustard greens and collards), grapes, peaches, cherries, nectarines, pears, apples, blackberries, blueberries and potatoes. The annual report is not meant to discourage consumers from eating fruits and vegetables, which are key to good health, but instead to provide tools for decisions on whether to buy organic for the fruits or vegetables their families consume the most, said Alexis Temkin, EWG's vice president of science. 'The guide is there to help consumers eat a lot of fruits and vegetables while trying to reduce pesticide exposure,' Temkin said. 'One of the things that a lot of peer-reviewed studies have shown over and over again (is) that when people switch to an organic diet from a conventional diet, you can really see measurable levels in the reduction of pesticide levels in the urine.' The Alliance for Food and Farming, which represents organic and conventional produce farmers, has been a long-standing critic of the annual report. 'We strongly support consumer choice when shopping for fruits and vegetables. But this choice should not be influenced by this list,' Teresa Thorne, the alliance's executive director, said in an email. 'Instead consumers should be reassured by decades of toxicology studies, government data and nutrition research which underscores the importance of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables on health and the safety of both organic and conventionally grown produce,' Thorne added. Blackberries were new to the list, having never been tested before by the US Department of Agriculture, while potatoes joined the rankings after being absent in recent years — mainly due to the use of a plant growth regulator called chlorpropham. The chemical has been banned in the European Union, Temkin said. 'It's applied after harvest to essentially prevent potatoes from sprouting while they're in storage or in transit,' Temkin said. 'Because it's applied so late after harvest and so close to when consumers might be exposed or eating potatoes, that's partially what leads to some of these really high concentrations.' More than 50 different pesticides were detected on each of several crops on the Dirty Dozen section of the Shopper's Guide, which was updated this year to measure pesticide toxicity, Temkin said. 'We still have measurements of the detection frequency of pesticides, how many different pesticides are found on produce, as well as the overall concentration. We also have an indicator of that concentration relative to a dose that might cause harm in an animal study,' she said. 'A lot of the Dirty Dozen produce rank really highly when you look at pesticide toxicity, especially relative to the 'Clean Fifteen' items, which have fewer detections of pesticide residues,' Temkin added. As part of the report, EWG also creates an annual 'Clean Fifteen' — a list of conventional produce with the least amount of pesticide residue. Many of these fruits and vegetables are protected by skins you peel before eating — but not all. Pineapple was the least contaminated produce tested, followed by sweet corn (fresh and frozen), avocados, papaya, onions, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, watermelon, cauliflower, bananas, mangos, carrots, mushrooms and kiwi. 'An important aspect of the USDA pesticide testing is they really try to mimic consumer behavior. … They wash fruits or vegetables for about 15 or 20 seconds under running water, and then they also peel something like citrus or a mango or a banana,' Temkin said. 'If there are any pesticides on that outer layer, that is removed, and that might be one of the reasons why some of these fruits or vegetables that are on the Clean Fifteen tend to have less detectable pesticide residues.' More tips: All produce, even organic, should be washed before peeling so dirt and bacteria aren't transferred from a knife onto the fruit or vegetable, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. After washing, dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. Firm produce such as carrots, cucumbers, melons and potatoes can be scrubbed with a clean vegetable brush under running water, the FDA said. All other produce can be gently rubbed while being rinsed. There's no need to use bleach, soap or a produce wash — fruits and vegetables are porous and can absorb the chemicals. Remove the outermost leaves of cabbage, lettuce and other leafy greens and rinse each leaf carefully — but don't blast your greens with water, or you'll bruise them. Experts said it's best to use low-pressure water that is warmer than your produce and a colander to spin the greens dry. Don't forget to wash the colander afterward. Exceptions are 'triple-washed' bagged greens, which the FDA said do not need an additional wash. Pesticides have been linked in studies to premature births, congenital malformations such as neural tube defects, spontaneous abortions and an increase in genetic damage in humans. Exposure to pesticides has also been associated with lower sperm concentrations, heart disease, cancer and other disorders. Farmworkers who use or are exposed to pesticides are at highest risk, according to studies. A 2022 meta-analysis found workers exposed to pesticides were nearly five times as likely to have DNA damage, while a February 2024 study concluded children exposed at an early age showed poorer neurodevelopment from infancy to adolescence. Children are the most suspectable to the dangers of pesticides due to their small size and developing body and brain, experts say. The risk can actually begin in the womb. 'Pesticide exposure during pregnancy may lead to an increased risk of birth defects, low birth weight, and fetal death,' according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. 'Exposure in childhood has been linked to attention and learning problems, as well as cancer.'
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
Spinach, strawberries top new ‘Dirty Dozen' list of pesticide-laden produce
More than 90% of samples of a dozen fruits and vegetables tested positive for potentially harmful pesticide residues, according to the 2025 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. Dubbed the 'Dirty Dozen,' the list is compiled from the latest government testing data on nonorganic produce by the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, a health advocacy organization that has produced the annual report since 2004. Spinach topped the list, with more pesticide residue by weight than any other produce tested, followed by strawberries, kale (along with mustard greens and collards), grapes, peaches, cherries, nectarines, pears, apples, blackberries, blueberries and potatoes. The annual report is not meant to discourage consumers from eating fruits and vegetables, which are key to good health, but instead to provide tools for decisions on whether to buy organic for the fruits or vegetables their families consume the most, said Alexis Temkin, EWG's vice president of science. 'The guide is there to help consumers eat a lot of fruits and vegetables while trying to reduce pesticide exposure,' Temkin said. 'One of the things that a lot of peer-reviewed studies have shown over and over again (is) that when people switch to an organic diet from a conventional diet, you can really see measurable levels in the reduction of pesticide levels in the urine.' The Alliance for Food and Farming, which represents organic and conventional produce farmers, has been a long-standing critic of the annual report. 'We strongly support consumer choice when shopping for fruits and vegetables. But this choice should not be influenced by this list,' Teresa Thorne, the alliance's executive director, said in an email. 'Instead consumers should be reassured by decades of toxicology studies, government data and nutrition research which underscores the importance of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables on health and the safety of both organic and conventionally grown produce,' Thorne added. Blackberries were new to the list, having never been tested before by the US Department of Agriculture, while potatoes joined the rankings after being absent in recent years — mainly due to the use of a plant growth regulator called chlorpropham. The chemical has been banned in the European Union, Temkin said. 'It's applied after harvest to essentially prevent potatoes from sprouting while they're in storage or in transit,' Temkin said. 'Because it's applied so late after harvest and so close to when consumers might be exposed or eating potatoes, that's partially what leads to some of these really high concentrations.' More than 50 different pesticides were detected on each of several crops on the Dirty Dozen section of the Shopper's Guide, which was updated this year to measure pesticide toxicity, Temkin said. 'We still have measurements of the detection frequency of pesticides, how many different pesticides are found on produce, as well as the overall concentration. We also have an indicator of that concentration relative to a dose that might cause harm in an animal study,' she said. 'A lot of the Dirty Dozen produce rank really highly when you look at pesticide toxicity, especially relative to the 'Clean Fifteen' items, which have fewer detections of pesticide residues,' Temkin added. As part of the report, EWG also creates an annual 'Clean Fifteen' — a list of conventional produce with the least amount of pesticide residue. Many of these fruits and vegetables are protected by skins you peel before eating — but not all. Pineapple was the least contaminated produce tested, followed by sweet corn (fresh and frozen), avocados, papaya, onions, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, watermelon, cauliflower, bananas, mangos, carrots, mushrooms and kiwi. 'An important aspect of the USDA pesticide testing is they really try to mimic consumer behavior. … They wash fruits or vegetables for about 15 or 20 seconds under running water, and then they also peel something like citrus or a mango or a banana,' Temkin said. 'If there are any pesticides on that outer layer, that is removed, and that might be one of the reasons why some of these fruits or vegetables that are on the Clean Fifteen tend to have less detectable pesticide residues.' More tips: All produce, even organic, should be washed before peeling so dirt and bacteria aren't transferred from a knife onto the fruit or vegetable, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. After washing, dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. Firm produce such as carrots, cucumbers, melons and potatoes can be scrubbed with a clean vegetable brush under running water, the FDA said. All other produce can be gently rubbed while being rinsed. There's no need to use bleach, soap or a produce wash — fruits and vegetables are porous and can absorb the chemicals. Remove the outermost leaves of cabbage, lettuce and other leafy greens and rinse each leaf carefully — but don't blast your greens with water, or you'll bruise them. Experts said it's best to use low-pressure water that is warmer than your produce and a colander to spin the greens dry. Don't forget to wash the colander afterward. Exceptions are 'triple-washed' bagged greens, which the FDA said do not need an additional wash. Pesticides have been linked in studies to premature births, congenital malformations such as neural tube defects, spontaneous abortions and an increase in genetic damage in humans. Exposure to pesticides has also been associated with lower sperm concentrations, heart disease, cancer and other disorders. Farmworkers who use or are exposed to pesticides are at highest risk, according to studies. A 2022 meta-analysis found workers exposed to pesticides were nearly five times as likely to have DNA damage, while a February 2024 study concluded children exposed at an early age showed poorer neurodevelopment from infancy to adolescence. Children are the most suspectable to the dangers of pesticides due to their small size and developing body and brain, experts say. The risk can actually begin in the womb. 'Pesticide exposure during pregnancy may lead to an increased risk of birth defects, low birth weight, and fetal death,' according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. 'Exposure in childhood has been linked to attention and learning problems, as well as cancer.'
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Cyberattack at grocery, pharmacy stores worry Minnesota shoppers
Minnesotans are having trouble filling shopping carts and more importantly, prescriptions. A cyberattack at food distributor United Natural Foods Incorporated is causing problems for its customers, which includes Cub Foods, Whole Foods, and some co-ops. UNFI released a statement saying it had taken some systems offline to investigate the breach, adding: "As soon as we discovered the activity, an investigation was initiated with the help of leading forensics experts and we have notified law enforcement. We are assessing the unauthorized activity and working to restore our systems to safely bring them back online. As we work through this issue, our customers, suppliers, and associates are our highest priority. We are working closely with them to minimize disruption as much as possible." The problem isn't just leading to potentially empty shelves. Pharmacy systems had to be shut down. UNFI released another statement saying in part: "Currently, half of our pharmacies are fully operational. At pharmacies still experiencing the disruption, we are unable to fill new and refill prescription orders at this time, but if a prescription was filled last week prior to the start of the disruption on Friday afternoon, then the prescription is available for pickup. For patients seeking to fill a new or refill a prescription today at disrupted pharmacies, we recommend filling them at another local pharmacy retailer. We are continuing to work to restore our systems to safely bring them back online." UNFI recommends people check the Cub Pharmacy app or the Cub website to confirm which location to go to before fulfilling a prescription. WCCO talked with a triage nurse in the Twin Cities. She didn't want to share her identity, but she did want to share the headache the Cub Foods pharmacy disruption is causing her patients. "Anytime you transfer a controlled substance to a pharmacy that a pharmacy isn't familiar with the patient, they need to call us and get all this information on the patient. So, then they're waiting even longer for their prescriptions. We have one patient who's been waiting four days to get her prescription filled," the nurse told WCCO. "And then some of the medications we're prescribing have shortages on them. So, they were getting them reliably from Cub and now they're being told that they've got to call around everywhere else to find shortages. It's wild." On top of waiting to get their medication, the nurse tells WCCO people are worried that their personal information and medical history was stolen. 'It's kind of scary" said customer Otto Megles. "I had a delivery due today. I got a text about 6:30 this morning saying it was canceled. I asked if they could process my order at a later time and date, and they said probably not until the weekend." Seward Community Co-Op says it has been impacted by the cyber attack as well. "UNFI has not been shipping product, though National Cooperative Grocers (NCG) negotiated one or two tiny deliveries to help offset the lack of supply. We don't expect much product from UNFI until next week," Seward Community Co-op said in a statement. WCCO reached out to Cub Foods for a statement to learn how many pharmacies were affected and the company's message to customers. WCCO is waiting to hear back.
