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Death rates are declining for more than half of the most common forms of cancer in the U.S., according to a sweeping annual analysis released Thursday. The new report — released by the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other collaborators — found that between 2014 and 2018, death rates dropped for 11 out of 19 of the most common cancers among men and 14 of the 20 most prevalent cancers among women. (Gaffney, 7/8)

Death rates for lung cancer and melanoma continued to drop for men and women in the U.S. between 2014 and 2018, according to an annual report with the National Cancer Institute. Yes, but: For several other major cancers, however, like colorectal, breast and prostate, death rates increased — or saw previous improvements stall. State of play: American deaths from cancer — the second-leading cause of death in the U.S. — have been on the decline for years. But it's not the same across the board, particularly when it comes to cancers related to obesity. (Fernandez, 7/8)

U.S. cancer death rates for men, women and communities of color are falling, but obesity and unequal access to care could threaten hard-fought gains over the past two decades, a new report shows. The annual American Cancer Society report, which measures cancer cases and deaths through 2018, paints a mixed picture of the nation's effort to combat the second leading cause of death, said Farhad Islami, the report's lead author and American Cancer Society's scientific director of cancer disparity research. (Alltucker, 7/8)

Plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients, one of the first effective therapies to emerge against the pandemic, significantly reduces deaths among people unfortunate enough to suffer from both the new coronavirus and a blood cancer, according to a recent study. From early in the pandemic, patients whose immune systems had been weakened by a blood cancer such as lymphoma or multiple myeloma, were considered one of the groups at highest risk for severe illness from COVID-19. (Johnson, 7/7)

New UC Berkeley research draws a strong link between cell phone radiation and tumors, particularly in the brain. Researchers took a comprehensive look at statistical findings from 46 different studies around the globe and found that the use of a cell phone for more than 1,000 hours, or about 17 minutes a day over a ten year period, increased the risk of tumors by 60 percent. (Song, 7/7)

Two years ago, when Gina Pozzi was 45, her annual mammograms suggested that she had breast cancer, the disease that killed her mother at age 47. In addition to showing a suspicious spot in Pozzi’s right breast, the X-rays revealed white specks in her armpit lymph nodes that looked like calcium deposits — possibly a sign that cancer had spread beyond her breast. “When cancer hits you in the lymph nodes, it’s a game-changer,” said Pozzi, who lives in Allentown. “That’s what happened with my mom. The cancer came back and went to her lymph nodes.” (McCullough, 7/7)

Republican Rep. Jim Hagedorn announced a reoccurrence of his kidney cancer on Wednesday. The Minnesota lawmaker was first diagnosed with stage IV kidney cancer on February 15, 2019, and had been receiving care at Rochester's Mayo Clinic. "Over the weekend, recent tests conducted at the Mayo Clinic revealed a reoccurrence of my kidney cancer. The new diagnosis was surprising considering that just 14 weeks ago no cancer was detected," Hagedorn said in a statement. (Grayer and Diaz, 7/7)

Val Kilmer says he has tried for years to find his voice and he's still using it, even after losing it to cancer. The trailer for his documentary, "Val," has dropped and looks to offer an intimate portrait of the esteemed actor. ... Kilmer had initially denied he was ill before he went public with his cancer diagnosis in 2017. He now speaks using the aid of a medical device. (France, 7/7)

The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s pathology department and Cancer Center and Research Institute will offer free cervical, breast and oral cancer screenings for uninsured and underinsured women aged 21-64 in August. The screenings will take place on Aug. 21 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.  at the Cancer Center and Research Institute, 350 Woodrow Wilson Blvd. in Jackson. (Haselhorst, 7/7)

Here are four recent partnerships involving cancer centers or organizations formed since May 25.  (Carbajal, 7/7)