Health Highlights: April 13, 2021

Drug/Chemo Combo May Help Lung Cancer Patients: Study

A combination of the immune-boosting drug Opdivo and chemotherapy appears to benefit some lung cancer patients before surgery, according to a new study.

The clinical trial involving about 350 patients with operable tumors. It found that 1 in 4 of those who received the drug/chemotherapy combination had no signs of cancer remaining when they had surgery, the Associated Press reported.

The findings were presented on the weekend at an American Association for Cancer Research conference.

The study is continuing to see if this treatment improves survival.

"They open the person up and the tumor's just melted away. It's incredible," Dr. Roy Herbst, a lung specialist at the Yale Cancer Center, told the AP.

He wasn't involved in the study but has consulted for Bristol Myers Squibb, the maker of Opdivo.

Meow Mix Cat Food Recalled Due to Salmonella Fears

Two lots of 30-pound bags of Meow Mix Original Choice Dry Cat Food have been recalled by the J.M. Smucker Co. due to possible salmonella contamination.

The products were sold at certain Walmart stores in IL, MO, NE, NM, OK, UT, WI and WY. One lot has the UPC code 2927452099, lot code 1081804 and 'Best by' date of 9/14/2022. The other lot has the UPC code 2927452099, lot code 1082804 and 'Best by' date of 9/15/2022.

Consumers with the recalled products should stop feeding it to their cats and throw it out, the company said.

Along with affecting cats who eat it, salmonella-contaminated cat food can cause illness in people who handle the product, or touch surfaces or cats that have been in contact with the product, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Ground Turkey Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

Ground turkey is the likely source of a salmonella outbreak that's sickened 28 people in 12 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Two people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported.

One April 10, federal officials issued a public health alert for nearly 212,000 pounds of raw ground turkey products produced by Plainville Brands, LLC. These products were sold under the brand names of "Nature's Promise," Wegman" and "Plainville Farms," and are labeled with dates 1/1/21–1/10/21 and the establishment number "P244" inside the U.S. Department of Agriculture's mark of inspection.

While the products are no longer available in stores, they could still be in people's freezers, the CDC said. It warned against eating, serving or selling any of the recalled products.