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By Nancy Lapid, Health Science Editor

Hello Health Rounds readers! Today we report findings from three studies presented this week at large medical meetings: one that might change opinions about skin cancers often considered to be less dangerous and two that add encouraging details to what we know about the new RSV vaccines for adults. We also feature a study that shows a common-sense way to curb the need for blood transfusions in ICU patients.

In breaking news, see these stories from our Reuters journalists: Blood tests for Alzheimer’s diagnosis are on the way; Online offers of fake Ozempic, Wegovy are rising; Over 7 million Americans have gotten updated COVID vaccines; and EU leads more than 1 billion-euro commitment to eradicate polio.

Non-melanoma skin cancers are killing more people worldwide than melanoma, new data show. REUTERS/Dani Cardona 

Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) are killing more people worldwide than melanoma, researchers reported on Wednesday in Berlin at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology Congress 2023.

Although NMSC is less likely to be fatal than melanoma, it is far more common, study leader Dr. Thierry Passeron of the University of Nice in France said in a statement.

In 2020, NMSC accounted for 78% of all skin cancer cases, resulting in over 63,700 deaths, compared with an estimated 57,000 melanoma fatalities that year, researchers reported.

“The significantly higher incidence of NMSC has, therefore, led to a more substantial overall impact,” Passeron said.

While untreated melanoma often spreads to other parts of the body, NMSC develops slowly, is less likely to spread, and is more easily treated. Common types include basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

“As alarming as these figures are, they may, in fact, be underestimated. NMSC is often underreported in cancer registries, making it challenging to understand the true burden,” Passeron noted.

An analysis of data from the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer showed a high incidence of skin cancer in fair-skinned and older populations. But even Africa, with a high proportion of nonwhite individuals, reported 11,281 NMSC deaths.

“We have to get the message out that not only melanoma can be fatal, but NMSC also,” Passeron said. “It’s crucial to note that (nonwhite) individuals with melanin-rich skin are also at risk and are dying from skin cancer.”

The efficacy of GSK’s new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for adults persists for two seasons, research shows.

The vaccine, Arexvy, was approved in May by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for preventing RSV-related lower respiratory tract disease in adults older than 60.

RSV is typically mild but can be dangerous for some adults. Infections are seasonal, with rates typically starting to rise in the autumn and peaking in winter.

Researchers tracked nearly 25,000 volunteers who received the vaccine or a placebo in a late-stage trial. The efficacy of a single dose over two seasons was 67.2%, virtually the same as from a second shot administered a year after the first, according to data scheduled for presentation on Friday at ID Week 2023 in Boston.

Vaccine efficacy was sustained over two seasons against severe infections overall, as well as in subgroups of study participants ages 60–69, 70–79, and those with frailty or other serious medical conditions, the researchers found.

Getting the vaccine every year does not appear to be necessary, they concluded. “The clinical development program will further evaluate persistence and the best timing for revaccination,” researchers said.

In a separate study presented at the meeting, researchers reported that Pfizer’s Abrysvo RSV vaccine for older adults, also approved in May, can safely be administered at the same time as a flu vaccine.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 60,000 to 160,000 older U.S. adults are hospitalized and 6,000 to 10,000 die from RSV infection each year.

Read more about adult RSV vaccines on Reuters.com

• What you need to know about RSV and the new vaccines.
• GSK sues Pfizer in US for patent infringement over RSV vaccine.
• GSK expects RSV vaccine uptake will be slower than shingles vaccine.

Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) need fewer blood transfusions if smaller test tubes are used to obtain blood samples from them, a large Canadian study has found.

Most hospitals use standard tubes that automatically draw 4 to 6 milliliters of blood, but a typical laboratory test requires less than 0.5 ml, the researchers reported on Thursday in JAMA.

“ICU patients typically require multiple blood samples taken multiple times every day,” study leader Dr. Deborah Siegal of The Ottawa Hospital and MacMaster University said in a statement.

“This can add up to significant blood loss that contributes to anemia, or low red blood cells,” she said. “ICU patients are unable to produce more red blood cells to correct for this blood loss and often require treatment with a blood transfusion.”

For the 2-year study, 25 ICUs were randomly assigned to use regular test tubes or small-volume tubes when taking blood samples for lab tests.

Overall, the more than 27,000 patients in the study received more than 36,000 transfusions or red blood cells. In the ICUs that switched to the small volume tubes, roughly one less unit of blood was required for every 10 patients, the researchers found.

Blood samples were inadequate in fewer than five one-hundredths of one percent of cases, they said.

“With small-volume tubes we may have saved about 1,500 units of blood,” Siegal said. “At a time when everyone is trying to find ways to make healthcare more sustainable, and preserve our supply of blood products, this study provides a simple solution that can be implemented without additional cost or negative effects.”

This newsletter was edited by Bill Berkrot.

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