How the National Cancer Act changed Boston

Also: Mass. is giving out more than 2 million free rapid COVID tests [View in browser](    [❤️]( December 13, 2021 Hello CommonHealth reader, This month, 50 years ago, President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act, calling it “a Christmas gift to the American people.” It was indeed an enormous gift that's had a major impact on the Boston area. In today’s dollars, the act poured more than $10 billion into cancer research and care. For context, last year at the height of the pandemic, the government gave the National Institutes of Health $1 billion to work on COVID. I spoke about this anniversary with Robin Wolfe Scheffler, a professor at MIT who has written a book about cancer. He told me this legislation transformed Boston. I thought we’d be talking about Dana-Farber, which was just a pediatric outpatient clinic before the National Cancer Act was signed. But we ended up talking about MIT. Scheffler told me the National Cancer Act allowed MIT's biology department to expand dramatically in just a couple of years. Suddenly, MIT went from a place known for engineering to a place known for excellent science and engineering. And, he said, it’s only after this infusion of federal funds that the vast ecosystem of biotech companies in the region started to grow. "It's hard to imagine Kendall Square without the funding [from the National Cancer Act]," Scheffler said. It makes me wonder what investments we are making now — especially with funding and focus on COVID — that we will still feel in half a century. Have a great week, Gabrielle Emanuel Health reporter [Follow]( Support the news  This Week's Must Reads [Massachusett launching COVID-19 rapid testing initiative]( The state will distribute 2.1 million tests to 102 communities with the highest poverty rates. The Baker administration is also working with manufacturers on a "bulk, cheap purchasing deal" that would allow municipalities to purchase tests by January at a fixed, state-negotiated price for distribution to residents. [Read more.]( [Massachusett launching COVID-19 rapid testing initiative]( The state will distribute 2.1 million tests to 102 communities with the highest poverty rates. The Baker administration is also working with manufacturers on a "bulk, cheap purchasing deal" that would allow municipalities to purchase tests by January at a fixed, state-negotiated price for distribution to residents. [Read more.]( [Sandra Lindsay got the first U.S. COVID jab. Here's her secret to motivate others]( Since Lindsay rolled up her sleeve to get vaccinated a year ago, she has devoted herself to motivating others, especially those who are hesitant, to get vaccinated. She shares five persuasive tips. [Read more.]( [Sandra Lindsay got the first U.S. COVID jab. Here's her secret to motivate others]( Since Lindsay rolled up her sleeve to get vaccinated a year ago, she has devoted herself to motivating others, especially those who are hesitant, to get vaccinated. She shares five persuasive tips. [Read more.]( [Mass. hospitals see significant number of COVID breakthrough cases]( As COVID cases surge, hospitals are reporting a significant portion of patients who’ve had their initial vaccine shot — or shots — and a few who’ve received a booster as well. [Read more.]( [Mass. hospitals see significant number of COVID breakthrough cases]( As COVID cases surge, hospitals are reporting a significant portion of patients who’ve had their initial vaccine shot — or shots — and a few who’ve received a booster as well. [Read more.]( [Biogen grapples with 'reckoning' over controversial Alzheimer's drug]( WBUR's All Things Considered host Lisa Mullins talks with STAT biotech reporter Damian Garde about a recent special report on problems at Cambridge-based Biogen. [Read more.]( [Biogen grapples with 'reckoning' over controversial Alzheimer's drug]( WBUR's All Things Considered host Lisa Mullins talks with STAT biotech reporter Damian Garde about a recent special report on problems at Cambridge-based Biogen. [Read more.]( [Why is the cost of insulin so high? The drug's hefty price tag, explained]( Some people pay up to $1,000 a month — even with insurance — for insulin. [Read more.]( [Why is the cost of insulin so high? The drug's hefty price tag, explained]( Some people pay up to $1,000 a month — even with insurance — for insulin. [Read more.]( What We're Reading 📚 The creation of at-home rapid COVID tests is, undeniably, a good thing. But it also creates problems. One of them is that positive test results may never be reported to the state, and therefore cannot be included in official coronavirus infection data. In STAT News, Kathleen McLaughlin reports on all the [unreported COVID cases](. If someone tests positive for the virus with a rapid test, there’s a good chance they don’t mention it to their doctor – let alone alert the local health department. This makes it hard to keep an accurate tally of COVID cases. And it means there’s no contact tracing or genetic sequencing, which might make tracking the rise of omicron a challenge. Public health experts say they don’t even know how many rapid tests are being done. But one estimate puts it at nearly 30 million rapid tests a week in the U.S. McLaughlin says officials downplayed all these concerns, pointing to other ways to figure out the virus’s spread, like wastewater sampling. Other states are urging residents to get PCR test to confirm a positive rapid test. It all makes me wonder whether rapid tests should include more specific instructions on exactly who to alert if you are positive and whether additional testing is needed. "Here we are in one of the most vaccinated states in the country dealing with another surge of COVID…the only way that could really happen is if there’s waning immunity from the vaccines." — Dr. Eric Dickson, [Mass. hospitals see significant number of COVID breakthrough cases]( ICYMI ['A false sense of security': Critics question Mass. COVID testing program in schools]( Gov. Charlie Baker has touted the program, but critics question whether enough students are participating to make the results useful, and whether the benefits are being felt evenly across the state. [Read more.]( ['A false sense of security': Critics question Mass. COVID testing program in schools]( Gov. Charlie Baker has touted the program, but critics question whether enough students are participating to make the results useful, and whether the benefits are being felt evenly across the state. [Read more.]( Did you know...tonight's the best night to view the [Geminid meteor shower]( The celestial event known for its green-colored fireballs can be best witnessed around 2 a.m. this evening! 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.](    Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here.](  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2021 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.