FDA: Tomatoes Recalled Over Salmonella Concerns in 14 States
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that Ray & Mascari Inc. has issued a recall of its Four-Count Vine Ripe Tomatoes that were sold across 11 U.S. states.
The voluntary recall was issued on May 2, after the company was made aware of a possible Salmonella contamination at the facility charged with repackaging the tomatoes for distribution.
Williams Farms Repack LLC also recently recalled tomatoes in three states.
You can find out which lots were included in the recall below.
Fresh tomatoes are key for some of our favorite recipes—they liven up a garden salad and are the main show in salsa. But you may want to double-check your next bunch before purchasing. Ray & Mascari Inc. issued a recall of its vine-ripened tomatoes in 11 states, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
According to the FDA statement, the company is specifically recalling its Four-Count Vine Ripe Tomatoes, which were packed in clear 20-oz clamshell containers that featured the UPC# 7 96553 20062 1.
The packages also came with a master case label that included either Lot# RM250424 15250B or Lot# RM250427 15250B. These tomatoes were sold by Gordon Food Service Stores located in the following states:
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Michigan
Missouri
Mississippi
New York
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Wisconsin
The company decided to recall the product after receiving word that Florida-based Hanshaw & Capling Farms decided to recall the Ray & Mascari Inc. tomatoes that were repackaged in its facility after Hanshaw & Capling Farms was made aware of the possible presence of Salmonella. Ray & Mascari Inc. then notified its customers and distributors, providing them with the recall instructions to be shared with the retail customers who may have bought the potentially contaminated goods.
The FDA statement noted that customers who have purchased the recalled tomatoes should discontinue using them at once. Anyone with any questions should call Ray & Mascari Inc. during regular business hours, Monday through Saturday, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
Salmonella can be dangerous, according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms may include diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever. In extreme cases, severe dehydration can occur, requiring medical attention. The very young, very old, and those with a weakened immune system are most at risk for severe complications, which can happen when the bacteria spread beyond the intestines and may result in serious complications.
Otherwise, the Mayo Clinic notes that most people will see symptoms resolve on their own in a week to 10 days. In some cases, people may experience lingering digestive issues, which may continue for months after the rest of the symptoms resolve.
As of press time, there haven't been any illnesses reported as a result of this recall.
But it's not the only tomato recall to note. Williams Farms Repack LLC is another, recalling tomatoes sold to wholesalers in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia, distributed in April, the FDA said in a separate notice. Specifically, its 4x5 two-layer, 60ct two-layer, 3ct trays in the Williams Farms Repack label, and 5x6 25lb, 6x6 25lb H&C Farms Label, are impacted.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
‘I was skinned alive': Patients say cosmetic surgery chains left them disfigured
A few days after a harrowing cosmetic surgery procedure, Erin Schaeffer says she woke up with fluid leaking from an open wound in her stomach. Schaeffer went on to spend a week in a Florida hospital battling a severe infection after a type of tummy tuck and liposuction at the Jacksonville branch of Sono Bello, a national cosmetic surgery chain. More than a year later, scars remain on her lower body — and in a lawsuit she is accusing Sono Bello of using an inadequately trained obstetrician-gynecologist to remove her excess skin and fat, a procedure she says caused excruciating pain. 'I literally felt like I was skinned alive,' said the 37-year-old, who works as a training manager for United Parcel Service. Schaeffer and her husband, Jonathan, are suing Sono Bello and Manuel Herrera in Duval County Circuit Court. The suit accuses Herrera, a board-certified OB-GYN, of 'performing procedures that he was not trained or qualified to perform.' Sono Bello and Herrera denied the allegations in a joint court filing. And in an interview with KFF Health News and NBC News, Robert Centeno, Sono Bello's medical director for the East region, said its surgeons undergo 'very rigorous training.' Backed by private equity financing, Sono Bello is the largest of a breed of cosmetic surgery chains vying for a slice of the growing body-contouring market in the U.S. One research firm estimated that the market, which includes procedures ranging from wrinkle removal to liposuction, topped $22 billion in 2024. The chains sell an array of body-reshaping operations such as 'Mommy Makeovers' and liposuction targeting customers willing to pay up to $20,000 out of pocket for a new figure, often on credit with steep interest rates from companies specializing in credit for elective medical procedures. Sono Bello boasts it is 'America's top cosmetic surgery specialist.' But a joint investigation by KFF Health News and NBC News found that Sono Bello and other cosmetic surgery chains have been the target of scores of medical malpractice and negligence lawsuits alleging disfiguring injuries — including 12 wrongful death cases filed over the past seven years. Injured patients have accused the chains of hiring doctors with minimal cosmetic surgery training, of failing to recognize and treat life-threatening infections and other dangerous surgical complications, and of high-pressure sales tactics that minimized safety risks, court records show. Sono Bello and the other companies have denied the allegations in court. 'These people promise to turn you into the fairest person in the land, and the risks aren't often worth the reality,' said Sean Domnick, a Florida attorney who heads the American Association for Justice, a trial lawyers group. Sono Bello's Centeno disagrees. He said the company's mission is to 'help each and every one of our patients live their best lives now.' Sono Bello offers 'life-changing transformations' that enhance a person's 'appearance as well as their quality of life,' said Centeno, a surgeon himself at the company's Troy, Michigan, office. The doctors who perform such surgeries, court records show, are sometimes paid more for taking on patients with a high body mass, as obesity raises the risk of devastating complications. And as the chains grow, there's little regulatory oversight. While the Food and Drug Administration maintains a database of complaints about drugs or medical devices, there's nothing similar for cosmetic surgeries. Schaeffer had liposuction at Sono Bello in January 2024 and was satisfied with the results. On the morning of March 29, 2024, she went in for more liposuction and a mini-tummy tuck that Sono Bello calls AbEX. The medical staff gave her Xanax and the painkiller oxycodone in pill form, according to medical records Sono Bello turned over to Schaeffer's attorney. During the procedure, she received an infusion of lidocaine to numb the area but remained awake. Sono Bello says the local anesthesia is safer and promotes faster healing with 'minimal discomfort,' so patients may return to work or other normal activities within a week. That didn't happen for Schaeffer, who said she felt so much pain during the operation that she began to cry and 'begged' the doctor to stop near the end. 'I said, 'I don't care what I look like,'' she said in an interview. ''I can't handle the pain.'' Two days later she spiked a fever, and a day after that her pubic area swelled up 'severely,' she said. Sono Bello medical staff told her that was normal and that she was fine, she said. Two days later, however, blood and fluid spilled out of her stomach when she got up, she said. On one visit to the office, Herrera told her she required surgery at a hospital to treat her wounds. But, she recounted, Herrera said he couldn't arrange that because he was an obstetrician, not a plastic surgeon, and didn't have hospital privileges locally. Herrera has hospital privileges in the Orlando area, about 140 miles southwest of Jacksonville. 'I was just in utter shock,' Schaeffer said. Sono Bello spokesperson Mark Firmani said the company does not require its doctors to have local hospital privileges, though many do have them. Centeno said Schaeffer's painful experience is not common. 'The reality is that over 90% of our patients who have our procedures completed are extremely comfortable during the procedure and they do quite well,' he said. Patients of Sono Bello and some other clinics also have complained to the Better Business Bureau of unexpectedly painful procedures. Centeno said that Herrera still works for the company, but the doctor's name does not appear on the company's Jacksonville website. Herrera runs an OB-GYN and aesthetics practice, which includes skin care treatments, in Winter Garden, Florida, near Orlando, and is board-certified by the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Sono Bello has considered him a rising star; Herrera's work in 2023 won Sono Bello's annual 'New Talent Award,' given to a company doctor who exhibits 'exceptional technical skills, productivity, and off-the-charts brand loyalty.' Herrera completed a Sono Bello fellowship program that teaches a 'suite of aesthetic procedures' in a six- to eight-week course under the direction of a company surgeon. The company says the fellowship offers 'patient-focused training in awake total body contouring and skin excision procedures.' Sono Bello allows physicians who have completed formal residencies in more than half a dozen types of surgery to apply for its fellowship. In a post on a Sono Bello website, Herrera said that before taking the fellowship course, he 'had been a skilled surgeon for over 13 years with extensive experience in other areas but limited knowledge on body sculpting.' Herrera did not respond to calls and emails requesting comment and directed Sono Bello to respond on his behalf. Company spokesperson Firmani said Herrera is still a member of the Sono Bello team. Many established plastic surgeons who spoke with KFF Health News and NBC News worry that chain surgery groups may be inclined to spend more effort on marketing and sales than on making sure their doctors are properly credentialed and capable of handling any complications that arise. Medical practices owned by private equity or investment firms have more money to spend drawing in patients, and 'the ability to operate and provide quality patient care is now less important,' said Mark Domanski, a plastic surgeon in northern Virginia. Doctor entrepreneurs Formed in 2008 by entrepreneurial physician Tom Garrison, Sono Bello now runs more than 100 centers nationwide. Private equity investors have pumped $816 million into the company, most of it since 2023, according to PitchBook, which tracks the industry. Sono Bello advertises widely on television and online, aimed at what one major investor termed the 'everyday woman and man.' It has advertised having '150+ board-certified surgeons who have performed over 300,000 laser lipo & body contouring procedures.' Sono Bello limits its offerings to services such as liposuction and its version of tummy tucks, which it believes its surgeons have mastered. It does not perform Brazilian butt lifts, or fat transfers, though many other cosmetic surgery chains do. While Sono Bello boasts that the vast majority of its patients are satisfied, court records show that allegations of substandard medical care have trailed its rapid growth. Sono Bello and its corporate affiliates and surgeons have defended more than 60 medical malpractice cases, including four suits involving patient deaths, since April 2013, court records show. Sono Bello has settled three of four wrongful death cases filed since May 2018, while one is pending, court records show. Schaeffer's suit in Jacksonville is among at least 19 filed since the start of March 2023. Many are pending in the courts, and the company has denied the allegations. Other physicians who have extended their brands to multiple cities and relied heavily on social media and splashy websites to bring in patients have also faced lawsuits. Mia Aesthetics, formed in 2017 by Texas surgeon Sergio Alvarez, runs a dozen cosmetic surgery clinics from Miami to Las Vegas. Mia Aesthetics provides 'the highest quality plastic surgery at affordable prices proving that being beautiful and saving money are two realities that can exist simultaneously,' its website says. Alvarez is a board-certified plastic surgeon. Patients filed at least 30 medical negligence cases against Mia Aesthetics and its affiliates from November 2020 through March of this year, court records show. A dozen suits target its Miami surgery center. The company has sought, and often won, dismissal of malpractice suits because patients signed contracts agreeing to arbitration of any disputes, court dockets show. Alvarez did not respond to requests for comment. Owned by New York physician Sergey Voskin since 2016, Goals Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery has branched out from a small cosmetic surgery office in the Brooklyn borough of New York City to a network of a dozen surgery centers it manages in eight states. Goals clinics and affiliated surgeons have been named as defendants in at least 40 malpractice suits filed from October 2018 through March, court records show. The Atlanta branch accounted for more than 20 such cases in Georgia courts from September 2022 through June 2024. Most are pending. Goals defended two lawsuits brought by the families of New York patients who died shortly after having liposuction procedures, court records show. Goals denied the allegations and won dismissal of some cases by invoking arbitration agreements, according to court dockets. The company says these agreements are commonly used throughout the medical industry. Voskin declined to be interviewed. In a statement, Goals lawyer Joshua Lurie said the medical offices it manages have performed more than 10,000 procedures and have 'one of, if not the highest track records of safety among similar types of medical practices.' Lurie said the 'vast majority' of malpractice claims are 'meritless.' These 'bad faith filings create an implication of risk when none exist and when, again, there is a very negligible negative outcome from surgery compared to the total procedures performed,' he wrote. No Guarantees Malpractice suits by themselves are not proof of wrongdoing. Nobody tracks the outcome of these lawsuits, which often are settled under confidential terms that keep key details out of public view and prohibit patients from discussing their experiences. Surgeons often argue that complications are a risk of surgery and that a poor outcome doesn't mean the doctor was negligent. To prove negligence, injured patients generally must show their care fell below what a reasonably prudent doctor with similar training would have done. That can be a challenge. Typically, the surgery chains fight back by arguing that complications are a risk of any surgical procedure and that they never guarantee results. Before their procedures, patients must sign consent forms acknowledging their expectations must be 'realistic' and that complications or dissatisfaction with the result does not necessarily mean the surgeon botched the job. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons investigates ethics complaints against its members, but not allegations of incompetence or malpractice. Some presurgery contracts allow for low-cost 'revisions' for disgruntled patients. Sono Bello has offered a 'satisfaction commitment,' which states: 'If your surgeon's evaluation determines your results to be deficient, we will touch up the area at no cost to you.' Other contracts contain disclaimers, such as reminding patients that dramatic 'before and after' photos widely shown in online advertisements and other solicitations may not reflect typical results. Demonstrating the influence of social media in driving sales, Goals once required patients to sign a nondisparagement clause. The contract stated that patients who bad-mouth the company on social media without first giving the company 'an opportunity to remedy any alleged issues' agree to pay damages of $10,000 for each violation. In a civil investigation of Goals' marketing tactics, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr alleged that policy and others violated state consumer protection laws. In September 2022, Goals agreed to stop using the nondisparagement clause and to pay the state $119,480 to settle the matter, without admitting any wrongdoing. Both Goals and Mia Aesthetics have clauses in their service contracts that require arbitration of any disputes in lieu of court action, a process many consumer advocates believe favors the industry. These agreements are becoming more common among plastic surgeons. The arbitration clauses have prevented some aggrieved patients from getting their day in court. That happened in a wrongful death case filed by the family of Angela Mendez, 57, who was found dead in her apartment a day after liposuction at a Goals office in New York City in March 2021. She died from a pulmonary thromboembolism, a blood clot in her lung, as a complication of cosmetic surgery, according to an autopsy report. Her family sued the company alleging negligence. But in June 2024 a judge ruled that Mendez had signed a form requiring that the case be heard in arbitration and dismissed the lawsuit. Attorney Gary Zucker, who represents the family, is appealing. 'It's been a one-two punch for the family,' Zucker said. Goals attorney Lurie called arbitration 'a common practice throughout the industry and many industries' that is 'intended to speed the process to come to resolutions in a more expedited fashion.' In a 2023 deposition, Lurie said patients can opt out of the arbitration agreement, which 'has happened multiple times.' 'A Hard Sell' When Erin Schaeffer first visited Sono Bello, a sales agent told her she was a 'perfect candidate' for a tummy tuck procedure, she said in an interview with KFF Health News and NBC News. Though she wanted to think about it and talk it over with her family, she says the salesperson persuaded her to go ahead. Because cosmetic surgery is elective, insurance doesn't cover it. Schaeffer made a down payment and signed up for a credit plan through outside companies to repay most of the $19,838 bill over a five-year period, according to her medical records. She said she's now paying $420 a month. 'I definitely felt like it was a hard sell,' Schaeffer said. 'She didn't want me to leave out of there without putting money down on it.' Schaeffer said she didn't meet the doctor until about a week before the procedure, and only briefly. Some patients suing other companies have argued in court filings that they didn't meet the surgeon until the day of their operations, a practice that draws sharp criticism from more traditional surgeons. Scott Hollenbeck, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, said patients need time with their doctor to fully understand the pros and cons of surgery and shouldn't be pressured into quick decisions. 'It is not possible to do that when you see the doctor an hour before surgery for the first time,' he said. 'You should have time to process what they told you, think about it, and make a decision.' 'That is best done with a surgeon, not a marketer,' Hollenbeck said. Good Candidates Many plastic surgeons discourage obese people from undergoing liposuction and other cosmetic procedures because of an elevated risk of infections and other serious medical complications. Candidates are considered obese at a body mass index of 30 or above. Sono Bello patients have an average BMI of 31, according to Centeno. At the time of her surgery, Schaeffer had a BMI of 36. But there's no consensus on who should be turned away because of their size — and policies vary. Sono Bello says its AbEX tummy tuck can be done safely with a body mass index as high as 42, well beyond the body mass limits for a traditional abdominoplasty done using general anesthesia. The AbEX removes loose and sagging skin around the stomach 'to achieve a more toned and sculpted look,' according to the company. Centeno said that high BMI 'does confer additional risk, which can be managed.' But he said it would be 'discriminatory, unethical and inappropriate for Sono Bello or any other medical practice to deny care to a patient based solely on their BMI.' Yet high-BMI patients have alleged they suffered devastating complications, according to KFF Health News' review of court cases filed against Sono Bello and other companies. One patient is Marissa Edwards, then 45, a California medical receptionist with three children. At 5 feet, 3 inches tall, she weighed 237 pounds, with a body mass index of 41. She had AbEX and liposuction at a Sono Bello clinic in San Diego on Oct. 11, 2022, according to court filings. During an office visit eight days later, she complained of swelling and pain in her abdomen, but a nurse 'dismissed her complaints,' according to the suit. On Nov. 4, Edwards noticed the incision was opening, while a rash formed around her belly button. In a text to Sono Bello, she attached a photo of her wound, which, the suit alleges, should have alerted the staff that it needed 'immediate evaluation by a qualified medical professional.' On Nov. 5, she woke up 'feeling extremely hot' and 'nearly fainted,' according to her complaint. Her husband drove her to an urgent care center, which diagnosed her with sepsis and rushed her to a hospital by ambulance. When she awoke the next morning, her bedsheets were soaked with body fluid. As she stood up, 'fluid began to pour out of her stomach and hit the floor,' according to the complaint. She spent six days in the hospital. Edwards alleges in her lawsuit that Sono Bello's medical staff failed to recognize and respond to early signs of trouble. 'I have sepsis and could have died,' she texted to Sono Bello's office line, according to court documents. 'I am very upset.' In one text that was included in her lawsuit, she wrote: 'So I would appreciate some type of empathy from you!! If you only knew what I have been through and you went through this I'm sure you wouldn't be giving me this snotty attitude.' Sono Bello denies any negligence. In a court filing, the company noted that infections are a risk of surgery, and that Edwards had signed a consent form that stated in part: 'The practice of medicine and surgery is not an exact science and results are not guaranteed.' Sono Bello filed a motion for summary judgment that argued her care was not negligent and 'not a substantial factor' in causing her alleged injuries. The case was settled earlier this month under confidential terms. Value Units While patients with high BMI are riskier, they also are more lucrative for Sono Bello surgeons, court records show. The company pays its surgeons for procedures based in part on the patient's BMI, using a formula it calls a 'surgical value unit.' The compensation plan surfaced in a lawsuit filed in December 2023 by Shirley Webb, then a 79-year-old Nevada woman. Hoping to slim down for a dream cruise, she paid $14,703 for an AbEX tummy tuck and liposuction of her stomach at the Sono Bello branch in Las Vegas. Eighteen days after her operation, she was 'oozing and bleeding' from her surgical wounds and her son rushed her to a hospital, where doctors diagnosed 'severe sepsis with shock,' according to the complaint. She spent several months in hospitals and rehabilitation care, running up medical bills of more than $2.6 million, her lawyer stated during a deposition. Lloyd Krieger, a California plastic surgeon who served as a medical expert for Webb's legal team, said the operations never should have happened because she was at 'very high risk for multiple procedures given her advanced age and high BMI,' according to the suit. In a court deposition, Sono Bello surgeon Charles Kim testified that operating on Webb earned him 'surgical value units' that boosted his pay to about $2,000 for the procedure. Sono Bello and Kim denied Webb's negligence claims and the parties settled the case in early 2025 under confidential terms, court records show. Centeno said Sono Bello surgeons are paid more for higher-BMI patients because they 'require additional work and additional complexity in terms of decision-making.' He added that 'our high-BMI patients routinely undergo our procedures safely with an extremely high patient satisfaction rate.' Schaeffer said people hoping to reshape their bodies need to do a lot of research before plunging ahead with plastic surgery. She said she was hoping to get rid of excess skin and fat after dropping 100 pounds. Instead, she missed seven weeks of work recovering from her tummy tuck in Jacksonville. 'I went into this procedure to try to make myself feel better after losing the weight, and I came out with something even worse,' she said. 'I trusted. I believed in what they told me, which I think most people do,' Schaeffer said. 'Not anymore.' KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism. This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword
Chicago Tribune
2 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Rush now offers a blood test to help detect more than 50 types of cancer, as other health systems remain wary
Jack Welter didn't feel sick when he agreed to take a new blood test that looks for multiple types of cancer. But, approaching 60, he thought it couldn't hurt. To his surprise, the test came back positive. Welter then underwent multiple rounds of follow-up tests, and ultimately, doctors found cancer in his throat. The now 61-year-old Elkhart, Indiana, resident endured radiation and chemotherapy in 2023 and is now cancer-free. 'Without that test, I still would have had (cancer), obviously, but it might not have appeared for another year or more,' said Welter, who is expecting his first grandchild. 'Early detection is the key to success.' In recent years, the blood test, called Galleri, and others like it, have been gaining momentum among doctors who use them to help detect cancers that otherwise might go unnoticed until patients become ill. Now, at least one local health system, Rush University System for Health, has decided to start offering Galleri to patients widely in hopes of finding cancer early, when it's easier to treat. The test has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is not covered by most health insurance plans. At Rush, it will cost most people $749 out-of-pocket. Providers at other local health systems have expressed wariness about offering the test broadly at this point, given those concerns and others. But Rush leaders felt it was important to move forward with the test, given its potential life-changing benefits for patients and because of its performance in clinical trials, said Dr. Lisa Stempel, director of the high-risk cancer screening program at Rush. 'The goal of all screening is to find cancer early when we can treat it,' said Stempel, who noted that 1 in 3 people will get cancer in their lifetimes. 'It's such a simple test in the fact that it can find so many cancers and the fact that it can find it in early stages is what's extremely exciting to me.' The test works by identifying DNA in the bloodstream that's shed by cancer cells. It can detect a cancer signal shared by more than 50 types of cancer, and it can also reveal roughly where in the body the cancer might be. A positive result is not the same as a diagnosis. If a patient gets a positive result, the patient must undergo additional testing, such as CT scans or PET scans, to help assess if they really have cancer. There's a 43% chance that a positive test result will be cancer, according to a study from Grail, the company that makes the Galleri test. The test has a false positive rate of 0.5% among patients who don't have cancer, meaning about 1 out of every 200 people who take the test and don't have cancer might still get a positive result. The test is only available by prescription, and it's recommended annually by Grail for people at higher risk of cancer, such as those ages 50 and older. Rush is also offering it to younger adults with risk factors such as a family history of cancer, smoking, diabetes or obesity. If a patient gets a positive result but doctors can't find any cancer, Grail offers a second test to the patient free of charge. That's what happened to Welter, the Indiana patient who had throat cancer. The first time he took the test, it came back positive for cancer somewhere between his chest and head, he said. But more traditional follow-up tests didn't turn up any cancer. He then took a second, free Galleri test about six months later and, again, it was positive. He underwent more testing, and the second time around, doctors found the cancer. 'At that point in time it was so small they really couldn't pinpoint it,' Welter said of doctors' efforts to find the cancer after his first Galleri test. Welter has been speaking to doctors at Rush about his experience in recent months as part of their training to offer the tests to patients widely. Welter said he hasn't been paid by Grail nor Rush. 'To me it's amazing the test could actually find something like that,' Welter said. Not everyone, however, is as gung-ho about the test. Though health systems in other parts of the U.S. are also offering Galleri, some Chicago-area health systems and providers say they don't believe the test is ready for prime time. Northwestern Medicine is not systematically offering the Galleri test at this point, with a spokesperson saying, 'The technology isn't sufficiently sensitive and specific enough for us to use this as a screening tool at this time.' Feighanne Hathaway, a genetic counselor at UChicago Medicine, said she also has a number of concerns. For one, she worries that the out-of-pocket cost creates more disparities in health care. She also worries that the test may be less adept at picking up signals for early-stage cancers than later stage ones, raising questions about its usefulness and value. A Grail study found that 48% of confirmed cancers detected by Galleri were stages 1 or 2, and that adding Galleri to standard-of-care screening about doubled the number of cancers detected. Hathaway also fears that if a patient gets a negative test result, they may think they can forgo screenings such as mammograms and colonoscopies. Rush and Grail caution that the test is not meant to replace routine screenings. Largely, though, she's concerned that the test is not yet approved by the FDA. Hathaway said she likes the idea of the test, but, 'I just don't think we're there yet.' 'I think more research needs to be done before we start offering it,' Hathaway said. So far, more than 380,000 people are or already have participated in studies of Galleri, according to Rush. That includes a recently completed trial with 140,000 participants in the United Kingdom. The company is also sponsoring a clinical trial that's now seeking to enroll an additional 50,000 Medicare beneficiaries to test whether Galleri can help find cancer early and decrease the number of late-stage cancer diagnoses. Though Galleri is not approved by the FDA, Grail said it has been granted breakthrough device designation by the agency, which is meant to speed up development and review of devices that can more effectively treat or diagnose life-threatening and debilitating conditions. The company expects to finish submitting information to the FDA next year for premarket approval. 'Now, for the first time we've got breakthrough technology that can find cancer in adults who have no idea they have cancer, they have no symptoms, there's no suspicion of cancer, and we can look for more than those five cancers,' said Dr. Joshua Ofman, president of Grail, referring to the cancers that now have recommended screening tools, such as mammograms for breast cancer and colonoscopies for colorectal cancer. 'We can look for all the other cancers that are taking people's lives, because when you can find cancer early that is your best chance to cure it,' Ofman. Many patients feel the same way. Peter Crowell, 65 of Bucktown, was among the first group of Rush patients to sign up this month to be tested. After his primary care doctor mentioned it, Crowell made an appointment to get his blood drawn. 'He asked me if I was interested, given my history, so I said, 'Yeah,'' Crowell said, noting he has a family history of cancer. 'It's just something I think I'd rather be proactive about.' Of course, Crowell wishes insurance would pay for it, but he's willing to shell out the $749 for the test. He said he'll likely pay for it using a flexible spending account. 'If I can find out if I have any of those markers, then it will be worth it,' Crowell said. Maggie Hornung, a nurse practitioner at Rush, recently had her blood drawn for the test. It takes about three to four weeks to get results. 'I obviously was excited as a provider to start offering this and working on this but as a patient I absolutely wanted to proceed,' said Hornung, 58. She wanted to take the test because she's had family members with cancer, and because of what she's seen in her work with patients in the high-risk breast cancer clinic at Rush. 'To me, $749 is a small cost compared to what things could be,' Hornung said.
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
Hulk Hogan of WWE fame faced multiple health issues leading up to his death
WWE superstar Hulk Hogan, 71, died on Thursday after a reported cardiac arrest. Although there has been no confirmation of what led to the fatal event, the famed wrestler had allegedly been facing multiple health issues in the months and years before his death. In an appearance on Jake Paul's "IMPAULSIVE" podcast in September 2024, Hogan admitted that he'd had 25 surgeries in the last 10 years. This included 10 back surgeries, procedures on both shoulders, and knee and hip replacements on both sides. Hogan called out the difference between today's fighting rings and the dangerous equipment of the 1970s, which he described as a 22-foot ring with "lumps" and "boards sticking up." "It was horrible," he said. "The equipment and jumping up and dropping the damn leg for 40 years, when I had the largest arms in the world — I should've been using 'The Sleeper.'" "I probably should've quit earlier, but I just loved doing it — and the money was just crazy." Regardless of the physical consequences of his years in the ring, Hogan stated that he has "no regrets." TMZ Sports reported in March 2025 that Hogan had undergone neck surgery to relieve pain, which was a "quick turnaround" that required little recovery time, according to a representative. Earlier this month, Hogan's wife, Sky Daily, squashed rumors on social media that her husband was in a coma following recent surgery, noting in an Instagram post that "his heart is strong, and there was never any lack of oxygen or brain damage." Daily revealed in her post that Hogan had been recovering from a "major four-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusin (ACDF), which is an intense surgery with a long and layered healing process." "If you look it up, you'll see what the last six weeks have involved … not just for his spine, but also for his vocal cords, and the eating/breathing tubes that are clamped over during surgery," she wrote in a post. "We've been in and out of the hospital to support that recovery." In an op-ed for Fox News Digital, Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, shared that although Hogan will not be remembered for his health struggles and surgeries, they certainly were present. Those included "his admitted steroid use in the 1990s, to multiple knee and hip replacement surgeries, to shoulder and multiple back surgeries, and finally a neck fusion operation which, by many accounts, was followed by a downhill slide in his health, culminating in a fatal cardiac arrest," the doctor wrote. Siegel pointed out that Hogan came from a group of professional wrestlers who had a "high incidence" of steroid and drug use, suicide and heart disease. According to a recent University of East Michigan study, wrestlers between 45 and 54 years old were nearly three times more likely to die prematurely than the general U.S. population. "And those numbers increased the older the wrestler was," Siegel added. "Many of these men didn't even make it to their 70s." "Keep in mind the physical strain of having a large, bulky frame being repeatedly slammed, combined with frequent travel and the emotional stresses of being both an athlete and an entertainer." In 1994, Hogan reportedly admitted under oath — during the trial of then-WWF Chairman Vince McMahon, who'd been charged with steroid distribution — that he had used steroids "for over a decade" before he stopped. "Hulk Hogan lived in pain for decades, but it didn't keep him from being a continuing role model for many, including in his later years," Siegel said. "He came to embody physical and spiritual vitality, and that is what he will really be remembered for." Dr. Bradley Serwer, an interventional cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution in Maryland, noted in an interview with Fox News Digital that without firsthand knowledge of Hogan's medical history, the exact cause of the reported sudden cardiac arrest "remains unknown." "It was reported that he was experiencing good health until he collapsed," Serwer said. "This presentation is quite common for a heart attack with sudden cardiac arrest." The most prevalent cause of sudden cardiac arrest is a heart attack, or ischemic heart disease, the cardiologist shared. "When a heart attack occurs, the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen, resulting in the death of muscle tissue," the doctor detailed. "This condition predisposes the heart to abnormal heart rhythms, such as ventricular fibrillation (Vfib)." Vfib is characterized by "rapid and irregular electrical activity that causes the ventricles [to] quiver and be ineffective," Serwer said. This results in the heart being unable to pump blood to the body, leading to a rapid death. Cardiac arrests that occur outside a hospital have a "significantly low" survival rate of about 10%, according to Serwer. For those who receive cardiac arrest response, like CPR and defibrillation, survival increases by up to 40%.
