Media Coverage

Lung Transplants Extend Lives of Sickest Cancer Patients Better Than Standard Treatment

The medical community has long considered it too risky to transplant lungs into patients with advanced cancer because of the potential risk for cancer cells to spread to the new lungs. But the new study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, challenges that notion, said Dr. Ankit Bharat, Northwestern’s chief of thoracic surgery and a co-author of the study.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. It’s also one of the most common parts of the body for other types of cancers to spread to, Bharat said.

Northwestern Study Shows Transplants Boost Survival for Patients with Terminal Lung Cancer

Hospitals don’t typically perform lung transplants on people with advanced lung cancer, partly over concerns that the cancer will recur after the transplant, leaving the patient no better off, said Dr. Ankit Bharat, a co-corresponding author of the study, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA on Wednesday.

But over the last several years, Northwestern has performed lung transplants on 17 patients with terminal lung cancer whose cancer was confined to their lungs and for whom other treatments didn’t work. All 17 patients either survived for at least one year after their transplants or were still alive at the conclusion of the study.

Here’s What to Know About Kidney Transplants

Dr. John Friedewald, Nephrologist at Northwestern Medicine, joins Wendy Snyder, filling in for Lisa Dent, to educate the audience on kidney transplants. He addresses the issue of finding compatible donors, the finances behind giving or receiving a kidney, as well as why someone who even want to donate their organ in the first place. Later, Dr. Friedewald answers listener questions about transplants.

How Extreme Heat Can Impact Your Heart

Dr. Alana Lewis, a cardiologist at Northwestern Medicine’s Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, said extreme temperatures can also lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular events, like heart attacks, strokes and arrhythmias.

“Your heart’s having to essentially work harder,” she said. Lewis said heat can also worsen air quality, which contributes to cardiac stress. According to the Chicago Department of Public Health, the city had an average of three heat-related deaths per year from 2020 to 2024.

How Safe Does Your Community Feel?

After a historic drop in crime in 2025, gun violence in Chicago is creeping back up so far this year, with an 8% increase in shootings compared to last year. That’s still below any other year in recent memory. Also, crime overall – like battery, robbery, murder and theft – is also down in 2026, compared to this time last year.

On today’s Say More, with guest Andrew Papachristos, professor of sociology at Northwestern University’s Institute for Policy Research, how does it feel in your neighborhood or town? And what will it take for Chicago to set a new normal for safety?

The Truth About Bee Stings with Dr. Santina Wheat

Dr. Santina Wheat, Program Director, McGaw Northwestern Family Medicine Residency at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, joins Wendy Snyder for this week’s health update.

They discuss bee stings and whether you can develop an allergy to them, the importance of hydration, signs of testicular cancer, treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, and more.

With One of Nation’s ‘Largest Pools of Geriatric Patients,’ Palos Hospital Focuses on Emergency Room Elder Care

On the heels of its first anniversary, a program designed to improve emergency care for older adults at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital has received Geriatric Emergency Department accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians.

The Geriatric Emergency Department Initiative program, or GEDI, “is part of a small but growing movement in improving emergency care for elders across the country and around the world,” said Dr. Scott Dresden, who has been director of the program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago since 2013.

Medicare Has Opened Access to GLP-1s for Millions

Millions of Medicare beneficiaries can now access GLP-1 weight-loss drugs for $50 a month — but experts warn the new federal program carries real risks for an older patient base that will require intense scrutiny by physicians, pharmacists and policymakers.

Even at the lower end of those estimates, the scale is significant, said Dr. Micah Eimer, a clinical assistant professor of cardiology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

Illinois Medicaid Patients Can Wait More Than a Year for Critical Dental Care Due to Low Reimbursements

Recent cuts in federal Medicaid funding have led to reduced enrollment and will limit services statewide, said assistant professor Lindsay Allen, a health economist and policy researcher at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. She said people will have to “raise a big stink” to further improve access to dental care, where regular checkups can avoid bigger problems down the line.

“Prevention is unbelievably cost-effective,” Allen said. “This is preventive healthcare and medically necessary surgery.”