From floating saunas to clinical trials: How heat might help mental health - NPR

Rethink trial design with decentralized, community-based models to cut barriers, let patients enroll closer to home, and preserve high-quality safety data. Making clinical trials more accessible requires rethinking how studies are designed, supported, and conducted, particularly for patients receiving care in community settings. In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Krish Patel, MD, executive director of hematologic cancer research at Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses the role of trial sponsors, research organizations, community oncology sites, and regulatory agencies in reducing barriers to participation. Patel emphasizes that while community oncology sites may have varying capabilities, they care for a large proportion of patients who could benefit from clinical trial participation. He argues that stakeholders should reassess which traditional trial requirements are truly necessary to determine whether a therapy is safe and effective and which may create unnecessary barriers for patients and sites. One potential solution is greater use of decentralized trial models.

Four late-breaking trials, presented at ESC Congress 2026 focused on post-acute coronary syndrome (ACS) antithrombotic therapy. LIBREXIA ACS examined adding the factor XIa inhibitor milvexian to antiplatelet therapy after ACS, PREMIUM looked at aspirin omission at the time of primary PCI for STEMI, SWITCH SWEDEHEART evaluated whether to switch from ticagrelor to prasugrel in ACS, and A-CLOSE compared clopidogrel monotherapy with extended dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after high-risk PCI. LIBREXIA ACS: Can Factor XIa Inhibition Improve Outcomes After ACS?

A reporting trip to a sauna conference in Oslo found NPR's Will Stone in a sauna with his clothes and recording gear. In this reporter's notebook, he explains how he investigates the science behind wellness claims. ELISSA NADWORNY, HOST: NPR's Will Stone reports on that line between proven medical treatments and alternative health practices. WILL STONE, BYLINE: If you're envisioning study subjects smoking weed and sipping free booze, then you have a pretty good picture of this experiment. NADWORNY: Weed versus alcohol, metabolic medicine and, yes, the science of sauna. STONE: It's basically a chance for the sauna world to nerd out. NADWORNY: In September, Will Stone traveled to Oslo, Norway, for the International Sauna Congress. STONE: You have scientists, business operators, advocates. They're all here for a few days to talk about everything from the health benefits to the finer points of sauna culture. NADWORNY: The program included party hopping and heat treatments in, quote, "floating sauna villages. " So for this week's Reporter's Notebook, I wanted to talk to Will about arguably the toughest assignment at NPR. I mean, come on. You got in a sauna in Oslo?

ELISSA NADWORNY, HOST: It's CONSIDER THIS FROM NPR, where every day we go deep on one big news story. NPR's Will Stone reports on that line between proven medical treatments and alternative health practices. WILL STONE, BYLINE: If you're envisioning study subjects smoking weed and sipping free booze, then you have a pretty good picture of this experiment. NADWORNY: CONSIDER THIS - for centuries, people have sought out saunas and hot springs for their supposed healing properties. Coming up, we talk to one reporter about understanding the science behind those claims, all while enjoying some time in the sauna himself. From NPR, I'm Elissa Nadworny.(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)NADWORNY: In September, NPR science correspondent Will Stone traveled to Oslo, Norway, for the International Sauna Congress. STONE: It's basically a chance for the sauna world to nerd out. You have scientists, business operators, advocates. They're all here for a few days to talk about everything from the health benefits to the finer points of sauna culture. NADWORNY: The program included party hopping and heat treatments in, quote, "floating sauna villages," all in the pursuit of science.

“Beyond Detecting Cancer Recurrence: Can Whole-Genome Sequencing-Based ctDNA Monitoring Help Personalize Adjuvant Treatment? An exciting new study published in The Oncologist highlights the clinical potential of Signatera Genome, a whole-genome sequencing (WGS)-based, tumor-informed circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assay, not only for detecting molecular residual disease (MRD), but also for potentially informing adjuvant treatment decisions.