Robin Roberts Provides an Update on Her Partner’s Cancer, Supreme Court Rejects Bayer’s Roundup Appeals and More

June 24, 2022
Brielle Benyon
Brielle Benyon

Brielle Benyon, Assistant Managing Editor for CURE®, has been with MJH Life Sciences since 2016. She has served as an editor on both CURE and its sister publication, Oncology Nursing News. Brielle is a graduate from The College of New Jersey. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, CrossFit and wishing she had the grace and confidence of her toddler-aged daughter.

From Robin Roberts’ personal message about her partner, Amber Laign’s cancer, to a dancing group inspired by an “America’s Got Talent” contestant who died of cancer, here’s what is happening in the cancer space this week.

“Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts provides an update on her partner’s cancer.

Robin Roberts, the host of “Good Morning America” and a cancer survivor herself, gave an update on her partner, Amber Laign, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year.

Roberts shared a video in Instagram informing viewers that Laign had a rough week.

“God didn’t create you to be overcome, He created you to become an overcomer,” Roberts said during her “morning prayer and message” clips on social media. “(Amber) had such a challenging week last week, thank you for allowing me the time to be with her. But it’s a brand new week — overcome it.”

Supreme Court rejects an appeal to stop lawsuits around Roundup weed killer.

In late 2015, lawsuits began piling up claiming that the weed killer Roundup was causing cancer. Then, in 2018, the first verdict was reached with a California resident being awarded $289 million after arguing that his diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma was linked to the exposure to Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate. After Bayer (the manufacturer of Roundup) agreed to take glyphosate out of Roundup’s formula, the company is now urging the courts to put an end to the thousands of lawsuits surrounding Roundup.

However, the Supreme Court rejected Bayer’s appeal and will move forward with lawsuits, despite an Environmental Protection Agency finding from 2020 claiming that glyphosate is “not likely” to lead to a serious health risk. The appellate court also ordered the agency to reevaluate this finding, as the International Agency for Research on Cancer determined in 2015 that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic (cancer-causing) to humans.”

A statue of a mother with metastatic breast cancer was erected in front of the Norwegian Parliament.

The Norwegian Breast Cancer Society teamed up with the Association of Norwegian Sculptors to create a statue of Cecile, a 44-year-old mother of three who has metastatic breast cancer. According to the Norwegian Breast Cancer Society, the purpose of the statue — which is now displayed outside of the Norwegian Parliament — is to raise awareness for incurable breast cancer.

"This statue is a monument to women with metastatic breast cancer and a call to all of us to give extra care, attention, and support to the affected patients," said Ellen Harris Utne, chair of the board of the Norwegian Breast Cancer Society.

Lebanese dancers honor an “America’s Got Talent” contestant who died of cancer.

This week, a group of dancers from Lebanon auditioned for “America’s Got Talent,” stating that a former contestant on the show, Jane Marczewski (AKA Nightbirdie) is their inspiration.

Marczewski moved judges to tears when she competed in the show last year, earning a golden buzzer from judge Simon Cowell. However, the singer had to leave the show last August as her health was declining. She died in February.

“Lebanon is not considered a place where you can build a career out of dancing. It’s hard, really hard — and harder for women,” choreographer and founder Nadim Cherfan, said. “I grew up watching America’s Got Talent, and I was inspired by so many people, but what really got us to audition this year is Nightbirdie, when she said, ‘You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy.’”

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