Christine Ayala

Global spending on cancer drugs hit $100 billion last year, prompted by new and patented drugs, broader insurance coverage and aging populations. That figure is up more than 10 percent since 2013.

Johnson & Johnson has appointed a leading bioethicist to head a panel to determine how to handle requests from people who are critically ill and want access to promising drugs before they are approved.

In this week’s Q&A, we interview Scott Walters, a professor of behavioral and community health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center.

In this week’s Bookshelf, our content partner Kirkus Reviews highlights Epic Measures.

For stroke patients, a new procedure called endovascular rescue therapy may be an alternative for those who cannot take traditional “clot-busting’’ drugs because of another medication.

In this week’s Bookshelf, our content partner Kirkus Reviews highlights The Next Wave.

In this week’s Q&A, we interview Antonietta Quigg, an oceanography professor and associate vice president for research and graduate studies at Texas A&M University at Galveston.

School districts must designate a Title IX coordinator to ensure students know their rights and that school administrators know their responsibilities under this landmark federal law.

After protracted conflicts in the city of Baltimore, President Obama pointed to education programs — particularly those that target children of high-poverty, urban families — as helpful to struggling communities.