November 10, 2026
Tonight: how Democratic wins could upend major abortion lawsuits, the potential risk getting lost in the hormone therapy boom, and a promising blood test for ovarian cancer before it starts.
— Meghan McCarthy
THE ABORTION LAWSUITS MAY LOSE THEIR PLAINTIFFS
Democrats won attorney general races in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Kansas, and Texas, and the results could reshape some of the country’s biggest abortion cases, Reuters reports. Texas could withdraw from a lawsuit challenging the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, leaving Florida as the only plaintiff. Kansas could pull out of a separate challenge to expanded access to the pill. Texas Attorney General-elect Nathan Johnson could also decline to defend the state’s near-total abortion ban in a lawsuit brought by the family of Tierra Walker, who died after doctors refused to perform an abortion. “Everything will be examined,” Johnson said. Meanwhile, Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa has made Medicaid expansion a top priority. It could cover more than 1 million additional Texans, but she’ll need the cooperation of a Republican-controlled state Senate.
THE HORMONE PENDULUM, SWINGING TOO FAR?
As more women turn to hormone therapy for menopause symptoms, some doctors worry the breast cancer risks are getting lost in the enthusiasm, The New York Times reports. In the landmark Women’s Health Initiative study, women taking a combined estrogen-progestin pill developed about four breast cancers per 1,000 women annually, compared with three among women taking a placebo. The study did not find a statistically significant increase in breast cancer deaths. Newer treatments, including estrogen patches paired with a different form of progesterone, may carry less risk, but long-term evidence is limited. “Honestly, we don’t know,” said Dr. Stephanie Faubion of The Menopause Society. Even after doubling over five years, hormone therapy use remains below 4% of women.
190 MILLION WOMEN, LESS THAN 0.1% OF THE BUDGET
The Economist has a deep dive rounding up evidence and progress (or lack thereof) on endometriosis. An estimated 190 million women worldwide have the condition, yet diagnosis can take nearly nine years. Researchers are developing alternatives to surgery, including a Pap-smear-style test using menstrual fluid and a dye that makes endometriosis lesions visible during imaging. A genetic study involving 1.4 million women also found links between endometriosis and chronic fatigue, a symptom often dismissed by doctors. But research funding remains scarce: NIH spends less than 0.1% of its budget on endometriosis, while Crohn’s disease receives roughly 15 times more funding per patient. A federal program launched in 2024 to support women’s health research, including endometriosis, was cut this year.
FROM PROPERTY TO PEOPLE
At least 24 states have adopted some form of fetal personhood language in their laws, creating new uncertainty for IVF patients and doctors, KFF Health News reports. One couple destroyed nine frozen embryos rather than risk transporting them across state lines. A Georgia fertility doctor sometimes ends egg stimulation a day or two early, reducing the number of mature eggs by 30% to limit potential legal risks. Alabama is the only state offering IVF providers broad protection from both civil and criminal liability. “We have gone from ‘Embryos are property’ to ‘Embryos are people,’” said a University of Alabama law professor.
A BLOOD TEST FOR OVARIAN CANCER BEFORE IT STARTS?
Researchers have identified a blood marker that could detect precancerous lesions in the fallopian tubes, where the deadliest form of ovarian cancer often begins. In a Nature Medicine study involving 506 people, the test detected the microscopic lesions in 92% of women who had them and correctly identified 98% of healthy women in a separate validation group. These lesions are usually discovered by chance during surgery. The researchers tested previously collected blood samples, so it’s not yet clear how well the test would work in routine care. In a modeled high-risk population, about 72% of positive results would be accurate. Larger studies following women over time are needed before the test could be used clinically.
