Consumer columnist and West Hartford resident Harlan Levy has more than 20 years of experience writing stories about everyday experiences that anyone could encounter.

By Harlan Levy

If your car is on the following list, take precautions – always lock your car at night or park in your garage.

The Highway Loss Data Institute just released its annual report on the 2022-2024 model year vehicles most and least likely to be stolen. Most stolen is the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 – with a theft rate 39 times higher than the average – followed by the Acura TLX 4WD, while three Tesla models occupied the top three spots of cars least stolen. Here are the two lists:

Most stolen vehicles in order:

Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Acura TLX 4WD, Chevrolet Camaro, GMC Sierra 2500 crew cab 4WD, Acura TLX 2WD, GMC Sierra 3500 crew cab 4WD, Chevrolet Silverado 3500 crew cab 4WD, Dodge Durango 4WD, Land Rover Range Rover 4WD, Ram 1500 crew cab short-wheelbase 4WD, Chevrolet Silverado 2500 4WD, Ram 3500 crew cab long-wheelbase 4WD, Honda CR-V hybrid 4WD, GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab 2WD, Dodge Durango 2WD, GMC Sierra 1500crew cab 4WD, Mercedes-Benz S-Class long-wheelbase 4WD, Cadillac Escalade ESV 4D.

Why the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was most stolen? It has a known vulnerability with an onboard port that can be used by thieves.

Least stolen vehicles in order:

Tesla Model 3 4WD, Tesla Model Y 4WD, Tesla Model 3 2WD, Toyota RAV4 Prime 4WD, Tesla Model S 4WD, Volvo XC90 4WD, Volvo XC40 4WD, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volkswagen ID.4, Subaru Crosstrek 4WD, Lexus NX 350 4WD, Ford Explorer, Infiniti QX60 4WD, Kia EV6 4WD, BMW is 4WD, Mini Cooper, Toyota Venza hybrid 4WD, Mercedes-Benz GLC 4WD, Volvo XC90 Plug-In hybrid 4WD, Hyundai Elantra hybrid.

The least-stolen vehicles include eight electric vehicles and two plug-in hybrids, all of which have whole-vehicle theft claim frequencies that are more than 85% lower than the all-vehicle average. Electric vehicles are likely to be garaged or parked near buildings to facilitate charging, making them less attractive to thieves.

Brain tumors

A good friend last week told us about her friend, another doctor, who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. The following information may be relevant to her and many readers.

A new study led by researchers from Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California may have uncovered an effective combination therapy for glioblastoma, a brain tumor diagnosis with few available effective treatments. The report of the study states that according to the National Brain Tumor Society, the average survival for patients diagnosed with glioblastoma is eight months.

The study found that using Tumor Treating Fields therapy (TTFields), which delivers targeted waves of electric fields directly into tumors to stop their growth and signal the body’s immune system to attack cancerous tumor cells, may extend survival among patients with glioblastoma when combined with immunotherapy and chemotherapy.

TTFields disrupt tumor growth using low-intensity, alternating electric fields that push and pull key structures inside tumor cells in continually shifting directions, making it difficult for the cells to multiply. Preventing tumor growth gives patients a better chance of successfully fighting the cancer. When used to treat glioblastoma, TTFields are delivered through a set of mesh electrodes that are strategically positioned on the scalp, generating fields at a precise frequency and intensity focused on the tumor. Patients wear the electrodes for approximately 18 hours a day.

Researchers observed that TTFields attract more tumor-fighting T cells, which are white blood cells that identify and attack cancer cells, into and around the glioblastoma. When followed by immunotherapy, these T cells stay active longer and are replaced by even stronger, more effective tumor-fighting T cells.

“By using TTFields with immunotherapy, we prime the body to mount an attack on the cancer, which enables the immunotherapy to have a meaningful effect in ways that it could not before,” said Dr. David Tran, Keck chief of neuro-oncology with Keck Medicine, co-director of the USC Brain Tumor Center, and co-author of the study.

TTFields are often combined with chemotherapy in cancer treatment. However, even with aggressive treatment, the prognosis for glioblastoma remains poor, said the report of the study. Immunotherapy, while successful in many other cancer types, has also not proved effective for glioblastoma when used on its own.

However, in this study, adding immunotherapy to TTFields and chemotherapy was associated with a 70% increase in overall survival. Notably, patients with larger, not surgically removed tumors showed an even stronger immune response to TTFields and lived even longer. This suggests that when it comes to kick-starting the body’s immune response against the cancer, having a larger tumor may provide more targets for the therapy to work against.

“Think of it like a team sport – immunotherapy sends players in to attack the tumor (the offense), while TTFields weaken the tumor’s ability to fight back (the defense). And just like in team sports, the best defense is a good offense,” Tran said.

Keck Medicine is participating in the multicenter Phase 3 clinical trial to validate the efficacy of TTFields with immunotherapy and chemotherapy. This Phase 3 trial, currently open at 28 sites across the United States, Europe, and Israel, aims to enroll over 740 patients through April 2029.

If you or anyone you know qualifies, get them to sign up.

Now you know.

NOTE: If you have a consumer problem, contact me at [email protected] (“Consumer” in subject line), and, with the power of the press, maybe I can help.

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