CEPI and PAHO collaborate to boost regional preparedness against diseases with epidemic or pandemic potential

Cristina Mitchell

6 Feb 2024

Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body grow out of control and start forming a lesion. It can involve any part of the body.

Though signs of cancer depend on the organ of origin, generally, one should be alert if he or she notices a sore that does not heal with normal treatment, unusual bleeding or discharge, thickening or lump anywhere in the body, indigestion or difficulty in swallowing, obvious change in colour or texture of wart or mole, nagging cough or hoarseness of voice. These features usually represent the initial presenting features of a cancer.

5 early signs that could hold the key to early intervention for a variety of cancers:

• Unwanted weight loss: Sudden weight loss, especially when not done along with dietary changes or increased exercise, is a sign of danger. It could be a sign your body is using its tissues for energy, a hallmark of many cancers.
• Persistent fatigue: Continued tiredness that stays even after taking complete rest and sleep is another sign of underlying diseases and problems. Cancer leaves your body completely drained, leaving you feeling tired and weak.
• Lumps or skin changes: Keep an eye on any new lumps or changes in the skin. New or growing lumps and changes in texture, especially painless and persistent ones, need medical attention. These generally indicate an underlying skin cancer problem.
• Random pain: Always pay attention to any pain that you feel. Persistent pain that doesn't go away with remedies worsens at any part of the day or interferes with daily activities and needs a doctor's attention. It could be a tumour pressing on nerves, causing pain, and obstructing your daily functioning.
• Unusual body changes: unusual bleeding or discharge, difficulty swallowing, persistent hoarseness, or changes in bowel habits could be signs of various cancers. Therefore, paying attention to your body's signal is significantly important.

These signs point out many types of cancer affecting the lungs, stomach, breasts, liver, kidneys, and other parts of the body as well. Therefore, early detection and immediate medical attention are important for successful treatment.

Treatment options:

While a cancer diagnosis is difficult for patients, advancements in diagnosis and treatment offer comfort and hope. Depending on the cancer type and stage, different surgical procedures can be recommended, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy.

Preventive measures:

Early diagnosis means less invasive and more effective treatment options, so while treatment options offer a cancer cure, it is important to practice preventive measures as well. Some practices that can help prevent cancer include:

• Various kinds of cancer have been associated with the condition of obesity. As a result, people are encouraged to manage body weight through proper, balanced diets and constant exercise.
• Consumption of a balanced diet is loaded with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Avoiding manufactured foods, high-sugar drinks, and excess red meat.
• Exercise has always been and will continue to be a beneficial habit for any health risk, regardless of the type of cancer. Thus, get at least a thirty-minute exercise for most days of the week.
• Quit smoking and cut back on alcohol to reduce your cancer risk. Both substances contain cancer-causing elements, making it essential to take these steps for prevention.
• Various cancer screening methods are available for different cancers, like mammography for breast cancer, Pap smear for cervical cancer and colonoscopy for colon cancer. A person should follow screening methods as per their age for the detection of cancer in the early stage when it is maximally curable.
• Vaccines are available for some cancers, like the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer and the HBV vaccine for Liver cancer. Persons should be vaccinated for these.
• Long-term stress weakens the immunity of your body and makes you vulnerable to cancer. Often, relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation, as well as almost any activity that reduces your stress, are instrumental remedies to this problem.

Early detection saves lives. Take action when you feel like your body is trying to give any signal and don't hesitate to seek medical help. While some cancers might require surgery to remove tumours, early detection often allows for less invasive procedures like targeted therapy or medication.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are of the author and not of Medical Dialogues. The Editorial/Content team of Medical Dialogues has not contributed to the writing/editing/packaging of this article.

WASHINGTON — Two Republican lawmakers who introduced legislation to water down the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare drug price negotiation program managed to find themselves a Democratic co-sponsor — even though every single Democrat in Congress in 2022 voted for the legislation.

They found their perfect candidate in Rep. Don Davis, a Democrat representing a North Carolina district that includes parts of the state’s Research Triangle. He came to Washington in 2023, so didn’t vote on the original law. He received donations in 2023 from the political action committees for Gilead, Astellas, Genentech, Bayer, Pfizer, Novo Nordisk, GSK, Bristol Myers Squibb, BIO, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck, AbbVie, and Eli Lilly.

“We must support the development of critical, life-sustaining medical treatments and cures,” Davis said in a written statement, and a spokesperson declined to elaborate. He is joined on the bill by Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.) and Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), the Energy and Commerce health subcommittee chairman.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s (GPHC) new, sophisticated Pathology Laboratory will reduce the time persons wait on cancer test results, and the service will also be available to sister Caribbean Community, officials said at the official opening of the multi-million dollar facility. “We want here to be the go-to center in the Caribbean and I ...

Fox News Digital publishes a wide range of pieces all week long to keep you in the know about the latest health and wellness topics — from medical research to health care innovations to stories of personal medical triumph.

As you wind down your weekend, check out some top stories of the week in Health that you may have missed, or have been meaning to check out. 

These are just a few of what's new, of course: There are many more to see at http://www.foxnews/health.

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Dive into this selection here — and let us know your thoughts or recommendations for our next roundup in the comments section below.

Some patients who had a certain medical procedure decades ago were found to contract Alzheimer’s disease later in life, researchers from University of College London discovered. 

Fox News Digital spoke with the study authors and other dementia experts to learn more. Click here to get the story.

PherDal is the first at-home sterile insemination kit to help people get pregnant in the comfort of their own home. 

Fox News Digital spoke to Dr. Jennifer Hintzsche about how PherDal has already helped bring 34 babies into the world as fertility experts shared opinions on the solution. Click here to get the story.

A new ovarian cancer drug has been given the fast track for FDA approval. RC88, made by RemeGen, is one of several antibody drug conjugates that have shown promise in treating cancer. 

Dr. Brian Slomovitz, director of gynecologic oncology and co-chair of the Cancer Research Committee at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida, weighed in on the experimental therapy. Click here to get the story.

People who played instruments or sang could have stronger memory and cognitive function, researchers found. 

The findings were published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.Click here to get the story.

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Industry representatives and plastic surgeons weighed in on the potential risks and shared safety tips. Click here to get the story.

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A psychologist and a dietitian offered input on the dangers these drinks could pose for youth. Click here to get the story.

For the 22nd year in a row, Gallup’s Honesty and Ethics poll found that nurses hold the top spot as the most trusted profession, with 78% of Americans who took part stating that they adhere to "very high" or "high" standards for honesty and ethics. 

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Medical experts shared their theories. Click here to get the story.

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The drugmaker, which also reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results on strong Keytruda sales, has already inked multiple deals over the last year, including a $5.5 billion payout to Japan's Daiichi Sankyo for the right to co-develop three antibody drug conjugate cancer drugs."While I feel very good about the progress we've made and the growing portfolio, the diverse and deep portfolio we have in our pipeline, we do continue to believe we need more, and we will continue to prioritize business development," Chief Executive Officer Rob Davis said on a conference call.In addition to deals, Davis said Merck would look for more collaborations similar to the Daiichi Sankyo transactions.Keytruda generated $25 billion in 2023 sales, surpassing peak sales of AbbVie's blockbuster arthritis drug Humira.Keytruda is forecast to top $30 billion in sales by 2026. However, the drug is set to lose its patent protection by the end of the decade.The company's 2023 transactions are already significantly improving Merck's own outlook for future revenue. Merck said it now expects $20 billion from new oncology products in development by the mid-2030s, nearly double its prior oncology pipeline forecast for over $10 billion.It also lifted its mid-2030s outlook for new cardiometabolic products to about $15 billion from more than $10 billion.Merck reported adjusted earnings of 3 cents a share in the fourth quarter, despite taking a charge of $1.69 a share to account for the Daiichi deal. Analysts had expected a loss of 11 cents a share, according to LSEG data.Revenue for the quarter rose 6% to $14.6 billion, compared with estimates of $14.5 billion.Keytruda sales jumped 21% to $6.6 billion as the company was able to increase use of the drug in earlier stage cancers, topping analyst forecast of $6.5 billion.The company forecast 2024 sales between $62.7 billion and $64.2 billion. Analysts, on average, are estimating 2024 sales of $63.5 billion.The New Jersey-based drugmaker expects 2024 earnings of $8.44 to $8.59 per share, above Wall Street estimates of $8.42.Merck also said it has launched a restructuring program to optimize its manufacturing operations related to human and animal health, and expects to complete the program by the end of 2031.Merck expects to record about $4 billion in cumulative pre-tax costs to implement the program. It took a $190 million charge related to the program in the fourth quarter.

Read also: Merck gets USFDA nod for Keytruda plus chemoradiotherapy for FIGO 2014 Stage III-IVA Cervical Cancer

The global rise in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, has no clear explanation. A contributing factor is thought to be dietary patterns that affect the bacteria in the gut, the gut microbiota, which is particularly sensitive during the first years of life.

Previous research has looked at dietary patterns and IBD in adults, but research on children’s diets and links to IBD are scarce. The aim of the current study, published in the journal Gut, has been to increase knowledge in this area.

The study’s final analysis includes dietary information on 81,280 1-year-olds in Sweden and Norway. The data on the children included come from the two population studies: All Children in Southeastern Sweden, ABIS, and the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study, MoBa.

Less ulcerative colitis in fish eaters

Parents were asked specific questions about their children’s diet at 12-18 and 30-36 months of age. Diet quality was assessed using a child-friendly version of the Healthy Eating Index tool, which looks at the quality of the whole diet. Diet quality was systematically scored and classified as either low, medium or high.

Higher quality equaled a higher intake of vegetables, fruit, dairy products and fish, and a lower intake of meat, sweets, snacks and sweet drinks. Intakes of individual food groups were also studied.

Data on breastfeeding, and the child’s intake of formula and antibiotics exposure were also included. Children’s health was monitored from the age of 1 and for an average of 21 years for ABIS and 15 years for MoBa, until the end of 2020/2021.

During this period, 307 of the participants were diagnosed with IBD, with 131 having Crohn’s disease, 97 having ulcerative colitis and 79 having an unclassified IBD. The incidence of IBD was higher in the Swedish ABIS study than in Norwegian MoBa cohort, probably due to the longer follow-up time in ABIS.

High fish intake at age 1 year, compared to a low intake, was associated with a 54% lower risk of ulcerative colitis. High vegetable intake at 1 year of age was associated with an overall reduced IBD risk. High intake of sugar beverages, compared to a low intake, was accompanied by a 42% increased risk of IBD.

Findings support the hypothesis

There were no obvious associations between IBD and any of the other food groups: meat, dairy, fruit, grains, potatoes and foods high in sugar or fat, or both. At 3 years of age, only a high fish intake was associated with a reduced risk of IBD, in particular ulcerative colitis.

The associations remained after adjusting for the child’s intake of formula and antibiotics at age 1, as well as for breastfeeding and parents’ total household income. As the study was conducted in high-income countries, it is unclear whether the results can be generalized to low- or middle-income countries with different dietary habits, the researchers say. Causality cannot be established either, as this is an observational study.

“Although we cannot rule out other explanations, the new findings are consistent with the hypothesis that diet early in life, possibly mediated by changes in the gut microbiome, can affect the risk of developing IBD,” says Annie Guo, a dietician and post graduate student in pediatrics at Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, and the study’s first author.

Reference:

Guo A, Ludvigsson J, Brantsæter AL, et alEarly-life diet and risk of inflammatory bowel disease: a pooled study in two Scandinavian birth cohortsGut Published Online First: 30 January 2024. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2023-330971.