Tag: cancer

  • Popular TikTok singer Cat Janice dies of cancer at shocking young age

    Popular TikTok singer Cat Janice dies of cancer at shocking young age

    American singer Cat Janice, known for her viral hit ‘Dance You Outta My Head’, has sadly passed away from sarcoma cancer. She was 31 years old.
    Her family confirmed the news in a statement, saying, “This morning, from her childhood home and surrounded by her loving family, Catherine peacefully entered the light and love of her heavenly creator.”
    They also expressed gratitude for the love and support they received, mentioning, “Cat saw her music go places she never expected and rests in the peace of knowing that she will continue to provide for her son through her music.”

    Her brother shared this statement on her official Instagram handle.
    Janice’s brother also mentioned that there’s more of her music to come, which will be released in due time.
    Many social media users expressed condolences to the family after hearing the sad news.
    It’s worth noting that Janice had teased a new song on TikTok recently, where she talked about her battle with cancer and asked her fans to pre-save it. She had also mentioned that all the proceeds from her work would go to her seven-year-old son.

  • Vaccine to prevent recurrence of breast cancer produces good results in trial

    Vaccine to prevent recurrence of breast cancer produces good results in trial

    A vaccine developed for an aggressive form of breast cancer is currently being tested in human clinical trials.

    If the trials are successful, the vaccine would be groundbreaking, preventing recurrence of triple-negative breast cancer, which makes up about 10% to 15% of all breast cancers and is particularly challenging to treat.

    According to an article published by John Hopkins, triple-negative breast cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer because it grows quickly and has a higher rate of recurrence — locally, in the breast area, or to other parts of the body, meaning metastasis. In fact, the risk of the cancer recurring within five years of being diagnosed is nearly three times higher in patients with triple-negative breast cancer than in those who don’t have that type of breast cancer.

    Yahoo! interviewed Jennifer Davis who is the first person to receive the vaccine as part of the clinical trial.

    Davis is a 46-year-old nurse and a mother of three living in Ohio, USA. She was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in 2018, undergoing a double mastectomy and several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation.

    During her follow-up appointment, she came to know about the breast cancer vaccine trial.

    The vaccine has been under development for 20 years based on research led by Vincent Tuohy, who died in January 2023, and its human trials started in October 2021.

    “My [health care] team informed me of the vaccine that Dr. Tuohy had been studying for a long time,” Davis said.

    “It’s just that kind of breast cancer — that particular type — there’s nothing I can take afterward, no tamoxifen [a hormone therapy], and recurrence is high. If it does come back, outcomes are not the greatest. So I wanted to take something — the vaccine was that for me.”

    And because Davis is a nurse she claims to understand the importance of clinical trials, adding, “That’s how we advance medicine and make changes and one day, get rid of breast cancer.”

    Chairman and chief executive officer of Anixa Biosciences, licensed to create the vaccine, Amit Kumar says that 42% of women with triple-negative breast cancer will get the cancer again within five years. “It’s typically much more aggressive, so the outcome for those women is not very good,” he tells Yahoo Life.

    The purpose of the breast cancer vaccine is to “eliminate the recurrence for those women and eventually, prevent the cancer from ever arising.”

  • Japanese researchers discover microplastics in clouds

    Japanese researchers discover microplastics in clouds

    Researchers in Japan have claimed they have discovered the presence of microplastics in clouds. These small particles of plastic are believed to be affecting the climate in ways that scientists still do not fully understand.

    According to Al Jazeera’s report, a study published in the journal ‘Environmental Chemistry Letters’ details that Japanses scientists researched the collection of water from the fog covering Mount Fuji and Mount Aoyama.

    The research team found nine different types of polymers and one type of rubber in the samples, with particles ranging in size from 7.1 to 94.6 micrometers.

    The amount of plastic particles found in each liter (0.26 gallon) of cloud water ranged from 6.7 to 13.9.

    Lead author of the study from Waseda University, Hiroshi Okuchi, has warned that if the issue is not taken into account, climate change and environmental threats could cause serious environmental damage in the future.

    What is microplastic?
    Microplastics are small plastic particles measuring less than 5 mm which come from industrial waste, textiles, synthetic car tires, and similar products.

    These microplastics have also been found inside fish in the Arctic Ocean and in frozen snow in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain.

    In the research report, the author said that “according to our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of microplastics in clouds.”

    Researchers have stated that humans and animals are ingesting and/or inhaling microplastics, and these small particles of plastic have been found in various human organs, including the lungs, heart, blood and faeces.

    One million tonnes of tiny plastic particles accumulate in the ocean which are often released into the air and then into the atmosphere. Hence, microplastics have also seemingly become an integral part of clouds, potentially contaminating several things including our food and drink.

    Recent findings also show that microplastics are linked to health problems, including effects on heart and lung, as well as cancer.

  • Exclusive: Afghan parents struggle for five days to take son’s body back to country

    Exclusive: Afghan parents struggle for five days to take son’s body back to country

    A recent post on X (formerly Twitter) about Afghan parents unable to take their son’s body back to their country for burial has gone viral. In a photo, the parents can be seen crying beside their deceased son’s body in an ambulance in Peshawar.

    The family had come from Afghanistan to Peshawar for their son’s cancer treatment after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. However, eight-year-old Muhammad Yasin passed away of the disease. The parents then wanted to return to their hometown in Afghanistan for the burial, but their route via the Torkham border had been closed due to Pak-Afghan security conflict.

    The Current reached out to Tahir Khan, the journalist who posted the picture, for an update on the case.

    Yaseen was the only brother to eight sisters, Tahir Khan said, adding that the child’s father, Gul Muhammad, drives a rickshaw in Jalalabad, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan.

    Around a year ago, Yaseen was diagnosed with brain cancer in Jalalabad. The doctors there recommended to the parents that they take him to Peshawar for his treatment.

    Despite his low income and hardships, Gul Muhammad did everything in his capacity to get his son treated.

    The family frequently travelled to Peshawar and back. The son and father received a pass which made it convenient for them to cross borders.

    In Peshawar they were always hosted by their hometown fellow who had been working as a farmer.

    Yaseen had undergone treatment at the IRNUM cancer hospital as well as Peshawar Hayatabad Complex.

    The tumor in his brain was successfully removed, with the child almost recovering. But all of a sudden, on September 4, Yaseen started feeling unwell while in Jalalabad. The parents brought him to Peshawar Hayatabad Complex where on September 7, Yaseen passed away.

    Now, the parents wanted to take their son’s body back to their hometown for burial but on September 6, Pakistan closed its Torkham border with Afghanistan after two people, including a Frontier Corps (FC) official, were injured in an encounter between Pakistan and Afghan border forces.

    According to the officials, Afghanistan has also started the construction of a checkpoint on their side of the border in a prohibited area “without discussing it with the Pakistani side”, despite an already existing checkpoint, the Larram Post.

    The conflict between the two countries complicated the situation for the grieving family whose route back home was via the Torkham border. They went up to the border twice since the passing of their son, but were sent back.

    Tahir Khan shared their concern on X (formerly Twitter) in hopes that higher authorities would take notice and help the family cross the border.

    They were contacted by an unknown man a couple of days back, who called the family around 2:30 am, promising to help them cross the border, but after that one call, Gul Muhammad was never able to contact the unknown caller and potential helper again since he never picked up his call.

    And so, with no help received from the officials, and with their deceased son’s body lying in the hospital since five days, the family decided to take the longer way back home.

    They are currently on their way to Jalalabad via Kurram border. While Peshawar to Jalalabad takes only three hours via Torkham border, it can take the family approximately half a day or more to travel via the Kurram border.

  • Sanjay Dutt reveals why he preferred death over cancer treatment

    Sanjay Dutt reveals why he preferred death over cancer treatment

    Actor Sanjay Dutt, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2020 has shared in an interview that he refused to get proper treatment for the disease and rather preferred dying.

    Recently at an event, Dutt revealed that after his diagnosis he told his sister Priya that he do not want to get chemotherapy and that he would like to choose death over treatment.

    Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt 'diagnosed with lung cancer' after announcing break from work - Irish Mirror Online

    He further recalled that his family has had a history of cancer as his mother Nargis and wife Richa Sharma died due to the same.

    The Munna Bhai MBBS actor quoted saying: “My first reaction was that, once you hear something like this, your whole life reflects back at you. I have a history of cancer in my family. My mom died of pancreatic cancer, and my wife died of brain cancer. So, the first thing I said was that I don’t want to take chemotherapy. If I’m supposed to die, I will just die but I don’t want any treatment.”

    Sanjay Dutt on his family shifting to Dubai: 'They love it there' | Entertainment News,The Indian Express

    Previously back in the days when he was shooting for Shamshera in 2020, Sanjay was diagnosed with severe lung cancer. The actor resumed the shoot after his recovery.

  • US first lady is in ‘good spirits’ after surgery to remove cancerous lesions

    US first lady is in ‘good spirits’ after surgery to remove cancerous lesions

    Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States of America, has successfully undergone surgery to remove cancerous skin lesions on her face and chest on Wednesday. A third lesion was removed from her left eyelid and sent for examination.

    The lesions, removed via Mohr’s surgery, were consistent with basal cell carcinoma, a form of cancer that does not metastasize. Jill Biden’s doctors have said they were able to get clean margins.

    A White House physician said that “all cancerous tissue was removed.”

    According to Jill’s spokesperson, Vanessa Valdivia, the first lady is “doing well and in good spirits.”

    The 71-year-old first lady was accompanied by her husband President Joe Biden, who spent more than eight hours with her at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

    Biden himself has had several non-melanoma skin cancers in the past.

    Basal cell carcinoma is the most frequently occurring form of all cancers. They are slow-growing, curable and cause minimal damage if treated early.

  • More than 40 life-saving drugs short in Pakistan

    More than 40 life-saving drugs short in Pakistan

    Due to the imposition of GST, the pharmaceutical industry is no longer importing raw materials, resulting in a shortage of 40-50 life-saving drugs.

    Mansoor Dilawar, Chairman of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (PPMA), stated that 40 to 50 medicines are in short supply and that the number will soon exceed 100.

    According to Brecorder, the pharmaceutical industry has been waiting for Rs40 billion in sales tax refunds since January 16, 2022. However, the FBR has denied that any refunds were held by the tax authority.

    Unavailable drugs

    Alp tablets for anti-depression, Dexamethasone for asthma, cancer, and joint pain, Epitab for epilepsy, Nervin for depression, Epival, Fexet D, Nitronal, Ventoline tablets and injections are among the medicines in short supply on the market.

    Furthermore, Epival In, Myrin P, Ketasol Inj, Loprin, Silver tab, phenergen Elixir, Tixylix Lincitilus, Chlooriptics Drops, systane drops, Rivotril drops, Dormicum tablets, Winstor, Tritace, Sodamint, Schazobutil, Jardymet, and Brufen are said to be in short supply.

    There are also no Lomotil, Panadol, Tan Primolut B, Progynova, Stilnix, Glucobay, Zentel, Avor, Gravibinan, Syp Gaviscon, Lipofundin, or Sorbid Injection available.

    According to the PPMA chairman, the industry is halting production of low-margin items after the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) imposed taxes that increased the industry’s cost of production by Rs60 billion to Rs70 billion.

    Read more: FBR collects highest-ever tax of Rs6 trillion in FY22

    “Because drug prices are capped, the pharmaceutical industry cannot pass on higher production costs to consumers,” he explained.

    “As a result, the industry has been forced to halt production of low-margin medicines, which have become unviable due to tax increases,” Dilawar added.

    According to Dilawar, the industry pays a 17 per cent refundable GST at the import stage and raw materials are subject to a 1 per cent non-refundable tax. The government then imposed a 1 per cent tax on the sale of medicines. This forces the industry to pay taxes ranging from Rs60 billion to Rs70 billion per year.

  • ‘First time in history’: Rectal cancer cured for every patient in drug trial

    ‘First time in history’: Rectal cancer cured for every patient in drug trial

    In a very small clinical trial conducted in the US, every patient with rectal cancer went into remission.

    According to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, all patients who were given the new drug — Dostarlimab — had no trace of cancer after six months.

    The trial was conducted by doctors at New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which resulted in every single one of their tumors disappearing. NPR reports that some scientists say these kinds of results have never been seen in the history of cancer research. Most people had no severe adverse side effects at all.

    “Every single patient is now in remission,” Andrea Cercek, an oncologist who helped with the study told CNN.

  • Pakistan faces Rs615 billion annual deficit due to tobacco consumption

    Pakistan faces Rs615 billion annual deficit due to tobacco consumption

    Pakistan has a substantial Rs615 billion annual deficit owing to diseases caused by smoking and overall tobacco usage, with only Rs120 billion earning in tax revenue from the product.

    The government is expected to improve revenue by raising the tax on cigarettes by 30 per cent according to The Nation.

    This was voiced by speakers at a major symposium held in Islamabad on May 18. The Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) held a seminar on the theme ‘Harms of Tobacco Products and the Importance of Tax Policy,’ which was presided over by Patron General (R) Ashraf Khan and hosted by General Secretary Sana Ullah Ghumman.

    As per the speakers at the event, tobacco usage is a major cause of serious heart, lung, and cancer diseases in the country. A fact sheet on the health and economic costs of cigarette usage was released by the Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC).

    According to the survey, tobacco is used by 31 million persons over the age of 15. More than 260,000 people are predicted to start smoking in the country if tobacco taxes are not raised in the budget for 2022-23.

    Engineer Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, the former governor of KP and a senior PML-N leader, was the special guest at the event. Nisar Cheema, a member of the National Assembly, was also present.

    Read more: Tobacco companies in Pakistan may bump cigarette prices

    PANAH Patron General (R) Ashraf Khan congratulated the attendees and informed them of the organization’s goals and objectives.

    Smoking was declared the primary cause of deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart, cancer, respiratory, and chronic diseases, according to participants, with an estimated 163,360 persons dying in 2017.

  • Three brothers divorce wives for not taking care of their sick mother

    In Algeria, three brothers simultaneously divorced their wives ‘within a minute’ after they reportedly failed to take care of the brothers’ sick mother.

    According to local media reports, when the three brothers return back to home from work, they saw that their neighbour was giving a shower to their sick mother. All of them were furious that their neighbour was taking care of their elderly mother instead of their wives. It provoked them to give a divorce to all three of them at the same time.

    The mother’s daughter used to visit her mother twice a week. However, she stopped coming home recently. She had to take care of her husband who was diagnosed with cancer.

    The brothers asked their wives to take care of their sick mother but they refused to do so.