Joe Biden Diagnosed with Aggressive Prostate Cancer: What We Know” (5 minutes of reading) 

Former U.S. President Joe Biden, 82, has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, according to a statement from his office 

Doctors discovered a prostate nodule after Biden experienced worsening urinary symptoms. Tests confirmed a Gleason score of 9, which indicates one of the most severe forms of the disease.

Despite the seriousness of the diagnosis, doctors say the cancer is hormone-sensitive, meaning it can still be managed with treatment. Biden and his family are currently reviewing treatment options with his medical team.

In a message shared online, Biden acknowledged the emotional weight of the diagnosis, writing, “Cancer touches us all,” and thanked the public for their support. He also reflected on past hardships, saying he and his wife Jill “have learned that we are strongest in the broken places.”

In a rare moment of unity, Donald Trump responded with sympathy. On his social media platform, he wrote:

“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery

Prostate cancer is common among older men, but a Gleason score of 9 means it can grow and spread quickly

Biden’s health had already been a topic of concern during his presidency, especially after a shaky debate performance in 2024.

He is currently at home in Delaware as he prepares for the next steps in his treatment journey.

Here’s a simple visual explainer of the Gleason Score System used to grade prostate cancer:

🔍 What It Shows:

• Scores range from 6 to 10.
• Green (6): Low aggressiveness — slow-growing cancer.
• Yellow (7–8): Intermediate aggressiveness — moderate risk.
• Red (9–10): High aggressiveness — fast-growing and more dangerous.
• Score 9, highlighted in dark red, is what Joe Biden was diagnosed with. It indicates a very aggressive form of prostate cancer.

This system helps doctors decide how serious the cancer is and what treatment might be best.

 Flying High, Healing Slow: Study Links Air Travel to DNA Repair Issues in Flight Attendants (5 minutes reading) 

A new study has found that frequent air travel may harm the body’s ability to fix damaged DNA in flight attendants. This could explain why they face higher risks of cancer and reproductive problems. The research looked at blood samples from nine flight attendants before and after flights. It found signs of inflammation and weaker DNA repair after flying, especially in fixing damage caused by radiation and oxidative stress.

Flight attendants are exposed to cosmic radiation, poor cabin air, and stressful work conditions. These factors may damage their DNA and weaken their immune systems. Although the study was small, it showed that some DNA repair systems worked less effectively after flights. This could lead to long-term health problems like cancer.

The study suggests that flying might both increase DNA damage and reduce the body’s ability to fix it. More research is needed, but the findings highlight the need for better health protections for flight crews.

Source: LINK

New Cancer Breakthrough: A Single Immunotherapy Doubles Survival Time (5 minutes reading)

A new treatment using immunotherapy has helped patients with head and neck cancer live twice as long without the disease coming back, according to a major international study.

The drug, pembrolizumab, was tested in a large clinical trial across 24 countries. Patients who received it before and after surgery stayed cancer-free for an average of five years, compared to just 2.5 years with standard treatment alone.

This is a big deal because treatments for this type of cancer haven’t changed in over 20 years, and survival rates have been low. The drug works by helping the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells more effectively.

The treatment was especially helpful for patients with high levels of a certain immune marker (PD-L1), but it also worked well for others. Doctors believe giving the drug before surgery helps “train” the immune system to keep fighting the cancer afterward.

One patient, Laura Marston, called the treatment “the gift of life” after surviving stage 4 tongue cancer thanks to the trial.

Experts hope this breakthrough will soon be approved for wider use, potentially changing the future for thousands of patients.

Source: LINK

Can Exercise Fight Cancer? This NASA-Inspired Therapy Says Yes! (5 minutes reading)

What do astronauts and cancer patients have in common? More than you'd think. Dr. Jessica Scott, a former NASA scientist now at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, is pioneering research showing that exercise can counteract the physical toll of cancer treatments — just like it helps astronauts recover from zero gravity.

Her team found that regular, personalized exercise not only improves physical and mental health during cancer treatment but may also slow tumor growth. In a groundbreaking clinical trial, men with early-stage prostate cancer exercised at home using treadmills and wearable tech. The results? Just under four hours of weekly exercise reduced key cancer-related biomarkers — without any other treatment.

This research is the first to treat exercise like a drug: prescribed in specific doses, monitored, and tested for biological effects. While more studies are needed to prove long-term survival benefits, the early signs are promising.

The ultimate goal? To make exercise a standard, personalized part of cancer care — just like chemotherapy or radiation.

source: LINK

 

The Impact of Stress on Cancer: What You Need to Know

Chronic stress can make cancer worse and help it spread. Studies in animals and human cells show that stress hormones, which are natural in humans, play a big role in this process. Norepinephrine, a hormone released when we're stressed, helps tumors grow by forming new blood vessels and spreading cancer cells. It also activates certain immune cells that can protect tumors and wake up dormant cancer cells.

Another stress hormone, glucocorticoids, can stop cancer cells from dying naturally (a process called apoptosis) and make them resistant to chemotherapy. These hormones can also prevent the immune system from attacking cancer cells.

Although some studies suggest that stress might lower survival rates in cancer patients, the evidence isn't strong. Managing stress is important for cancer patients because it can improve their quality of life and possibly help with treatment. Techniques like mindfulness, counseling, and exercise can help reduce stress.

 

New Immunotherapy Shows Promise in Shrinking Metastatic Tumors (5 minutes reading)

A recent clinical trial led by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has shown promising results for a new form of cancer treatment called tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy. This personalized immunotherapy, combined with the drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda), significantly shrank tumors in patients with various metastatic gastrointestinal cancers.

TIL therapy works by selecting immune cells from the patient's tumor that specifically target cancer cells. These cells are then grown in large quantities in a lab and administered back to the patient. In the trial, nearly 24% of patients treated with selected TILs and pembrolizumab saw a substantial reduction in tumor size, compared to only 7.7% of patients treated with TILs alone.

The trial included 91 patients with advanced cancers such as esophageal, stomach, pancreatic, colon, and rectal cancers. The best results were seen in patients who received both TIL therapy and pembrolizumab, with some experiencing tumor shrinkage lasting from several months to over five years.

This breakthrough offers hope for using cell-based immunotherapy to treat common solid tumors, which has been challenging for researchers. The study's lead investigator, Dr. Steven A. Rosenberg, believes this approach could pave the way for more effective cancer treatments in the future.

Researchers are now working on methods to improve TIL therapy by identifying immune cells that target multiple proteins within tumors, aiming to increase the number of patients who respond positively to this treatment.

More information in the LINK

 

Prevention and Screening Save Lives in Five Major Cancer Types

From 1975 to 2020, efforts in prevention and screening helped avoid 4.75 million deaths from breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers. This study by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) shows that these efforts have saved more lives than treatment advances.

Key findings include that smoking cessation prevented 3.45 million deaths from lung cancer. In breast cancer, treatment advances saved most lives, with mammography screening also contributing. Screening and removal of precancerous lesions prevented 160,000 deaths from cervical cancer. Screening and removal of polyps averted 79% of 940,000 deaths from colorectal cancer. PSA testing and treatment advances saved 360,000 lives from prostate cancer.

The study emphasizes the importance of combining prevention, screening, and treatment to reduce cancer death rates. The Biden Cancer Moonshot aims to cut the cancer death rate by 50% by 2047, highlighting the crucial role of prevention and screening efforts.

source: LINK

 

Man's Heartburn Turns Out to Be Stage Three Cancer: How a Panini Saved His Life

Sam Brandon, a 40-year-old father of two, thought his persistent heartburn was just a normal part of life. But one day, while rushing through a London tube station and trying to eat a panini, he started choking and threw up on the train. This incident led him to finally see a doctor.

Sam had been dealing with heartburn for years, often talking to colleagues about the best heartburn medicines. He blamed his busy lifestyle for the symptoms and never found time to visit a doctor. When he finally did, he was given medication that helped for a while, but he still felt like something was stuck in his throat.

During a holiday, he had another choking episode and felt a cold sensation in his stomach. Back in the UK, he insisted on seeing a specialist. An endoscopy revealed a large tumor in his throat, and he was diagnosed with stage three esophageal cancer. The cancer had spread to his lymph nodes, and he needed chemotherapy and surgery to remove most of his esophagus.

Despite the grim diagnosis, Sam remained positive. He celebrated his wife’s 40th birthday at Glastonbury festival and later married her. After a successful surgery, Sam is now in remission and training for an ultramarathon to raise awareness about heartburn and cancer. He hopes his story will encourage others to take persistent heartburn seriously and seek medical advice.

Source: https://www.ladbible.com/news/health/father-heartburn-pain-stage-three-cancer-265144-20250420

Warning: CT Scans Linked to Increased Cancer Risk

Overusing CT scans in the US could lead to over 100,000 extra cancer cases, including nearly 10,000 in children, according to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine. CT scans use ionizing radiation, which can increase cancer risk. While the risk to individuals is low and often outweighed by the benefits, the high number of scans is concerning.

Researchers from the Institute of Cancer Research, Kaiser Permanente, and the University of California found that the 93 million CT scans done in 2023 could cause 5% of all US cancers. The number of CT scans in the US has risen by 30% since 2009.

The study used a risk model to estimate future cancer cases linked to these scans. It found that 2.5 million children’s scans could result in 9,700 cancers. Adults, who get more scans, are expected to have more cancer cases.

CT scans are vital for diagnosing and treating many conditions, but unnecessary scans should be avoided. In the UK, strict regulations ensure scans are only done when needed, resulting in fewer scans per person compared to the US.

Luis Mendoza, MD, PhD