In the last few decades, scientists have finally learned to harness the immune system to successfully treat cancer. Image for Representation.
| Photo Credit: Freepik

In the last few decades, scientists have finally learned to harness the immune system to successfully treat cancer. Although doctors often use immunotherapy drugs, another type of treatment uses patient’s cells to treat their own cancers.

Car-T therapy, short for “chimeric antigen receptor T-cell”, is a cutting-edge treatment that reprogrammes a patient’s immune cells to fight their cancer. This innovative approach involves taking T-cells, a type of white blood cell that plays a crucial role in the immune system, from a patient and modifying them in a laboratory to better recognise and attack cancer cells.

These enhanced T-cells are then multiplied and infused back into the patient, where they seek out and destroy cancer cells. Lots of data shows that in difficult-to-treat lymphomas, a type of cancer, patients can do so well.

In November 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced an investigation into this celebrated cancer treatment. They were looking into whether Car-T therapy might be causing new cancers in some patients who had undergone the treatment. This was a significant concern given the therapy’s reputation as a revolutionary cancer-fighting strategy.

Initially, the FDA mentioned that it had observed 20 cases where patients developed new immune-cell cancers, such as lymphomas or leukaemias, which are types of blood cell cancer, after receiving Car-T therapy. This prompted questions about who these patients were, how many such cases existed and what other treatments they might have received before Car-T therapy.

By March 2024, the FDA had documented 33 such cases among around 30,000 treated patients. Consequently, all Car-T therapies now carry a boxed warning about the potential risk of developing secondary cancers. The European Medicines Agency also started its own investigation into the matter.

Despite these concerns, it is still unclear whether the new cancers are directly caused by the Car-T cells or whether other factors are involved. It is also important to note that these cancers are very rare – as data published this month shows.

Many cancer treatments come with a risk of secondary malignancies and, of course, the cancer returning. And patients receiving Car-T therapy often have had several other treatments that could also contribute to the risk. Researchers are now working to determine if Car-T therapy is a contributing factor or the primary cause of these new cancers.

Car-T therapy was initially used for patients with no other treatment options, but it has since been approved as a second-line treatment for certain types of blood cancers, like lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Scientists are also exploring its potential for treating solid tumours including hard to treat brain cancers, autoimmune diseases, ageing, HIV and other conditions.

The process of creating Car-T cells involves using viruses to insert new genetic material into T-cells. These viruses, called retroviruses, are engineered to carry the gene for a chimeric antigen receptor (Car) into the T-cells.

Massive benefits

While these retroviruses are modified to be safe, there is always a risk that the new genetic material could disrupt other important genes and potentially lead to cancer – a phenomenon known as “insertional mutagenesis”. This means new genetic material is added to a cell.

This risk isn’t new. About 20 years ago, gene therapy treatments for severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome using similar retroviruses led to leukaemia in some patients. As a result, scientists have worked to improve the safety of these viral vectors. The FDA now requires thorough testing to ensure that the viruses used in Car-T therapy cannot replicate and cause harm.

Despite these findings, the most important thing to emphasise is that secondary cancers remain rare and these cell therapies can have massive benefits in very sick people.

The new review of patients treated with Car-T therapies at various centres found that only a small percentage developed secondary cancers, and most were not the type directly linked to the Car-T treatment. This suggests that while there is a risk, it is relatively low compared to the immediate threat posed by the patient’s existing cancer.

Medical professionals now inform patients about the potential but rare risk of secondary cancers when discussing Car-T therapy. For most patients, especially those with advanced cancers, the potential benefits of Car-T therapy far outweigh these risks.

As mentioned, Car-T therapy is also being investigated for other applications beyond cancer. For instance, it has shown promise in treating autoimmune diseases such as lupus and even in preventing organ transplant rejection. The potential uses for Car-T cells are continually expanding, offering hope for treating a wide range of diseases.

Ultimately, while the risk of secondary cancers from Car-T therapy is a serious consideration, the benefits for many patients are significant and far outweigh this small risk. Research will continue to refine these treatments and improve their safety.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

New Delhi:

Poor lifestyle choices with regular consumption of ultra-processed food, and a sedentary lifestyle are increasing cancer cases among people under 40 years of age in India, said doctors on Sunday.

Several factors are contributing to the rise in cancer cases among younger people in India.

One of the primary reasons is increased consumption of processed foods, tobacco, and alcohol, sedentary lifestyles, obesity, and stress.

Environmental pollution is another critical factor.

India’s cities are plagued by high levels of pollution, which has been linked to various types of cancer.

Air and water pollution expose individuals to carcinogenic substances, significantly increasing their cancer risk.

“Ultra-processed foods and sedentary lifestyles are emerging as significant contributors to the rising cancer rates among young Indians.

“The high intake of these foods, laden with unhealthy additives, combined with physical inactivity, is creating a health crisis,” Dr. Rahul Bhargava, Director and head of the Department of Haematology and BMT at Fortis Memorial Research Institute told IANS.

“It’s imperative to adopt healthier dietary habits and an active lifestyle to curb this alarming trend,” he added.

According to a recent study by Cancer Mukt Bharat Foundation, a Delhi-based non-profit foundation, 20 per cent of cancer cases in India are now being diagnosed in people below 40 years of age.

The study shows that men constitute 60 per cent of these young cancer patients, while women make up the remaining 40 per cent.

The gender disparity may be due to higher rates of tobacco use, occupational exposure, and lifestyle choices among men in India.

“In our country, escalating rates of obesity, change in dietary habits, specifically the increase in consumption of ultra-processed food, and sedentary lifestyles are associated with higher cancer rates,” said Dr. Ashish Gupta, principal investigator and senior oncologist at Unique Hospital Cancer Center, Delhi, told IANS.

The doctors called for the urgent need for lifestyle interventions to combat the rising cancer rates among young Indians. Dr. Ashish, also heading Cancer Mukt Bharat Campaign in India, emphasised the importance of a “combined effort from the government, healthcare professionals, and the community to tackle the rising cancer rates among young adults”.

“Policies promoting clean air and water, regular physical activity, and access to nutritious food must be prioritised. Additionally, we must invest in better healthcare infrastructure to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal’s wife Anita Goyal passed away on Thursday morning after suffering from the final stage of cancer.

Anita Goyal is survived by her husband and two children, Namrata and Nivaan Goyal.

According to reports, she passed away around 3 a.m. and Naresh Goyal was at their Mumbai residence.

As executive vice president, Anita was part of operations at the company.

Naresh Goyal, himself suffering from multiple health issues, sought interim bail from the Bombay High Court earlier this month on humanitarian grounds to be with his wife.

He was nabbed on September 1, 2023, in connection with a money-laundering case.

He is currently in judicial custody and lodged at the Arthur Road Central Jail (ARCJ).

In the bail plea, Naresh Goyal had claimed that he did not siphon off loan amounts for personal benefits, as alleged by the ED in the Canara Bank loan of Rs 538.62 crore given to the Jet Airways group.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Brain cancers remain among the most challenging tumors to treat. They often don’t respond to traditional treatments because many chemotherapies are unable to penetrate the protective barrier around the brain. Other treatments like radiation and surgery can leave patients with lifelong debilitating side effects.

As a result, brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in children. Brain tumors in children frequently do not respond to treatments developed for adults, likely due to the fact that pediatric brain cancers are not as well-studied as adult brain cancers. There is an urgent need to develop new treatments specific to children.

We developed a new messenger-RNA, or mRNA, cancer vaccine, described in newly published research, that can deliver treatments more effectively in children who have brain cancer and teach their immune systems to fight back.

How do cancer vaccines work?

The immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues and organs whose primary function is to continuously surveil the body for threats posed by foreign invaders – pathogens that damage tissues and make you sick. It accomplishes this by recognizing antigens, or abnormal proteins or molecules, on pathogens. T cells that recognize these antigens seek out and destroy the pathogens.

Your immune system also protects you from domestic threats like cancer. Over time, your cells sustain DNA damage from either internal or external stressors, leading to mutations. The proteins and molecules produced from mutated DNA look quite different from the ones cells typically produce, so your immune system can recognize them as antigens. Cancer develops when cells accumulate mutations that enable them to continue to grow and divide while simultaneously going undetected by the immune system.

In 1991, scientists identified the first tumor antigen, helping lay the framework for modern-day immunotherapy. Since then, researchers have identified many new tumor antigens, facilitating the development of cancer vaccines. Broadly, cancer vaccines deliver tumor antigens into the body to teach the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells that display those antigens. Although all cancer vaccines conceptually work very similarly, they each significantly vary in the way they are developed and the number and combination of antigens they carry.

One of the biggest differences among cancer vaccines is how they are created. Some vaccines use protein fragments, or peptides, of tumor antigens that are directly given to patients. Other vaccines use viruses reengineered to express cancer antigens. Even more complex are vaccines where a patient’s own immune cells are collected and trained to recognize cancer antigens in a laboratory before being delivered back to the patient.

Currently, there is a lot of excitement and focus among researchers on developing mRNA-based cancer vaccines. Whereas DNA is the blueprint of which proteins to make, mRNA is a copy of the blueprint that tells cells how to build these proteins. Thus, researchers can use mRNA to create blueprint copies of potential antigens.

mRNA cancer vaccines

The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant attention to the potential of using mRNA-based vaccines to stimulate the immune system and provide protection against the antigens they encode for. But researchers have been investigating the use of mRNA vaccines for treating various cancers since before the pandemic.

Our teamof scientists in the Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program at University of Florida has spent the past 10 years developing and optimizing mRNA vaccines to treat brain cancer.

Cancer vaccines have faced significant challenges. One key hurdle is that these vaccines may not always trigger a strong enough immune response to eradicate the cancer completely. Moreover, tumors are not made up of one type of cancer cell, but rather a complex mix of cancer cells that each harbors its own unique cocktail of mutations.

Our cancer vaccine seeks to address these issues in a number of ways.

First, we designed our vaccines by using the RNA of a patients’ own cancer cells as a template for the mRNA inside our nanoparticles. We also packaged our cancer vaccine inside of nanoparticles made up of specialized lipids, or fat molecules. We maximized the amount of mRNA packaged within each nanoparticle by sandwiching them between lipid layers like the layers of an onion. In this way, we increase the likelihood that the mRNA molecules in our nanoparticles produce enough tumor antigens from that patient’s cancer to activate an immune response.

Also, instead of injecting nanoparticles into the skin, muscle or directly into the tumor, as is commonly done for many therapeutic cancer vaccines, our mRNA nanoparticles are injected into the bloodstream. From there, they travel to organs throughout the body involved in the immune response to teach the body to fight against the cancer. By doing so, we’ve found that the immune system launches a near immediate and powerful response. Within six hours of receiving the vaccine, there is a significant increase in the amount of blood markers connected to immune activation.

Looking to the future

Our mRNA-based vaccines are currently undergoing early-phase clinical trials to treat real patients with brain cancer.

We administered our mRNA-based vaccine to four adult patients with glioblastoma who had relapsed after previous treatment. All patients survived several months longer than the expected average survival at this advanced stage of illness. We expect to treat children with a type of brain tumor called pediatric high-grade glioma by the end of the year.

Importantly, mRNA vaccines can be developed to treat any kind of cancer, including childhood brain tumors. Our Pediatric Cancer Immunotherapy Initiative focuses on developing new immune-based therapies for children afflicted with cancer. After developing an mRNA vaccine for glioma in chidren, we will expand to treat other kinds of pediatric brain cancers like medulloblastoma and potentially treat other kinds of cancers like skin cancer and bone cancer.

We are hopeful that mRNA-based vaccines may lead to more children being cured of their brain tumors.

Christina von Roemeling, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, University of Florida and John Ligon, Assistant Professor of Hematology, University of Florida

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue Inc. were ordered to pay $45 million to the family of an Illinois woman who blamed the companies’ baby powders for giving her a fatal cancer in what was the first verdict against the J&J spinoff in a decade-long litigation over the product.

Jurors hearing the case in Chicago late Friday concluded Kenvue was 70% responsible for the death of Theresa Garcia, a mother of six and a grandmother, who died in 2020 after developing mesothelioma, a type of cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Her family alleged J&J and Kenvue’s predecessor firm sold their talcum-based baby powder knowing it was tainted with asbestos, according to court filings.

The panel found J&J and one of its units were responsible for the remaining 30% of the verdict, one of the first wins by a talc plaintiff since a judge last year threw out the bankruptcy filing of a J&J unit aimed at forcing a settlement of the talc cases. A Florida jury rejected similar claims against the company on Thursday.

J&J has maintained that its talc-based products don’t cause cancer and that it has marketed its baby powder appropriately for more than a century.

Officials of Kenvue, which now sells baby powder, confirmed earlier this month it no longer makes or sells a talc-based version of the product. Prior to the spinoff, J&J said it would take talc off the North American market by 2020 and worldwide by December 2023 and switch to a cornstarch replacement. It cited sliding sales for the move.

Melissa Witt, a Kenvue spokeswoman, didn’t immediately respond to an email Saturday seeking comment on the verdict. Erik Haas, the head of J&J’s in-house litigation section, said the company would appeal the jury’s finding. “We expect to prevail as we typically do with aberrant adverse verdicts that have no basis in the law or science and are predicated on clearly erroneous rulings by the trial court,” Haas said in an emailed statement.

J&J is among a host of big drugmakers that divested or are planning to divest themselves of lower-margin, yet dependably profitable, consumer units in order to focus on the high-stakes business of making new medicines. J&J generated $13.2 billion in cash via the offering of Kenvue debt and sale of its shares. Kenvue is now home to popular J&J products such as its Tylenol painkiller, Listerine mouthwash and the new cornstarch-based version of baby powder.

As part of the spinoff, Kenvue secured an indemnity agreement from J&J to cover any talc liability that arises in North America, according to securities filings. Kenvue must deal with talc verdicts generated by courts outside that area, the filings show.

Garcia’s family had been ready to go to trial in 2021 when J&J’s LTL Management unit filed its first Chapter 11 case seeking to foster a settlement of all current and future talc cases, said Jessica Dean, the family’s lawyer. Its only after that case – along with a second attempt to use the bankruptcy courts to corral the talc litigation – was thrown out that the family was able to have a jury hear its case, Dean said.

“After years of delay caused by Johnson & Johnson’s bad faith abuse of the bankruptcy system,” the family is grateful jurors saw through the ‘deceptions’ put forth by J&J and Kenvue about whether talc can cause cancer, Dean said in a release. “The defendants knew that talc contains asbestos impurities that were mined and put in the bottles of baby powder J&J sold,” she added.

In the Florida case, a state court jury rejected claims by Patricia Matthey’s family that her 2016 ovarian cancer was caused by using baby powder tainted with asbestos. After the verdict, Haas said the company was vindicated by the panel’s ruling. “The jury appropriately found that talc is safe, does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer, which is the same outcome the company achieved in 16 of 17 ovarian cases tried to date,” Haas said in an emailed statement.

In Garcia’s Chicago case, her family contends the plaintiff was a long-time user of J&J’s talc-based baby powder and used the product on her children and grandchildren. The family contends J&J was aware of concerns about asbestos in its talc and failed to warn consumers. Stephanie Salcedo, Garcia’s daughter, filed the case on behalf of her family.

“J&J knew that asbestos exposure, including asbestos exposure from inhaling asbestos-containing talc, can and does cause fatal diseases such as mesothelioma,” the family said in its lawsuit against the companies.

J&J reported earnings this week, beating estimates in a step towards boosting profitability after the spinoff of Kenvue.

The Chicago case is Salcedo v. Cyprus Amax Minerals, No.020L004505, Calendar, J1 24067608, Cook County Circuit Court (Chicago).

New Delhi:

Kate Middleton’s prolonged absence after her abdominal surgery in January sparked many conspiracy theories with Kensington Palace working overtime to douse the fire on social media. The buzz died down after the Princess of Wales, in a video, announced that she is undergoing treatment for cancer. However, Getty Images’ adding an “editor’s note” to Kate Middleton’s cancer announcement video has again sparked concerns.

The note, stating, “This Handout clip was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images’ editorial policy,” fueled speculation and conspiracy theories about the authenticity of the video.

In the video, Princess Kate is sitting on a bench in the garden of Windsor Castle. The royal explained that she is receiving “preventative chemotherapy” after tests following her abdominal surgery in January “found cancer had been present.”

Kate, wife of the heir to the throne Prince William, called the cancer discovery a “huge shock”.

A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales pic.twitter.com/5LQT1qGarK

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2024

Users on social media platforms questioned the rationale behind the note by Getty, with some suggesting it furthered doubts about Kate’s condition. Home to over 130 million images, Getty is the largest privately‑owned photographic archive in the world.

After the issue blew up, Getty issued a clarification stating that such notes are standard practice for handout content from third-party organizations. However, a lot of older videos of Britain’s royal family do not carry the disclaimer.

This recent note by the media aggregator has once again sparked concerns about the credibility of the photos and videos coming from the Palace.

Last month, leading photo agencies like AP and Reuters flagged Kate Middleton’s Mother’s Day photo amid fears that it was heavily edited or fabricated. The Kensington Palace, which had released the photo, later issued a “kill order” for the image.

Kate Middleton, 42, has not been seen in public eye since an abdominal surgery for a non-cancerous but unspecified condition on January 16. Social media has been awash with speculation about her health, generating global headlines and rumours. Instead of calming fears over her health, the edited picture released by Kensington Palace sent the rumour mill into overdrive as media scrambled to pull the picture with a kill notice.

Kensington Palace said William, whose mother Princess Diana died in a car crash when she was just 36, would continue his duties while supporting his wife, as he had since her surgery. A source said Kate was in good spirits and focused on her recovery.

However, neither was present for the traditional gathering of royals for a church service on Easter Sunday at Windsor.

Kate was the first commoner to marry a prince in close proximity to the throne in more than 350 years when she wed William in 2011 and has since become one of the most popular royals.

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, on Friday, said that she has been diagnosed with cancer. The Princess added that she is currently undergoing preventative chemotherapy. In a video message, released on X (formerly Twitter) by the Kensington Palace, Kate Middleton added she is in the “early stages of that treatment.”

A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales pic.twitter.com/5LQT1qGarK

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2024

Read the full text of her video message here:

I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, personally, for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery. It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful.

In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.

This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.

As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok.

As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirit.

Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too. As is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.

We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now, I must focus on making a full recovery.

At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.

Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, revealed that she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer in a personal video message released by Kensington Palace on Friday. She revealed that her condition was non-cancerous at the time of her surgery, but post-surgery tests “found cancer had been present.” The Princess underwent surgery on January 17.

What type of cancer has Kate Middleton been diagnosed with?

Kate Middleton’s exact form of cancer has not been specified. Various diagnostic tests, including blood tests, scans, and biopsies, were likely performed to detect the cancer, although details have not been revealed. Biopsy involves examining a small tissue sample under a microscope to identify abnormal cells.

Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive of NHS England, described the Princess’ cancer diagnosis as “shocking” but commended her for speaking out about it. “Speaking out about it is really brave and it can help others to get worrying signs and symptoms checked.”

Kate Middleton undergoing preventative chemotherapy

Upon medical advice, the Princess of Wales is undergoing preventive chemotherapy, a treatment aimed at killing cancer cells and stopping them from spreading. She stated she is in the early stages of the treatment, which began in late February after her abdominal surgery in January. The duration of her treatment will depend on ongoing medical advice and her response to the treatment.

Kate Middleton focused on recovery

Despite going through a tough time, Kate Middleton shared in her video message that she was feeling positive and was focused on recovering. “I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits,” she said, adding that she was looking forward to working but now “must focus on making a full recovery”. 

Both King Charles and Kate Middleton were diagnosed with cancer after being treated for other health issues. King Charles underwent a procedure for a prostate enlargement, during which they found a form of cancer. Similarly, the Princess of Wales discovered she had cancer after undergoing abdominal surgery in January. However, the details of why she needed surgery have not been disclosed by Kensington Palace.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced on Friday that she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy to treat cancer discovered after she had abdominal surgery.

While the exact situation is difficult to determine because the 42-year-old princess did not disclose the nature of the cancer, here is an explanation of preventative chemo.

– What is chemotherapy? –

Chemotherapy is the use of powerful drugs to stop cancerous cells from growing, dividing and creating more cells. There are a large number of kinds of chemotherapy, depending on the cancer, how far it has spread and the treatment regime.

Because these treatments cannot distinguish between different cells, they end up killing some cells that do good, such as white blood cells, causing some side effects.

– Why preventative? –

Preventative chemotherapy is often used after surgery to “decrease the likelihood” that cancer will return, Kimmie Ng, an oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the United States told AFP.

Even after successful surgery, “microscopic cancer cells can remain lurking in the body and can’t be detected by current tests,” said Lawrence Young, molecular oncology professor at the University of Warwick.

It is “a bit like mopping a floor with bleach when you’ve spilt something on it”, Andrew Beggs, a cancer surgeon at the University of Birmingham, told the Science Media Centre.

– Side effects? –

How chemo affects people can vary depending on the particular cancer, treatment and person.

But common side effects include fatigue, nausea, diarrhoea, loss of appetite and an increased risk of getting an infection.

Some rarer, more severe side effects can include sepsis and damage to vital organs.

– How long? –

Treatment schedules again can vary widely, but a traditional chemo regime would be delivered in four to six blocks, said Bob Phillips, paediatric oncology professor at the University of York.

A cycle may last 21 days and “consists of a day or few days of chemo, then time for the body to recover from it,” Phillips said.

Regimes of preventative chemo tend to last between three to six months.

It can take people weeks or months to recover from the treatment.

– More cancer among young people? –

Beggs emphasised that “young onset cancer is by no means rare”.

“I run a clinic for early-onset cancer in adults and we are seeing more and more people in their 40s with cancer,” he said.

Shivan Sivakumar, an oncology expert at the University of Birmingham said “there is an epidemic currently” of people under 50 getting cancer.

“It is unknown the cause of this, but we are seeing more patients getting abdominal cancers,” he said.

Ng pointed out that research from the American Cancer Society released this year showed that younger adults were the only age group in which cancer increased between 1995 and 2020.

“There is an urgent need for research into the causes of this uptick,” Ng said.

Research published in the BMJ journal last week said that cancer cases among people aged 35-69 in Britain also rose over the last quarter of a century.

But deaths from cancer fell by a significant margin.

“The younger you are, the more likely you are to tolerate chemotherapy well,” Sivakumar said.

Younger people also more likely to survive cancer.

A combination of early diagnosis and better treatments has led to “survival rates doubling in the last 50 years”, Young said.

“An incidental finding of cancer during surgery for other conditions is often associated with the tumour being detected at an early stage when subsequent chemotherapy is much more effective,” he added.

– Check yourself? –

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said that such high-profile cancers can serve as a reminder for people to think about their own health.

“If people spot something that’s not normal for them or isn’t going away, they should check with their GP,” she said.

“It probably won’t be cancer. But if it is, spotting it at an early stage means treatment is more likely to be successful.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

A self-proclaimed “tumour research institute” in China is under investigation after a woman exposed how her cancer-stricken mother was duped into paying a staggering 200,000 yuan (approximately Rs 22.76 lakh) for treatments that include bloodletting and even applying cement to her skin.

According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), the woman, surnamed Wang, learned that her mother had been diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer at the end of 2021. Soon after diagnosis, the two women were introduced to a traditional Chinese medicine doctor in Wuhan, who claimed to specialise in treating cancer. They travelled to meet the man, surnamed Yu, at his Dongyusanbao Tumour Research Institute, where he told them he had invented a medicine that could kill cancer cells.

According to Ms Wang, Mr Yu went to great lengths to convince the two women, showcasing what appeared to be credible patent documents and prestigious awards certificates for his cancer treatment. 

Filled with hope, Ms Wang’s mother immediately purchased the first batch of liquid medication from Mr Yu at a cost of 20,000 yuan (US$2,700), which he assured was a simple oral remedy. Over the course of a year, Ms Wang said she and her mother flew to Wuhan from their home in northeastern Liaoning province six times. This journey took a severe financial toll, with the total expenditure racing over 200,000 yuan. 

Moreover, in addition to giving the elderly woman oral medication, Mr Yu also made dozens of injections into her breasts to make her lose blood, Ms Wang said, as per the outlet. He bizarrely also told the woman to apply a mixture of cement and lime skin under her armpits, claiming that it would aid in shrinking the cancerous lumps. 

“He told my mother to apply cement mixed with lime on the skin under her armpits, saying this could help shrink lumps. My mother followed his instructions but her skin festered after doing it for two months,” Ms Wang said.

Also Read | US Man Arrested For Pointing Gun At 6-Year-Old Boy’s Head Over Halloween Candy Bag

However, in April this year, Ms Wang’s mother’s condition deteriorated and local doctors told her that the cancer cells had spread across her body. But Mr Yu insisted that was normal and even told them not to worry. He even convinced the woman to continue drinking his medicine. However, this ultimately led to the mother’s death in June, Ms Wang said. 

According to SCMP, Mr Yu later confessed that neither he nor his institute have any medical qualifications. “I am not practising medicine. I just sold them health-enhancing products. My method of bloodletting is aimed at promoting good health, it is not acupuncture,” Mr Yu said. He also confessed that the certificates and documents he had shown the two women were, in fact, bought online for a few thousand yuan. The authorities are now still investigating the bizarre case.