Health News

New hope for patients with less common breast cancer

O2 June, 2025 : A new treatment nearly halves the risk of disease progression or death from a less common form of breast cancer that hasnt seen major drug advances in over a decade, researchers reported Monday. Results from the study, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, are expected to be submitted to regulators and could soon establish a new first-line therapy for people with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer -- the advanced stage of a form that comprises 15-20 percent of all breast cancer cases. HER2-positive cancers are fueled by an overactive HER2 gene, which makes too much of a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 that helps cancer cells grow and spread. Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body live around five years. "Seeing such a striking improvement was really impressive to us -- we were taking a standard and almost doubling how long patients could have their cancer controlled for," oncologist Sara Tolaney, chief of the breast oncology division at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, told AFP. The current standard of care, known as THP, combines chemotherapy with two antibodies that block growth signals from the HER2 protein. The new approach uses a drug called trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd), an antibody attached to a chemotherapy drug. - Smart bomb â€“ This "smart bomb" strategy allows the drug to target cancer cells directly. "You can bind to the cancer cell and dump all that chemo right into the cancer cells," explained Tolaney. "Some people call them smart bombs because theyre delivering chemo in a targeted fashion -- which is how I think were able to really increase efficacy so much." Common side effects included nausea, diarrhea and a low white blood cell count, with a less common effect involving lung scarring. T-DXd is already approved as a "second-line" option -- used when first-line treatments stop working. But in the new trial, it was given earlier, paired with another antibody, pertuzumab. In a global trial led by Tolaney, just under 400 patients were randomly assigned to receive T-DXd in combination with pertuzumab, thought to enhance its effects. A similar number received the standard THP regimen. A third group, who received T-DXd without pertuzumab, was also enrolled -- but those results havent yet been reported. - 44 percent risk reduction â€“ At a follow-up of 2.5 years, the T-DXd and pertuzumab combination reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 44 percent compared to standard care. Fifteen percent of patients in the T-DXd group saw their cancer disappear entirely, compared to 8.5 percent in the THP group. Because this was an interim analysis, the median progression-free survival -- meaning the point at which half the patients had seen their cancer return or worsen -- was 40.7 months with the new treatment, compared to 26.9 months with the standard, and could rise further as more data come in. Tolaney said the results would be submitted to regulators around the world, including the US Food and Drug Administration, and that future work would focus on optimizing how long patients remain on the treatment, particularly those showing complete remission. "This represents a new first-line standard treatment option for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer," said Dr. Rebecca Dent, a breast cancer specialist at the National Cancer Center Singapore who was not involved in the study.

How social media can trigger eating disorders in young people

01 June, 2025 : Social media can push vulnerable young people towards developing eating disorders by glorifying thinness and promoting fake, dangerous advice about diet and nutrition, experts warn. Young women and girls are much more likely to suffer from illnesses such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder, though rates among men have been increasing. Research has shown the percentage of people worldwide who have had some kind of eating disorder during their lives rose from 3.5 percent in 2000 to 7.8 percent in 2018, a timeframe that captures the rise of social media. For the professionals trying to help teenagers recover from these disorders, misinformation from influencers on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram is a huge problem. "We no longer treat an eating disorder without also addressing social media use," French dietitian and nutritionist Carole Copti told AFP. "It has become a trigger, definitely an accelerator and an obstacle to recovery," she added. The causes of eating disorders are complex, with psychological, genetic, environmental and social factors all having the potential to make someone more susceptible. Social media "is not the cause but the straw that may break the camels back," said Nathalie Godart, a psychiatrist for children and adolescents at the Student Health Foundation of France. By promoting thinness, strictly controlled diets and relentless exercise, social media weakens already vulnerable people and "amplifies the threat" to their health, she told AFP. - Vicious cycle - Just one recent example is the #skinnytok trend, a hashtag on TikTok full of dangerous and guilt-inducing advice encouraging people to drastically reduce how much food they eat. For Charlyne Buigues, a French nurse specialising in eating disorders, social media serves as a gateway to these problems, which are "normalised" online. She condemned videos showing young girls with anorexia exposing their malnourished bodies -- or others with bulimia demonstrating their "purges". "Taking laxatives or vomiting are presented as a perfectly legitimate way to lose weight, when actually they increase the risk of cardiac arrest," Buigues said. Eating disorders can damage the heart, cause infertility and other health problems, and have been linked to suicidal behaviour. Anorexia has the highest rate of death of any psychiatric disease, research has found. Eating disorders are also the second leading cause of premature death among 15- to 24-year-olds in France, according to the countrys health insurance agency. Social media creates a "vicious cycle," Copti said. "People suffering from eating disorders often have low self-esteem. But by exposing their thinness from having anorexia on social media, they gain followers, views, likes... and this will perpetuate their problems and prolong their denial," she added. This can especially be the case when the content earns money. Buigues spoke of a young woman who regularly records herself throwing up live on TikTok and who had "explained that she was paid by the platform and uses that money to buy groceries". - Completely indoctrinated - Social media also makes recovering from eating disorders "more difficult, more complicated and take longer", Copti said. This is partly because young people tend to believe the misleading or fake diet advice that proliferates online. Copti said consultations with her patients can feel like she is facing a trial. "I have to constantly justify myself and fight to make them understand that no, it is not possible to have a healthy diet eating only 1,000 calories -- that is half what they need -- or that no, it is not normal to skip meals," she said. "The patients are completely indoctrinated -- and my 45-minute weekly consultation is no match for spending hours every day on TikTok," she added. Godart warned about the rise of people posing as "pseudo-coaches", sharing incorrect, "absurd" and potentially illegal nutrition advice. "These influencers carry far more weight than institutions. Were constantly struggling to get simple messages across about nutrition," she said, pointing out that there are lifelines available for those in need. Buigues takes it upon herself to regularly report problematic content on Instagram, but said it "serves no purpose". "The content remains online and the accounts are rarely suspended -- its very tiring," she said. The nurse has even advised her patients to delete their social media accounts, particularly TikTok. "It may seem radical but until young people are better informed, the app is too dangerous," she said.

Bird flu outbreaks in mammals double, raising human risk: report

23 May, 2025 : Outbreaks of bird flu in mammals more than doubled across the world last year, raising the risk that the virus could potentially spread between humans, an international agency warned on Friday. Avian influenza has spread across the world like never before in the last few years, leading to the mass culling of poultry, sending egg prices soaring and causing the deaths of several people in contact with infected animals. While the overall risk of human infection remains low, bird flu outbreaks among mammals such as cattle, dogs and cats increase the possibility that the virus could eventually adapt to transmit between humans, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said in a new report. The number of mammal outbreaks soared to 1,022 across 55 countries last year, compared to 459 in 2023, according to the Paris-based agency, which monitors animal diseases worldwide. "It is concerning because it is a change in the pattern of the epidemiology of the virus," WOAHs director general Emmanuelle Soubeyran told AFP. Health experts have been sounding the alarm about the potential pandemic threat posed by bird flu, which has shown signs of mutating as it spreads in particular among dairy cows in the United States. The new report comes as the budgets of US health and science agencies have been slashed by the Trump administration. This included the sacking earlier this year of the staff of an epidemiology programme known as the "disease detectives". - Global emergency - Bird flu "is more than an animal health crisis -- it is a global emergency destabilising agriculture, food security, trade and ecosystems," the report warned. More than 630 million birds have either died from avian influenza or been culled due to it over the last two decades, according to the agencys first annual State of the Worlds Animal Health report. Wild birds have also suffered mass die-offs, although the exact number is difficult to estimate. The report highlighted the role that vaccination can play in stemming outbreaks among birds -- which in turn decreases the risk to mammals and humans. It cited the example of France, which started vaccinating poultry ducks against bird flu in 2023. Modelling from the Toulouse Veterinary School estimated there would be 700 outbreaks in France that year. In the end, there were just 10, the report said. Soubeyran said this was a "win-win" because it reduced exposure to humans -- and meant there were more poultry products available for export. However, she emphasised that vaccines were not a "magic wand" and did not suit every situation. Biosecurity, surveillance, increased transparency and global collaboration are also important tools to fight off the threat of bird flu, Soubeyran added, calling for more investment in these areas. - Antibiotic use falls - Last month Mexico reported its first human death from bird flu, a three-year-old girl. The US recorded its first death in January, while there have been two deaths in Cambodia this year. Nearly 50 percent of bird flu infections have historically proved fatal, according to the World Health Organization. It says the human cases detected so far are mostly linked to people who had close contact with infected birds and other animals, or contaminated environments. The WOAH report also warned more broadly about the rising danger of animal diseases crossing over into humans as climate change pushes species into new areas. Nearly 70 percent of the emerging diseases notified to the agency over the last 20 years were considered to have the potential to pose a threat to human health, it said. Another danger is the increasing resistance some diseases are having to antibiotics, which is "one of the greatest threats to global health, food security and economic stability", the report said. In positive news, use of antibiotics in animals fell by five percent between 2020 and 2022. Europe saw the biggest decline -- 23 percent, it added, calling for further reductions.

Hypertension control crucial to reduce heart disease risks: Experts

18 May, 2025 : Experts at a post-rally discussion here unanimously observed that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally, with hypertension being one of the major contributing factors. Heart disease is responsible for 34 percent of all deaths in Bangladesh, a large number of which is preventable. Availability of anti-hypertensive medicine at the grassroots level can reduce the risk of heart disease to a great extent. Specialists and other medical practitioners concerned revealed these issues while addressing a discussion and seminar titled "Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease Risk" to mark World Hypertension Day 2025. National Heart Foundation, Rajshahi, organized the meeting at its conference hall here on Saturday. Main theme of the day this year is "Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer!" Prof Roish Uddin, Director and Chief Consultant of National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute, Rajshahi, addressed the meeting as the focal person, saying that many diseases can be prevented by controlling diabetes and hypertension. Prof Latifur Rahman, Dr Rafiur Rahman, Dr Wasim Hossain, Dr ASM Sayem, Dr Rezwanul Islam, Dr Taniia Akter, Dr Nafisa Lubaba and Dr Gaziul Alam also spoke at the seminar, disseminating their expertise on the issue. The meeting was told that one in every four adults in Bangladesh is suffering from hypertension. According to the first Global Report on Hypertension 2023 by the World Health Organization (WHO), 273,000 people die of cardiovascular diseases every year in Bangladesh and 54 percent of these fatalities are attributable to hypertension. The reports also revealed that half of the individuals (aged 30-79 years) with hypertension are not even aware of their condition. Heart Specialist Prof Roish Uddin said increased awareness programs, along with other activities, have become an urgent need to control hypertension. "Heart disease causes more than 40 percent of premature deaths in Bangladesh. Controlling hypertension is the most effective way to reduce this mortality rate", he added. In his remarks, Prof Latifur Rahman said empirical studies by region, age and gender are highly required to accurately determine the prevalence of hypertension nationwide. He also opined that assessment of the number of hypertensive patients across the country is important to ensure the supply of anti-hypertensive medicine at the grassroots level. Prof Rahman said a healthy dietary habit is essential to control hypertension and heart disease.