Stomach cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the lining of the stomach. Also, known as Gastric cancer, it affects the elderly more than the adult. According to the American Cancer Society, about 6 of every 10 people diagnosed with stomach cancer each year are 65 or older. Also, the lifetime risk of developing stomach cancer is higher in men (about 1 in 101) than in women (about 1 in 155).

A health expert, speaking to a leading media house, emphasized five common symptoms of stomach cancer that should not be ignored:

1. Unexplained weight loss: Losing weight without trying or experiencing an unexplained drop in appetite, which may signal cancer progression.

2. Pain in the upper part of the abdomen: Persistent or occasional pain in the stomach area, often after eating, can become more severe as the condition progresses.

3. Frequent vomiting after meals: Nausea, sometimes accompanied by vomiting, may occur especially after meals and is linked to cancer blocking or irritating the stomach.

4. Vomiting blood, which may appear coffee-colored: This can indicate bleeding in the stomach, often caused by ulcers or tumors, and requires immediate medical attention.

5. Black, tarry stools: This occurs when blood from the stomach is digested and passed through the intestines, signaling potential internal bleeding

There are also other concerning signs that should not be overlooked such as jaundice, unexplained weight loss, early onset of diabetes, dark stools, and loss of appetite. Health experts strongly advise seeking immediate medical attention if you notice any of these symptoms. If you or a loved one experience these signs, it's crucial to visit a physician for a thorough evaluation to rule out serious underlying health conditions.

How Does Stomach Cancer Spread?

Oncologist Dr Pankaj Kumar Pande, Director–Surgical Oncology, Max Super Specialty Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi explained that this form of cancer spreads through three main pathways: Direct spread, lymphatic spread, and bloodstream.

1. Direct Spread: In its early stages, stomach cancer can invade nearby tissues and grow into the deeper layers of the stomach or spread to surrounding organs such as the oesophagus, liver, pancreas, or intestines.

2. Lymphatic Spread: Cancer cells can travel through the lymphatic system. The most common areas affected are the regional lymph nodes near the stomach, particularly those around the liver and diaphragm.

3. Bloodstream: "Cancer cells can enter the bloodstream and travel to distant parts of the body," which is a common route for stomach cancer to metastasize to distant organs.

He further explained that cancerous cells spread from the original tumour to other parts of the body through a process called Metastasis. The most common sites for the spread are the liver, lymph nodes, peritoneum, lungs, bones, and ovaries.

Flu-Nami hits the UK winters and the National Health Services (NHS) is bracing it as the healthcare system struggles with overwhelming cases. This is a severe "super flu" that has surged across the UK, leading to hospitalization in England in its early-winter levels. NHS leaders have warned for a "worst case scenario" in December.

General practitioner and health communicator, Dr Rob Hicks writes in Medscape that an average of 2660 patients per day were in an NHS hospital bed last week for flu. This is the "highest ever recorded for early December and a 55% increase on the previous week".

When compared to last year, there were 1861 patients on hospital beds with flu, and in 2023, it was only 402.

Since the pandemic, flu numbers have peaked at 5408 patients last winter and 5441 between 2022 to 2023. In fact, NHS national medical director Professor Meghna Pandit also said an "unprecedented wave of super flu" meant staff was being "pushed to the limit". She said that with hospitalizations continuing to rise, "the peak is not in sight yet"

“The NHS is in the thick of a storm come early. Flu is hitting hard, and shows no sign of abating,” warned NHS Provider chief executive Daniel Elkeles.

The Flu-Nami Explained

The NHS record of over 2000 beds being occupied by flu patients is what referred to as a 'flu-nami'. A dig at the word tsunami, to explain the wave of flu patients in early winters. All thanks to the mutated flu virus or the subclade K of the "drifted flu H3N2 strain".

This puts Christmas is danger, as the holidays are not far off and in people being gathered, the virus, which is already more contagious in nature, could spread more easily. The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) mainly affects babies and elderly people. Along with that COVID is already causing problems. Pandit warns that these two could "engulf hospitals".

On top of that, thousands of resident doctors in England are also out on strike next week. The British Medical Association has called for strikes over pay and working conditions of the doctors since 2023. It argued that resident doctors' pay is 20% lower in real terms than it was in 2008, even after the 2025 increases.

Vaccine Is The First Line Of Defense

New figures from the UKHSA show that flu vaccine uptake among people at higher risk is alarmingly low. By 7 December, only 37.4% of under-65s with one or more long-term conditions had received their shot.

The numbers are even lower for some groups. Only 35.6 percent of pregnant women had been vaccinated. Among young children, just 41.5 percent of two-year-olds and 42.3 percent of three-year-olds had received the jab.

The one group doing better is adults over 65, where uptake has reached 71.7 percent.

Doctors are urging people to take every possible step to avoid catching or spreading flu. Ed Hutchinson, professor of molecular and cellular virology at Glasgow University, said that simple measures like masking, social distancing and working from home can make a big difference to how fast influenza spreads.

Shereen Hussein, professor of health policy at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, encouraged people to look out for older relatives and neighbors and help them get vaccinated.

“This Christmas, safe connection should be the priority when visiting people. Short but frequent visits, good ventilation, wearing a mask if you have mild symptoms or have recently been unwell, and switching to phone or video calls if an in-person visit isn’t safe,” Hussein said.

Watson from the UKHSA also repeated the agency’s guidance that anyone with symptoms who needs to go out should consider wearing a face covering.

There have been reports of some pharmacies running short of flu vaccines, but pharmacy groups say these are only isolated cases and that overall supply remains strong.

Separate NHS England data released on Thursday showed that the waiting list for planned hospital care rose again in October, climbing slightly to 7.4 million treatments from 7.39 million in September.

Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said the latest performance figures paint a familiar picture of a health system under constant pressure.

“While the ongoing flu-nami is being blamed for most of the crisis, it has become a convenient excuse. The reality is that the situation comes from years of shrinking capacity and chronic workforce shortages,” she said.

Health secretary Wes Streeting added that hospitals are facing “a tidal wave of flu tearing through our wards.”

Measles outbreak in South Carolina exposed over 250 people, including dozens of unvaccinated school-aged children, are now quarantining. The disease has now sickened more than 110 people in the state. While experts have already declared this season to be the worst year for virus, measles has made a come back, worsening the year of disease, especially because it had been eliminated from the US for more than two decades ago.

Cases have been centered in Spartanburg County, along the northern border of the state, reports the New York Times, and virus seems to have spread widely throughout the community. People are also being exposed to it at church, health care building, and schools.

The measles outbreak in South Carolina started in October and from thereon, it showed no signs of slowing. In fact, Dr Linda Bell, South Carolina's state epidemiologist said at a news conference on Wednesday, this has happened because country's "lower-than-hoped-for vaccination coverage".

Vaccination Has Gone Down

In the 2024–25 school year, roughly 90 percent of students in Spartanburg County received all their required childhood vaccines, including the measles, mumps and rubella shot. While that number may sound high, it still falls short of the national average and the 95 percent coverage that experts say is needed to stop measles from spreading in a community.

Several of the schools where students are now in quarantine have vaccination rates that drop well below 90 percent, based on state data.

Health officials pointed out that measles can disrupt lives even for those who never get sick. In South Carolina, a few unvaccinated students were exposed to the virus twice, which meant they had to quarantine twice for 21 days each time. That is more than a month of missed school.

“That’s a significant amount of time,” Dr. Bell said. “Vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent the disruption that measles is causing to people’s education and to employment.”

State officials have increased their outreach around the MMR vaccine, although it is still unclear if these efforts are making a real difference. Uptake has been limited, according to Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services. He said vaccination remains “the best way to protect against measles” and encouraged people to speak with a doctor about what makes the most sense for them.

Tracing The Outbreaks That Reappeared After Measles Elimination From The US

This appears to be the third major measles outbreak in the United States this year. The first began along the western edge of Texas in January and spread into Oklahoma and New Mexico, eventually becoming the largest measles outbreak the country has seen in decades.

A second multistate outbreak emerged in August in the region between Utah and Arizona, where health officials have reported dozens of new cases in just the past few weeks.

Across the country, more than 1,900 measles cases have been reported so far this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Three unvaccinated people, including two children, have died.

Canada has also been struggling with large and deadly outbreaks this year. The situation became so severe that the country officially lost its measles elimination status last month.

Although measles symptoms usually clear within a few weeks, the virus can lead to serious complications. It can cause pneumonia, which makes it hard for patients, especially young children, to breathe. It can also lead to swelling in the brain, potentially resulting in long-term problems such as blindness, deafness or intellectual disabilities.

For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die, according to the CDC.

Norovirus Outbreak: In a globe-hopping cruise ship, more than 100 guests and crew reported being sick with norovirus outbreak. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 21st outbreak of gastrointestinal disease on a cruise ship monitored by the agency this year.

AIDA Cruises alerted the CDC to the outbreak aboard the AIDAdiva on November 30, confirmed the agency. So far, the outbreak has impacted 95 passengers out of the 2,007 onboard, and 6 out of 640 staff members, noted CDC.

The passengers also suffered symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting on voyage, which had begun on November 10 and is slated to last through December 16. The cruise line responded by stepping up cleaning and disinfection efforts, separating sick passengers and crew from others, working closely with the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program, and collecting stool samples for testing, the agency said.

What Are The Cruise Officials Doing About The Ship Outbreak?

“Seasonal illness peaks between November and April, and the AIDAdiva report mirrors what we’re seeing on land,” AIDA told People. “We’ve increased hygiene measures onboard, and cases are already declining.”

The Independent reports that AIDAdiva is currently midway through its 133-day voyage from Hamburg, Germany, with planned stops across North America. According to CruiseMapper, the ship is now in Costa Rica.

This outbreak is the 21st recorded this year on a CDC-regulated cruise ship, most of them caused by norovirus. That’s higher than the recent yearly totals: 18 outbreaks in 2024 and 14 in 2023. While cruises are often linked with norovirus, only a small share of overall cases actually occur at sea. In most years, ship outbreaks simply mirror seasonal spikes happening on land.

Officials say it’s too soon to say why numbers are up.

“Although cruise ship outbreaks have been higher than in pre-pandemic years, we don’t yet know if this is a lasting trend,” the CDC told USA TODAY in April. They added that a newly dominant norovirus strain is driving many land-based outbreaks this season, and ships usually follow the same pattern.

Norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting, diarrhea, and foodborne illness in the U.S. It triggers acute gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach or intestines. Most people recover within one to three days, but they can remain contagious even after symptoms improve.

The virus spreads easily through contaminated food, surfaces, or close contact. Regular handwashing, proper cooking and cleaning of produce and shellfish, and routine disinfection of surfaces are key steps to prevent infection.

What Is Norovirus?

Often called the “stomach flu” or “stomach bug,” norovirus is not related to influenza. It causes acute gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Most people recover within 1 to 3 days, but the virus can still be contagious for several days afterward. In 2025 alone, the CDC has recorded 19 gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships, 14 of which were caused by norovirus. The CDC notes that such illnesses spread quickly in enclosed environments like cruise ships.

Unique Symptoms Observed on This Cruise

Norovirus symptoms usually appear 12 to 48 hours after exposure. While diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach cramps remain common, this outbreak has shown some unusual signs:

• Dehydration
• Reduced urination
• Dry mouth and throat
• Feeling dizzy when standing
• Crying with few or no tears
• Unusual sleepiness or irritability