A new study has found that a combination of two drugs could enhance the immune system to treat one of the most common types of cancer in the world, bowel cancer. Also known as colorectal cancer, despite its widespread presence, the treatment options for this condition are limited. What the study specifically found was that this procedure could shrink the tumours caused by this condition by around 60%.

What Are The Drugs Involved

The trial involved the use of two immunotherapy drugs, botancilimab and balstilumab. It is a monoclonal antibody that works to stimulate the body's immune system to attack cancer. The study is a rather significant find, as it’s the first time that a consistent and durable response to immunotherapy has been reported in patients with solid MSS mCRC tumours.

The study was divided into several phases for more than 6 months. In the US trial, around around 101 patients with microsatile stable metastatic colorectal (MSS-mCRC) tumours showed a decrease . Around 61% of the patients experienced tumour shrinkage or stabilization after combined treatment with votancilumab and balstilumab. When it comes to downsides, diarrhea and fatigue were found to be the most common side effects or side effects of this drug.

These results are interesting and open to exploration. To date, immunotherapy has not been effective in patients with CNS-mCRC tumors. This study demonstrates the potential of the combination of botenlimab and balstilimab in the treatment of CNS mCRC, providing new hope for people diagnosed with colon cancer.

What Could This Mean For Bowel Cancer Treatment In The Future

The study is currently in the final stages of clinical trials, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hopes to quickly gain approval for its use because of the importance of this area that affects many people. The efficiency shown demonstrates the potential of botansilimab to contribute to broad antitumor immunity.

All in all, the combination of botensilimab and balstilimab represents a promising new direction in the treatment of colorectal cancer. This breakthrough could improve conditions for many patients worldwide and lights a new hope in the fight against this common disease. The results of this study show the effectiveness of immunotherapy in this field and how its potential to transform cancer treatment can only grow in the years to come.

Sunita L Williams has retired from NASA after 27 year of spacefaring career. The astronaut went on three long missions to the International Space Station (ISS), which meant she logged 608 days in space, with a record breaking nine spacewalks. She was also stranded in ISS with Butch Wilmore. The mission was supposed to be 8-day-long, however it extended up to nine months due to a Starliner spacecraft problem. During this stay, she faced certain health issues. Photos showed significant weight loss, with sunken cheekbones.

Recently, Williams appeared on Raj Shamani podcast, where she talked about her experience of spending 286 days in space.

Also Read: Law on Assisted Dying in Jersey Could Be Passed Soon After Draft Approval

What Health Challenges Sunita Williams Faced In Space?

When Shamani asked her about her health challenges, she pointed out that it is when you land back on earth is when you feel the most uncomfortable. “Initially when you come back, you are not feeling very good. But then it goes away pretty good,” she said.

Shamani then asked how does she feel when she lands on earth. “For me it is nauseas. When we were landing in the water, everyone was focusing on the dolphins, but I was thinking if the capsule goes upside down, it is not going to be very good. The capsule was bobbing for a few seconds like a cork,” she said.

She explains that when you are in the space, your neuro vestibular system, which is body’s internal balance and orientation system, located in the inner ear does not work. “When you are out in space, gravity and inner balance are not needed and when you come back, it is suddenly there.”

She said that she felt nauseas for 24 to 48 hours. Furthermore, she said that when she wears the spacesuit and pinches her head through that, it makes her a “little sick”.

While in space, she explains, “all the balance muscles that you use here on earth, you do not even realize are not in use. After landing, they suddenly have to be put to use, so they have to be recharged. For me, it takes about a month to get used to it.”

How Does The Space To Earth Transition Work?

“We also get trainers who examine our progress and how we are doing back on earth. It is actually pretty cool to see how your body works and to human yourself again or to earth yourself again.”

Shamani asked if coming back to earth and adapting to gravity takes time. He asked, “do you feel like if you pick something and leave it, it won’t drop, rather it will flow?” “It happens, but you get back to gravity pretty quickly,” she said.

What Are The Health Risks Of Staying In Space?

Space agencies like NASA and the German Space Agency (DLR) studied the effects of space on human body. In 2024, the journal Nature published over 40 studies focused on aerospace medicine and space biology. One such study, called TWINS compared astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent a year on the ISS with his identical twin, Mark, who stayed on Earth.

The study highlighted a significant risk of prolonged space missions: radiation exposure.

Read: NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams’ Health Deteriorates During Extended Mission: Experts Raise Concerns

Radiation in space can damage DNA, increasing cancer risks and oxidative stress in the body. Bailey explained that space radiation exposure is a major concern for astronauts. Space agencies must find ways to protect astronauts during space travel and long-term stays on the Moon or Mars. They have set limits on the amount of radiation astronauts can be exposed to over their careers.

Another challenge is microgravity that causes bone density loss of 1-1.5% per month. When astronauts come down to Earth. They may struggle with physical activities like dancing due to weak bones and it can also affect vision. The fluids that shift to the head put pressure on the eyes. This can also lead to Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome, which can permanently impact vision.

Other risks involve fluid redistribution that can lead to facial puffiness and decreased fluid volume in legs, disruption of cardiovascular functions, complicating blood pressure and even risks to the urinary systems. The risk of kidney stone too is high.

Nutrition deficiencies was another concern which was raised when photos of Williams revealed a significant weight loss. Her sunken cheekbones raised worries about her eating habits. There were also speculations of her being on a calorie-deficit diet. This meant that she ate less than her body required to sustain the high energy she needs for space travels.

In terms of physical activities, astronauts in microgravity must exercise for 2.5 hours daily. This helps them maintain muscle bone health. However, challenging environment could lead to weight loss.

Law on assisted dying will soon be passed in Jersey as politicians approved the principles to allow the same. On Wednesday. States member approved the draft law that would enable people with a terminal illness and experiencing incurable suffering to end their life with the help of a medical professional.

The Assisted Dying Review Panel said that they would need to take a closer look at the details before the law is finalized. The law is expected to be debated again on February 24 after the scrutiny panel is done with reviewing the details.

The draft law has been approved with 32 votes for and 14 votes against. This was similar to the result when the first details of the assisted dying law was given a green light in May 2024. The vote also followed the approval of an end of life care law, which was passed on Tuesday. This required the island's health minister to prove end of life care for the last 12 months of anyone's life.

Read: Supreme Court Steps In For 31-year-old's Passive Euthanasia Plea Who Has Been In Vegetative State For 10 Years

Law For Assisted Dying: What Does It Mean For Jersey?

Humanists UK chief executive Andre Copson said, and as is reported by the BBC, "This vote in favour of the draft law represents a historic moment for Jersey, and a huge step forward for compassion, dignity and choice at the end of life. The proposals contain strong safeguards and reflect the clear wishes of the public, who have spoken through citizens' juries and repeated surveys. Today, members of the States Assembly have listened to those voices and are one step closer to bringing choice and compassion to those facing the hardest of circumstances."

As a rebuttal, Christian leaders on Sunday led a prayer outside the States building. Organizers of Walk for Life said the prayer was attended by 200 people who were there to share their "great concern for the unintended consequences of the introduction of assisted dying, that has been expressed over the last few years."

Read: Can Right To Die Be Practiced By Non-Terminally Ill Patients?

Law For Assisted Dying In Jersey: What It Proposes?

As per the official government website of Jersey, the law is for those with a terminal illness, who is experiencing or is expected to experience unbearable physical suffering. Under such scenario the person "chooses to end their life with the help of a medical professional". The website notes that it is not same as suicide. It is a "service provided to people in certain limited circumstances that will be set out in law".

Also Read: Uruguay Becomes The First Catholic Latin American Country To Legalize Euthanasia

The website also notes that this does not replace palliative care and end of life care services. As person approaching the end of their life or living with serious illness should be provided the care and treatment they need to maximize their quality of life and minimize any suffering or distress. "Assisted dying is an additional choice that some people may make because they want more control over the manner and timing of their death," notes the website.

Assisted Dying or Euthanasia Vs Assisted Suicide

The difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide depends on who is administering the lethal dose. In an assisted suicide, the patients administer a lethal dose themselves.

The bill furthermore places no time limit on life expectancy, unlike similar laws do in the US, Australia, and New Zealand.

Read More: The Kessler Twins Die By Assisted Suicide in Germany; How It Differs From Euthanasia

The bill states that anyone with an incurable illness that cause them "unbearable suffering" can request euthanasia, even if the illness is not terminal. The catch is, applicants must be mentally competent, and two doctors must be required to rule that they are psychologically fit enough to take the decision for themselves.

What Is Euthanasia?

The term has Greek origins, which means "good death", and refers to the practice under which an individual intentionally ends their life, painlessly. However, there are various types of Euthanasia, which are as followed:

Active Euthanasia: Where a patient is injected with a lethal dose of the drug, also known as "aggressive" euthanasia.

Passive Euthanasia: Where the patient's artificial life support such as a ventilator or feeding tube is withheld.

Voluntary Euthanasia: This happens when the patient consents to it.

Involuntary Euthanasia: This happens when the patient is not in the state to consent to euthanasia. In such cases, the patient's family makes the decision.

Lori Coble died of brain cancer at 48. Mom of teenage triplets, who had lost her first three children in a car accident died on Wednesday, January 21, confirmed a family friend to PEOPLE. She told PEOPLE "Lori passed away last night surrounded by her family."

In 2007, Lori lost her three children Kyle Christopher, 5, Emma Lynn 4, and Katie Gene, 2, in a car crash. While she and her husband Chris spent months coping up, they had triplets the year after the accident. Each carried an older sibling's middle name: Jake Christopher, Ahley Lyn, Ellie Gene.

Lori Coble's Brain Cancer Diagnosis

In June 2025, Chris noticed something was wrong with his wife, as she was "getting more clumsy". She would run into walls, stub her toe on chairs, or drop drinking glasses on the floor. By early July, stroke like symptoms too appeared. In a previous interview with PEOPLE, he said, "Her mouth started to droop a little bit. It became too much to ignore."

By July, Lori was diagnosed with a large and aggressive stage 4 glioblastoma or brain cancer. "I was hoping we were done with the life changing, life altering disasters when life as you knew it yesterday is gone," Chris said. He said he started mourning loss of his wife the day she got diagnosed.

"I didn’t have a lot of hope at the outset — and that weighed heavily on me. I was really upset, mad, angry. How could this be happening to us again?”

While Lori had two surgeries to remove the tumor in the period of next few months, the second surgery was invasive and caused her to lose control of her left side. Few days after, she had a stroke and was placed in a medically induced coma. She was in the hospital for 40 days. After she regained her strength, she returned home, and started radiation and chemotherapy. The treatment however made her more tired and impacted her speech. She was getting worse by every passing day.

It was in mid-November when Lori was again in the hospital, this time in the ER, and doctors discovered a brain infection and advised on surgery. "You feel like she's just being tortured. I'm not sure that the treatment for cancer in this situation is any better than the disease itself.”

She also suffered with a lung infection and pneumonia and was brought back in the hospital. She was finally brought home for hospice care.

What Is Glioblastoma?

As per MD Anderson Cancer Center, glioblastoma is the most common and most aggressive form of primary brain cancer. In US, every year, around 12,000 new cases are detected. All glioblastomas are classified as grade IV tumors, which means they contain the most abnormal looking cells that grow rapidly.

Glioblastoma develops from star-shaped brain cells known as astrocytes, which play a key role in nourishing the brain and shielding it from harmful substances in the bloodstream.

Astrocytes belong to a larger group called glial cells. These cells support the brain’s structure, supply nutrients, protect neurons, and help maintain a stable chemical balance in the brain.

The tumour most often forms near the front of the brain or close to its lower regions, though it can arise anywhere. The frontal lobe controls speech, movement, behaviour, and memory, while the temporal lobe is involved in memory formation, language, and processing sensory information such as sound and sight.