Low-dose CT chest scans could help detect pneumonia in at-risk patients while exposing them to only small amounts of radiation, a new study has found. The research, published in Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging, shows that ultra-low-dose scans can effectively detect pneumonia in patients with compromised immune systems, enabling doctors to treat the infection before it becomes life-threatening. According to the researchers, these scans expose patients to just 2% of the radiation dose used in a standard CT scan.

"This study paves the way for safer, AI-driven imaging that reduces radiation exposure while preserving diagnostic accuracy,” lead researcher Dr Maximiliano Klug, a radiologist with the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, said in a news release. He added that CT scans are the gold standard for detecting pneumonia but there are concerns regarding the risk posed by repeated exposure to radiation. There is a solution- ultra-low-dose CT scan. However, the problem is that these scans can be grainy and hard to read, researchers said.

Study Gives Solution To This

To overcome that, Klug's team developed an AI program that could help "de-noise" low-dose scans, making them sharper and easier to read. Between September 2020 and December 2022, 54 patients with compromised immune systems who had fevers underwent a pair of chest CT scans -- a normal dose scan and an ultra-low-dose scan. The AI program cleaned up the low-dose scan, and then both sets of images were given to a pair of radiologists for assessment. Radiologists had 100% accuracy in detecting pneumonia and other lung problems with the AI-cleaned low-dose scans, but 91% to 98% accuracy in examining the scans that hadn’t been improved through AI, results show.

"This pilot study identified infection with a fraction of the radiation dose," Klug said. "This approach could drive larger studies and ultimately reshape clinical guidelines, making denoised ultra-low dose CT the new standard for young immunocompromised patients.

How Can You Detect Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is a lung infection that causes the air sacs in the lungs to fill with fluid or pus and can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. The symptoms can range from milk to severe, which includes:

Coughing with or without cough

Fever

Chills

Trouble breathing

Chest pain, especially when breathing deeply or coughing

Sweating or chills

Rapid heart rate

Loss of appetite

Bluish skin, lips, and nails

Confusion.

How to detect Pneumonia in coughing newborns and toddlers?

Pneumonia can severely affect newborns and young children as their lungs are comparatively more sensitive. As per Dr Goyal, young children can cough for various reasons including seasonal infections and tonsillitis, which is very common in this age group. But if they look visibly irritable and have poor sleep patterns, then parents must reach out to an expert. "I am not saying that parents must visit a hospital but any local paediatrician would be able to detect pneumonia in your kid.

Veteran radio and television broadcaster Paul Gambaccini has revealed that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

The 77-year-old presenter, who has been a regular on the BBC since the 1970s, shared a statement revealing that he received the diagnosis in 2025.

"As Freddie Mercury once sang, you can't turn back the clock, you can't turn back the tide. Ain't that a shame. There's no denying it's a serious condition with an uncertain future, but for now life goes on as normal,” he said.

Gambaccini added that he would "be as open as I can as things progress", and that he was grateful for the kindness and support he had already received.

"For now, I wish to be given the space to keep on broadcasting the music I love to the listeners I love even more. These are the days of our lives," he said.

The broadcaster said he would continue presenting The Paul Gambaccini Collection on BBC Radio 2 every Sunday, as well as his shows on Greatest Hits Radio.

The Alzheimer's Society said Gambaccini's experience "shows that there can be life after a dementia diagnosis", the BBC reported.

What Is Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and primarily affects adults aged 65 years and older. Around 1 million people are living with dementia in the UK.

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the buildup of abnormal proteins in the brain—amyloid plaques and tau tangles—which damage nerve cells responsible for memory and thinking.

Amyloid proteins accumulate into sticky plaques between brain cells, while tau proteins twist into thread-like tangles inside neurons. Together, these changes disrupt communication between brain cells and eventually lead to their death.

Over time, this progressive damage affects memory, thinking, behavior, and the ability to carry out everyday activities. In advanced stages, people may lose the ability to communicate, care for themselves or respond to their surroundings.

Although the exact cause of Alzheimer's disease remains unclear, experts believe it results from a combination of genetic, biological and lifestyle factors. Physical inactivity, an unhealthy diet and social isolation may increase the risk of developing the condition.

Early symptoms often include forgetting recent conversations or events. As the disease progresses, memory loss becomes more severe and daily functioning becomes increasingly impaired.

There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease. In its advanced stages, complications such as dehydration, poor nutrition and infections can become life-threatening.

Common Symptoms Of Alzheimer's Disease

People with Alzheimer's disease may experience one or more of the following:

• Memory loss that disrupts daily life, such as getting lost in familiar places or repeatedly asking the same questions.
• Difficulty managing finances or paying bills.
• Trouble completing familiar tasks at home, at work or during leisure activities.
• Poor or declining judgment.
• Frequently misplacing items and being unable to retrace steps to find them.
• Changes in mood, personality or behavior.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in India, while lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, according to the latest GLOBOCAN estimates of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The report highlights that India's cancer burden is shaped by region-specific risk factors, with breast, oral, cervical, lung and esophageal cancers together accounting for nearly half of all cancer cases and deaths in the country.

It also estimates that nearly one in 10 Indians is at risk of developing cancer before the age of 75, while around seven in every 100 people face the risk of dying from the disease before reaching that age.

Breast Cancer Tops New Diagnoses

Also read: Shigella Driving Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Diarrhea Among Gay Men in UK, Lancet Study Finds

Female breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in India, accounting for 192,020 new cases in 2022.

The five most common cancers in India are:

• Breast cancer: 192,020 cases
• Lip and oral cavity cancer: 143,759 cases
• Cervical cancer: 127,526 cases
• Lung cancer: 81,748 cases
• Esophageal cancer: 70,637 cases

Among women, breast cancer accounts for more than one in four new cancer diagnoses, while cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer despite being largely preventable through HPV vaccination and regular screening.

Among men, cancers of the lip and oral cavity remain the leading diagnosis, reflecting the continuing impact of tobacco use.

Lung Cancer Is the Deadliest

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Although breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer, lung cancer causes the highest number of cancer deaths in India, highlighting its poor survival rates and the importance of early diagnosis and tobacco control.

Lip and oral cavity cancer ranks as the second most common cancer by incidence and the third leading cause of cancer deaths, giving

India one of the world's highest oral cancer burdens.

India's Cancer Burden Continues to Rise

According to the WHO Global Status Report on Cancer 2026:

• India recorded an estimated 1.6 million new cancer cases in 2024.
• Around 900,000 cancer deaths occurred during the year.
• Annual new cancer cases are projected to rise to 2.8 million by 2050, driven by population growth, ageing and changing lifestyles.

WHO: India Needs Stronger Prevention and Early Detection

The report says India's cancer profile reflects unique regional risk factors, particularly the country's high burden of oral cancers.

"India's cancer burden reflects the influence of region-specific risk factors, particularly the high prevalence of oral cancers, highlighting the need for stronger prevention, early diagnosis and improved access to treatment," the report said.

The WHO says health systems must move beyond treating tumors alone and adopt a more people-centred approach to cancer care.

Nearly 40% of Cancer Cases Are Preventable

The report estimates that almost four in 10 cancer cases worldwide are linked to preventable risk factors, including:

• Tobacco use
• Alcohol consumption
• Overweight and obesity
• Physical inactivity
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C infections
• Helicobacter pylori infection.

A sexually transmitted form of Shigella, a highly contagious bacterium that causes severe diarrhea, is spreading rapidly among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in the UK, according to a new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

The study, led by researchers at the University of Cambridge, found that sexually transmitted Shigella strains are spreading faster than non-sexually transmitted strains and evolving resistance to key antibiotics at an alarming rate.

“Many men who have sex with men are unaware of the serious and increasing risk posed by sexually transmitted Shigella,” said Professor Kate Baker, senior author of the study from Cambridge’s Department of Genetics.

“Sexual infection is now a sustained part of Shigella transmission in the UK. It is vital that this message reaches the communities most affected, so we can help to prevent the spread,” Baker said.

“Sexually transmissible shigellosis needs to be treated as a distinct public health threat, requiring different surveillance, prevention, and treatment strategies.”

What Did The Study Find?

Also read: Cancer Kills Over 26,000 Daily; Cases to Hit 35 Million by 2050, Says WHO Report

Using genomic sequencing techniques similar to those used to track COVID-19 variants, researchers mapped how Shigella bacteria spread and evolved across the UK. The study, conducted in collaboration with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), analyzed 3,514 laboratory-confirmed Shigella samples collected across the UK between 2004 and 2020 from people aged 16 years and older.

Sexually transmitted Shigella spread significantly faster than strains acquired through food, travel, or other non-sexual routes.

Over an evolutionary period of about 2.5 years, sexually transmitted strains spread an average of 117 km between related cases, compared with 46 km for non-sexually transmitted strains.

Sexually transmitted Shigella is primarily circulating within GBMSM sexual networks, particularly in major cities including London, Brighton and Manchester.

No statistically significant increase was seen among non-GBMSM populations, and little evidence was found that infections are spreading widely beyond these sexual networks.

More than half of all Shigella infections in the UK are now sexually transmitted.

Around 30% are linked to international travel, while the remaining cases result from localized outbreaks, particularly among young children, and household transmission.

How to Prevent Sexually Transmitted Shigella

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Professor Baker recommended the following steps to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted Shigella:

• Avoid sexual activity if you have diarrhea or are recovering from a recent diarrheal illness.
• Wait at least two weeks after you have fully recovered before resuming sexual activity.
• Tell your doctor about your sexual history if you seek medical care for diarrhea or related symptoms.
• Ask for a comprehensive sexual health screening if you may have been exposed.

Growing Antibiotic Resistance Raises Concern

Researchers found that antibiotic-resistant sexually transmitted Shigella strains are spreading 71% faster than drug-susceptible strains. More than 70% of sexually transmitted Shigella strains were resistant to at least one clinically important antibiotic.

“This isn’t just one form of sexually transmissible diarrhea. This is multiple overlapping variants emerging that are all quickly becoming resistant to the drugs we use to treat them,” said Baker. “It’s highly likely that if you contracted your Shigella through sex you require different treatment to someone who contracted it through travel.”

Researchers also believe the rise in resistance may partly be driven by antibiotics prescribed to treat or prevent other sexually transmitted infections.

“Our evidence suggests that the variants of Shigella transmitting in sexual networks were actually getting resistant against treatments for other STIs, like gonorrhoea, so people need to remember that when they’re taking antibiotics they’re treating their whole body,” said Baker.