Cancer is a large group of diseases that can start in almost any organ or tissue of the body when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, and go beyond their usual boundaries to invade adjoining parts of the body. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is the second most common cause of death globally, accounting for millions of deaths every year. Lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach and liver cancer are the most common types of cancer in men, while breast, colorectal, lung, cervical and thyroid cancer are the most common among women. However, these are not necessarily the deadliest forms of cancer.

What makes cancer the deadliest depends upon how many people have it and what percentage of those people actually survive. Cancer researchers determine this on the basis of five-year relative survival. This is the percentage of people who are expected to survive the effects of a given cancer, excluding their risk of other possible causes of death, for five years past a diagnosis. It is also important to note that what makes cancer really deadly is that practically no cure for it. A cure for cancer would imply that there are no cancerous cells remaining in the body.

Here are the 5 deadliest cancers in the U.S., according to SEER five-year relative survival data for cases diagnosed between 2014 and 2020.

1. Pancreatic cancer occurs when cells in your pancreas, a gland in your abdomen that aids digestion, mutate and multiply out of control, forming a tumour. Major risk factors include smoking, obesity, diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, certain genetic mutations and environmental chemical exposure.

2. Esophageal cancer develops in the oesophagus, which is the tube that connects your throat to your stomach.

3. Liver cancer and intrahepatic bile duct cancer originate in the liver or bile ducts, often linked to hepatitis infections, heavy alcohol use, obesity, and aflatoxin exposure.

4. Lung and bronchus cancer primarily caused by smoking, secondhand smoke, and environmental pollutants, affects the lungs and airways, making it the leading cause of cancer death in the US.

5. Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is an aggressive blood and bone marrow cancer that progresses rapidly, often linked to genetic mutations, radiation exposure, and certain chemicals.

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Amid the ongoing Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first comprehensive guidelines for the clinical management of filovirus diseases, a group that includes all Ebola and Marburg virus infections.

Ebola and Marburg diseases are severe, often fatal illnesses that have caused repeated outbreaks across Africa. Since the discovery of the Marburg virus in 1967, there have been 72 documented outbreaks of Ebola and Marburg diseases.

There are currently no licensed vaccines and treatments for Marburg virus disease, as well as Bundibugyo and Sudan virus diseases. Thus, the WHO emphasized that early supportive care remains one of the most effective ways to improve survival.

"The current Bundibugyo virus outbreak is a stark reminder of the need for diligent, holistic and person-focused medical care to save lives and preserve human dignity. We encourage governments and authorities to integrate these new recommendations into preparedness and outbreak response to ensure high-quality care for everyone," said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Also read: Ebola Bundibugyo Outbreak: UK Scientists Identify 23 Unique Mutations

What Do The New Guidelines Recommend?

The WHO has previously published disease-specific guidance on Ebola care and therapeutics. However, the newly released guidelines are the first to provide a comprehensive framework covering all filovirus diseases, including Ebola and Marburg.

Developed through consultations with global experts and based on the latest scientific evidence, the guidelines contain 16 evidence-based recommendations focused on improving supportive care and reducing mortality.

The recommendations are designed to help frontline healthcare workers:

• Identify clinical deterioration early
• Manage dehydration and shock effectively
• Improve patient monitoring
• Deliver critical supportive interventions safely
• Provide structured follow-up care for survivors

Key Recommendations include:

• Prioritizing Laboratory Testing
• Rapid Treatment of Dehydration
• Early Management of Shock
• Treatment should be guided by continuous monitoring of vital signs and indicators of tissue perfusion.
• Treat Secondary Bacterial Infections
• Provide Long-Term Follow-Up Care

The WHO also recommended structured after-care programs for survivors to support recovery, improve long-term well-being, and reduce the risk of infections linked to viral persistence after recovery.

Supportive Care Remains Critical

For Bundibugyo virus disease and other filovirus infections, WHO stressed that early recognition, rapid referral, and optimized supportive care remain the foundation of patient management.

Effective supportive care can reduce complications, improve survival, and provide the basis for evaluating potential antiviral treatments through future clinical research.

Ebola Outbreak Faced Major Contact-Tracing Gaps

Meanwhile, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has raised concerns about significant weaknesses in contact-tracing efforts during the ongoing outbreak.

According to Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya, more than 28,000 people who have been in contact with confirmed Ebola patients are currently not being monitored.

Responders should be tracking approximately 33,080 contacts, but only 4,112 are being actively followed, he said during a high-level meeting.

The agency warned that the outbreak is spreading at a pace that surveillance systems are struggling to keep up with.

Read More: Ebola Survivors May Face COVID-Like Memory Loss and Brain Issues For Over 7 Years: NIH Study

Ebola: More Than 800 Confirmed Cases

As per latest update till June 15, there are 827 confirmed Ebola cases linked to the outbreak in the Congo and 196 confirmed death.

Health officials estimate that each infected person may have come into contact with around 40 other individuals, creating a large pool of people at risk of infection.

Because Ebola can take up to 21 days for symptoms to appear, all identified contacts should ideally be monitored throughout the incubation period.

Africa CDC officials cautioned that without stronger surveillance and contact-tracing efforts, controlling the outbreak will become increasingly difficult, despite advances in clinical care and patient management.

Yet another study has highlighted the cardiovascular benefits of COVID-19 vaccination, particularly among older adults and people with underlying health conditions.

A new study involving nearly one million people, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, found that COVID vaccination reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events associated with the virus—including heart attacks, strokes, and hospitalizations due to heart disease—by about 40 per cent.

The protective effect was most pronounced among adults aged 75 years and older, as well as individuals with pre-existing conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic lung disease.

The findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that COVID vaccines offer benefits beyond preventing severe infection.

Researchers also found that vaccination modestly reduced the risk of cardiovascular events, hospitalizations, and deaths from all causes, including those not directly linked to COVID.

"Extrapolating these estimates to a population of one million people, vaccination could plausibly be associated with averting approximately 2,370 major cardiovascular events and 1,580 deaths over an eight-month period," the study noted.

"It tells us that these vaccines have actually brought beneficial effects even in people who don't really know that they have contracted COVID-19," said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, physician-scientist and senior clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis and co-author of the study, the Washington Post reported.

What Did the Study Find?

Also read: Trying to Quit Tobacco? Yoga Could Improve Your Chances, Suggests Study

Several previous studies have shown that COVID vaccination lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes. However, researchers wanted to determine whether those benefits continued in the years after the onset of the pandemic, especially as both the virus and vaccine formulations evolved.

"Vaccine formulations have changed, and also the virus itself has changed over time," Al-Aly said. "But we found that the more recent vaccine formulations still protected against heart conditions."

The study analyzed nearly one million veterans receiving care through the US Department of Veterans Affairs health system between 2024 and 2025.

The participants were divided into two groups: individuals who received only the seasonal influenza vaccine and those who received both the flu vaccine and the updated COVID-19 vaccine during the same season. The analysis included multiple vaccine types, including mRNA vaccines and the Novavax vaccine.

Lower Risk of Heart Conditions

Read More: South Korea Achieves 62% Blood Pressure Control Rate: What Other Countries Can Learn

Participants were followed for approximately eight months. The results showed that people who received a COVID vaccine had a 37.7 per cent lower risk of developing COVID-associated cardiovascular complications.

Vaccinated individuals were also about 6 per cent less likely to experience severe cardiovascular events overall, including those not directly linked to COVID-19 infection.

In addition, vaccination was associated with:

• A 7 per cent reduction in all-cause hospitalizations
• A 7 per cent reduction in all-cause mortality
• Fewer severe cardiovascular events overall

While these percentages may appear modest, researchers emphasized that the public health impact is substantial.

According to Al-Aly, for every 10,000 people vaccinated, the findings translate into preventing approximately:

• 23 major cardiovascular events
• 30 hospitalizations
• 16 deaths

Benefits Outweigh Risk

COVID-19 vaccines have previously been linked to rare cases of myocarditis and pericarditis, conditions involving inflammation of the heart muscle and its surrounding lining.

However, experts note that these cases are uncommon and generally mild. Public health authorities continue to maintain that the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the potential risks.

A popular kratom drink, often marketed as a natural alternative to pharmaceutical drugs, could become the next major addiction crisis in the United States, addiction specialists are warning.

The substance, sometimes dubbed "gas-station heroin," is already banned in at least eight US states—Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Louisiana, Tennessee, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Several other states, including Iowa and Idaho, are considering restrictions or outright bans.

Tennessee looks to make a statewide ban effective from July 1. Earlier this month, Idaho Falls approved a local ban on kratom sales that will also take effect on July 1, the media report said.

While some jurisdictions are targeting synthetic forms of kratom rather than the plant itself, concerns over addiction, overdose risks, and easy accessibility continue to grow.

Last year, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. criticized the widespread availability of kratom products, including 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a potent kratom-derived compound, sold at gas stations and marketed in child-friendly forms such as gummies.

"It is a sinister, sinister industry," Kennedy said.

What Is Kratom?

Kratom is a plant-based substance derived from the Mitragyna speciosa tree, native to Southeast Asia. Traditionally used in countries such as Thailand and Malaysia for pain relief and increased energy, it has gained popularity in the US as an over-the-counter supplement.

Kratom products are sold in various forms, including powders, capsules, teas, drinks, and gummies.

At lower doses, kratom acts as a stimulant. At higher doses, it can produce sedative and opioid-like effects. While it remains legal in many parts of the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified kratom as a "drug of concern" and has not approved it for any medical use.

Rising Hospitalizations Fuel Concerns

Also read: Trying to Quit Tobacco? Yoga Could Improve Your Chances, Suggests Study

Health experts point to a sharp increase in kratom-related hospitalizations as evidence of a growing problem.

According to a University of Virginia study, there were 43 hospitalizations linked solely to kratom in 2015. By 2025, that number had risen to 538.

Researchers noted that the surge coincided with the emergence of highly concentrated synthetic products, including 7-OH.

"It is increasing the prevalence of opioid use disorder," Dr. Andrew Kolodny, director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University, was quoted as saying to The Guardian.

"Being able to buy an opioid at a convenience store is going to make the opioid crisis worse," he added.

Industry Pushes Back

Mac Haddow, the association's senior fellow for public policy, denied that kratom itself is inherently addictive or dangerous. He argued that the real issue is 7-OH, which is significantly more potent than traditional kratom powder.

7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) is a naturally occurring compound found in kratom, and it is far more potent. While kratom itself contains a mixture of alkaloids, 7-OH is an isolated extract or concentrated form that interacts with the body’s opioid receptors much more strongly.

Kratom To Cause Addiction Crisis

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Dr. Angad Madan, Medical Director of St. Peter's Addiction Recovery Center (SPARC), said many users mistakenly believe kratom is simply a harmless herbal supplement.

"Many patients do not know that it's a substance of addiction or misuse. Many patients just think it's a herbal supplement. I think it's false advertising, and it's resulting in another opioid epidemic that New York doesn't really need," he was quoted as saying to WNYT.

Madan added that kratom-related dependence is becoming increasingly common in treatment settings.

"Kratom, also known as 7-OH or 7-hydroxymitragynine, is the number one new substance addiction that I've seen at SPARC across all levels of care," he said.