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.

ALSO READ: Why Are Lifestyle Factors Making Millennials Vulnerable To Cancer?

Israel’s military is facing an alarming mental health crisis as prolonged geopolitical conflict continues to take a psychological toll on its soldiers.

Recently, two female Israeli soldiers died by suicide within days of each other, bringing the number of active-duty military suicides this year to at least 16, according to Israeli media.

The deaths in the force have reignited concerns over whether the military personnel are receiving necessary trauma and mental health care

The latest cases involved a combat soldier from the Bardelas Battalion and an intelligence officer. Military Police have launched investigations, while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has acknowledged the incidents, saying that the affected units are being supported in every way.

Mental Health Crisis In Israel's Military

According to Israel’s Defence Ministry, cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among soldiers have increased by nearly 40% since 2023.

Of more than 22,000 personnel receiving treatment for war-related injuries, around 60% are being treated primarily for psychological trauma.

“Soldiers are grappling not only with fear for their own lives, but also with moral injury resulting from witnessing or participating in traumatic events,” clinical psychologist Ronen Sidi of Emek Medical Center told Reuters.

Also read: Many US Veterans With Suicidal Thoughts May Not Be Receiving Mental Health Treatment, Study Finds

What Is Moral Injury?

Unlike PTSD, which is often linked to fear-based traumatic experiences, moral injury refers to when patients feel they have violated deeply held moral or ethical beliefs, or witnessed events that violate those values.

Military psychologists say constant exposure to civilian casualties, loss of troops, and conflicting decisions on the battlefield can leave lasting emotional wounds that last for a long time.

Ground Reality

The two recent suicides are not isolated incidents. Earlier this year, Israeli media reported that many soldiers on active duty had taken their own lives after returning from their deployments.

Some reports also said that soldiers who were discharged are struggling with severe PTSD, depression and social isolation after leaving service. Researchers say many continue to battle mental health issues long after their duty ends.

Veterans’ organisations have increasingly called for comprehensive and effective rehabilitation services, saying that untreated trauma may surface months or even years after military service ends.

Also read: US Government Backs Psychedelic Therapies Research For Veterans With PTSD and Depression

Are Mental Health Support Systems Enough?

The Israeli Defence Ministry says it has expanded mental health services, funding and introduced alternative therapies to improve mental health recovery for soldiers who are struggling.

However, some recent reports have questioned whether those services are reaching troops quickly enough. Critics have pointed to shortages of field psychologists, cancelled mental health support days and unsuccessful recognition of warning signs.

Mental health specialists also say that stigma remains another barrier. Despite growing awareness, many soldiers hesitate to seek help because they believe that doing so could affect their careers or be viewed as a sign of weakness.

For Israel, the growing number of soldier suicides is becoming a stark reminder that the cost of war is measured not only in physical casualties, but also in the invisible wounds that reflect through mental health issues.

Uganda has officially ended the Ebola outbreak after completing the mandatory 42-day monitoring period with no new infections, even as neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to battle its worst outbreak of the deadly disease in years.

Ugandan Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi announced the "successful completion of the mandatory 42-day monitoring period," which began after the last locally transmitted patient was discharged on June 16.

"Throughout this period, the Ministry of Health maintained intensive surveillance nationwide, and no new Ebola cases have been detected," Baryomunsi said.

Uganda Ends Outbreak After Swift Response

Earlier this month, Dr. Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary at Uganda's Ministry of Health, said the outbreak had been successfully contained through rapid surveillance, prompt treatment, contact tracing, and close cross-border coordination.

Uganda recorded 20 confirmed Ebola cases during the outbreak. Of these, 18 patients recovered and were discharged, while two died.

Most of the infections were linked to travelers arriving from the DRC, with only a small number resulting from local transmission.

Despite the declaration, Baryomunsi urged the public to remain "vigilant" and continue following public health measures to prevent future outbreaks.

Congo Outbreak Nears Scale of Historic Epidemic

Also read: Michigan Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Nears 10,000 Cases: Is Your Lettuce Safe?

While Uganda celebrates its success, the Ebola crisis in the DRC continues to worsen. According to the Congolese Ministry of Health, the country has reported at least 3,262 cases and 1,437 deaths, bringing the outbreak close to the scale of the country's devastating 2018-2020 epidemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has described it as the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak ever recorded, warning that the actual number of infections could be two to four times higher than officially reported.

UN Warns Virus Is Spreading "Like Wildfire"

United Nations humanitarian officials have described the outbreak as one of the world's most severe public health emergencies.

"The outbreak is spreading like wildfire," UN officials warned, citing armed conflict, mass displacement, and repeated attacks on healthcare facilities as major obstacles to controlling the virus.

The WHO has also warned that many newly reported infections cannot be linked to known transmission chains, suggesting the virus is spreading undetected within communities.

Contact tracing remains inadequate, while insecurity, misinformation, and community mistrust continue to undermine response efforts.

Health workers have also staged strikes in some areas over unpaid wages, further disrupting patient care and containment operations.

Attacks on health facilities, shortages of medical supplies, delayed laboratory testing, and public distrust are other factors delaying efforts to isolate patients, trace contacts, and break chains of transmission.

First Volunteer Receives Experimental Bundibugyo Vaccine

Amid the worsening outbreak, researchers have reached an important milestone in Ebola vaccine development.

The first volunteer has received an experimental vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, marking the world's first Phase I clinical trial for this virus, according to the University of Oxford.

The vaccine, ChAdOx1 BDBV, developed in collaboration with Serum Institute of India (SII), is designed specifically to protect against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

It uses the same viral vector platform that powered the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

The vaccine uses a genetically modified chimpanzee adenovirus (ChAdOx1)—a harmless virus that normally causes the common cold in chimpanzees—as a delivery vehicle.

"We welcome the start of the phase 1 clinical trial of an investigational vaccine against Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease—an important step to assess the safety and immune responses generated by the vaccine," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on X.

A simple blood test that can accurately identify tuberculosis (TB) across people with different levels of exposure help earlier diagnosis and speedy treatment,, according to new research presented at the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting.

The study discovered that the experimental blood test can distinguish individuals with active tuberculosis from those who are healthy, regardless of whether they have had prior exposure to the disease.

Researchers say the findings could help address one of the biggest hurdles in TB control: identifying and tracing infectious patients before they unknowingly spread the disease.

"If validated in larger clinical studies, this test has the potential to transform tuberculosis screening by enabling earlier and more accurate detection of active disease," the study authors said. They observed that such a tool can significantly help control transmission, particularly in nations where TB still remains a public health issue.

Do We Need A Better TB Test?

Although TB is preventable and curable, delayed diagnosis continues to fuel transmission and contributes to deaths that are preventable.

Current diagnostic methods have important limitations. Sputum-based tests can be difficult to perform, especially in children and people with TB outside the lungs.

Meanwhile, commonly used blood tests can indicate exposure to the bacteria but cannot reliably distinguish between active disease and latent infection, meaning additional investigations are needed.

Also read: World Tuberculosis Day: A 2nd Surge In Tuberculosis Cases Again Seen In The US

About The New Blood Test For TB

According to the researchers, the new test examines the immune signatures in a blood sample to identify active tuberculosis, rather than merely detecting previous exposure.

In the study, the test successfully differentiated active TB cases from healthy individuals with varying degrees of TB exposure, suggesting it could be used as an effective screening tool across diverse populations.

The investigators emphasized that larger, multi-center studies are still needed before the test can become part of routine clinical practice. However, the early results point toward a faster and less invasive way of diagnosis.

Also read: Over 8 Million People Diagnosed With TB Last Month: Know Early Signs

Early Diagnosis Is Key

Early diagnosis is one of the most factors for controlling tuberculosis. Patients with untreated active TB can infect many others. A simple blood test that identifies active disease quickly could allow doctors to start treatment sooner, reduce transmission, and improve patient's health.

This could also be useful where resources are particularly limited. Places where collecting sputum samples is challenging and access to a sterile laboratory testing is limited can benefit from this blood test.

As blood samples are easier to obtain in many clinical situations, the test could help screen vulnerable populations, including children and people with extrapulmonary TB.

Public health experts have repeatedly stressed that improved diagnostics are essential for achieving the World Health Organization's End TB Strategy.

You May Carry TB And Not Know

Treating latent TB is like stopping the virus, while it's still small and easy to treat. It's much easier to kill the dormant germs than to fighting the active disease. You could be carrying the disease and not realise. This increases the risk of transmission.

A 2017 study published in the Viruses Journal explained that we all have slightly different versions of our genes (polymorphisms) and these differences can affect how our bodies react to any virus. Some gene variations might make your immune system stronger against a specific virus, while others might make you more vulnerable.