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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As the true number of COVID-19 cases and deaths is believed to be higher than reported, a new study suggests that the actual toll of long COVID may also double than the current estimates.

The research, led by Mass General Brigham, found that many long COVID cases remain hidden because current surveillance systems rely heavily on diagnostic codes that fail to capture a large number of patients.

Using a novel AI algorithm, researchers analyzed medical records of nearly 460,000 COVID-19 patients across 58 hospitals in the United States. The findings showed that approximately one in six people — around 16 per cent — developed long COVID, translating to more than 18 million Americans.

The figures are nearly double current estimates and highlight the growing burden of chronic health conditions following COVID-19 infection. The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

“Over 10 million people with long COVID would go entirely undetected by the diagnostic code that health systems and policymakers rely on to track the disease burden,” said corresponding author Hossein Estiri, a faculty member in the Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine.

“The figures we uncovered are almost certainly an undercount,” he added.

Researchers noted that current diagnostic coding systems, including the ICD code U09.9 for post-COVID conditions, identify fewer than 7 per cent of long COVID patients.

What Did The Study Find?

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The study analyzed electronic health records from 457,950 patients who had previously tested positive for COVID-19 across four US regions — New England, Southeast Texas, Southern California and Western Pennsylvania.

Overall, 16.3 per cent of patients were identified with long COVID, with regional rates ranging from 13.6 per cent to 22.7 per cent.

The researchers also found significant regional differences in long COVID symptoms and related conditions, including varying rates of prediabetes, which is emerging as a possible long-term effect of COVID-19.

The study authors noted that undocumented infections — which became more common after widespread testing declined — were not included in the analysis. Patients without long-term medical records were also excluded, suggesting the actual burden of long COVID could be even higher.

“These patients are not absent from clinical care; they are absent from the diagnostic code that would identify them as long COVID patients,” said lead author Jiazi Tian, a data scientist in the Clinical Augmented Intelligence Group at Mass General Brigham.

“The cardiologist seeing new dysautonomia, the endocrinologist seeing new metabolic disease, the neurologist seeing unexplained cognitive complaints — some of these presentations are long COVID arriving without the label that would connect them to a COVID-19 infection,” Tian added.

What Is Long COVID?

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Long COVID refers to symptoms that continue for three months or longer after the initial COVID-19 infection.

Common symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Brain fog
• Headaches
• Breathlessness
• Altered sense of smell or taste

Researchers say many long COVID conditions are still being studied, and some people may experience multiple symptoms at the same time.

US President Donald Trump this week underwent his third annual medical check-up during his second term and declared that it went “perfectly well”.

Trump, who turns 80 next month, visited the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a routine health examination on May 26. The medical check-up, conducted after about 13 months, reportedly lasted around 3.5 hours.

“Everything checked out PERFECTLY,” Trump wrote on social media.

However, neither Trump nor the White House has disclosed detailed medical findings, leading to renewed speculation about the health of the oldest American President.

The concerns come amid visible signs of deterioration observed during several public appearances. These include persistent bruising on his hands, micro naps during public meetings, slurred speech, and frequent factual mix-ups — all of which have raised questions about whether information regarding his health is being withheld.

The White House had earlier explained that the bruises on Trump’s hands were caused by “frequent handshaking” combined with aspirin use.

Trump Link His Conditions To Stroke

Doctors have also speculated that his slurred speech may indicate signs of a recent stroke.

Dr. Bruce Davidson, a professor at Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, discussed the issue during an appearance on The Daily Beast podcast. He said his interpretation was based on observing Trump’s physical behavior and speech patterns over time.

“Earlier in the year, there was video of him shuffling, and I thought that was weird,” he said on the podcast.

He suggested that such movement patterns can sometimes be seen in patients recovering from strokes.

Despite the speculation, Trump has continued to defend his mental sharpness and cognitive abilities.

“So I’ve taken (a cognitive test), and I’ve aced it all three times, I’ll tell you, because it is a positive thing,” Trump said. “It starts off with an easy question. And by the time you get to the middle, it gets tougher.”

Previous Medical Reports Declared Him Healthy

According to a White House summary of Trump’s previous annual medical examination in April last year, he was found to be in “excellent cognitive and physical health”.

“A comprehensive neurological examination revealed no abnormalities in his mental status, cranial nerves, motor and sensory functions, reflexes, gait, and balance. Cognitive function, assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), was normal with a score of 30 out of 30,” White House physician Captain Sean Barbabella wrote.

There were also tests for depression and anxiety, and Trump recorded scores “within the normal range for both,” although exact numbers were not disclosed.

Scans conducted in October also reportedly showed that Trump was in “excellent overall health”.

The United Kingdom is facing a certain rise in cases of botulism, which is a dreadful disease caused by bacteria and can cause difficulty in breathing, paralysis, and even death. According to the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), two more people from Leeds have come forward with symptoms of this fatal disease.

Last week, a small number of people with symptoms of botulism presented to the National Health Service (NHS) around Leeds. These people observed botulism signs after aesthetic treatments involving botulinum toxin. After a sudden increase in patients of this dreadful disease, the authorities are on alert.

Botulism is a very rare disease caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Though in very few cases, Clostridium butyricum and Clostridium baratii can also cause it. There are several sources of this disease, including cosmetic procedures, due to the use of highly purified Clostridium botulinum. Thus, in some cases, improper procedure can also lead to botulism.

UKHSA urged people to take precautions when seeking cosmetic procedures and has advised medical staff to look out for possible botulism in people who have had recent treatments and have symptoms. It also has said the symptoms of botulism, which are drooping of the upper eyelids, double vision, difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, and lethargy.

Notably, this is not the first time that the United Kingdom has been facing a sudden rise of Botulism cases, as it also happened back in 2025 when 38 cases of botulism were found who contracted the disease was poisoning linked to the use of unlicensed products.

Does Botulinum Toxin, Commonly Known As Botox, Have Any Positive Effects?

A study by US researchers has shown that Botox injections can act as a “rescue therapy” to treat conditions such as finger ulcers, digital ischemia, and gangrene that are difficult to manage with standard therapies.

Finger ulcers (or digital ulcers) are painful open sores, while acute digital ischemia causes the fingers to become extremely painful, cold, and sometimes pale or bluish. Gangrene is the dangerous death of body tissue (necrosis), often turning skin black, green, or purple.

These debilitating complications, often associated with conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, or bacterial infections, are caused by reduced blood flow to the fingers and heal poorly.

Botox injections, which work by reducing blood vessel constriction and improving circulation, may help achieve complete healing of lesions in more than 85 percent of such patients, according to a study recently published in JAMA Dermatology.