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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Paul Alexander woke up inside a 600-pound giant metal tube and never left until he died. Paul depended on an iron lung for every breath, a machine that had largely disappeared from modern medicine.

Known as "the man in the iron lung," Alexander spent more than seven decades living inside the metal cylinder after contracting polio as a child. Paul became a symbol of resilience, determination, and the life-saving power of vaccines. His remarkable story is recalled even after his death in March 2024 at the age of 78.

Who Was Paul Alexander?

The doctors placed him inside an iron lung, a mechanical ventilator that kept him alive by helping his lungs expand and contract.

Although everyone initially believed he might not survive, Alexander defied expectations. He went on to graduate from college, earn a law degree, become a practicing attorney, publish a memoir, and inspire millions through interviews and social media.

Also read: Who Was Martha Lillard? Last U.S. Polio Survivor To Depend On An Iron Lung Who Breathed Her Last At 78

Life Beyond The Iron Lung

Paul Alexander refused to let the machine define him. Doctors taught him a technique called "frog breathing" or glossopharyngeal breathing. By using the muscles of his mouth and throat, he learned to gulp air into his lungs in small amounts.

This helped him to leave the iron lung for short durations, attend school, pursue higher education, and eventually work as a lawyer. Still, he depended on the iron lung for most of his life, especially while sleeping.

Despite his conditions, Alexander earned a bachelor's degree, graduated from law school, practiced as a lawyer in Texas, and wrote his memoir - Three Minutes for a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung.

His determination challenged and defied assumptions about disability and demonstrated that severe physical limitations need not prevent education, work, or meaningful relationships.

Also read: Even Light Exercise Could Help People With COPD Live Longer, Study Finds

Iron Lung Is An Obsolete Technology In Medicine

An iron lung, also called a negative-pressure ventilator, is a large cylindrical machine that helps people breathe when the muscles controlling respiration become paralyzed.

Unlike today's ventilators, which push air directly into the lungs through a tube or mask using positive pressure, an iron lung works by changing air pressure around the patient's body. The patient lies inside an airtight metal chamber with only the head remaining outside.

The machine then repeatedly lowers the air pressure inside the chamber. This causes the chest to expand naturally, drawing air into the lungs. The pressure then returns to normal. The chest relaxes, allowing air to flow back out. This cycle mimics normal breathing and can continue around the clock.

Iron lungs became obsolete eventually after polio vaccines and modern ventilators were developed.

The introduction of effective polio vaccines in the 1950s and 1960s dramatically reduced cases of paralytic polio worldwide.

The positive-pressure ventilators we use today are smaller, more portable, and better suited to intensive care. They deliver oxygen directly into the lungs, replacing bulky iron lungs.

Paul Alexander's life is more than a remarkable survival story. It serves as a reminder of the devastating impact infectious diseases once had before vaccines transformed public health.

Amid earthquake rescue efforts, Venezuela has reported an outbreak of rat-borne hantavirus that has claimed three lives so far, according to the country's health ministry.

Three people with confirmed hantavirus infection died in the eastern state of Anzoátegui. Two other deaths—both involving health professionals in the state of Barinas—are still under investigation and are not linked to the Anzoátegui cases, the ministry said.

"We report the regrettable deaths of three patients in Anzoátegui with confirmed diagnoses of hantavirus," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry added that there is "no scientific evidence of person-to-person transmission in our country," noting that the virus is primarily spread by rodents in rural and agricultural areas.

The fresh cases are reported barely two weeks after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the end of the hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius luxury expedition ship, which infected 11 people and claimed three lives earlier this year.

What Is Hantavirus?

According to the WHO, hantaviruses are zoonotic viruses that naturally infect rodents and are occasionally transmitted to humans. In humans, the infection can cause severe illness and may be fatal, although symptoms vary depending on the virus strain and geographic region.

The virus is primarily transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings, saliva, and, less commonly, through scratches or bites.

According to the CDC, symptoms can appear one to eight weeks after exposure, initially presenting fatigue, fever, and muscle aches. As the disease progresses, it can cause coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness as fluid accumulates in the lungs.

Also read: Can Hantavirus Spread Through Semen And Breast Milk? What Experts Say

What The Virus Does To The Brain

A recent review published in JAMA Neurology highlights the often-overlooked neurologic complications of hantavirus infection. Hantaviruses cause two major clinical syndromes:

• Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), seen mainly in the Americas, primarily affects the lungs and cardiovascular system and has a mortality rate of 35% to 50%. Neurologic complications can include headache, delirium, seizures, and, in rare cases, brain hemorrhage or post-viral encephalitis.

• Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), which is endemic to Asia and Eastern Russia, presents with fever and kidney involvement and is more commonly associated with direct neurologic complications.

Headaches, Vision Problems, and Hormonal Disorders

Read More: Immunotherapy Shows Early Promise Against Severe Hantavirus Lung Disease: Study

Researchers from the US National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke reviewed data from 811 patients infected with the Puumala strain of HFRS.

They found that 97% experienced headaches, 40% reported blurred vision, and 31% experienced vomiting. About 1% developed severe complications such as meningitis or encephalitis, while rare cases involved peripheral neuropathy or stroke.

Pituitary damage was identified as a significant complication of HFRS. It can lead to hormonal disorders weeks or even months after infection. These may include fatigue, adrenal insufficiency, diabetes insipidus, sexual dysfunction, amenorrhea, and symptoms of hypothyroidism.

The studies also reported cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities, sudden vision loss among hantavirus patients.

Long-Term Effects and Treatment

The long-term neurologic consequences of hantavirus remain poorly understood, according to Avindra Nath of the NIH. However, one study found that 20 years after Puumala infection, 78% of patients had persistent hypertension and 8% had chronic kidney disease.

Currently, there are no US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved antiviral treatments or licensed vaccines for hantavirus infection, although several vaccine candidates are in preclinical trials. Several antiviral drugs—including favipiravir, molnupiravir, griffithsin, and ribavirin—have shown promise in early studies, but more research is needed, Nath said.

Nearly all countries are overusing antibiotics—particularly those meant for specific conditions—fueling the global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), according to a study published in The Lancet Public Health.

The study, led by researchers from the Universities of London and Oxford, found that 99% of countries overuse "Watch" antibiotics, while 60% continue to use antibiotics that the World Health Organization (WHO) advises should no longer be prescribed.

"Our findings show the world faces a double challenge – while some antibiotics are being overused, millions of people may still lack access to the medicines they need to treat their infections," said Aislinn Cook, lead author and Senior Research Fellow in Infectious Diseases Epidemiology at City St George's, University of London.

Understanding WHO's AWaRe Classification

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

The WHO groups antibiotics into three categories under its AWaRe framework:

• Access antibiotics: First-line medicines, such as amoxicillin, recommended for most common bacterial infections.
• Watch antibiotics: Broader-spectrum drugs that should be reserved for specific infections when Access antibiotics are ineffective.
• Reserve antibiotics: Last-resort treatments for severe drug-resistant infections.

In 2024, UN member states agreed that at least 70% of global antibiotic use should come from the Access group by 2030.

What the Study Found

Researchers estimated that around 43 billion antibiotic courses were needed globally in 2019—roughly one course per person per year to treat bacterial infections. About 77% of these should have been Access antibiotics, suggesting the UN's 70% target is achievable.

However, analysis of antibiotic use across 67 countries revealed widespread inappropriate prescribing:

• Nearly three-quarters of countries used more antibiotics overall than required.
• 99% of countries overused Watch antibiotics, increasing the risk of antimicrobial resistance.
• More than half of countries and territories underused Reserve antibiotics, potentially limiting treatment options for patients with life-threatening drug-resistant infections.
• 60% of countries continued using antibiotics that WHO recommends should no longer be prescribed.

Read More: 645 Million People Went Hungry in 2025; Middle East Conflict Driving Food Prices: UN

Global Inequality in Antibiotic Access

The study also highlighted major disparities in antibiotic access. Researchers noted that low- and middle-income countries, which bear a higher burden of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance, often need greater access to specialized Watch and Reserve antibiotics.

Yet these medicines are used more frequently in high-income countries, pointing to unequal access rather than clinical need.

Antibiotic Resistance Rising Among Children

A separate study found that antibiotic-resistant bacteria are increasingly leaving children vulnerable to common infections.

The research, led by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and covering 82 countries, found that antibiotic resistance increased across every region between 2004 and 2022, making many life-saving drugs used to treat common childhood infections less effective.

Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study found that babies, children in intensive care, and those living in countries with limited healthcare resources are the most affected.

What Can Be Done?

Researchers called for stronger national policies to curb unnecessary antibiotic prescribing while ensuring patients who genuinely need specialized antibiotics can access them.

They stressed that improving access will require coordinated action at both local and national levels. This includes:

• ensuring quality-assured antibiotics are available and affordable in frontline healthcare settings,
• procuring the right antibiotics in adequate quantities,
• strengthening surveillance of antibiotic use,
• setting country-specific prescribing targets based on local disease burden and public health needs.