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?

The Donald Trump administration is reportedly considering an executive order focused on the US childhood vaccination schedule and autism research, despite decades of scientific evidence showing no link between vaccines and autism.

According to a Washington Post report citing official sources, the proposed order would examine the childhood immunization schedule and autism research. However, its scope and timing have not been finalized and could still change.

The move comes even as some of Trump's political advisers have reportedly warned that elevating the issue could hurt Republican candidates ahead of the November midterm elections.

White House Pushes Greater Scrutiny of Vaccines

According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump wants "alleviating autism" to become part of his presidential legacy and has privately expressed frustration that US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not gone far enough in reducing the recommended childhood vaccination schedule. The report also said Trump believes that reducing the number of recommended childhood vaccines could lower autism rates.

In recent months, Trump has urged senior administration officials, including Kennedy Jr., to increase scrutiny of childhood vaccines.

Last year, Kennedy had cancelled roughly $500 million in mRNA vaccine research grants and replaced every member of a federal immunization advisory panel. However, he has been relatively quiet on vaccine policy this year after White House aides reportedly advised that vaccine skepticism was unpopular with many voters.

Scientists Reject Vaccine-Autism Link

Medical experts continue to emphasize that extensive research has found no evidence that vaccines cause autism.

"Donald Trump has been anti-vaccine at least since 2015," Dr. Paul Offit, Director of the Vaccine Education Center and an infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, was quoted as saying by CNN.

During the 2015 Republican primary debate, Trump claimed autism had gotten "totally out of control" and suggested vaccines should be administered in "smaller doses over a longer period of time."

Trump Repeats Claims on Childhood Vaccines

Trump has repeatedly suggested there may be a connection between vaccines and autism, despite overwhelming scientific evidence disproving the claim. He has also argued that the US childhood vaccination schedule should be reduced, raising concerns among public health experts.

"I believe in vaccines, but I don't believe that, you know, you have to have a mandate for all of them," Trump said in a May interview with journalist Sharyl Attkisson. "I really feel that vaccines, if they were given in smaller quantities—they want to cut some out, and that's good, too. I agree with that."

Scientific Consensus Remains Unchanged

Multiple large-scale studies conducted over the past two decades have consistently found no causal link between childhood vaccines—including the MMR vaccine—and autism spectrum disorder.

Major health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), continue to recommend routine childhood immunization as one of the safest and most effective ways to prevent infectious diseases.

Alex Hughes, the son of former Wales and Manchester United footballer Mark Hughes, has died at the age of 38 from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS), also known as Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.

Alex Hughes, who served as Grimsby Town's Head of Player Recruitment, was found collapsed on the bedroom floor of his Cheshire home by his two sons at around 7 a.m. on June 19, an inquest at Cheshire Coroner's Court heard.

According to the hearing, Alex's eldest son immediately began CPR before paramedics arrived. Despite prolonged resuscitation efforts, emergency responders were unable to revive him.

Area Coroner Victoria Davies concluded that Hughes died from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS), a condition in which a fatal heart rhythm abnormality causes sudden cardiac arrest even though the heart appears structurally normal during a post-mortem examination.

Following his death, Mark Hughes and his wife, Jill, said they were "totally heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected loss of our beloved son."

What Is Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS)?

SADS refers to a sudden, unexpected death caused by an abnormal heart rhythm in people whose hearts appear structurally normal after death. The condition is most commonly linked to inherited disorders that affect the heart's electrical system, triggering life-threatening irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

According to the British Heart Foundation, around 500 people die from SADS each year in the UK, with young adults—particularly men—being most commonly affected.

What Causes SADS?

Most cases of SADS are caused by inherited genetic conditions that interfere with the heart's electrical signals. Because these disorders often cause few or no symptoms, many people remain unaware they have them until a cardiac arrest occurs.

Early diagnosis through cardiac evaluation and family screening can help identify those at risk and prevent sudden deaths.

Inherited Conditions Linked to SADS

Several inherited heart rhythm disorders are associated with SADS, including:

• Brugada syndrome: Causes dangerous abnormal rhythms in the heart's lower chambers (ventricles).
• Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT): Triggers dangerously fast heart rhythms during exercise or emotional stress.
• Long QT syndrome (LQTS): Delays the heart's electrical recovery between beats, increasing the risk of life-threatening arrhythmias.
• Short QT syndrome (SQTS): Causes the heart to recharge too quickly, raising the risk of atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias.
• Timothy syndrome: A rare form of Long QT syndrome associated with severe heart rhythm abnormalities.
• Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome: An extra electrical pathway in the heart causes episodes of rapid heartbeat.

Symptoms That May Signal SADS

Many people with inherited heart rhythm disorders experience no warning signs. However, symptoms that warrant medical evaluation include:

• Fainting or seizures, particularly during exercise, excitement or emotional stress.
• Chest pain during physical activity.
• Shortness of breath while exercising.
• Episodes of rapid or irregular heartbeat (palpitations).
• A family history of unexplained sudden cardiac death.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has crossed 4,000 cases, making it the second-largest Ebola epidemic ever recorded after the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak.

According to the latest Health Ministry situation report, the DRC has recorded 4,053 cases and 1,850 deaths since the outbreak was officially declared in mid-May. Health officials believe transmission may have begun as early as January.

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which has neither a vaccination nor any antiviral. However, two vaccine candidates by Oxford-SII and Moderna have entered clinical trials.

Africa CDC Calls for Intensified Response

Africa's public health agency has said the current response needs to be significantly expanded, announcing plans to shift from traditional contact tracing to an active, community-wide search for cases.

Dr. Wessam Mankoula, Acting Head of Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said response teams will begin door-to-door case finding.

"I think the time for incremental action is over and we're starting now the phase for scaling up," he said.

He explained that community health workers would move from house to house to identify people showing Ebola symptoms rather than relying solely on contact tracing.

Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya also outlined plans for a village-centered response, with greater community involvement, expanded use of digital surveillance tools, and stronger interventions in camps housing people displaced by conflict.

Second-Largest Ebola Outbreak on Record

The outbreak has spread across 53 health zones in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo.

Ituri, the epicentre of the outbreak, accounts for 86.9% of confirmed cases.

Africa CDC noted that, 11 weeks into the outbreak, the DRC has reported eight times more cases and six times more deaths than were recorded at the same stage of the 2014 West Africa Ebola epidemic, which ultimately infected more than 28,000 people and killed at least 11,000.

Is The Bundibugyo Virus Mutating?

Health officials are now examining whether changes in the virus could be contributing to the unusually severe outbreak.

Speaking at a press briefing, Dr. Jean Kaseya said he had discussed the situation with World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"We plan studies to check if there is no additional issue, or maybe if the virus is not mutating, because the level of severity of this Bundibugyo outbreak is unprecedented," Kaseya said.

He cautioned against assuming scientists fully understand the virus.

"After many Ebola outbreaks, we cannot assume we know everything. In the DRC, we must listen to communities, act on what they tell us and build the trust needed to stop transmission."

Outbreak Shows No Signs Of Slowing

Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said the response is expanding but is still not reaching communities quickly enough to interrupt transmission, The Guardian reported.

Philippa Boulle, MSF's Deputy Medical Director, warned that the outbreak continues to spread into new areas.

"New suspected cases are being reported almost daily in new locations, outside already identified transmission chains. To prevent further loss of life, the response must outpace the current rate of transmission," Boulle said.

Kaseya also highlighted shortcomings in surveillance, noting that only 10 contacts are being identified per Ebola patient, compared with the approximately 40 contacts typically expected during effective contact tracing.