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Can a toothache be the reason for someone's cancer? An England based doctor and health content creator @Choji_ES who posts on X, formerly Twitter on reproductive health related content revealed a case where a man went to the dentist due to pain in his jaw and when the tooth was pulled out, a cancer was found in his private part.
The same case also been mentioned by Baridueh Badon (MD, MSc, MBA), who allows posts healthcare content on the same microblogging platform, by the username @BadonB.
In this case, a man went to a dentist for a simple toothache, only to discover that he had cancer. This happened to a 78-year-old healthy man, who suffered pain in his lower jaw and noticed a loose tooth. When he went to the dentist, he decided to get his tooth remove to ease his pain. However, despite the removal, his jaw started to swell again. Confused, the man was recommended for a CT scan and something unexpected happened.
It was Metastatic Prostate Cancer.
As per an African proverb, it is true that the head and the body are one; what affects one may touch the other.
Prostate cancer starts in the prostate gland, which is a part of a man's reproductive system. When it spreads to other parts of the body, like the jaw, it is called metastatic prostate cancer. But, why exactly the jaw? This is because the jawbone is rich in blood and active bone marrow, which makes it a comfortable place for cancer cells to settle and grow.
As per a 2023 study in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Medicine, and Pathology, titled Mandibular metastasis from prostate cancer that clinically mimicked osteosarcoma: A case report, noted that in men, 11% of jawbone metastases originated from the prostate gland.
Warning Signs Dentists Look For:
These may seem minor, but they could hint at something serious. Early detection is life-saving.
Prostate cancer is the 4th common cancer globally and is most prone to men who are over 40. Every year, it claims about 400,000 lives worldwide.
Earlier in November, six-time Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy was diagnosed with stage-4 prostate cancer, which was announced in February. This six-time Olympic champion revealed that he had a pain in his shoulder when he was 47, which did not go away. "I was still lifting weights in the gym, still physically active. You are used to having aches and pains, but this one did not go away."
The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland in men that produces seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. It occurs when abnormal cells form and grow in that gland.
Experts say that not all prostate cancer is deadly. There are cancers that are slow-growing and will not affect a man's lifespan, which is found in 1 in 3 men over 50. Then there is a small number of very aggressive prostate cancers which move quickly and cause harm, this is why regular screening is important.
Chris too has called for more, younger men to be tested, including those with a family history of the disease.
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World Health Day serves as a reminder that regular preventive health check-ups stand as mandatory health assessments that all women need to undergo for their long-term health.
Many serious conditions, such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, thyroid disorders, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, often remain silent in their early stages, making regular screening the most effective way to detect them early, when treatment is simpler, less invasive, and more successful.
Preventive healthcare enables women to take a proactive role in managing their health rather than responding to illness at an advanced stage. Early detection not only improves clinical outcomes but also effectively decreases treatment difficulties, emotional distress and financial costs while providing superior long-term life quality.
This also helps in identifying risk factors early, allowing timely lifestyle modifications that can prevent disease onset altogether.
Despite this, women often deprioritize their own health due to the multiple roles they juggle, balancing careers, caregiving responsibilities, and family needs. There is also a continued hesitation around discussing reproductive and intimate health concerns, along with a lack of awareness, fear of diagnosis, and social stigma, all of which contribute to delays in seeking timely care.
In many cases, women assume that the absence of symptoms indicates good health, which is a common but risky misconception.
Routine screenings such as Pap smears for cervical health, regular breast examinations, mammography where indicated, thyroid function tests, and basic metabolic screenings like blood sugar and cholesterol levels are critical tools in preventive care.
Periodic health check-ups also provide an opportunity for counselling on nutrition, mental well-being, hormonal health, and lifestyle management, areas that are often overlooked but equally important.
World Health Day serves as a reminder to shift from a reactive to a preventive approach. Prioritizing regular health check-ups, normalizing conversations around women’s health, and encouraging a culture of self-care can significantly improve outcomes. Investing in preventive healthcare is one of the most powerful steps women can take towards leading healthier, longer, and more empowered lives.
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Aging is a significant factor in memory loss and cognitive decline. Now, a team of US researchers has pinpointed a single protein that drives these changes in the brains of the elderly.
In aging mice, higher levels of protein FTL1 weakened connections between brain cells, leading to memory decline.
But when FTL1 was reduced, the brain began to recover. It also rebuilt lost connections and restored memory performance, according to the study, published in Nature Aging.
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"It is truly a reversal of impairments," said Saul Villeda, Associate Director at the University of California - San Francisco's Bakar Aging Research Institute and senior author of the paper. "It's much more than merely delaying or preventing symptoms."
While the research was carried out in aging mice, it holds immense potential for human brain function.
In the study, the researchers tracked shifts in genes and proteins in the hippocampus of mice. The FTL1 protein appeared consistently different between young and old animals.
Compared to young mice, the older mice showed higher levels of FTL1. They also had fewer connections between neurons in the hippocampus and performed worse on cognitive tests.
Increasing FTL1 levels in young mice produced brain changes similar to those seen in older mice. The researchers found that this change occurs because of alterations in the way nerve cells produce FTL1 protein.
In older mice, the nerve cells that produced high amounts of FTL1 developed simplified structures, forming short, single extensions instead of the complex, branching networks seen in healthy cells.
Further experiments showed that in older mice, higher levels of the protein slowed cellular metabolism in the hippocampus -- the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory.
However, when researchers treated these cells with a compound that boosts metabolism, the negative effects were prevented.
Also read: This Unique Diet Slows Brain Aging By Over 2 Years, Study Says
Villeda believes these findings could pave the way for treatments that target FTL1 and counter its effects in the brain.
"We're seeing more opportunities to alleviate the worst consequences of old age," he said. "It's a hopeful time to be working on the biology of aging."
Also read: Exercising Could Make Your Brain Younger, Says Doctor
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Cancer treatment has long been thought to be unsuccessful among people of advanced age, and older adults are often left out of clinical decisions.
While they may face more surgical complications, a new study proved that even people aged over 80 can still safely have surgery and be cured. It showed that the overall health of a patient matters more and that age must not be the only criterion to rule out surgery.
Also Read: Brain Aging: This Protein Is Linked to Memory Loss and Cognitive Decline
The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, showed that surgery for lung cancer is safe in elderly patients aged 80 and above, especially when the cancer is in an early stage.
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center in the US found that they can recover like young cancer patients as well as live longer like them.
“As our population ages, more patients over 80 are being diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer, yet they are often not considered for surgery,” said Raja M. Flores, Chair of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System.
“Our findings show that when patients are carefully selected based on their overall health, not just their age, they can tolerate surgery well and experience excellent long-term outcomes,” he added.
The study findings are based on a study of 884 patients with early-stage lung cancer, including 114 people who were age 80 or older.
The researchers examined surgical outcomes and quality of life in patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, comparing those aged 80 and older with younger patients.
The results showed that older patients lived just as long as younger patients after surgery. While some older patients had more complications right after surgery, most patients in both groups felt better over time, and their quality of life improved within a year.
The study noted that early detection in older patients may be key. The researchers called for screening guidelines to include patients who are over 80 years old based on these findings.
Also read: Scientists Link Vaping to 2 Types of Cancer; DNA-Damaging Chemicals to Blame
Lung Cancer is one of the most common and serious types of cancer. It is also the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with approximately 2.5 million new cases and 1.8 million deaths reported in 2022.
According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer mainly occurs in older people. Most people diagnosed with lung cancer are 65 or older; a very small number of people diagnosed are younger than 45.
The average age of people when diagnosed is about 70.
It is also the leading cause of cancer death in the US, accounting for about 1 in 5 of all cancer deaths.
In many cases, there are no symptoms; however, one must look out for these:
Also read: New AIIMS Study To Probe How PM2.5 Is Surging Lung Cancer Risk In India
The two main types of lung cancers are:
Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC): This is the most common form, making up about 80–85% of all cases. NSCLC includes three subtypes:
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