Many people believe that the modern-day skincare trends are a scam made by the big pharma companies who wish to make more money. This is a recent trend of ‘Anti-Aging’ skincare that keeps yourself on toes for the innate need for women to stay ‘young’ if they wish to be desirable. The beauty industry, in a way, feeds on such societal-made insecurities. But the recent rise in the trend has taken a different turn. While before people did it before to look prettier or fairer, now people are looking at this skincare routine as a way of taking care of themselves rather than doing to match someone else's beauty standards. This is why, this trend has resurfaced in the skin care community. This is the blue light routine.

In today's digital age, where we spend countless hours looking at screens, from phones and tablets to laptops. This constant screen time exposes us to blue light, which research suggests can have negative effects on our skin. It also leads to premature aging and dark spots. The screens also leads to stress, which could further cause harm to skin. While ditching our devices isn't realistic, a growing number of skincare products claim to protect against blue light. But do these products actually work?

What is Blue Light Skincare?

You can find many skincare products that say they protect against blue light, like sprays, creams, gels, and sunscreens. Some promise to undo the damage blue light might cause, while others try to prevent it in the first place. Blue light sunscreens are special because they protect against both the sun's UV rays and blue light. This is what regular sunscreens don't do very well. Regular sunscreens, whether they use chemicals or minerals, don't block blue light as effectively.

However, tinted sunscreens are different. Tinted sunscreens with SPF 30 or higher can protect your skin from blue light, as well as UVA and UVB rays from the sun. This is because of the coloring in the tint. Some newer sunscreens also have special ingredients that help protect against visible light, including blue light. While scientists are still learning about how blue light affects skin, many skin doctors have found it to be helpful for skin.

What is Blue Light and Why Might It Be a Problem?

Blue light comes from screens, TVs, and even the sun. While we used to worry mostly about how it affects our eyes and sleep, now we're learning it might also affect our skin. Some studies show that too much blue light can damage skin cells and speed up aging, leading to wrinkles and uneven skin tone. It can also cause dark spots on the skin. This happens because blue light can cause something called "oxidative stress" in the skin, which is linked to aging. It leads to dead skin cells. Blue light goes deeper into the skin than the sun's UV rays and can make skin cells produce more pigment, causing dark spots. It's important to know that not all blue light is bad. There is a difference between the blue light that comes out of the screens and the blue light that is used from a certain blue light wavelength as a therapy. The latter is used by doctors to treat acne and some skin cancers.

Common metabolic conditions such as obesity and diabetes are increasingly becoming a serious public health concern in India. Their health implications extend beyond the conditions themselves, with obesity and diabetes associated with a range of chronic diseases and complications that can affect long-term health and wellbeing. As lifestyles become more sedentary and the prevalence of these conditions continues to rise, understanding their wider implications on women’s health is becoming increasingly important.

What many women may not realize is that this metabolic burden can carry a deeper, less visible consequence one that reaches into the domain of gynecological cancer.

One such concern is endometrial cancer. A form of uterine cancer, it develops in the lining of the uterus and is becoming an increasingly important health issue globally. Yet, many women remain unfamiliar with the disease, its risk factors, and the symptoms that require prompt medical attention.

The Metabolic Health Connection

Increasing evidence points to a link between metabolic syndrome and endometrial cancer, particularly through conditions such as obesity and diabetes. Excess body weight and metabolic disturbances can disrupt hormonal balance, such as by increasing estrogen production without a corresponding increase in progesterone. Over time, this hormonal imbalance may stimulate abnormal growth of the endometrial lining, increasing the likelihood of cancer development.

Diabetes, too, has been associated with an increased risk. As obesity and diabetes become more prevalent, recognizing these less-discussed consequences is an important part of strengthening women’s preventive health.

For women, maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, managing metabolic conditions effectively and paying attention to unusual symptoms can all form part of a broader approach to preventive health.

Watching Out For Unusual Symptoms

One of the most important characteristics of endometrial cancer is that it often presents with abnormal vaginal bleeding. Bleeding or spotting after menopause is one of the most significant warning signs and should never be ignored.

For women who have not reached menopause, heavier-than-normal periods, prolonged bleeding, or bleeding between periods should be discussed with a healthcare professional.

Why Awareness Matters

Improving awareness is important because there is currently no recommended routine screening test for endometrial cancer in asymptomatic women. As a result, recognizing symptoms and seeking timely medical advice are among the most effective ways to support earlier diagnosis.

At the same time, the conversation should not end with cancer awareness alone. As India continues to face a growing burden of obesity and diabetes, prioritizing metabolic health has become increasingly important for overall wellbeing.

Maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, eating a balanced diet, and effectively managing conditions such as diabetes can help reduce the risk of a range of serious health complications, including certain cancers. For women, understanding the connection between metabolic health and endometrial cancer can empower more informed decisions about prevention, symptom recognition, and long-term health. By addressing obesity and diabetes early and seeking medical advice when unusual symptoms arise, women can take meaningful steps towards protecting their health at every stage of life.

(By Dr. Shefali Sardana, Medical Oncologist, Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi)

Melanoma is often considered one of the more challenging cancers to treat, particularly when it has spread to distant organs. For early-stage disease, surgery remains an important treatment option. But once melanoma reaches stage IV, treatment becomes considerably more complex.

Understanding The Biology Of Advanced Melanoma

According to Dr. Mandeep Singh Malhotra, Cheif Mentor AOHC, cytotoxic chemotherapy has traditionally had a limited role in melanoma, while immunotherapy has changed the treatment landscape for many patients.

When melanoma is detected at an early stage and can be completely removed, surgery is generally considered the preferred treatment. Depending on the disease, this can involve removal of the primary tumour and assessment or treatment of regional lymph nodes.

But stage IV melanoma presents a very different challenge.

A Complex Case With Multiple Tumour Sites

Dr. Malhotra recalls the case of Sarah, who came to the team with multiple nodules in the scapular region. There were also lesions on both legs and a lesion in the pancreas. So there were multiple nodules. One in the right side of the leg, another in the left side of the leg. And there was a lesion in the pancreas.

Rather than relying on a standard treatment approach alone, the team first tried to understand the biology of the disease. As a standard protocol for this type of case, we first try to understand the disease biology. In Sarah’s case, the team used extensive testing, including chemosensitivity testing, transcriptomic analysis and next-generation sequencing.

Also read: Cancer Should Be Made Notifiable In India, Say Experts: Here’s Why

When Imaging Initially Suggests Progression

The results suggested sensitivity to certain drugs. When we analysed those reports, we were able to understand that cytotoxic drugs like temozolomide were effective. And checkpoint inhibitors like pembrolizumab, nivolumab were effective.

Based on these findings, the team developed a treatment protocol in which the main component was an immune checkpoint inhibitor along with low-dose temozolomide. Other agents, including lower doses of anti-VEGF, anti-FGF and CDK inhibitors, were also incorporated based on the analysis.

After around four weeks, the response became difficult to interpret on imaging. The PET scan suggested that all the lesions have had a pseudo progression.

Pseudo progression is a recognised phenomenon during immunotherapy. A tumour may appear larger initially because of immune-cell infiltration, even when the treatment is actually producing an anti-tumour response.

This is particularly relevant in melanoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, doctors cannot simply assume that every apparent progression is pseudo-progression; true progression must also be considered and confirmed through Histopathology

Also read: French Court Links Flight Attendant’s Breast Cancer To Workplace Radiation; How Does Flying Increase Cancer Risk?

Histopathology Reveals A Dramatic Treatment Response

The team then proceeded with surgery, removing the nodules from the scapular region and both thighs. The specimens were sent for histopathological examination. And histopathology results were amazing. The tumours had gone necrotic.

The pathology showed extensive treatment-related changes, with inflammation and fibrosis around the nodules and only small areas containing viable melanoma cells.

Also read: _{Daraxonrasib: US FDA Approves Once-Daily Pill for Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer}

What Comes Next For The Patient?

For now, the plan is to continue the treatment for a few more cycles and then reassess the pancreatic lesion. The team is considering NanoKnife (irreversible electroporation) for the pancreatic lesion followed by Vaccines.

Certain cancer vaccines are being developed in certain labs in Germany and Europe and they are available for our patients in India on compassionate grounds. It's a very, very good response. And to achieve disease NED in stage four melanoma, I think we are really lucky and it's all due to the grace of God.

Why Individualised Treatment Matters In Stage IV Disease

The case also highlights an important point about advanced melanoma: treatment may need to be individualised according to the biology of the disease and the patient's response. At the same time, he stresses the need for hope. I hope that more people can benefit from this protocol and use this protocol to treat melanomas across the world.

For Sarah, the journey is still ongoing. The next step will be to reassess the pancreatic lesion and determine whether further local treatment can help achieve no evidence of disease (NED). A stage IV melanoma involving multiple sites, including the pancreas, reaching a point where NED may become a possibility is certainly an encouraging development. But it remains an individual clinical experience, rather than proof that the same protocol will work for every patient with metastatic melanoma.

By Dr. Mandeep Singh Malhotra, Director of Surgical Oncology at CK Birla Hospital and Chief Mentor at AOHC

People living with obesity and diabetes often feel healthy in their day-to-day life, but some of the most dangerous changes may be happening silently inside their bodies.

The liver is one of the first organs to be affected. In many cases, fat slowly accumulates in the liver without causing any pain, discomfort, or obvious symptoms. This is why fatty liver disease is often called a “silent condition.” By the time it is detected, it may already have progressed to an irreversible stage.

Excess body fat, particularly around the abdomen, disrupts how the body processes sugar and fats, placing continuous stress on the liver. Because of this silent progression, experts now strongly recommend that people living with obesity and type 2 diabetes should proactively check their liver health, even when they feel completely well.

Obesity is closely linked with liver damage through a series of metabolic changes that develop over time. When the body becomes resistant to insulin, fat begins to accumulate in liver cells, triggering inflammation and gradual injury.

If this continues unchecked, the condition can progress from simple fat accumulation to more serious stages, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), where inflammation and liver cell damage become more significant.

Over time, this may lead to fibrosis (scarring of the liver), and in advanced cases, cirrhosis, which can severely affect liver function. Further, patients with fatty liver may directly present with liver cancer, which can occur in up to 20% of patients.

How Common Is Fatty Liver In People With Diabetes And Obesity?

In India, the burden of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) or fatty liver is rising and is now recognised as a common metabolic condition. Studies from the Indian subcontinent estimate that 1 in 3 people may have MASLD. Fatty liver is particularly common among individuals with metabolic risk factors.

It is seen in nearly 40–80% of people with type 2 diabetes and 30–90% of those with obesity, often without clear symptoms.iv Hospital-based trends also suggest increasing detection in younger age groups, reflecting changes in diet, reduced physical activity, and more sedentary lifestyles.

Also read: Post-Menopausal Women Face A Higher Risk Of Fatty Liver Disease: How Falling Estrogen Levels Impact Liver Health

What Liver Checks And Preventive Measures Should You Follow?

Preventive measures to be followed:

• If you live with excess weight/obesity and type 2 diabetes or PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) or dyslipidemia, seek early consultation with a physician or hepatologist.

• Your doctor may request routine metabolic screening:

• Regular liver function tests as part of annual health check-ups

• Ultrasound screening for individuals with obesity or diabetes

• Monitoring blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels

• Liver scarring scan (annually for patients with diabetes/obesity)

• Avoiding long-term neglect of “mild” or borderline test results

Also read: From Liver Inflammation to Cancer: When Hepatitis Becomes a Serious Warning Sign

With rising obesity rates in India, early liver screening should become a routine part of preventive healthcare. Even modest weight reduction, improved diet quality, and regular exercise (approximately 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise (example: brisk walking, gardening, swimming, cycling) or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (example: weight training) can significantly reduce liver fat and inflammation within 3-6 months.

However, once the disease progresses to MASH or fibrosis, reversal becomes more difficult and may require long-term medical management. Early-stage fatty liver disease is reversible in many cases. In fact, medications can even reverse liver fibrosis (early scarring), but in only 25% of patients. Simple homemade food is sufficient to prevent these lifestyle diseases, and there is no need for “fancy online diets or supplements”.

Our forefathers lived longer by consuming homemade food and water without any supplements. Newly approved therapies such as semaglutide (GLP1 analogues) have been shown to resolve steatohepatitis and reduce liver fibrosis. These liver benefits do not appear to be explained solely by weight loss, suggesting a broader potential impact on liver health.

The absence of symptoms does not mean the absence of risk. Taking care of the liver early is not just about preventing disease; it is about protecting long-term health, energy, and quality of life.

By Dr. Anand V. Kulkarni, Senior Consultant Hepatologist & Director – Critical Care Hepatology, AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad