By Sam Merriman and Martin Beckford

Published: 20:46 EDT, 15 October 2024 | Updated: 20:51 EDT, 15 October 2024

Cervical cancer survival can be increased by 40 per cent using a new treatment regime of existing medicines, a large trial found.

Giving a boost of chemotherapy ahead of the standard treatment can also lower the risk of the disease returning by more than a third.

Researchers at University College London (UCL) say the ‘remarkable’ findings mean it should become the standard treatment for the disease.

A combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy — known as chemoradiation — has been the standard treatment for cervical cancer since 1999.

But, despite improvements in care, the cancer — which typically affects women in their 30s — returns in up to 30 per cent of cases.

Funded by Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre, the trial looked at whether a short course of induction chemotherapy prior to chemoradiation could cut relapses and death among patients with cervical cancer that had not spread to other organs.

They recruited 500 patients over 10 years from hospitals in the UK, Mexico, India, Italy and Brazil.

Patients were randomly allocated to receive either standard treatment or the new treatment combination.

The new treatment programme led to a 40 per cent reduction in the risk of death and a 35 per cent reduction in the risk of cancer returning for at least five years.

The results, published in The Lancet, are so clear that experts are calling for the regime to be used across the UK and internationally.

Dr Mary McCormack, lead investigator of the trial from UCL Cancer Institute and UCLH, said: ‘This approach is a straightforward way to make a positive difference, using existing drugs that are cheap and already approved for use in patients.

‘It has already been adopted by some cancer centres and there’s no reason that this shouldn’t be offered to all patients undergoing chemoradiation for this cancer.’

After five years, 80 per cent of those who received a short course of chemotherapy first were alive and 73 per cent had not seen their cancer return or spread.

In the standard treatment group, 72 per cent were alive and 64 per cent had not seen their cancer return or spread.

Researchers said that five patients involved in the trial have been disease-free for more than 10 years.

Dr Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK, said: ‘Timing is everything when you’re treating cancer.

‘The simple act of adding induction chemotherapy to the start of chemoradiation treatment for cervical cancer has delivered remarkable results in the Interlace trial.

‘A growing body of evidence is showing that additional chemotherapy before other treatments, like surgery and radiotherapy, can improve the chances of successful treatment for patients.

‘Not only can it reduce the chances of cancer coming back, it can also be delivered quickly, using drugs already available worldwide.’

Around 2,700 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in England each year and 850 die from it.

The NHS wants to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 by boosting uptake of screening and the HPV vaccine, which protects against the virus causing nearly all cases.

Cervical screening, once called a smear test, is a test to check the health of the cervix and help prevent cervical cancer — offered to women aged 25 to 64. 

The most recent figures show just 66 per cent of the 11 million eligible women aged 25 to 49 attended their screening, while the proportion was 74 per cent among women aged 50 to 64.

So… what’s the verdict?

What about processed oats?

By Kate Pickles

Published: 19:23 EDT, 13 October 2024 | Updated: 19:33 EDT, 13 October 2024

Over the years we’ve tested dozens of different lubes, and some of them are pretty good if not exactly the best in any particular category. For those, we have this section, our Honorable Mentions.

#LubeLife Water-Based Lube for $10: I’ve been a fan of #LubeLife for a while. It’s a reliable brand with water-based lubes thick enough for any kind of sexual play. The company recently added a new product to its line of lubes and it’s equal parts light and refreshing. It has the same texture that stays smooth and slick longer than other brands and, like all their other lubes, it’s one of the best bargains out there. If you’re tight on cash but want a lube that makes you feel luxurious and spoiled, this is the lube to get.

Dame Arousal Serum for $23: I’m not a huge fan of warming or tingling lubes and have yet to try one that makes me a true believer. But Dame’s Arousal Serum comes close. This is a warming, tingling, water-based lube that uses peppermint oil, cinnamon leaf oil, and ginger oil to provide some extra sensation during sex. If you have sensitive skin, I’d leave these products alone, but if you don’t and want to try a stimulating lube, this is the one I’d recommend. Try it on a non-genital area first to ensure you know how your skin will react.

Ycosmetics Lip Lube Love for $29: This is an unusual lube. It provides silky, slick lubrication with a pleasantly mid-weight viscosity, but it has a few other tricks as well. It’s designed to moisturize your most intimate areas even as it provides lubrication, on top of that, it’s such a good moisturizer it also works as a lip moisturizer. Your upper lips this time, the ones on your face. Make sure you only use a single drop though, any more and your lips get very slippery, less in a sexy way and more in an “I just ate a plate of ribs” kind of way.

Coconu Water-Based Lube for $27: This is a great water-based lube that provides lasting lubrication without leaving you sticky. Plus, it’s made from coconut water, so it has a nice, mild fragrance.

Maude Shine Water-Based Lube for $25: This used to be our top pick. It offers a silky-smooth texture, though it’s on the thicker side for a water-based lube. Thicker water-based lubes typically last longer between applications. Using the thumb test, this lube gives you a slick but smooth cushion between your fingertips, which is a good indicator that it’s going to keep things nice and slick.

US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy has said that mental health is an issue on which his country and India can work together, so that it not only benefits the two countries, but the entire world.

He said it is time to prioritise and accelerate the work on mental health, because the consequences have been too high, and they will only get worse unless we make this issue a priority.

“I’ll just say this (mental health) is an issue where the US and India can work together, where we can learn from each other, where we can collaborate on programmes, where we can support each other, as we have in the past for six decades, on so many health issues,” Murthy told reporters here on Friday.

He said he was proud of the US-India health partnership for six decades, during which both countries have worked on smallpox, polio, HIV, tuberculosis and Covid-19, and many other health challenges.

“This is a time for us to come together as two nations, to work on the issue of mental health, and the work that we do together can not only benefit our two countries, but can benefit the entire world. So I’m looking forward to what we can do together,” he said.

Appointed by President Joe Biden, Murthy serves as the “America’s Top Doctor” and is charged with promoting and protecting public health. He is the first Surgeon General of Indian descent, and his parents hail from Karnataka.

Highlighting that during his visit to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) here there was discussion on numerous areas of collaboration that are already underway, he said the US and various health centres in the US government agencies are helping to support and fund research projects, and in some cases, collaboratively execute research projects focused on mental health.

“We’re proud of that collaboration, and there are more ideas for how that collaboration can grow in the future, we have a lot that we can learn from each other. We have a lot that we can do with one another, and we talked about many of those challenges and spaces today….” he said.

Noting that the reason he made this trip was to focus on mental health, Murthy said, “It is becoming increasingly clear that we are living through a growing mental health crisis… it’s hitting young people particularly hard.” For too long, this has been an issue that we haven’t talked about openly, he said. “There’s been this unfortunate stigma and shame associated with mental health that prevents people from admitting that they’re having a hard time. It makes it difficult for them to ask for help, even when that help is available.” Pointing out that during this visit, he spent time in Delhi, in Mumbai, and Bengaluru with students, community organisations, hospitals and healthcare providers, and learned how India is experiencing and responding to mental health crisis, he said, “What I heard were about three important contributors that people are seeing in their lives that contribute to this mental health crisis. One was loneliness and isolation, which have become epidemics in the United States and around the world.” “The second was the impact of social media on young people, and the third was the pressure that so many students say they are facing now, pressure which too often feels overwhelming and unbearable,” he said.

Observing that mental health is no less important than physical health, and it ultimately influences physical health as well, the U.S Surgeon General said it’s time to prioritise access to care, which continues to be a global challenge, and to focus on prevention, on getting at the root causes of what’s driving this broader mental health challenge.

“In medicine, we focus a lot on treatment and often not enough on prevention. This is a time where we can’t afford to do that. We have to do both,” he said, as he highlighted that there’s a lot of promising work underway, and that has given him hope.

Pointing out that social media has fundamentally changed the way we talk to each other and how we relate to one another, Murthy, citing from his interaction with students, said: “One of the consequences that we’ve seen is of the digital transformation of relationships, but it’s something that we now need to address. We need to proactively build those social and emotional skills, relational skills for students.” Advocating for legislative policy efforts to make social media safer, he said, “The policy changes that I’ve called for, apply to the United States of America, but the problem of social media, and its impact on youth mental health is being felt by many countries. I think it’s important for all of us in our countries to examine this issue more deeply and ask ourselves, what can we do to ultimately protect children? And it has to go beyond just telling kids and parents to do better…

“…unless we make the platform safer, this is going to be hard for parents and kids to manage on their own,” he added.

On World Mental Health Day, much of the world witnessed a rare sighting — the Aurora Borealis (or the Northern Lights). If you experienced the Northern Lights firsthand like I did, you probably had an overwhelming sensation of awe and wonder. A fleeting, momentary sense of being connected to everything and everyone. That unexpected and transcendent sensation you felt is similar to what scientists and astronauts call “The Overview Effect,” and it can profoundly influence your mental health and stress for the better.

Astronauts frequently describe feelings of awe and wonder as part of the Overview Effect when they’re out in space and looking down below at Planet Earth. It’s a perception shift that can be sudden, transformative, and lasting. As Rachel Lyons, executive director of the nonprofit Space for Humanity, explained during a TedX talk: “It turns out that when astronauts go to space and look back down at our planet, and see it as a floating, interconnected, fragile ball of life in this infinite universe, it causes a transformation in their mind, a cognitive shift called the Overview Effect.”

If you were skygazing with me, you probably felt some of those big emotions, too.

As I witnessed the Northern Lights dancing in the sky along with millions of other skygazers around the world earlier this week, I was overtaken by the same sudden and unexpected wave of complex emotions associated with the Overview Effect: wonder, awe, connectedness, and belonging. If you were skygazing with me, you probably felt some of those big emotions, too.

As a doctor specializing in stress, burnout, and mental health, I’ve been fascinated with the science of awe and wonder, especially how these emotions influence your brain, health, and well-being. Studies show that awe and wonder help decrease your ruminations about everyday problems and stresses, helping you focus on things outside yourself and feel more connected to others. Early science also suggests a direct relationship between awe and stress. In a series of six different experiments, scientists studied the relationship between awe and stress and found that awe can actively decrease your stress because it puts everyday stresses into perspective and leads to improved well-being.

A shift in perspective is exactly what witnessing the Northern Lights felt like, made especially more poignant because it was World Mental Health Day. You may have missed seeing the Northern Lights, and most of us will never get a chance to go into space, but you can still reap the benefits of the emotions of awe, wonder, and connectedness associated with the Overview Effect through your everyday activities.

Spend a few minutes watching the expanse of a big sky at sunrise or sunset, immerse yourself in a piece of music or art that transports you, walk or hike through a local forest or nearby beach, and if you can’t spend quality time in nature, consider experiencing it digitally through a nature-focused video or an audio recording. Each week, aim to do one thing that cultivates your sense of awe and wonder. These small acts can feel therapeutic to your stressed brain and lead to better mental health, because research shows “awe repairs . . . and transforms your sense of self.” In our current state of the world, which feels so broken and divided, a little repair could go a long way.

Aditi Nerurkar (she/her), MD, is a Harvard stress expert, a television correspondent, and the author of “The 5 Resets.” Before becoming a physician, Dr. Nerurkar was a stressed patient looking for answers. Once she found her way out of stress, she vowed to become the doctor she needed. Named one of the 100 Women to Know in America for 2024, she’s a frequent keynote speaker, with talks at the 2018 Forbes Under 30 Summit and other events. Dr. Nerurkar is a PS Council member.

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris is in “excellent health” and “possesses the physical and mental resiliency” required to serve as president, her doctor said in a letter released Saturday that summarizes her medical history and status.

Dr. Joshua Simmons, a U.S. Army colonel and physician to the vice president, wrote that Harris, 59, maintains a healthy, active lifestyle and that her most recent physical last April was “unremarkable.”

She “possesses the physical and mental resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief,” he wrote in a two-page letter.

Harris’ campaign hopes to use the moment to draw a contrast with Republican Donald Trump, who has released only limited information about his health over the years, and raise questions about his fitness to serve, according to a campaign aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

Trump has released very little health information, including after his ear was grazed by a bullet during an assassination attempt in July.

Simmons, who said he has been Harris’ primary care physician for the past 3 1/2 years, said the vice president has a history of allergies and urticaria, also known as hives, for which she has been on allergen immunotherapy for the past three years.

Simmons said Harris’ latest blood work and other test results were “unremarkable.”

Also in the report: Harris wears contact lenses for mild nearsightedness; her family history includes maternal colon cancer; she is up to date on preventive care recommendations, including having a colonoscopy and annual mammograms.

As Harris’ office released the medical report, her campaign highlighted recent media reports raising questions about Trump’s health and mental acuity and his failure to provide information about health status and medical history.

Trump, 78, eagerly questioned President Joe Biden’s health when the 81-year-old president was seeking reelection. Since Biden was replaced on the ticket with Harris, Trump’s own health has drawn more attention.

Last November, Trump marked Biden’s birthday by releasing a letter from his physician that reported the former president was in “excellent” physical and mental health.

The letter posted on Trump’s social media platform contained no details to support its claims — measures like weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, or the results of any test.

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris plans to release a report Saturday on her medical history and health that a senior campaign aide said would show “she possesses the physical and mental resiliency” needed to serve as president.

Harris’ advisers hope to use the moment to draw a contrast with Republican Donald Trump, who has released only limited information about his health over the years, and raise questions about his fitness to serve, the aide said.

Harris’ office did not go into detail about how thorough the report on her medical history would be. The aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, said the report concludes Harris “possesses the physical and mental resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief.”

Trump, for his part, has released very little information, including after his ear was grazed by a bullet during an assassination attempt in July.

Trump, 78, eagerly questioned President Joe Biden’s health when the 81-year-old president was seeking reelection. Since Biden was replaced on the ticket with Harris, who is 59, Trump’s own health has drawn more attention.

Last November, Trump marked Biden’s birthday by releasing a letter from his physician that reported the former president was in “excellent” physical and mental health.

The letter posted on Trump’s social media platform contained no details to support its claims — measures like weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, or the results of any test.