EXCLUSIVE Colon cancer has mysteriously exploded among young Americans. Now doctors have made a huge breakthrough

As doctors search for the cause of a mystery rise in colon cancers in young people, a new study has pinpointed two simple ways you can lower your risk.
Eating within an eight-hour time window and practicing mindfulness was found to shed fat and reduce harmful inflammation in the gut linked to the disease.
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The Independent

21 minutes ago

• The Independent

US approves breakthrough HIV jab – but aid cuts mean it may not get to millions in need

US medicines regulator the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a groundbreaking HIV prevention jab hailed as having the potential to quell the Aids pandemic. But the moment has been overshadowed by the spectre of aid cuts, placing in doubt whether this breakthrough injection – lenacapavir – will get to the people who need it most. Lenacapavir given in a twice-yearly injection stops HIV from replicating, protecting close to 100 per cent of people from developing the virus if they are exposed to it. This approval is one of the last crucial steps to getting the drug, branded Yeztugo, out to patients. Although the FDA's approval only applies to US patients, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it paved the way for its own recommendation of the drug and for approval in other countries. Director of WHO's Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programmes, Dr Meg Doherty described it as a 'regulatory milestone' adding: 'We are working with partners and national authorities to ensure lenacapavir reaches people who need it most – quickly, safely and equitably.' Researchers have raised concerns that, amid aid cuts, the jab will be too expensive to be taken up by lower-income countries. Gilead – the drugs company producing lencapavir – did not make public the cost of each dose to global funders but it announced a US price of $28,218 per year for each patient. 'If this game-changing medicine remains unaffordable, it will change nothing,' said Winnie Byanyima, executive director of the United Nations' Aids agency, UNAIDS. She called the approval of lenacapavir a 'breakthrough moment' adding the jab, 'could be the tool we need to bring new infections under control – but only if it is priced affordably and made available to everyone who could benefit. ' UNAIDS has seen research that lenacapavir can be produced for just $40 per person per year, falling to $25 within a year of roll out. It is beyond comprehension how Gilead can justify a price of $28,218.' Dr Andrew Hill, a pharmacology research fellow at the University of Liverpool, worked on the research which found lenacapavir could be provided for as little as $25, including a 30 per cent profit margin. 'Scientifically, it's a great moment that we have a drug which has been judged to be safe and efficacious by a leading regulatory authority in the world,'' he said. 'Public health-wise and in terms of the epidemic, it's tragic because the drug is so expensive that it's not going to get used'. It is also unlikely to be affordable in the UK, he said, despite government promises to end new cases of HIV in England by 2030. A Gilead spokesperson said, 'Yeztugo is priced in line with existing branded PrEP [pre-exposure prophylaxis] options. We are working to make Yeztugo accessible for anyone who needs or wants it and expect to see broad insurance coverage in the US. 'We're taking unprecedented actions with urgency to plan for access to lenacapavir for PrEP globally—particularly in low- and lower-middle-income countries where the need is greatest.' Gilead signed agreements with six pharmaceutical companies in India, Pakistan, Egypt, and the US to allow them to make generic versions of the drug in order to increase supply and drive down the cost of the jab. This will take some time. Gilead also agreed to sell enough doses of the jab to protect at least two million people over three years in lower-income countries. These would be paid for by global funders led by the US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) and the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. However, The Independent reported earlier in the month that these doses are now at risk because of US funding cuts. A significant chunk of the money to fund the doses of lenacapavir was set to come from the US-led global Aids response programme, Pepfar, as well as the Global Fund whose biggest donor was the US. This funding is now uncertain. Figures previously reported by The Independent suggest President Trump's slashing of foreign aid has derailed the projected end of the Aids pandemic and could lead to four million extra deaths by 2030. 'It does feel like this thing that could help us end the epidemic sooner is suddenly receding in the chaos,' said Prof Linda-Gail Bekker, whose trial demonstrated lenacapavir's effectiveness. The aid-funded doses are thought to cost much less than the US list price of almost $30k but still roughly five times more expensive than Dr Hill believes is necessary. And they are in an initial pilot phase, he said: 'We need to get into a different level where we're giving lenacapavir to tens of millions of people'. This is even more important as aid cuts are slashing the HIV prevention budgets of governments across Africa, he said. 'We're in this crazy position where we have a brand new highly effective vaccine-like drug and actually we will probably see the epidemic get worse over the next four years.'

Scotsman

32 minutes ago

• Scotsman

When is it too hot to work in the UK?

As the UK swelters under a fierce heatwave, workers face tough conditions on the job 🔥 Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... UK temperatures could hit 34°C this weekend, with heat-health alerts in place nationwide No legal maximum workplace temperature exists under current UK law TUC is calling for a legal limit of 30°C for indoor work, 27°C for strenuous jobs Employers must take 'reasonable' steps to protect workers during extreme heat Prolonged high temperatures pose serious health risks, especially for outdoor and vulnerable workers With the UK on track to break its record for the warmest day of the year for the second day running, concerns about working conditions in the heat are once again making headlines. On Thursday (June 19), temperatures soared to 32.2°C in Kew, west London — and could reach up to 33°C on Friday. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This blistering heat has triggered the UK's first amber heat-health alert of the year, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The alert, which covers all of England and runs until 9am Monday, warns of 'significant impacts' on health and social care services, with vulnerable groups — particularly the elderly and those with medical conditions — most at risk. With much of the country sweltering under an intense hot spell, many workers are asking: when is it officially too hot to work? (Photo:) | Getty Images When is it too hot to work in the UK? Unlike some countries, the UK does not currently have a legal maximum temperature for workplaces. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require employers to ensure a 'reasonable' temperature, there's no clear upper limit in law. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has long campaigned for legislation that would make it illegal to work indoors in temperatures above 30°C (or 27°C for those doing strenuous work). But as it stands, employers are expected to carry out risk assessments and take 'reasonable steps' to reduce heat-related risks. This might include relaxing dress codes, adjusting working hours, improving ventilation, or allowing more frequent breaks. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The current heatwave — potentially peaking at 34°C on Saturday — meets the Met Office's official criteria in many regions, meaning temperatures have hit or exceeded thresholds (ranging from 25°C to 28°C depending on location) for three consecutive days. These sustained high temperatures can pose serious risks, including dehydration, heat exhaustion, and sunstroke. Outdoor workers — such as those in construction, agriculture, or delivery roles — are particularly exposed, while those working in poorly ventilated indoor environments may also be at risk. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends employers take action to manage these risks but stops short of enforcing a specific maximum working temperature. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Employees who feel unsafe or unwell due to heat can raise concerns with their manager or union representative. In extreme cases, they may be protected under Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, which allows workers to remove themselves from dangerous work environments. So while there's no official line in the sand, common sense and compassion should dictate when enough is enough.

Daily Mail​

35 minutes ago

• Daily Mail​

EXCLUSIVE Mother who had trouble eating and ended up being diagnosed with deadly cancer finally gets her 'fairytale' wedding

Bride Kerry Lenders has finally said 'I do' in a fairytale wedding that was put on hold after struggling to eat led to a shock cancer diagnosis. It had been suggested the 39-year-old was suffering from acid reflux when she began to have trouble swallowing. Certain foods like bread and potatoes would just seem to get stuck in her throat, and Kerry says her worrying symptoms became increasingly unbearable. 'I'd been having trouble swallowing for about two years and it just kept getting worse,' she says. 'It got to the point where I couldn't keep much food down - and the only things I could eat were soups and ice lollies and custard!' Kerry adds: 'I even ended up eating in a separate room from everyone else because my little boy would get worried. 'I had been told it was acid reflux, but I was concerned it was something more.' Anxious about having problems on her wedding day after deciding to tie the knot with her partner of 20 years Scott Catterall in January 2024, just two months before, the former dog groomer saw a specialist and underwent a series of scans and tests. And she was devastated when, in March last year, she was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. 'After having the tests I was told it would take two weeks to get the results through … and got a call the next day saying the specialist wanted to see me. 'As soon as I walked in the room I could tell by his face that it wasn't good news and I said 'it's cancer isn't it'. I collapsed when he said he was sorry but yes, it was.' Kerry, from St Helens, had a 6.2cm tumour in her oesophagus, the tube that connects the throat to the stomach. So when she should have been looking for wedding dresses and choosing a bridal bouquet, Kerry was beginning a gruelling 10 months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. 'My first thought was would I see my children grow up? It was horrendous. 'I didn't react how I thought I would. I thought I wouldn't get out of bed and would cry every single day (and I did cry for a couple of days). 'But then it was like fight or flight. Survival mode kicked in. 'Cancer had taken so many people I loved, my dad and my nan; Scott's sister, and others - it had wiped out half our family. 'I looked at the kids and thought it's not having me. 'I found out everything I could, and I got my battle gear on.' Kerry was treated at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool which she says 'was amazing' - 'the staff there are brilliant, especially my oncologist, Dr Amy Jackson' - and underwent four rounds of chemotherapy and 25 rounds of radiotherapy, as well as taking 10 chemotherapy tablets a day. She also had a feeding tube fitted after being told the treatment would make her symptoms worse before they got better, but she says: 'I never used my feeding tube, other than to take the chemo tablets which I crushed because they were like huge torpedoes. 'I discovered that some people are cured of cancer and then have to learn to eat again, and I didn't want to get over one problem, only to have another. 'Scott and I made nutritious soups and smoothies and I took manuka honey - doctors were amazed that instead of losing weight, I put it on! 'We didn't cancel the wedding, but we did put it on hold so I could put all my energy into my treatment. 'Scott was amazing. He was there for me every step of the way - proof that he's always been the right man for me.' When Kerry was finally given the all-clear in December last year, she smiles: 'I was on such a high. 'Then there was panic. There was a wedding to plan - so we went at it all guns blazing.' Kerry and Scott, 45, had decided to get married after their eight-year-old son Charlie asked why Kerry had a different surname from him and his sister Amelia, three. 'He said he wanted us to be a family,' says Kerry, 'and while we explained that we were a family, he said he wanted us all to have the same name. It struck at my heart.' Scott, who gave up his job as a travel agent to look after Kerry, says: 'We had always planned to get married - we'd been engaged for 16 years - but something always seemed to get in the way. 'Then we realised there would always be a reason not to do it - so let's just do it.' On Wednesday there were tears of joy as the couple married in an emotional ceremony at the 17th century Tempest Arms near Skipton, surrounded by close family and friends. It was a celebration, Kerry says, not just of her love for Scott, but of her relief and happiness at having been given the all-clear. 'It really is our fairytale ending,' she adds. 'If ever there was a time for a big celebration, this was it. 'Marrying Scott means more to me than ever after what we've been through. 'There were times when I feared it was never going to happen,' Kerry admits. 'But I pushed away the negative thoughts and the wedding became my goal to getting better. 'It wasn't just about getting married, it was a party to say we got through it as a team - and it was a big 'up yours' to cancer!' Scott says: 'Having gone through so much put everything into perspective. We had all our family and friends there and every guest had helped us to get to where we were. They helped us both through.' Son Charlie was ring boy and daughter Amelia was a flower girl and bridesmaid. Kerry said: 'Walking up the aisle was wonderful. I thought about Charlie wanting us to be a family and have the same name, and I thought of how hard going through cancer had been - but we did it!' 'It was an emotional day. There were tears,' smiles Scott. 'But they were tears of joy and happiness because now we can get on with the rest of our lives and making the most of every single day together.'