Cancer

I Stopped Drinking Alcohol Every Day (bonus Scary Chart)

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Worldwide, MASLD became the most common chronic liver disease, affecting up to 38% of the adult population (11). In addition, the global prevalence of MASLD is expected to further increase during the next two decades (12). For example, in the U.S., the prevalence of MASLD is predicted to increase from 34% (86 million people) in 2020 to 41% (122 million people) by 2050 (13). MASLD is an increasingly important contributor not only to liver-related but also to extrahepatic morbidity and mortality worldwide. This observation supports that the clinical burden of MASLD clearly extends far beyond the liver, making it a multisystem disorder. While among people with MASLD <10% develop liver-related complications, the major causes of death are CVD and cancer (11,14).

Today, the highest global pooled prevalence of MASLD is found among people with obesity (75% [95% CI 71–79]) (15) and type 2 diabetes (65% [61–68]) (16). Among people with obesity (34% [28–39]) and people with diabetes (32% [17–51]) there is also a very high prevalence of the advanced form of MASLD, metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis (MASH) (15,16). Furthermore, at 37% (95% CI 26–48), the prevalence of MASLD is also very high among children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes (17). This very early onset of MASLD may have severe long-term consequences for the liver, such as higher risk for cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In addition, among adults with prediabetes prevalence of MASLD is approximately twofold higher in comparison with people with normal glucose regulation, independently of adiposity (18). The findings that overweight and hyperglycemia are tightly related to MASLD indicate that there are joint pathomechanisms promoting adiposity, hyperglycemia, and MASLD. Furthermore, hyperglycemia may promote hepatic steatosis and inflammation, and the steatotic and inflamed liver may also be involved in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Thus, there may be a vicious cycle between increased liver fat content and insulin resistance–associated hyperglycemia promoting the progression of both diseases.

Norbert Stefan; MASLD as Complication of Diabetes. Diabetes 20 July 2026; 75 (8): 1359–1370. https://doi.org/10.2337/dbi26-0001

The US Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued new alcohol guidelines in January 2026 “Consume less alcohol for better overall health” and I take advice from my government seriously.

Get FIT!

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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide.

In this retrospective, population-based, descriptive cohort study, organized FIT-based screening was associated with a sustained decline in CRC mortality, particularly among individuals aged 50 to 69 years. Colorectal Cancer Mortality Following an Organized Fecal Immunochemical Test–Based Screening Program – https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2852451

Too Tired to Read Your Kid a Bedtime Story?

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Meta is testing an app that uses AI to automate bedtime stories for children. The future is here, folks — and boy, is it depressing.

The app, first caught by 9to5Mac, is called “StoryKit.” (It’s not yet available in the US; Meta confirmed to TechCrunch that it’s currently testing StoryKit in pilot countries.) Per a webpage for the app, parents pick a character either by creating one or taking a “photo of their favorite toy or person to bring them to life,” then describe a setting or world for the story to take place in. They can also ask the story to include a specific lesson or moral, which the app says will allow it to “weave in values like kindness, courage, or empathy without it feeling like a lecture.”

Meta Working on Crushingly Sad AI App That Tells Bedtime Stories to Children, for “Tired” Parents – https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/meta-sad-ai-app-stories-children

BULLSHIT!

Colorectal Cancer and Mortality Risk Among Older Adults

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Conclusions and Relevance  Adults 75 years of age or older with adenoma at prior colonoscopy were more likely to experience subsequent CRC and CRC death compared with those without adenoma, but cumulative risks were low and were far exceeded by competing risks for non-CRC death. Older adults may consider deprioritizing surveillance colonoscopy relative to other health concerns. Colorectal Cancer and Mortality Risk Among Older Adults With vs Without Adenoma on Prior Colonoscopy – https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2847311

Underlying Causes and Causal Pathways are Largely Unknown (guess the disease)

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Using high-quality population-based cancer registry data until 2017, this study presents contemporary trends in early-onset colorectal cancer incidence across 50 countries and territories, including 12 additional countries (Argentina, Bahrain, Belarus, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, France [Martinique], Iceland, Kuwait, the USA [Puerto Rico], Qatar, and Uganda) since the last published report on colorectal cancer incidence trends. The findings show that the rising incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer is no longer limited to high-income countries; it now extends to countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean (Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Martinique, and Puerto Rico), Asia (Israel, Japan, Thailand, and Türkiye), and eastern Europe (Belarus). Colorectal cancer incidence trends in younger versus older adults: an analysis of population-based cancer registry data – https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(24)00600-4/fulltext

Yikes.

Prostate Cancer Diagnosis? Eat Less Omega-6 fats and More Omega-3 fats

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To determine whether diet or supplements can play a role in managing prostate cancer, the UCLA-led team conducted a prospective clinical trial, called CAPFISH-3, that included 100 men with low risk or favorable intermediate risk prostate cancer who chose active surveillance. Participants were randomly assigned to either continue their normal diet or follow a low omega-6, high omega-3 diet, supplemented with fish oil, for one year.

The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, show that a diet low in omega-6 and high in omega-3 fatty acids, combined with fish oil supplements, significantly reduced the growth rate of prostate cancer cells in men with early-stage disease.

University of California – Los Angeles Health Sciences. “A low omega-6, omega-3 rich diet and fish oil may slow prostate cancer growth.” ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241213211326.htm (accessed December 13, 2024)

Another reminder I should get my PSA level checked.

Prostate Cancer Diagnosis? Eat More Veggies

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In this cohort study of 2062 men with prostate cancer, higher intake of plant foods after prostate cancer diagnosis was associated with lower risk of cancer progression. These findings suggest nutritional assessment and counseling may be recommended to patients with prostate cancer to help establish healthy dietary practices and support well-being and overall health. Plant-Based Diets and Disease Progression in Men With Prostate Cancer – https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2818122

This reminds me I should get my PSA level checked at my next annual visit.

Last reading was 0.64 back in 2022.

Multifocal Positive Margins After Prostate Cancer Surgery

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In Cox multivariable analyses, compared with negative surgical margins, positive surgical margins were significantly associated with a 1.7- and 2.2-fold increased risk of cancer-specific and all-cause mortality, respectively, in patients with intermediate-risk and high-risk disease, respectively, Ugo Giovanni Falagario, MD, of Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues reported in European Urology Oncology. Positive surgical margins were also significantly associated with a 1.8-fold increased risk of adverse pathologic characteristics, including Grade group 4 or higher, pT3 or higher, pN1, or PSA persistence. Multifocal Positive Margins After Prostate Cancer Surgery Up Mortality Risks – https://www.renalandurologynews.com/news/multifocal-positive-margins-after-prostate-cancer-surgery-up-mortality-risks/

Reference:

Pellegrino F, Falagario UG, Knipper S, et al; ERUS Scientific Working Group on Prostate Cancer of the European Association of Urology. Assessing the impact of positive surgical margins on mortality in patients who underwent robotic radical prostatectomy: 20 Years’ report from the EAU Robotic Urology Section Scientific Working Group. Eur Urol Oncol. 2024 Aug;7(4):888-896. doi:10.1016/j.euo.2023.11.021

Gut Bacteria May Drive Colorectal Cancer Risk

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The researchers found signs that a high-fat, low-fiber diet may increase inflammation in the gut that prevents it from naturally suppressing tumors. The cells of young people with colorectal cancer also appeared to have aged more quickly — by 15 years on average — than a person’s actual age. That’s unusual, because older people with colorectal cancer don’t have the same boost in cellular aging.

The rate of colorectal cancer among young people has been rising at an alarming rate, according to a 2023 report from the American Cancer Society. In 2019, 1 in 5 colorectal cancer cases were among people younger than 55. That’s up from 1 in 10 in 1995, which means the rate has doubled in less than 30 years. Young People’s Gut Bacteria May Drive Colorectal Cancer Risk – Medscape – June 06, 2024 — https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/young-peoples-gut-bacteria-may-drive-colorectal-cancer-risk-2024a1000amd?src=rss

Yikes.