Medical Bulletin 08/April/2026

Here are the top medical news for today:

Cancer Ranks Tenth in Causes of Death Among Indian Children: Lancet Study

Childhood cancer remains a major public health challenge, ranking among the top ten causes of death in India, according to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 published in The Lancet. In 2023 alone, an estimated 17,000 children in India died from cancer, highlighting a significant and often underrecognized burden.

Globally, childhood cancer was the eighth-leading cause of death, surpassing diseases such as measles, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. The study reported approximately 377,000 new cases and 144,000 deaths worldwide in 2023. The most common types included leukemias, brain and central nervous system cancers, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Despite advances in treatment, disparities remain stark. Low- and middle-income countries accounted for 85% of new cases and a striking 94% of deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). DALYs reflect the total years of healthy life lost due to illness and premature death, underscoring the long-term impact of childhood cancer.

India’s burden may be even higher than reported. Experts estimate that between 50,000 and 75,000 children are diagnosed annually, suggesting underreporting and gaps in surveillance. While survival rates have improved significantly in high-income countries, many children in Low- and middle-income countries face delays in diagnosis, limited access to treatment, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure.

Encouragingly, childhood cancers are often highly treatable, especially when detected early. However, improving outcomes requires systemic changes. These include strengthening referral systems, expanding access to chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy, and improving workforce training and cancer registries.

The findings highlight an urgent need for targeted policy action. Investments in comprehensive cancer care systems, particularly in resource-limited settings, could significantly reduce mortality. Bridging the gap between high- and low-income regions is critical to ensuring that advances in treatment benefit all children equally.

REFERENCE: Force L, Kocarnik J, May M et al.; Global burden of cancer in children and adolescents aged 0–19 years, 1990–2023: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023; The Lancet; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00200-X External Link

Princeton Researchers Identify New Links Between High-Fat Diets and Aggressive Breast Cancer

A new study from Princeton University has uncovered how high-fat diets may make certain breast cancers more aggressive, offering new insight into how nutrition can influence tumour behaviour.

Published in APL Bioengineering, the research focused on triple-negative breast cancer, a form of cancer that is difficult to treat due to its lack of response to standard therapies.

Using advanced 3D tumour models, scientists simulated different dietary conditions by exposing cancer cells to various nutrients. While most diets showed little effect on tumour structure, those exposed to high levels of fatty acids and cholesterol behaved differently.

Instead of remaining compact, these tumours developed invasive, finger-like projections—features associated with aggressive cancers that spread into surrounding tissues and potentially metastasize.

Interestingly, tumour growth rates remained similar across all diet types. However, structural changes were significant in high-fat conditions. Cancer cells migrated outward from the tumour core, indicating increased invasive potential.

Researchers also identified a sharp rise in the activity of a gene called MMP1, which is known to break down collagen in surrounding tissues. This breakdown may create pathways that allow cancer cells to spread more easily.

In contrast, tumours exposed to high insulin, glycerol, ketones, or even a simulated ketogenic diet did not show the same aggressive structural changes. This was unexpected, as ketogenic diets are often thought to have protective effects in cancer. The findings suggest that, at least for this cancer type, fat itself—not just overall metabolism—may play a critical role in tumour invasiveness.

Researchers caution that these results are based on controlled lab models and may not fully replicate the complexity of the human body. However, the study highlights a potential biological link between dietary fat and cancer progression, opening new avenues for targeted therapies and personalized nutrition strategies in oncology.

REFERENCE: Kohram, M., et al. (2026). Fat promotes growth and invasion in a 3D microfluidic tumor model of triple-negative breast cancer. APL Bioengineering. DOI: 10.1063/5.0291646. https://pubs.aip.org/aip/apb/article/10/1/016111/3381798/Fat-promotes-growth-and-invasion-in-a-3D

Researchers Warn BMI Fails to Accurately Assess Health in Many Adults

A new study from Italian researchers challenges the reliability of Body Mass Index as a tool for assessing body weight and health. The findings, to be presented at European Congress on Obesity 2026 and published in Nutrients, show that BMI may incorrectly classify more than one-third of adults when compared with more precise body fat measurements.

BMI, widely used in clinical and public health settings, estimates weight status based on height and weight but does not directly measure body fat or its distribution. This limitation has raised concerns about its accuracy.

To investigate further, researchers compared BMI classifications with results from Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, considered the gold standard for measuring body fat percentage.

The study analyzed 1,351 adults aged 18 to 98. Based on BMI, about 41% were categorized as overweight or obese. However, DXA-based assessments showed a lower prevalence of 37%, revealing significant discrepancies.

Among those labeled obese by BMI, 34% were actually overweight according to DXA. Misclassification was even higher in the overweight category, where 53% were placed incorrectly—many of whom were found to have normal body fat levels.

Even individuals considered “normal weight” were not always accurately classified. While BMI and DXA agreed in 78% of such cases, 22% were reassigned to different categories when body fat was directly measured.

The greatest mismatch occurred in the underweight group, where more than two-thirds were reclassified as normal weight using DXA.

These findings suggest that BMI may overestimate both obesity and underweight prevalence, potentially leading to misleading health assessments. Experts recommend combining BMI with additional tools such as waist-to-height ratio, skinfold measurements, or direct body composition analysis for a more accurate evaluation.

Overall, the study highlights the need to update current guidelines and adopt more comprehensive approaches to assessing body health.

REFERENCE: Chiara Milanese, Leila Itani, Valentina Cavedon, Marwan El Ghoch. The WHO BMI System Misclassifies Weight Status in Adults from the General Population in North Italy: A DXA-Based Assessment Study (18–98 Years). Nutrients, 2025; 17 (13): 2162 DOI: 10.3390/nu17132162