Targeting the RAS/RAF/MAPK pathway for cancer therapy: from mechanism to clinical studies
Health Experts Reveal The Red Flag Symptom You Should NEVER Ignore - Because It Could Be A Sign Of Cancer And Diabetes
Most of us would be happy to lose a few pounds, with seemingly no effort on our part.
But, losing weight without cutting down calories or working out more in the gym, could be a sign of something sinister.
Rapid weight loss can be a symptom of a host of potential serious conditions from diabetes, stress, serious illnesses and even cancer.
In fact, if you unintentionally lose more than five per cent of your normal body weight, or more than 10lbs (4.5 kg) in less than a year, you should consult your doctor, experts advise.
Here, MailOnline explores why you should never ignore this critical health sign.
If you unintentionally lose more than 5 per cent of your normal body weight, or more than 10 lbs (4.5 kg) in less than a year, you should consult your doctor
An overactive thyroid could be to blame...An overreactive thyroid, medically known as hyperthyroidism, can cause an array of symptoms including mood swings, muscle weakness and persistent thirst.
However, an overactive thyroid also causes a spike in the metabolism, which leads to rapid weight loss. This can also increase your appetite, the NHS explains.
That's because the thyroid is responsible for producing hormones that help regulate the body's metabolism. These hormones are called triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4).
Medicines called thionamides can be used to stop the thyroid from producing excess hormones, but other treatments including radiotherapy to destroy the cells in the thyroid gland and surgery to remove all or part of your thyroid may be recommended.
An overactive thyroid also causes a very good metabolism, which leads to rapid weight loss
Rapid weight loss could be Type 1 diabetes...Losing weight despite eating a high number of calories could also be a symptom of diabetes.
That's because insufficient insulin prevents the body from getting glucose from blood to body cells to use as energy.
This causes the body to burn fat and muscle as energy instead which can trigger rapid weight loss.
'Rapid weight loss can be a symptom of type 1 diabetes because one of insulin's main jobs is to move sugar from the blood into the cells where it can be used for energy or stored for use later,' Esther Walden, senior clinical advisor at Diabetes UK, told MailOnline.
What is diabetes?Diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high.
There are two main types of diabetes:
- Type 1, where the body's immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin.
- Type 2, where the body does not produce enough insulin, or the body's cells do not react to insulin.
Type 2 diabetes is far more common than Type 1.
In the UK, around 90% of all adults with diabetes have Type 2.
Reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes can be achieved through healthy eating, regular exercise and achieving a healthy body weight.
The main symptoms of diabetes include: feeling very thirsty, urinating more frequently (particularly at night), feeling very tired, weight loss, and loss of muscle bulk.
Source: NHS
Advertisement'When there is no insulin the cells become starved of energy, the body works harder to try to get rid of the excess sugar in the blood, and the excess sugar can't be stored in the fat cells,' she explained.
'Additionally, when there is no insulin, the body starts to break down fat to produce a form of energy the body can use,' she said.
This weight loss can happen quite quickly in the lead-up to a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, she warns.
It's a symptoms of Inflammatory bowel disease...Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are both types of inflammatory bowel disease, which cause tummy pain and diarrhoea.
The conditions also cause bleeding from your bottom, blood or mucus in your poo, constant tiredness and unintentional weight loss.
Although it is not clear what causes the conditions, which affect about 10million people globally, the NHS says it happens when your immune system attacks your bowel, which causes it to get inflamed.
It's this inflammation in the gut which stops your body from fully absorbing nutrients from the food you eat, as a result leading to weight loss and malnutrition, according to Crohn's & Colitis UK.
It happens in 80 per cent of people with certain cancers and other serious health condition...A loss of appetite and unintentionally losing a significant amount of weight is a symptom which hits 80 per cent of people with upper gastrointestinal cancer, such as stomach cancer or liver cancer.
'Sudden and unplanned weight loss can happen when you are going through stressful events in your life, or it can be linked to other underlying health conditions,' Cancer Research UK's health information manager, Maxine Lenza told this website.
'Unexplained weight loss can also be a symptom of several types of cancer, including lung, bowel, and pancreatic cancer,' she added.
Cachexia, also known as wasting syndrome, is a potential cancer symptom and causes extreme loss of muscle and fat, according to Cancer Research UK.
People with early-stage cancers don't usually get cachexia. But up to four in five of people with advanced cancer develop some degree of cachexia, the charity explained.
But cachexia isn't just a symptom of cancer.
This particular cause of rapid weight loss in cancer can also happen with HIV, kidney disease and heart disease.
In cancer, it's thought to be driven by inflammation.
That's because inflammation can promote muscle wastage and a tumour can take energy away from the rest of the body.
Cachexia also known as wasting syndrome causes extreme loss of muscle and fat, according to Cancer Research UK
Inflammation has also been linked to muscle loss because it causes protein to be broken down faster than it is being made. That's because cancer can damage the mitochondria, the part of the cell responsible for converting nutrients into energy.
But catching these cancer symptoms early could make a big difference.
'If you notice any unusual changes like losing a noticeable amount of weight without trying to, it's important to speak to your doctor. In most cases it won't be cancer, but if it is, finding it early can make a real difference,' Ms Lenza said.
Stress and mental health could be a trigger...Unintentional weight loss isn't just a warning sign of a serious physical illness.
Going through a stressful event like losing a loved one, a divorce, breakup or losing a job can all contribute to weight loss, the NHS explains.
That's because in some cases stress can cause a loss of appetite, indigestion, or repetitive nervous movements.
When you are stressed over an extended period it can cause stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, to build up in your body which can have a variety of physical effects from disrupted sleep to a suppressed appetite.
Adrenaline, the 'fight or flight' hormone, usually gives us a boost to motivate us. But too much of it can affect our mood and even our bowels causing stomach cramps and constipation, the NHS warns.
Going through a stressful event like losing a loved one, a divorce, breakup or losing a job can all contribute to weight loss, the NHS explains
This can make us not want to eat, and as a result, cause weight loss.
Weight loss can also be due to nervous fidgeting and foot tapping which if done constantly can burn extra calories.
Stress isn't the only mental condition that that can cause rapid weight loss, depression, anxiety and eating disorders can also be a reason for someone losing a significant amount of weight.
For example, the main symptom of anorexia is deliberately losing weight or keeping your body weight much lower than is healthy for your age and height.
Losing control of how much you eat and then taking drastic action to not put the weight on, is also a sign of bulimia.
It's estimated that 1.25million people in the UK have an eating disorder, according to charity Beat.
Signs to watch out for include if someone is worrying about their weight or body shape, avoiding social occasions where food is involved, exercising too much and having strict habit around food.
WHAT IS ANOREXIA?Anorexia is a serious mental illness where a person restricts their food intake, which often causes them to be severely underweight.
Many also exercise excessively.
Some sufferers may experience periods of bingeing, followed by purging.
Sufferers often have a distorted view of themselves and think they are larger than they really are.
Untreated, patients can suffer loss of muscle and bone strength, as well as depression, low libido and menstruation ceasing in women.
In severe cases, patients can experience heart problems and organ damage.
Behavioural signs of anorexia include people saying they have already eaten or will do later, as well as counting calories, missing meals, hiding food and eating slowly.
As well as weight loss, sufferers may experience insomnia, constipation, bloating, feeling cold, hair loss, and swelling of the hands, face and feet.
Treatment focuses on therapy and self-help groups to encourage healthy eating and coping mechanisms.
Source: Beat Eating Disorders
Mark Lawrenson's Cancer Diagnosis And Other TV Stars 'saved' By Viewers
Lawrenson meets the viewer who alerted him to cancer scare
Football pundit Mark Lawrenson was recently given the all-clear following a cancer scare.
In June, GP Alan Brennan emailed the BBC show to say he had observed a dark patch on Lawrenson's face while watching the BBC football commentator on the television.
The 61-year-old pundit said he had been aware of the "blemish", but had put it down to too much time in the sun in an era before regularly applying sun cream became the norm.
"Like a typical 60-year-old bloke, I had been putting it off rather than sorting it out.
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It's not the first time someone has been diagnosed via the television.
Five years ago, Tarek El Moussa, a former estate agent and co-host of the US property show Flip or Flop, was alerted to a lump on his neck by a nurse who had seen him on the home makeover show.
Ryan Reade contacted cable channel HGTV who informed El Moussa of her concerns.
"I noticed that at certain angles, at certain times, it just caught my eye that Tarek had a lump on his throat," Ms Reade told Today
"I thought it was something that needed to be brought to his attention."
Mr El Moussa, who had been struggling with a smoker's cough for some time, called Reade's intervention a "lightbulb moment".
Flip or Flop's El Moussa described Nurse Ryan as "an amazing woman"
Doctors confirmed that he had stage-2 thyroid cancer.
Within a month of the biopsy in 2013, El Moussa - now 37 - had his thyroid and lymph nodes removed and began radiation treatment. The presenter is now cancer-free.
Doctors have pointed out that a lump in the neck can sometimes be the only initial symptom of thyroid cancer, meaning it can take a couple of years before it is diagnosed.
Remarkably, a similar incident occurred on the same US network earlier this year when an ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctor in New York spotted a lump on the throat of a potential homebuyer on HGTV's Beachfront Bargain Hunt: Renovation.
Nicole McGuinness had already overcome cancer once, having survived a Stage-4 brain tumour, but Dr Erich Voigt was concerned by a lump he spotted on her throat while watching the TV show.
'Just a miracle'
On 5 May, he posted a message on his Facebook account, calling on his friends to help him get in touch with Nicole.
"I am watching a TV show and notice this woman has a left thyroid mass. She needs a sonogram and fine needle biopsy. I wonder if she knows and hope it's benign. #beachfrontbargainhunt," he wrote on Facebook, accompanied by footage of Ms McGuinness.
A month later, he posted that Nicole had been tracked down and had followed his advice. The biopsy had revealed thyroid cancer.
Ms McGuinness, who does not have a Facebook account but was contacted by a friend of her mother's who saw the post, thanked Dr Voigt "from the bottom of my heart".
'It's just a miracle, in my opinion, that he happened to see this on television,' she said. She is currently undergoing treatment.
Morgan had the blemish removed on the advice of a skin doctor
Piers Morgan too, claims he had a lucky escape.
In December 2017, he was contacted by a melanoma expert who spotted a lesion on Mr Morgan's chest while he was filming an ITV documentary about serial killers.
Gillian Nuttall, founder of Melanoma UK, urged the Good Morning Britain presenter to have the blemish checked.
"Piers, at the risk of sounding like a lunatic, I'm just watching your programme and there's a blemish visible on your chest. Have you had it checked?" she emailed.
Morgan was quick to follow her advice and the blemish was removed on the advice of a "top dermatologist".
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"Much further delay, he informed me, and it might well have turned cancerous," he said. "'Give that lady a gold star!
"Oh the irony of a serial killer inadvertently helping to save my life."
Football Focus viewer alerted me to cancer scare - Lawro
Viewer Spots Florida Reporter Victoria Price's Cancer Growth
A viewer spotted Price's growth after watching an on-air broadcast
A reporter in Florida has thanked a viewer who spotted a cancerous growth on her neck and sent an email urging her to seek treatment.
"A viewer emailed me last month," WFLA reporter Victoria Price posted online on Thursday. "She saw a lump on my neck. Said it reminded her of her own."
"Hers was cancer. Turns out, mine is too," she said, announcing she would be taking time off from work to fight it.
Price said she would undergo surgery on Monday to remove the tumour.
"'8 On Your Side' isn't just a catchphrase at @wfla," she wrote on Instagram, referring to the station's call sign number and slogan.
"It's our cornerstone. But the roles recently reversed when I found a viewer on MY side, and I couldn't be more grateful."
Price said that her work covering the coronavirus outbreak in Tampa had distracted her from caring for her own health.
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"As a journalist, it's been full throttle since the pandemic began. Never-ending shifts in a never-ending news cycle," Price wrote, adding: "We were covering the most important health story in a century, but my own health was the farthest thing from my mind."
Doctors told her the tumour was spreading from the centre of her neck and would need to be surgically removed, along with her thyroid and some lymph nodes, she wrote in an article for WFLA.
"Had I never received that email, I never would have called my doctor. The cancer would have continued to spread. It's a scary and humbling thought," she posted.
"I will forever be thankful to the woman who went out of her way to email me, a total stranger. She had zero obligation to, but she did anyway. Talk about being on your side, huh?"
Thyroid cancer is far more common in women than men, Price reported, adding that roughly 75% of all cases diagnosed in the US this year have been women.
"So ladies…#CheckYourNeck!" she wrote, adding that she expects to return to work in a week.
This is not the first time that a watchful viewer has given helpful medical advice to a broadcaster.
Flip or Flop's El Moussa described Nurse Ryan as "an amazing woman"
In 2013, cable news host Tarek El Moussa was alerted to a lump on his neck by a nurse who had seen him on the home makeover show Flip or Flop.
"I thought it was something that needed to be brought to his attention," nurse Ryan Reade told NBC.
El Moussa has now recovered from stage-2 thyroid cancer.
Football Focus viewer alerted me to cancer scare - Lawro
Lawrenson given cancer all-clear
The TV stars 'saved' by their viewers
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