Archaeologists uncover evidence of early brain surgery on 9th-century man

Archaeologists have unearthed evidence of what may be the world’s first surgery: a Viking-age human skull with a portion removed.

The remains, belonging to a man between 17 and 24 years old, feature an oval hole roughly 3 centimeters in diameter. Experts believe the man lived during the ninth century, according to reporting by SWNS.

The man likely underwent trepanation, an ancient surgical procedure where a hole is bored into a living person’s skull to treat conditions like migraines or seizures. 

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University of Cambridge students discovered the remains last year during a training dig at the Wandlebury Iron Age hill fort.

The discovery is notable not just for the surgery, but for the man’s physical stature. Standing 6 feet, 5 inches tall, he towered over the average male of the era, who typically stood 5 feet, 6 inches, per SWNS.

"The individual may have had a tumor that affected their pituitary gland and caused an excess of growth hormones," said Dr. Trish Biers, curator of the Duckworth Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, in the report.

"We can see this in the unique characteristics in the long shafts of their limb bones and elsewhere on the skeleton."

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Biers noted that such a condition would have increased intracranial pressure and caused severe headaches. The trepanation was likely an attempt to alleviate that pain, a goal that is "not uncommon with head trauma today."

The burial site itself presented a grim mystery. The mass grave contained a mix of complete and dismembered bodies, including a cluster of skulls and what researchers described as a "stack of legs."

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Four complete skeletons were unearthed, some in positions suggesting that they had been tied up. 

Most appeared to be young men thrown into the pit without care, leading archaeologists to suspect that the site marks the aftermath of a skirmish, battle or mass execution.

"Those buried could have been recipients of corporal punishment, and that may be connected to Wandlebury as a sacred or well-known meeting place," Oscar Aldred of the Cambridge Archaeological Unit told SWNS.

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"It may be that some of the disarticulated body parts had previously been displayed as trophies and were then gathered up and interred with the executed or otherwise slaughtered individuals."

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Cancer survivors eating certain food types could face sharply higher risk of death

Cancer survivors consuming high amounts of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) may face a significantly higher risk of death, even if the cause is unrelated to the disease itself.

A new study from the American Association for Cancer Research linked increased consumption of these largely ready-to-eat, high-sugar, high-salt and high-additive foods to an increased risk of all-cause and cancer-specific mortality.

"What people eat after a cancer diagnosis may influence survival, but most research in this population has focused only on nutrients, not how processed the food is," said lead author Marialaura Bonaccio, Ph.D., of the Research Unit of Epidemiology and Prevention at IRCCS Neuromed in Pozzilli, Italy, in a press release.

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UPFs are often low in essential nutrients and contain additives, artificial flavorings, preservatives, and high levels of added sugars and unhealthy fats that the body may not process well, according to nutritionists.

"The substances involved in the industrial processing of foods can interfere with metabolic processes, disrupt gut microbiota and promote inflammation," Bonaccio said. 

"As a result, even when an ultraprocessed food has a similar calorie content and nutritional composition on paper compared to a minimally processed or ‘natural’ food, it could still have a more harmful effect on the body."

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In the study, researchers followed more than 24,000 individuals from 2005 to 2022. Among this group, 802 cancer survivors provided dietary information via a questionnaire from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), according to the press release.

All participants were 35 or older and lived in the Southern Italian region of Molise.

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UPFs were defined using the NOVA classification system, a widely used framework that classifies foods based on the extent of industrial processing. 

The team examined seven specific categories of ultraprocessed items, including processed meats, salty snacks, sugary sweets and dairy products containing additives.

To measure intake, the researchers used two metrics: weight ratio (total weight of UPFs compared to all food consumed daily) and energy ratio (percentage of daily calories derived from UPFs).

During a median follow-up of 14.6 years, survivors in the highest third of UPF consumption by weight had a 48% higher rate of death from any cause and a 57% higher rate of death from cancer than those in the lowest third, the researchers found.

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The study also revealed that increased inflammation and elevated resting heart rates accounted for approximately 37% of the link between UPFs and mortality.

The risk remained even after researchers accounted for how closely people followed a healthy Mediterranean-style diet.

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While some categories showed stronger links to mortality than others, Bonaccio cautioned against fixating on a single "bad" food. Instead, he stressed that the real problem is eating a diet largely made up of heavily processed, industrial foods.

"The negative health effects are not explained solely by poor nutrient profiles," Bonaccio said. "The level and nature of industrial food processing itself plays an independent role."

Based on the findings, the researchers suggest that cancer survivors carefully check labels, as foods containing more than five ingredients or any industrial additives are likely considered ultraprocessed.

"Focusing on the diet as a whole and shifting consumption toward fresh, minimally processed, home-cooked foods is the most meaningful approach," Bonaccio advised.

The study, which was published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, had several limitations, the researchers acknowledged. 

Because the study was observational, it could not prove causality. It also relied on people reporting their own diets, which might not be perfectly accurate. 

Because diets were measured about eight years after diagnosis, the results may mostly reflect people who survived long enough to be included, which could skew the findings. As the study cohort was Italian, it may not apply to wider populations.

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Nearly 40% of cancers can be prevented with 3 lifestyle changes, study finds

Nearly half of cancers could be avoided by cutting out three major risk factors, a new study has revealed.

Research published this week in Nature Medicine identified that nearly 40% of global cancer cases are linked to tobacco (15% of new cases), infections (10%) and alcohol consumption (3%).

Overall, 7.1 million cancer diagnoses in 2022 were linked to 30 modifiable risk factors, according to the study.

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"The key here is that almost half of all cancers could be prevented by behavioral changes," Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News Digital senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital.

Conducted by the World Health Organization and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the study analyzed global cancer data across 185 countries, matching it with exposure data for the 30 risk factors.

Lung, stomach and cervical cancers accounted for nearly half of the cases that were linked to modifiable risks, with many linked to viruses and bacteria like the human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B and C, and Helicobacter pylori (a common bacterium that infects the stomach lining).

"Preventable cancers of the cervix and throat are directly linked to the HPV virus and can be prevented by the HPV vaccine," added Siegel, who was not involved in the study.

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Lung cancer, throat and GI cancers, and several others were linked to cigarette smoking, and alcohol was associated with breast, liver, colon and throat cancer, the doctor noted.

"Environmental factors are also key, varying by geography — 45% of new cancers could be prevented in men, and 30% in women," he said.

Study author Hanna Fink, from the Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC/WHO, said the main message is that many cancers can be prevented.

"Almost four in 10 new cancer cases worldwide, which represent 7.1 million lives that don’t need to be changed by a cancer diagnosis, were linked to things we can change or modify through awareness and public-health action," she told Fox News Digital.

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"These things include tobacco smoking, infections, alcohol consumption, excess body weight, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation and others."

Looking ahead, the researchers recommend that stronger prevention strategies targeting tobacco use, infections, unhealthy body weight and alcohol use could substantially reduce global cancer cases.

"The study reinforces that cancer prevention works, and action is most effective at the population level," Fink said. 

"Governments and communities play a crucial role by making healthy choices easier, for example, through higher tobacco and alcohol taxes, smoke-free policies, clear health warnings, safer workplaces, cleaner air, and affordable access to vaccination and screening. Individuals can support these by advocating for healthier environments and using available preventive services."

The AIRC offers the following recommendations to minimize cancer risk.

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"As a family physician, I try to help my patients understand how important their daily habits are in lowering their future cancer risk," said Dr. Chris Scuderi, a cancer survivor and Florida-based family physician.

The doctor’s key prevention targets include daily exercise, consistent and restorative sleep, a Mediterranean-style diet, regular doctor's visits and sufficient rest.

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"Small daily wins add up to make a powerful difference over time," added Scuderi, who also was not involved in the research. "It’s also essential to stay on top of your routine screenings, which your family physician can help you with."

The study did have some limitations. The researchers often used data from around 2012 due to the long delay between exposure and cancer, which means the data may not reflect the most recent behaviors or environments.

"This is a necessary simplification, because in reality, latency can be longer or shorter depending on the cancer and the exposure," Fink noted.

Siegel pointed out that cancer types vary by geographic region — for example, stomach cancer is more prominent in Asia — and the relationships between risk factors and cancer prevalence can differ between countries, populations and time periods.

"We rely on the best available data on how common each risk factor is in different countries and how strongly it is linked to cancer, but these data are not perfect and are weaker in some low- and middle-income countries," Fink said.

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Finally, the study only looked at 30 risk factors with the strongest evidence and global data.

"Our estimate of ‘almost 40% of cancers are preventable’ is very likely conservative," the researcher added. "Some other suspected causes, such as certain aspects of diet, could not be included because the science or the data are not yet robust enough at a global level." 

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Surgeons keep man alive without lungs, paving new path to transplant

Surgeons at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago were able to keep a critically ill patient alive for 48 hours after removing both of his lungs, the hospital reported last week.

The patient, a 33-year-old Missouri resident whose name was not shared, was originally flown to Northwestern Memorial Hospital with lung failure linked to a flu infection in spring 2023.

When his condition escalated to severe pneumonia and sepsis, his heart stopped and the team performed CPR, according to a press release on the case.

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"He had developed an infection of his lungs that just could not be treated with any antibiotics because it was resistant to everything," said Ankit Bharat, M.D., chief of thoracic surgery and executive director of the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute. "That infection caused his lungs to liquify and then continued to progress to the rest of his body."

The lungs needed to be removed to stop the spread of infection, but there was a dangerous risk of immediate heart failure.

"The lungs act as a ‘shock absorber’ for the right side of the heart; when you remove them, the heart pumps against high resistance and can fail instantly," Bharat told Fox News Digital. 

"Another critical danger is that without blood flowing from the lungs to the left heart, the left heart chambers can collapse or form deadly clots."

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While the man remained on life support, the medical team designed a "total artificial lung system" (TAL) that took over gas exchange (oxygenation and CO₂ removal) and maintained blood flow to the heart in hopes that it could keep the patient alive after both of his diseased lungs were removed.

"A key innovation here is that we maintained the heart's natural physiology. By using a ‘flow-adaptive’ design, we allowed the patient's own heart to regulate blood flow, rather than forcing it with a machine," Bharat said.

"Just one day after we took out the lungs, his body started to get better because the infection was gone."

After 48 hours, the patient was stable enough to proceed with a double-lung transplant. Two years later, he is back to his regular routine.

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"The patient is doing remarkably well," Dr. Bharat said. "He has excellent lung function, his heart function is preserved and he is completely functionally independent."

This was the first successful application of this specific type of system, according to the medical team.

"While the concept of removing lungs and bridging to transplant has been attempted in rare cases historically, those prior attempts faced significant limitations regarding blood flow management and the risk of clots," Bharat told Fox News Digital. 

"Our system is novel because it includes a self-regulating ‘shunt’ that mimics the natural physics of the lung to protect the heart, and it uses dual return tubes to maintain normal blood flow through the left heart chambers."

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In a case study, which was published last week in the Cell Press journal Med, experts revealed a "molecular analysis" of the removed lungs, showing extensive scarring and damage. This supports the idea that in some severe cases of acute respiratory distress syndrome, transplantation may be the only viable option.

Researchers hope that the TAL system could eventually be a viable strategy for patients who are waiting for donor lungs — specifically, those with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) along with necrotizing pneumonia or septic shock.

"These patients have a mortality rate exceeding 80% and are often turned down for transplant because they are too infected," Dr. Bharat said. "This technology allows us to ‘clean the slate’ by removing the infection, stabilizing the patient and bridging them to a successful transplant."

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In the future, he added, they hope to develop durable, implantable artificial lungs that patients can live with long-term, not just as a bridge to transplant.

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New Mexico newborn dies from Listeria infection after mother drank raw milk while pregnant: state officials

A newborn baby in New Mexico died from a Listeria infection likely tied to the mother drinking raw milk while pregnant, according to state health officials.

The New Mexico Department of Health issued a warning Tuesday urging people to avoid consuming raw dairy products following the newborn’s death. Health officials believe the "most likely" source of infection was the mother drinking unpasteurized milk during pregnancy.

While investigators said they could not determine the exact cause, they said the "tragic death underscores the serious risks raw dairy poses to pregnant women, young children, elderly New Mexicans and anyone with a weakened immune system."

Raw milk has seen a surge in popularity amid the Make America Healthy Again movement led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a regulation decades ago prohibiting the interstate sale of raw milk, but the drink is not federally banned, leaving individual states to decide whether it's safe for human consumption.

"Individuals who are pregnant should only consume pasteurized milk products to help prevent illnesses and deaths in newborns," Dr. Chad Smelser, deputy state epidemiologist for the New Mexico Department of Health said in a statement.

Raw milk has not been pasteurized — a process that heats milk to remove disease-causing germs.

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Consuming food or beverages made from raw milk can expose people to Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, Brucella and Salmonella, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the U.S., infecting about 1,250 people and causing roughly 172 deaths each year, according to the CDC.

The CDC notes that certain groups of people, including children under the age of 5, adults over 65, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, have a higher risk of serious illness.

"New Mexico’s dairy producers work hard to provide safe, wholesome products and pasteurization is a vital part of that process," Jeff M. Witte, New Mexico secretary of agriculture, said in a statement. "Consumers, particularly those at higher risk, are encouraged to choose pasteurized dairy products to reduce the risk of serious foodborne illness."

Last August, an outbreak of E. coli and Campylobacter linked to raw milk from a Florida farm sickened 21 people, including six children.

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Dangerous TikTok trend leaves boy badly burned as doctors issue warning

A 9-year-old boy is recovering after a popular toy caused second-degree burns to his face and hands.

Caleb Chabolla, a fourth-grader in Illinois, was injured after heating up a NeeDoh in the microwave late last month.

The NeeDoh, a sensory toy similar to a stress ball, is described on the company’s website as a "gratifying super soft, super stretchy dough filled groovy glob."

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After microwaving the toy to soften it, Chabolla removed it and began squeezing it when it exploded in his face.

"I heard him screaming loudly and saw him take off running toward the bathroom, and he just kept yelling, ‘it burns, it burns,’" Whitney Grubb, the boy’s mother, told Fox News Digital.

Grubb saw that the right side of Chabolla’s face was covered in a thick gel, with bright red skin underneath. She initially tried to wash off the substance, but it was too painful, so she drove her son to the emergency room.

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Chabolla was ultimately transferred via ambulance to the Loyola Burn Center, where he stayed overnight. Doctors "debrided" the burn, which involves cleaning burn wounds by removing dead, damaged or infected skin and debris.

"Because his eye ended up swelling all the way closed, they also brought in ophthalmology to make sure he didn't have any injury to his eye," Grubb said.

The doctors at Loyola informed Grubb that they had recently treated four other children who had been burned by heating up NeeDohs, stemming from a viral trend on TikTok.

"Caleb had heard about it through word of mouth through friends at school," Grubb said.

After two weeks of recovery and daily wound cleanings, Chabolla was released to return to school on Wednesday.

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"His face is looking a lot better," Grubb said. "There are a few spots that are still healing, but the majority of his face is pretty healed over."

He will continue to need vitamin E lotion as well as sunscreen to keep the skin protected from burns, she added.

"For the most part, Caleb is just happy to be back at school to see his friends, so he's in better spirits now."

Grubb wants to spread the word to warn other parents about the potential dangers of putting these types of toys in the microwave.

"It’s hard to micromanage every little thing your kid does, and unfortunately, kids are going to experiment and try things — they don't know the risks of these kinds of things, and they don’t know how hot things can get in a short amount of time."

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Fox News Digital reached out to the manufacturer of NeeDoh and to the Loyola Burn Center requesting comment.

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Marijuana compound may help prevent dementia when paired with common drug

As marijuana's potential health benefits are under debate, new research has found that THC could have a powerful and positive effect on the brain.

Researchers at the University of Texas (UT) at San Antonio, Long School of Medicine, recently discovered that THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana) could prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease – but only when paired with an anti-inflammatory drug called celecoxib.

Celecoxib is a selective COX-2 inhibitor that is commonly prescribed for arthritis and pain.

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While THC has previously been shown to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, it’s also been linked to negative effects on the brain, particularly in learning and memory, according to a UT Health press release.

Combining THC with an anti-inflammatory drug, however, could provide the same benefits with fewer negative side effects.

The study, which was published in the journal Aging and Disease, paired low-dose THC extract with celecoxib, which was administered to mice daily for 30 days.

The mice received the treatments before the development of memory symptoms to measure the impact on preventing or delaying Alzheimer’s.

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The results showed improved cognition, learning and memory, as well as decreased markers of neuroinflammation and reduced Alzheimer’s-related brain pathology, the release stated.

Although THC alone had the same results, it also increased inflammatory signals, while the combination dosage did not.

"What really mattered was behavior. If cognition is not improved, then the treatment doesn’t matter. And that’s where the combination clearly worked better than THC alone," noted lead study author Chu Chen, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology.

Years of research led Chen to connect the dots on how THC can manipulate the brain and why it’s difficult to use safely for neurological conditions, according to UT Health.

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"When THC is given, it unexpectedly increases COX-2 in the brain. That increase is closely associated with learning and memory impairment," Chen said.

Both THC and celecoxib are FDA-approved for use in humans, which could provide a "real advantage" in moving along to clinical trials, according to UT Health.

Future studies will investigate whether the drug combination can slow disease progression or reverse deficits after symptoms have appeared.

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"This work has taken many years. But now we’re at a point where basic neuroscience discoveries are pointing toward something that could realistically move into the clinic," Chen said.

Dr. Paul Saphier, a neurosurgeon and founder of Coaxial Neurosurgical Specialists in New Jersey, called this research an "exciting breakthrough with a huge potential impact for patients and their families."

"Neurocognitive deterioration has been linked to conditions that cause inflammation within the brain — prior brain bleeds, strokes, tumors and infections," he told Fox News Digital. "We also know that the buildup of the plaques related to Alzheimer's [beta-amyloid plaques] are the result of chronic inflammation."

"So, it makes sense that this combination therapy [might] help limit the production of this amyloid and thereby reduce the progression of the disease."

Saphier said the drugs’ FDA approval status is "encouraging," as it may "ultimately ease the availability for patients, if the trial proves successful."

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"I look forward to the results of this trial, as well as any future trials that look at limiting the effects of chronic inflammation within the central nervous system."

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