Pot and gaming combo could pose hidden health risks, researchers warn

Smoking marijuana and playing some video games may seem like a chill night for some — but both hobbies have been linked with psychosis in a variety of studies.

As the Trump administration considers reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug, touting the medicinal benefits of CBD, the question looms of how pot and gaming could impact the mental health of Americans.

A June 2023 study, published in the journal Psychopathology, examined the link between gaming disorder (an addictive behavioral disorder) and psychotic disorders.

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Excessive gaming may act as a trigger for psychotic episodes in some patients, according to multiple case reports. The sudden disruption of gaming habits could also trigger psychosis.

The researchers noted that there is a significant lack of research on how these two disorders interact.

A similar study from 2023, published in BMC Psychiatry, found that insomnia and cyberbullying are key mechanisms in this link between gaming and psychotic disorders.

The researchers concluded that prevention of sleep deprivation and cyberbullying can reduce the risk.

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Another study, published in Frontiers in Psychiatry in 2024, concluded that adolescents and young adults engage in "problematic gaming" much faster than adults.

Adolescents and young adults also shared similar psychiatric comorbidities, including autism, ADHD and problematic gambling.

More recent research has highlighted an increased risk of psychosis in certain marijuana users.

A study published in JAMA Psychiatry in April found that cannabis use disorder is associated with heightened dopamine activity in the same brain pathway involved in psychosis, which could explain why cannabis increases the risk of psychosis.

Another study from September 2025 compared psychotic symptoms, dissociation and alexithymia (difficulty identifying and expressing emotions) among non-cannabis users, natural cannabis users and synthetic cannabinoid users.

The results, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, found that synthetic users had more severe psychotic symptoms, high dissociative symptoms with little improvement over time, and limited recovery from alexithymia.

Natural cannabis users showed elevated dissociation with some improvement. The non-users had higher negative symptoms at the start, but these improved progressively over a six-month period.

The researchers concluded that synthetic cannabinoids are associated with "more severe and persistent psychotic symptoms and emotional dysregulation compared to natural cannabis."

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"These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions addressing emotional regulation and salience processing in cannabis-related psychosis," the authors wrote.

Both gaming and cannabis use have a more severe impact on the psychosis of younger individuals, research has shown.

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For example, a 2022 NIH-published study found that general substance use in kids under 17 years of age posed a greater risk of psychotic-like experiences.

"Developing early detection and intervention for both substance use and psychotic-like experiences may reduce long-term adverse outcomes," the researchers concluded.

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Prostate cancer patients see longer survival with new combination drug

A new treatment strategy tested by UCLA researchers could offer new hope for men whose prostate cancer has returned after initial treatment.

This approach could also help delay the need for hormone therapy, which can have burdensome side effects.

The findings, which were presented at the annual American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) meeting this week, showed that combining a targeted radioactive drug with standard radiation therapy more than doubled the amount of time patients remained free of disease progression.

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The study focused on men with a form of cancer recurrence where the disease had returned in only a few isolated spots. Traditionally, this has been treated with a type of focused radiation called stereotactic body radiation therapy, a highly precise type of radiation therapy used to treat tumors in the body.

The UCLA-led team wanted to determine whether adding a PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy, a radioactive drug that zeroes in on cancer cells, would be more effective, according to a press release.

The researchers enrolled 92 men with recurring prostate cancer into the trial. Half received radiation alone, while the other half received the new drug plus radiation.

The men who received both treatments stayed cancer-free for a median of nearly 18 months, compared to about seven months for those who got radiation alone.

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"This is the first randomized trial to show that PSMA-targeting radioligand can significantly delay progression when added to metastasis-directed radiation," Dr. Amar Kishan, executive vice chair of radiation oncology at UCLA and lead author of the study, told Fox News Digital.

Kishan called the work "a great example of true collaboration between radiation oncology and nuclear medicine."

One of the biggest benefits is the potential for patients to delay starting hormone therapy, according to Kishan. While this is a common next step, it often brings side effects like fatigue, bone loss and mood changes.

"It gives patients more time before needing hormonal therapy," Kishan said. "Avoiding or delaying hormonal therapy consistently benefits quality of life."

Despite the improvements, the cancer eventually came back for many of the patients. 

"There is always room for improvement," Kishan noted. "There were still progression events … so there may be ways to optimize the treatment further."

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The new drug, called 177Lu-PNT2002, is not yet FDA-approved for use at this stage of disease.

For now, Kishan recommends that men who are experiencing a spread of their prostate cancer to areas outside the prostate should "seek a consultation with a radiation oncologist to explore options."

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Risk of deadly cancer triples with hidden mouth bacteria, study finds

People with certain bacteria and fungi in their mouths may face a dramatically higher risk of pancreatic cancer — more than three times greater — according to new research from NYU Langone Health and and Perlmutter Cancer Center.

In the study, which was published in JAMA Oncology, researchers identified 27 types of bacterial and fungal species in the mouth’s microbiome that may contribute to the disease.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers — in 2025, an estimated 67,440 Americans will be diagnosed and about 51,980 people will die from it, according to the American Cancer Society.

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"Right now, we don’t have good screening tests, and treatment options are limited — so, finding new modifiable risk factors is very important, because it can help us prevent this disease," co-senior study author Jiyoung Ahn, Ph.D., professor of population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and associate director for population science at NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, told Fox News Digital.

The researchers analyzed saliva collected from 122,000 healthy adults who participated in two larger cancer studies and followed them for approximately nine years. 

The investigators compared the oral microbiota found in 445 patients who developed pancreatic cancer with that of 445 randomly selected cancer-free participants. 

Factors such as medical history, smoking habits, race and age were taken into account, the study authors noted.

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The investigators identified 24 species of bacteria and fungi that were associated with an increased or lowered risk of the disease, as well as three more bacteria known to be linked to both gum disease and pancreatic cancer.

Collectively, the microbes were associated with more than a threefold increased risk for developing this type of cancer.

"Altogether, we summarized the effects of these 27 microbial species by creating a risk score that combines each species’ effect size and abundance," Ahn told Fox News Digital. "Using this approach, we found that individuals with higher scores had a 3.5-fold increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer."

The connection between poor oral health and pancreatic cancer has been observed in previous studies, but little was known about which species of bacteria are potential culprits.

"Oral microbiome profiling could serve as a non-invasive biomarker to identify individuals at elevated risk who might benefit from enhanced surveillance, which is especially important given the lack of effective early detection methods for pancreatic cancer," Ahn noted.

These findings emphasize the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene through regular brushing, flossing and dental care.

"This is a modifiable factor for pancreatic cancer prevention," Ahn said. "This also aligns with broader public health messages, such as the U.S. surgeon general’s report emphasizing that oral health has important effects on overall systemic health." 

Florencia McAllister, M.D., associate professor of gastrointestinal medical oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, has been tracking microbes in the oral cavity and stool samples.

"In the future, microbial characterization and modulation may be an important part of personalized cancer prevention," McAllister, who was not associated with the study, told Fox News Digital.

Further investigation is needed to determine whether microbes play a role in cancer development or whether other causes, such as genetics or immunosuppression, are at play, according to the doctor.

Dr. Purnima Kumar, chair of the department of periodontics and oral medicine at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, confirmed the link between oral health and disease.

"We cannot separate the oral cavity or oral diseases from diseases that happen elsewhere in the body," Kumar, who is also a spokesperson for the American Dental Association, told Fox News Digital. (She was not involved in the study.)

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To promote a healthy oral microbiome, the dentist recommends brushing and flossing regularly and performing consistent dental exams. 

Dietary choices and lifestyle habits — such as alcohol use, smoking and vaping — can also affect oral health, Kumar noted.

The study did have some limitations, the study authors acknowledged.

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For example, the research established only a correlation between pancreatic cancer risk and oral microbes, and further studies are needed to establish a direct cause and effect.

Moving forward, the team will investigate whether viruses in the mouth contribute to cancer and if the microbiome plays a role in survival outcomes.

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Skin DNA breakthrough could let 60-year-old women have genetically related kids

Women in their 60s and 70s could theoretically one day give birth to genetically related children, according to scientists pioneering a breakthrough technique that converts DNA from skin cells into human eggs capable of producing embryos.

Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University created early-stage human embryos from DNA taken from skin cells and fertilized them with sperm. 

Although in its infancy, the experimental technique, described in a new study, could open possibilities for older women who have run out of eggs and also same-sex couples who want children genetically related to both partners. 

While some experts caution the work is still in early stages, they predict that, if successful, the technology could be ready for clinical use within 10 to 15 years.

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Dr. Paulo Amato, a reproductive endocrinologist and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, told Fox News Digital the discovery and the study were promising.

"It is very preliminary work at this stage, but if it were to be successful, it would offer hope for couples and people suffering from infertility, particularly older women who have run out of eggs," said Amato, who co-authored and co-investigated the recent study.

Amato cautioned that even if the method works, carrying a pregnancy at an advanced age poses significant health risks. 

"We still have to keep in mind that somebody has to carry that pregnancy," she said. "So, we're not necessarily advocating for women in their 60s and 70s to be carrying pregnancies, but, theoretically, they could have a child that is genetically related. I would predict this to be in 10 to 15 years, at least."

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The experimental procedure begins with the nucleus of a skin cell, which contains the DNA. 

Scientists remove that nucleus and insert it into a donor egg that has had its own nucleus stripped away. 

The egg is then triggered to discard half of its chromosomes, reducing them from 46 to 23. 

This makes it compatible for fertilization with sperm, which adds the other 23 chromosomes. 

If successful, the resulting embryo is genetically normal and can be transferred into a uterus to begin pregnancy.

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The technique could also help women who've had previous cancer therapy or transform family planning for same-sex couples. 

"It would potentially allow for same-sex couples to have a child that's genetically related to both partners," Amato explained. 

"Usually, they have to use eggs from a donor. With this technology, we could use a skin cell from one partner to create an egg, fertilize it with sperm from the other and produce a baby genetically related to both.

"This is preliminary work, and there's a lot we need to understand before it is ready," Amato stressed. 

"All the embryos we created were actually genetically abnormal, with too many or too few chromosomes. We have a lot of work to do."

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Deadly mosquito-borne virus sparks CDC travel alert — could it reach the US?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging traveling Americans to be on high alert for a deadly mosquito-borne virus after reporting an outbreak of chikungunya in Cuba this week.

This announcement comes after reports that chikungunya virus may have been detected in the U.S., although no specific link between the two events has been revealed.

In light of the outbreak in Cuba, the health agency has issued a Level 2 Travel Notice: "Practice Enhanced Precautions."

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Chikungunya virus is spread by infected mosquitoes, the same type that carry Zika and dengue.

Symptoms usually appear within a week of being bitten, according to various health departments. 

The virus often causes fever and intense joint pain that is sometimes so severe it can be disabling. Other symptoms may include headache, muscle aches, skin rash or swelling.

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Most people recover in about a week, but for some, the joint pain lingers for months or even years. Older adults and people with health issues like diabetes or heart disease are more likely to face complications, according to the CDC.

Previous outbreaks of the virus have occurred in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There is also a risk that infected travelers could spread the virus to unaffected areas, the CDC says.

After more than 10,000 cases emerged in China during an outbreak in late August, authorities applied safety precautions similar to previous COVID protocols, such as expanded PCR testing and quarantines.

The outbreak also spilled from Foshan into Macao, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Guangxi through travel-linked cases.

"While no locally transmitted cases of chikungunya virus have been reported in New York State, the Department urges New Yorkers who are traveling internationally to take precautions," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in an August press release. 

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For Americans traveling abroad, the CDC recommends following the below best practices.

Pregnant women should be especially cautious, as the virus can be passed from mother to newborn at birth, and infections in infants can be very serious.

There is no specific treatment or widely available vaccine for chikungunya. Doctors typically recommend managing symptoms with rest, fluids and pain medications.

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If you develop fever, rash, or joint pain while traveling abroad, health experts say you should see a doctor immediately and mention your travel history.

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New breast cancer drug wins FDA approval after slashing progression risk by nearly 40%

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new treatment for advanced breast cancer.

Drugmaker Eli Lilly announced on Sept. 25 the approval of Inluriyo, an oral estrogen receptor antagonist, to treat adults with specific types of the disease.

Those types include estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2–), ESR1-mutated advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

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The once-daily pill is also meant for those who saw disease progression after at least one line of endocrine (hormone) therapy, according to a press release.

In the phase 3 EMBER-3 trial, Inluriyo reportedly reduced the risk of cancer progression or death by 38% compared to endocrine therapy.

Patients with ESR1-mutated metastatic breast cancer saw a "significant" improvement in progression-free survival with Inluriyo, compared to other hormone treatments like fulvestrant or exemestane, with a median survival of 5.5 months versus 3.8 months.

Some cancers develop mutations that can cause estrogen receptors to "become overactive and drive cancer growth," Eli Lilly noted.

Inluriyo works to bind, block and facilitate the "degradation of these receptors," which helps to slow the disease progression.

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"This represents an important advancement for patients with ESR1-mutated MBC, a mutation found in nearly half of patients who have taken hormone therapies, often contributing to treatment resistance," study lead Komal Jhaveri, M.D., section head of endocrine therapy research and clinical director of early drug development at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, commented in a press release statement.

"With its demonstrated efficacy, tolerability profile and oral administration, this therapy provides a meaningful alternative treatment option for this patient population."

Inluriyo comes with a warning that it may be dangerous for an unborn baby, which means women who are pregnant or could become pregnant should talk to their doctor before taking it.

During the phase 3 trial, common side effects were "low grade" but included lab abnormalities, musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, constipation, abdominal pain, an increase in cholesterol and triglycerides, and a reduction in hemoglobin, calcium, platelets, white blood cells and certain enzymes mostly found in the liver, per the FDA.

Around 4.6% of patients discontinued treatment due to these adverse events, while 2.4% reduced their doses and 10% had dose interruptions.

Jacob Van Naarden, executive vice president and president of Lilly Oncology in Indianapolis, commented that this therapy "reflects our commitment to developing treatments that improve outcomes for people with breast cancer and represents an important step toward advancing innovative, all-oral treatment approaches."

"This therapy has the potential to make the treatment journey more manageable for those living with breast cancer."

Eli Lilly shared that Inluriyo will continue to be studied in the ongoing phase 3 EMBER-4 trial for patients with ER+, HER2– early breast cancer at an increased recurrence risk. This trial will enroll about 8,000 patients globally.

Inluriyo is expected to be available in the U.S. in "the coming weeks," according to the company.

Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier, radiologist and director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, reacted to the drug approval in an interview with Fox News Digital.

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"In approving this new medication, the FDA has granted patients who develop resistance to first-line therapies with a new, evidence-based option — one that showed a 38% reduction in risk of progression or death in the EMBER-3 trial," she said.

"Just this morning, I saw a woman whose cancer persists because of this exact ESR1 mutation, and breakthroughs like this are changing the landscape — delivering more selective treatments and giving people who once felt hopeless, hope."

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Saphier added that it’s "critical to remain vigilant" about potential safety issues with this treatment, including fatal cardiovascular events — "and to ensure that patients receive informed, individualized guidance."

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World’s oldest woman lived to 117 thanks to 6 healthy aging secrets

At 117 years old, María Branyas was confirmed by Guinness World Records to be the world’s oldest living person — and researchers say her long life wasn’t just good luck.

In a statement to Guinness, Branyas attributed her longevity to "order, tranquility, good connection with family and friends, contact with nature, emotional stability, no worries, no regrets, lots of positivity and staying away from toxic people."

Before her death on Aug. 19, 2024, scientists at the Josep Carreras Institute in Barcelona, Spain, studied Branyas' gene samples in an attempt to confirm the reasons for her longevity.

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Led by Dr. Manel Esteller, head of the Cancer Epigenetics group at the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, the research team used non-invasive methods to sample three types of tissues, according to a press release.

They analyzed Branyas’ genome (DNA sequencing), epigenome (DNA methylation), transcriptome (expression of genes at the RNA level), proteome (expression of genes at the protein level) and metabolism (small molecules such as cholesterol or sugar). 

Although the team detected signs of aging in their analysis, they also found that Branyas had "genetic characteristics associated with neuroprotection and cardioprotection," as well as low levels of inflammation.

"Branyas had an exceptional genome enriched in variants in genes that are associated with enhanced lifespan in other species (such as dogs, worms and flies) and in genes that provide cardiolipidic protection and retention of cognition," Esteller told Fox News Digital. 

"At the same time, she was devoid of gene variants associated [with] the risk of pathologies such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and metabolic disorders."

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Branyas also had a large amount of the beneficial bacteria Bifidobacterium in her microbiome (gut), which the researchers chalked up to her frequent consumption of yogurt.

Bifidobacterium boosts the immune system, balances inflammation, regulates metabolism and helps to digest certain carbohydrates and dietary fibers.

"We explained to her that the consumption of yogurt and the composition of the bacteria in her gut could be related to her long lifespan," Esteller said. 

"In addition, her lipid profile was amazing — very low cholesterol, low LDL (the bad fat) and high HDL (the good fat)," he went on. "This was related to her frugal diet and genes that quickly metabolized the damaging molecules."

Branyas also never smoked or drank alcohol.

She had a biological age younger than her chronological age, as determined by epigenetic markers, the researchers found.

This study, which was published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, was the most thorough deep dive into the biology of supercentenarians (people over 110 years), according to Esteller.

He referred to Branyas as an "exceptional person, with a smile that lit up the room and an optimism we deeply need," plus someone who "was eager to help others" by participating in the study.

According to Guinness, Branyas had no health issues other than being hard of hearing and having some mobility issues, and her mind was "perfectly lucid."

Overall, the fact that she lived to 117 without serious disease shows that aging can be "clearly distinguished from illness," the researchers wrote.

The team concluded that a "healthy diet, a stimulating and diverse social network, and the absence of toxic habits" likely played a role in Branyas’ "exceptional longevity," although they also noted that more research is needed to link biological characteristics to specific habits.

Branyas also told Guinness, "I think longevity is also about being lucky. Luck and good genetics."

In their study, the researchers identified the following factors that likely fostered healthy aging and extended Branyas’ longevity, according to Esteller.

The biggest takeaway from the study, according to Esteller, is that it identified markers of healthy aging with a good chance of achieving considerable longevity. 

"For example, her very short telomeres showed that those cells have divided many times, but that did not affect her well-being," he said. "The rejuvenated microbiome and epigenome provided a plus for the extreme lifespan."

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The study also suggests that dietary changes could not only help to avoid obesity and other related diseases, but could also extend lifespan by improving gut health.

"Finally, the identification of genes linked to the supercentenarian feature might provide new targets for pharmacological development, opening the door for more ‘intelligent’ drugs to increase healthy lifespan," Esteller said. 

The study did have some limitations, the researchers noted, including the fact that aging is a "highly individualized process" shaped by many genetic and environmental factors. 

"Drawing broadly applicable conclusions from a single subject should be taken with caution," they wrote, noting that more detailed studies of aging hallmarks are needed.

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"A final limitation of our work is that we have not studied the effect of exercise or metabolic tuning, or assessed the effects of drugs targeting some of the observed features to explore their potential anti-aging effects," the researchers added. 

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