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News18
23-07-2025
- Health
- News18
Early Detection Is The Key: 4 Things You Should Know About Prostate Cancer
Early-stage prostate cancer often shows no symptoms, making timely screening crucial for better outcomes. Joe Biden's diagnosis of prostate cancer has reignited attention toward one of the most overlooked yet second most common cancers among men globally. Often seen as a 'Western" disease, rising cases in India have largely flown under the radar. Urban registries show it's now among the top ten cancers in men, particularly in cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, and Thiruvananthapuram. Cultural taboos, stigma around men's health, and vague or absent early symptoms often keep men from speaking up or seeking help. This silence, paired with limited awareness, leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment. 1. Prostate cancer often shows no early symptoms 'Frequent urination, weak urine flow, or pelvic discomfort in men over 50 can sometimes be early signs of prostate cancer — not just ageing. The risk increases further with a family history or sedentary lifestyle. If you notice these changes, it is important to consult a doctor and understand your screening options," says Dr. Kaushal Kalra, Head of Department, Medical Oncology, VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi. Many men are unaware they're at risk until the disease progresses. Early prostate cancer typically shows few, easily overlooked symptoms. That's why screening is essential. Simple tools like the PSA blood test (which checks for prostate-specific antigen levels) or a digital rectal exam (DRE) can help detect potential issues early. These tests take just a few minutes and are available at health camps and government clinics. Just as women are encouraged to screen for breast or cervical cancer, men too need regular check-ups — especially after the age of 50, or earlier if risk factors are present. 2. Risk factors can help determine when to start screening Age, family history, ethnicity, and obesity influence the risk of prostate cancer. Men above 50, or those with a father or brother who had prostate cancer, are more vulnerable. Some research also suggests that diets high in red meat or dairy may increase risk, though this is still being studied. Despite these known risks, many Indian men remain unaware or reluctant to get screened. That's why it is critical for families, health workers, and doctors to normalize such conversations. Community health centers and local awareness drives can play a pivotal role in encouraging men to get screened, especially those in high-risk groups. 3. Early detection improves treatment outcomes and preserves quality of life Fortunately, medical progress is making a difference but only when the disease is caught early. 'The treatment journey today looks very different than it did a few years ago. Precision medicine and integrative care are helping men live longer and better. But access to these options depends on how early we act," explains Dr Ashish Gawde, Medical Director – South Asia, Bayer Pharmaceuticals. 'Awareness, timely diagnosis, and the right support system can significantly shift the long-term impact of prostate cancer." When diagnosed early, prostate cancer is often treatable. In some cases, immediate treatment may not be necessary. Early detection gives doctors and patients more treatment options — like minimally invasive procedures — which often mean shorter recovery times. More importantly, catching cancer early helps patients maintain a better quality of life throughout their care. Men can continue working, travelling, and staying active with minimal hindrance. 4. Treatment options range from less invasive procedures to advanced therapies Contrary to popular belief, a prostate cancer diagnosis doesn't always involve chemotherapy or surgery. In many early-stage cases, doctors recommend 'active surveillance", a structured system of regular check-ups and monitoring without starting treatment. For more advanced stages, hormone therapies, radiation, and newer targeted treatments allow for greater precision and fewer side effects. The key? Timing. The earlier the diagnosis, the broader the treatment choices. So where do we go from here? Talking openly about prostate health isn't just about awareness, it's about saving lives. By encouraging regular screenings and normalizing conversations around men's health, we empower individuals, families, and communities to take action early. Because when it comes to cancer, timing makes all the difference. view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 23, 2025, 07:47 IST News lifestyle » health-and-fitness Early Detection Is The Key: 4 Things You Should Know About Prostate Cancer Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Not just ‘slash and burn'—the real reason this major pharmaceutical company ousted 40% of its middle managers
Good morning! As companies look to cut costs, many CEOs are looking to trim bloat at the middle-manager level. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in March that he plans to flatten the company's corporate hierarchy by eliminating middle managers and giving more power back to individual contributors. And he's not alone in this thinking. In a bid to turn the company around, struggling German pharmaceutical giant Bayer made a drastic decision last year: doing away with middle managers and 99% of the company's 1,362-page corporate handbook. 'This wasn't an effort to just slash and burn,' said Sebastian Guth, chief operating officer at Bayer Pharmaceuticals at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit on Monday. 'Eighteen months ago, we embarked on a very radical transformation and as part of that I eliminated, here in the United States, for example, 40% of all middle managers, which was—which is—hard, but it was necessary to see our organization transform into a world that is significantly more agile and that empowers teams to make decisions.' And he says the decision has led to significant growth for the company, with first quarter results showing 23% growth across North America. Not everyone, he noted, was eliminated just because they were a middle manager. In fact, Guth said that some roles were transitioned from a managerial one to that of an individual contributor. The shift helped them 'realize that part of what they did previously wasn't actually adding as much value as they wanted to.' That said, not all leaders believe that eliminating middle management is the right solution. For example, Edith Cooper, cofounder of professional training and coaching firm Medley, said during the same discussion that the solution isn't about seeing how many roles you can eliminate. Instead, executives should seek out bottlenecks across the organization and target their attentions there. 'If you are looking to create more impact and productivity from your No. 1 asset, for people, you need to do the work,' said Cooper. 'Really look critically at what needs to happen to unlock the potential of your people. Then, if there are places in that flow that become bottlenecks, you should do the work to understand how you eliminate [them].' Even Guth admitted such an extensive overhaul should be done strategically. Bayer invested significantly in upskilling the managers who remained and eliminated traditional management targets in budgets, he said, which was a 'very important unlock.' And most important, he said, is to let teams themselves have some say in the changes so they're not only streaming down from on high. 'We allow teams to flow resources to where they saw the biggest impact, and most importantly, we allow teams to actually decide, because we have thousands of colleagues around the world that have amazing insight and knowledge,' said Guth. 'Rather than just waiting for others to decide on their behalf, we lean into what they experience and see in the day to day.' Brit This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Semafor World Economy Summit: Views from policymakers and CEOs on health and the global economy
Day 3 of Semafor's World Economy Summit got underway in Washington, DC Friday, featuring interviews with leading policymakers and CEOs discussing how global demographic shifts and access to health care can influence economic trajectories. Semafor's journalists are in conversation with newsmakers including Bayer Pharmaceuticals COO Sebastian Guth, Dr. Albert Bourla, the CEO and Executive Chairman of Pfizer, and Reid Hoffman, co-founder of Manas AI. President & CEO, PhRMA 'We're heartened by the fact that medicines are currently excluded from the tariffs,' Ubl said. He noted that tariffs on medications could lead to shortages, disruptions, and higher prices for consumers. Ubl said he thinks the Trump administration is trying to solve a two-fold problem with tariffs, aiming to both repatriate manufacturing and reduce the US' reliance on medications from China. That reliance'raises serious national security concerns,' he said, asserting that the industry is 'willing to sit down, roll up our sleeves, and really try to solve those issues.' Chief Operating Officer, Bayer Pharmaceuticals Tariffs are 'counter to what's at the core of our mission' in the pharmaceutical industry, Guth said. 'Make no mistake, tariffs will increase the prices of products,' he said. 'They will limit access to medicines, and they will ultimately take resources away from research and development for the industry at large.' Guth said that he's asking policymakers to find solutions other than tariffs. CEO, Oura Hale said the Oura ring's built-in AI application can provide advice or call out a trend. 'It's the beginning of what I would call algorithmic care, where, based on your metrics, this is what you should do. You didn't need to consult a doctor for that, but we can tell you.' Oura is providing rings for 50,000 US service members to help the military optimize performance under fatigue and stress. Hale said in some circumstances they are able to detect COVID symptoms and isolate service members on ships before they expose others. Also, he noted, it could feed sleep data anonymously to shipboard computers for 'optimization of humans' — scheduling service members based on their restfulness and readiness. 'What you're providing is physiological, objective data about the performance of the men and women, and that's cognitive and physical,' he said. CEO, Lantern Health Zutter referred to one survey that found 82% of health care executives expect costs to go up by 15% within the next six months, and 90% of them ultimately expect to pass that on to patients. 'When you have dynamics like that,' he said, 'that just drives a whole lot, in a negative sense.' Tariffs could play a big part, he said. For example, 'if you're thinking about a total knee replacement, that might cost $45,000 in total; about $11,000 of that is just the implant.' The titanium and steel in the implant is 'not normally domestically sourced,' he said. Plus 'the little pill bottles are largely coming from China. The hospital gloves generally come from either New Zealand or Australia,' he said. 'These things are all subject' to potential tariffs. 'Risk transfer, increased deductibles, increased out-of-pocket, taxes, increased premiums' and more have made health care in the US so unaffordable, he said, that the 'financial toxicity either leads people to go bankrupt or to delay care.' CEO, Exiger The government can juice US production of pharmaceuticals and medical devices through incentives and regulation, Daniels said, for the sake of 'resetting the stage for what's economically viable in the United States.' He said the industry is finding it 'actually quite cost-effective now' to make many items domestically 'through AI, through automation, through the fact that a lot of these chemical compounds are readily available.' 'Labor arbitrage' through AI automation 'used to be the difference-maker between us and emerging markets,' he said. 'But everything's automated in these factories now.' Co-Founder, Manas AI; Partner, Greylock Hoffman criticized Elon Musk for suing OpenAI over the nonprofit's plan to become a for-profit company. He said Musk's push comes even as 'he's accelerating his own efforts' to build out his own rival company xAI as a for-profit entity. 'It's like a complete lack of credibility.' Hoffman said he supports OpenAI becoming a for-profit company because he said the company is still pursuing its mission to benefit the public good and that is 'unequivocally very positive.' Hoffman also said Trump AI czar David Sacks' concerns over 'woke AI' were 'foolish.' Sacks and other right-wing tech figures have repeatedly railed against what they call 'woke' AI models from US firms — for example, AI image generators that have depicted historical figures like the US Founding Fathers as people of color. He said a focus on 'woke AI' makes for 'a very nice political headline, but that it's 'actually maybe detrimental to American success, American industry, American trade, and American jobs.' Hoffman also said he thought President Joe Biden's executive order on AI safety 'was really good.' He added, 'I hope they just relabel it and go, 'Hey, this is now the Trump EO!'' Senior adviser, HHS; Co-Founder, TrueMed Means slammed previous government policy that permitted SNAP recipients to pay for soda with food stamps. Roughly a month ago, US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced states could bar people from doing so; Means said the change was a 'shockwave' through Washington that would have been 'unthinkable a year ago.' 'Taking a $10 billion subsidy away from soda for kids is not a violation of conservative principles,' he said. Means questioned the rationale for higher Ozempic prices in the US than in some European countries. He also alleged that weight loss drugs are 'being pushed on American children as the first-line defense,' ahead of nutritional changes. Means defended cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services, saying there was a need for 'decisive and quick reform.' 'You can report every single hour of every single day, some program that sounds good that was cut,' he said, but argued that 'there is a clear voter mandate for radical change.' Means called it an 'absolutely broken institution that is profiting every day from Americans being sick.' For '60% of US senators, the largest employer in their state is a health care system,' he said, suggesting lawmakers face a conflict of interest. Means, a Harvard Business School alum, criticized how the university was using federal money for health research. 'I cannot find a single NIH-funded study out of Harvard that actually deals with preventing and reversal of chronic diseases,' he said. 'Harvard does not have a birthright to future federal grants.' Artificial general intelligence seems imminent, with increasingly capable robots coming along for the ride, but it remains unclear how increasingly powerful computers will impact the world's knowledge workers. The billions of dollars companies are pouring into AI have not paid off, yet. Read more in The Semafor View -> Sign in to access your portfolio
