Cancer is a life changing disease, and while cancer in itself can induce anxiety in many, there are rare cancers, which may further escalate that fear. Rare cancers are types of cancers with low annual incidence, and are generally defined as fewer than 6 cases per 100,000 people. While it is infrequent, over 200 types of rare cancers are still represented by a significant portion of all cancer cases and deaths, presenting unique challenges for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment due to the scarcity of research as well as expertise.

Among the rare cancer, is a category, often referred to as 'silent diseases', because many of the early symptoms are often dismissed. These are gynecological cancers. According to the American Cancer Society, more females are diagnosed with gynecologic cancer in 2024 than colon cancer.

Also Read: If You're Alone At Home And Experience A Heart Attack, Here's How You Survive: According To Doctor

Rare Gynecologic Cancers That Exists

Rare gynecological cancers include primary fallopian tube cancer, primary peritoneal cancer (similar to ovarian cancer), gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD), and specific subtypes of more common cancers like clear cell ovarian carcinoma or certain cervical cancers. These cancers, which originate from parts of female reproductive system or associated tissues, are distinct from the more common types and thus require specialized diagnosis and treatment.

Fallopian tube cancer: It starts in the tubes connecting the ovaries and uterus. It makes up to 1 to 2% of gynecologic cancer, and less than 1% of all reproductive organ cancer with 1,500 to 2,000 cases reported worldwide, and of them 300 to 400 are annually diagnosed in the US.

Gestational trophoblastic disease: It forms in the layer of cells that encloses an embryo in pregnant women. It affects about 1 in 1,000 pregnancies in the US.

Primary peritoneal cancer: Forms within the tissue that lines a woman's abdominal and reproductive organs. It affects fewer than 7 cases per 1 million people annually. Researchers also suggest that of the 15% women diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer may have primary peritoneal cancer. It also effects women over the age of 60.

Uterine sarcoma: Begins in the muscles or soft tissues of the uterus. They are rare, and represent about 1% of all female genital tract malignancies and 3 to 7% of uterine cancers.

Vaginal Cancer: Starts in the vagina and spreads to the external genitals. It is mostly common among women at their older age, especially around 69 years old. It makes up to 1 to 2% of gynecologic cancer.

Vulvar Cancer: Affects the outer part of the female genitals. There is a 1 in 333 chance of being diagnosed with vulvar cancer, but makes up to 6% of new gynecologic case.

What Are The Common Symptoms Of Gynecologic Cancer?

It can be detected early with regular pelvic exams and Pap tests.

Read: What To Expect From A Pap Smear Test?

The common symptoms to note for so you can see your doctor are:

• Unusual bleeding or discharge
• Sores, lumps, or growths
• Persistent itching or burning
• Tenderness or pain, especially during sex or urination
• Changes in skin color
• Constipation or other changes to bowel movements and urination
• Swollen abdomen

How Can It Be Diagnosed?

A pelvic Examination is one of the ways to diagnose it. This is when the doctor looks at the inside of the vagina and cervix. Pressing ovaries and uterus to check for abnormalities is also part of this examination.

During a pap test, the doctor collects cells from the cervix and looks at it under a microscope. In colposcopy, a magnifying device called a colposcope is used to spot suspicious tissue. In a biopsy, a small tissue sample is extracted for analysis under a microscope and a doctor will look for cancer cells. Lastly, MRI or CT scans and ultrasounds can be used as imaging techniques to locate tumors and see if cancer has spread.

A new fitness craze is taking over the internet, where people are crawling, jumping, and moving like animals. Called “quadrobics,” the trend has flooded TikTok and Instagram feeds, with enthusiasts showing off their bear crawls and feline leaps, often wearing animal masks and furry tails.

What started as a quirky hobby has turned into a movement. Belgian documentary filmmaker Alexia Kraft de la Saulx, who first experimented with this unusual practice, has turned it into a full-fledged lifestyle and calls it the “Tarzan Movement.” While followers claim quadrobics can make you fit, experts are not entirely convinced. To understand its real effects, we spoke to Dr. Indramani Upadhyay, MPT (Ortho), HOD – The Center for Knee and Hip Care, Vaishali, Ghaziabad, who explained how the viral workout could both help and harm your body.

What Is Quadrobics?

Quadrobics is a full-body workout that combines crawling, leaping, and balancing, imitating the movements of four-legged animals. It involves using both hands and feet at once, engaging nearly every muscle in the body. The best part is that it can be practiced anywhere, without the need for equipment.

But what sets quadrobics apart from other workouts that also involve the arms and legs? Traditional aerobics mainly targets the legs and cardiovascular system through rhythmic moves like jogging or dancing. Quadrobics, on the other hand, focuses on the synchronized movement of all four limbs, building functional strength through more varied, animal-like patterns rather than repetitive actions.

What began as a small online niche trend has now evolved into a viral movement. Alexia’s YouTube channel has inspired many to join in, including Leo, known online as “The French Tarzan,” and Victor Manuel, founder of the “Tarzan Movement.”

Is Quadrobics Good for Your Health?

In recent years, quadrobics has captured attention for its unconventional yet challenging style of fitness. It strengthens several muscle groups at once and helps develop coordination and stability. However, the movements also carry a risk of strain if done without proper form or guidance.

According to Dr. Upadhyay, while walking or crawling on all fours can have benefits, incorrect posture or overuse may lead to injury. Some of the key concerns include:

Joint Strain and Pain:

Continuous pressure on the wrists, shoulders, knees, and elbows can cause overuse injuries, especially when performed on hard surfaces or with poor technique.

Lower Back Discomfort:

A weak core or misaligned spine can lead to back pain or worsen existing spinal problems.

Knee and Wrist Injuries:

Those with arthritis, ligament injuries, or weak wrists should be careful, as these joints carry much of the body’s weight during quadrobics.

Risk of Muscle Imbalance:

Overdoing quadrobic routines without balancing them with stretching or other forms of exercise may tighten certain muscles, particularly in the hips and shoulders.

Quadrobics: How Beneficial Is the Viral Trend?

Despite the risks, quadrobics has its share of advantages. Practitioners like Alexia, Leo, and Victor describe it as a powerful full-body workout that engages lesser-used muscles. Trainers say it can boost stability, body awareness, and mindfulness, some even call it a form of “moving meditation.” According to Dr. Upadhyay, the main benefits include:

Improves Core Strength:

Moving on all fours activates the abdominal and lower back muscles, helping improve posture and reduce back pain.

Enhances Shoulder and Arm Endurance:

The continuous load on the arms helps strengthen and tone the shoulders, triceps, and forearms, much like a dynamic plank.

Boosts Coordination and Balance:

Since the movements require alternating arm and leg motion, they help improve neuromuscular coordination and overall balance.

Increases Flexibility and Mobility:

The flowing, animal-like actions enhance mobility and stretch tight areas like the hips, spine, and shoulders.

Aids in Functional Fitness:

The primal movements mimic natural motion, improving agility and strength that translate into everyday physical activities.

Quadrobics can be a creative and engaging way to work out, but safety should always come first. Beginners should start slow, use soft flooring, and maintain proper alignment to avoid strain. Consulting a physiotherapist or trainer before starting is advisable, especially for those with joint or back problems.

When practiced with care and awareness, quadrobics can enhance strength, flexibility, and coordination. But like any viral workout, it should be approached mindfully.

We all know the best way to study is to have many short sessions instead of trying to learn everything in one all-night "cram" session. This is a basic rule for how our brain remembers things, and we call it the "spacing effect." Now, a surprising study shows that this rule isn't just for your brain cells.

It also works for all the other normal cells in your body! This proves that the timing of signals, when they arrive and the breaks between them, makes a huge difference in how cells "remember" and react. This suggests the same simple "learning rules" that help you pass a test are at work right down inside the tiniest parts of your body.

Do We Only Store Memories In Our Brain?

Researchers at New York University wanted to observe how human cells, not the brain kind, responded to different signal timings. They grew these cells in dishes and gave them a clever tool called a "reporter." This reporter was like a temporary tiny glow stick inside the cell.

When a specific gene inside the cell was turned on, the glow stick would briefly light up. This gave the scientists a live scoreboard to watch and see when the cell's internal machinery was actively working or "learning."

How Do Cells Communicate Memories?

To test how the cells learned, the scientists used special lab chemicals. These chemicals acted just like the body's natural signaling molecules that are known to help create long-term memories in animals.

These chemicals sent messages through special paths inside the cell, waking up important messenger proteins. You can think of these proteins as messengers who take a drumbeat from the outside world and carry it to the cell's main control center, the DNA, where all the important decisions are made.

Massed Signal (The Cram)

They gave the cells one single, long, continuous blast of the chemical signal, like trying to learn everything at once.

Spaced Signal (The Breaks)

They gave the cells the exact same total amount of chemical, but broken up into four short bursts with brief rest periods in between, like taking study breaks.

Do Normal Body Cells Also Have Memories?

The researchers then looked at the internal cell parts responsible for this memory effect. They focused on two proteins already known to be crucial for memory in neurons: ERK and CREB.

They found that the spaced signals created a much stronger and longer-lasting activation of both ERK and CREB. When the team blocked these two proteins, the special advantage of the spaced signals disappeared. This directly connects the spacing effect in non-brain cells to the same molecular switches used for memory in the brain.

How Do People Remember Things?

This discovery changes the definition of "learning." It's not just a trick of the brain; it appears to be a basic rule for how all cells process information over time. Cells are not simple on/off switches; they are noticing patterns—the number of pulses and the gaps between them.

This idea has major practical uses, especially in medicine. Today, doctors and researchers mainly focus on how much of a drug to give (the dose). This study suggests the schedule, or the timing, of that dose might be just as important.

In the future, giving smaller doses of medicine in well-timed pulses could encourage cells to have a stronger, longer lasting, and more helpful response than one large, single dose. Timing is now a powerful tool that can be used to design better treatments.

For young professionals working in stressful and high demand jobs to experience things like extreme stress and forgetting details etc. While these things happen to everyone over a period of time, what does it mean when it becomes a pattern? One such case was shared by Dr. Sudhir Kumar MD DM, a Hyderabad-based neurologist.

In a recently shared post on X, he talked about how he often sees young adults concerned about memory lapses or irritability. People usually just say, "It's just stress!" However, Dr. Kumar explained that in some cases, the real reason is something different.

Also Read: These ‘Silent’ Cancers Are Attacking Women, And Most Don’t See It Coming

What Can Cause Memory Lapse Other Than Stress?

Dr. Kumar told the story of a 33-year-old man who worked in IT. For about four years, he had been increasingly forgetful and cranky. Even though he seemed healthy, these small changes were starting to hurt his job and his family life. Everyone around him, including his relatives, thought he was simply "stressed out."

When the doctor asked more questions, he learned a key fact: the patient was a very strict vegetarian. This detail made Dr. Kumar suspect a Vitamin B12 deficiency. He ordered a special blood test for active Vitamin B12.

The result was shocking: the man's B12 level was only 10 pmol/L, which is very low (it should be higher than 70). This confirmed he had a severe Vitamin B12 deficiency.

Why Is B12 Vitamin Necessary For Your Brain?

Dr Kumar explained that vitamin B12 is absolutely necessary for your brain and nervous system to work correctly. When you don't have enough, it can cause problems that look like mental illness or stress, things like forgetfulness, being irritable, mood swings, feeling depressed, or having trouble focusing. Importantly, these issues can happen even before a person develops anemia (low iron) or obvious nerve damage.

Also Read: If You're Alone At Home And Experience A Heart Attack, Here's How You Survive: According To Doctor

Can Doctors Prescribe Vitamin B12 For Memory?

In the case of the IT professional, years of eating a vegetarian diet without taking any supplements had slowly but surely used up all the essential Vitamin B12 in his body.

The patient immediately began treatment with Vitamin B12 shots given into the muscle, followed by a regular maintenance plan. Dr. Kumar also advised him to start eating dairy products and foods that have been fortified (meaning B12 was added to them).

Within a few weeks, his family noticed a clear improvement in his mood. Over a few months, his memory and concentration got much better, and his family happily commented that "he was back to his usual self." The treatment had worked.

Frequently Missed Signs of Vitamin B12

This case showes us that Vitamin B12 deficiency is very common, especially in India among people who don't eat meat. It often goes unnoticed because the symptoms—like feeling stressed or depressed—are mistaken for simple mental or emotional issues. Many people are misdiagnosed or suffer for years without treatment.

The good news is simple: a quick blood test and fast treatment can completely reverse the condition and prevent long-term damage, but you have to catch it early. Here are some things you should not ignore.

• If you're constantly forgetful, irritable, or tired, don't just blame stress. Go see your doctor.
• If you are vegetarian or vegan, you are at high risk of low B12. You often need to eat foods with added B12 or take supplements.
• Getting treated early can stop permanent damage to your brain and nerves.