Latest news with #cancer
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
DJ Daniel, Houston teen turned honorary U.S. agent, facing new tumors, White House says
The Brief DJ Daniel, 13, is facing three new tumors, according to White House officials. The Houston teen became an honorary Secret Service agent after being sworn into mostly national law enforcement agencies. Daniel was told in 2018 that he had five months to live with his cancer diagnosis. HOUSTON - The White House is sending wishes to a Houston boy who recently learned about his new health challenges. What we know According to social media posts from the White House, Honorary Secret Service Agent DJ Daniel is facing three new tumors. Officials say his dad, Theodis, shared the update with them. Daniel was sworn in as an honorary Secret Service agent in March during President Donald Trump's joint address to Congress. For years, Daniel has wanted to be a police officer and has received several recognitions from local police departments. According to the White House, he has been sworn into over 1,300 law enforcement agencies across the country. "We're lifting up Agent DJ Daniel in prayer after his dad, Theodis, shared that DJ is now facing three new tumors," White House officials shared on social media. "Agent Daniel, you're a true legend." What we don't know No other information is available regarding Daniels' health update. RELATED: DJ Daniel, father say honor during President Trump's speech was a surprise The backstory At 13-years-old, DJ Daniel has been battling brain and spinal cancer and his dream since he was younger has been to be a police officer. Since then, he has been sworn into law enforcement agencies across the country and in Italy, and he's still going! Daniel was given five months to live when he received his brain cancer diagnosis in 2018. Since that time, he has gone through 13 brain surgeries. Devarjaye grew up watching his military father interact with men and women in uniform. It was by watching them that, at 9 years old, he grew an admiration for those in uniform and decided he wanted a career in law enforcement. The Source White House social media and previous FOX 26 reporting
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Brian McKnight's estranged son Niko dead at 32 after years-long feud with R&B singer dad
Brian McKnight's estranged son Niko McKnight has died at the age of 32 after battling cancer for two years. Niko's death was announced by his uncle - Claude (Brian's brother) - on Friday via TikTok. Claude talked about finding out his nephew passed during the video, noting in the caption for fans to not discuss Niko's relationship with his dad Brian. 'He's been bravely battling cancer for the last two years or so and have a lot of feelings right now...' his uncle said in the TikTok video. has reached out to Brian's reps for comment. In April 2024, Niko and Brian's ex-wife Julie McKnight fired back at Brian after he called his children 'evil' and a 'product of sin'. 'I'm evil. That's wild: The guy who used to make me clean his used condoms out his bathroom at 15 before Lisa got home is calling me evil Fashoooooo,' Niko posted on the Shaderoom, according to an article on Sunday by Page Six. He added in a separate comment: 'The guy who forged [signatures] on our names is evil fashoooooooo.' At the time, Niko had taken to X, formerly known as Twitter and admitted that he and siblings Brian Jr, Briana and Clyde were 'bad children', but insisted his sisters 'deserve better'. 'They don't deserve this outright disrespect. Hate us all day. You don't get to be a piece of s*** forever and still skate by with all that we know,' Niko posted. 'We saved that man from federal prison. That's all I'm going to say. But after all of this, I still love him so much because I know there's my dad in there somewhere. But he's a drone now. So f***ing sad. Miss you, Dad,' added Niko at the time. He also acknowledged in another X post that he was 'spoiled beyond belief', but was working to 'correct' his shortcomings. Julie, 52, also challenged Brian and said she was proud of their two sons. 'The point at the end of every negative situation, whether it's an illness whether it's a fool that you have to deal with because they keep entering your life when you are no longer giving any more energy to it, it's to only keep you down to where they thought they had you because they were the author of an extremely abusive situation emotionally, mentally,' she posted on Instagram. 'And they're no good at not being the center of that attention anymore. So when everybody pulls that away, it's like a kid who throws a tantrum,' Julie added. Brian McKnight, 54, faced public backlash online after referring to his biological children as 'evil' and 'products of sin' before Niko and Julie weighed in. The R&B singer had addressed a fan who supported his choice to publicly disown his four eldest kids — Brian Jr., Niko, Briana, and Clyde — citing concerns about the presence of 'pure evil' among some relatives during a recent Instagram Q&A. McKnight expressed his appreciation for the fan's comment, saying, 'I wanna big up my man right here. He gets it.' He added: 'In order to live a life that you love, you have to get rid of the evil and the negativity — even if that evil and negativity is related [to you].' After another fan claimed the singer was 'going against God,' McKnight replied, 'God wasn't talking about children that are the product of sin which these are.' Fans were quick to slam the Grammy-nominated artist, with one posting, 'This is VERY nasty work. My goodness what in the blasphemous bad father hell?' Another chimed in, 'Every time Brian McKnight starts trending I want to cry because I used to LOVE this man's music. But SMH I can't support it anymore. 'Not everyone is born of married parents, but did he have to call these children 'product of sin?' Sincerely, Apparently a product of sin.' Last year, McKnight faced backlash for publicly disowning his sons, Brian Kelly McKnight Jr. and Niko, whom he shares with ex-wife Julie. He also became estranged from daughter Briana and son Clyde from previous relationships. When the singer married his current wife, Leilani McKnight, in 2017, he became stepfather to Julia and Jack McPhee. Their first son together, Brian Kainoa Makoa Jr., was born in 2022. Towards the end of last year, McKnight celebrated the achievement of his stepdaughter, Julia, who obtained her master's degree, sparking renewed discussions about his relationship with his biological children via an Instagram post. McKnight said, 'In order to live a life that you love, you have to get rid of the evil and the negativity — even if that evil and negativity is related [to you]' After another fan claimed the singer was 'going against God,' McKnight replied, 'God wasn't talking about children that are the product of sin which these are' In response, McKnight posted a Weekly Replies video on Instagram this week, where he referred to Julia as 'my sole daughter.' The family feud hit a high note last October when McKnight was slammed for changing his name to become a senior to his newborn son Brian Kainoa Makoa Jr. — although he was already a senior to his eldest son, Brian Jr. The hitmaker made the announcement in an Instagram post that doubled as an album promo, which may have also rubbed some fans the wrong way. He included a sepia-toned photo of little Brian Jr., and shared the album's punny title, McKnighttime Lullabies: An Album For My Son. 'So proud to introduce our son... BRIAN KAINOA MAKOA JR. ... to the world with the release of my new album lovingly created for him,' he wrote. McKnight added that his son had the suffix 'JR. because I am also proud to officially announce that I have legally changed my name to exactly match my legacy's.' 'My legal name is now... BRIAN KAINOA MAKOA MCKNIGHT SR.,' he shared, before informing his fans that his album was available now. 'MCKNIGHTtime LULLABIES' the songs of a father to his namesake available now! Reactions: Some fans called his move 'petty' and 'disgusting.' One measure commenter reminding him that 'Changing your name doesn't or can't erase what already is' Ouch: One blunt comment urged him to 'grow some balls and reconcile with your first-born children.' Another person simply made it clear that they were no longer a fan He included several hashtags, including 'iloveourlife,' 'babybrian,' 'mylegacy,' 'junior' and 'familyfirst.' The announcement was met with condemnation from several commenters, leading McKnight to eventually limited comments on the post. 'Family first huh?' wrote one disapproving person, while others called it 'petty' and 'a disgusting move.' A more measured commenter wished him congratulations, but made it clear that they though he was in the wrong. 'I pray for the peace & healing of your family. Changing your name doesn't or can't erase what already is,' they wrote. One blunt comment urged him to 'grow some balls and reconcile with your first-born children.' Another person simply made it clear that they were no longer a fan. But some people responding to the post were fully in McKnight's camp and didn't find his name change unusual or disturbing at all. 'I love watching you grow to be a better person,' wrote one fan. This whole series of you starting over is such a blessing. Congratulations on your new 'restart' legacy of life.' Another suggested it wasn't worth the effort to keep his relations strong with his older children. 'Sometimes a man gets tired of fighting. Men just want peace! Leave this man alone!' they wrote defensively. McKnight's older son also weighed in via his Instagram Stories on Saturday in response to a fan who suggested he should change his own name to cut off any connection to his father, according to Page Six. 'I'm not ashamed of the name my ancestors had. I'll never change the name my own son now has,' McKnight Jr. wrote. 'We are witnessing an obscene level of self hate, that has reached mental illness status at this point. 'All we can do is pray for that man, and my new little brother who we will all welcome with open arms one day, once he realizes who his real family is,' he continued. 'Legacy isn't in the name. It's in the character of the people. It will all be quite clear soon, just who's on the right side of all this, because there's no escaping what's coming.' In addition to the original Brian Jr., McKnight shares a son Niko from his first marriage to Julie McKnight, which ended in divorce in 2003. He also has a daughter Briana and son Clyde from previous relationships, and he became the stepfather to his wife Leilani's son Jack and daughter Julia. However, the performer seemed to indicate that he doesn't consider his older children part of his family anymore. His Instagram bio lists him as the father to 'Julia, Jack, Kekoa Matteo and Brian Kainoa Makoa.' Kekoa was the intended name for a child that McKnight and Leilani lost to a miscarriage in 2022.
The Sun
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Immune-boosting drug ‘could change the world' for cancer patients – warding off killer for years
AN immune boosting drug can stave off throat cancer for years longer than current treatments, a trial found. Recovering head and neck cancer patients treated with pembrolizumab, also known as Keytruda, remained cancer -free for an average of five years. That was twice as long as the 2.5 years for patients given regular chemotherapy. The risk of tumour cells spreading elsewhere in the body was also 10 per cent lower, the Institute for Cancer Research in London found. Pembrolizumab is an immunotherapy that is given before and after surgery. It works by boosting the body's own ability to seek and destroy cancer cells. Professor Kevin Harrington, trial leader author from the ICR and consultant oncologist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'For patients with newly-diagnosed, locally-advanced head and neck cancer, treatments haven't changed in over two decades. 'Immunotherapy has been amazingly beneficial for patients with cancer that has come back or spread around the body but, until now, it hasn't been as successful for those presenting for the first time with disease which has spread to nearby areas. 'This research shows that immunotherapy could change the world for these patients. 'It significantly decreases the chance of cancer spreading around the body, at which point it's incredibly difficult to treat. 'The results of this trial show that pembrolizumab dramatically increases the duration of disease remission – for years longer than the current standard treatments.' Head and neck cancer refers to a group of cancers that can develop anywhere in the head or neck, including the mouth, the oesophagus, the space behind the nose, the salivary gland, and the voice box. Standard care, which includes surgery to remove tumours followed by radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy, has not changed for these patients in more than 20 years, according to researchers. The global Keynote-689 trial was carried out at 192 sites in 24 countries, and involved 714 patients. Some 363 people received pembrolizumab followed by standard care, with the remainder receiving standard care only. Pembrolizumab works by targeting a protein known as PD-L1, which is found on T cells and helps the immune system recognise and fight cancer. By blocking this protein, the treatment helps the immune system fight cancer more effectively. The treatment is already approved for use on its own or in combination with chemotherapy for patients with a certain type of head and neck cancer that has come back or spread around the body. The trial, which is being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (Asco) annual meeting, found cancer returned in half the patients given pembrolizumab after five years, compared with two-and-a-half years in those receiving standard care. After three years, the risk of cancer returning somewhere else in the body was also 10 per cent lower among those on pembrolizumab. 'It could change the world' 'It works particularly well for those with high levels of immune markers,' Prof Harrington said 'But it's really exciting to see that the treatment improves outcomes for all head and neck cancer patients, regardless of these levels.' Around 13,000 Brits develop head and neck cancers each year and 4,200 die from them. Many tumours are linked to smoking. Symptoms vary depending on the type of cancer but include: persistent ulcers, white or red patches, lumps, sores and pain. 2
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Major breakthrough in cancer caused by oral sex - as cases continue to climb in under 50s
Thousands of patients with cancers of the head and neck have been thrown a lifeline by 'world changing' drug that dramatically slows the spread of the disease. The injection, called pembrolizumab, helps the immune system spot hidden cancer cells in the body. It is currently offered to NHS patients with advanced lung, breast and cervical cancers—but expert believe it hold far wider promise. Also known by the brand name Keytruda, a groundbreaking trial found the drug kept head and neck cancers at bay for five years compared to 30 months with standard treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It also slashed the risk of the disease returning elsewhere in the body. Researchers presenting the findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago said the injection 'could change the world for these patients' offering them 'years longer than the current standard treatments'. Head and neck cancer is an umbrella term for cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box, nose, sinuses and salivary glands. Until recently, experts believed the main causes were lifestyle-related—particularly smoking and heavy drinking. In recent years, research has suggested that human papillomavirus (HPV) may be responsible for up to 70 per cent of head and neck cancers. HPV is a common virus spread through close contact, including sex, and is usually harmless. However, in some cases—for reasons not fully understood—it can trigger cancerous changes in healthy tissue. The virus is already known to cause cervical, anal and penile cancers. A rise in head and neck cancers, particularly among younger and middle-aged patients, has been linked to oral sex. In the global trial, carried out across 24 countries involving more than 700 head and neck cancer patients, 363 received pembrolizumab followed by standard treatment. The remainder had standard treatment only. Pembrolizumab is a checkpoint inhibitor—it works by helping the immune system recognise and fight cancer. Scientists found the cancer returned in half the patients given pembrolizumab after five years, compared with two-and-a-half years in those receiving standard care. After three years, the risk of cancer returning somewhere else in the body was also 10 per cent lower among those on pembrolizumab. Kevin Harrington, a professor of biological cancer therapies at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, and consultant oncologist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'For patients with newly-diagnosed, locally-advanced head and neck cancer, treatments haven't changed in over two decades. 'Immunotherapy has been amazingly beneficial for patients with cancer that has come back or spread around the body but, until now, it hasn't been as successful for those presenting for the first time with disease which has spread to nearby areas. 'This research shows that immunotherapy could change the world for these patients—it significantly decreases the chance of cancer spreading around the body, at which point it's incredibly difficult to treat.' Professor Harrington added that the drug 'dramatically increases the duration of disease remission—for years longer than the current standard treatments'. 'It works particularly well for those with high levels of immune markers, but it's really exciting to see that the treatment improves outcomes for all head and neck cancer patients, regardless of these levels,' he said. Laura Marston, 45, from Derbyshire was diagnosed with stage four tongue cancer in 2019 after an ulcer on her tongue didn't heal. She was later referred to The Royal Marsden where she joined the trial. 'I was so excited to be on a clinical trial and knowing I was in the best hands was really reassuring,' she said. 'As part of the trial I underwent two rounds of immunotherapy before undergoing surgery. 'In the months following my surgery I had to relearn how to eat and talk again while also having ten more infusions of immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. 'My clinical team were amazing and went above and beyond for anything I needed. I am amazed I am still here six years later, this treatment has given me the gift of life.' Cancers that affect the head and neck are the eighth most common form of cancer overall in the UK, although they are two to three times more common in men than in women. About 12,500 new cases are diagnosed each year, according to Cancer Research UK, and incidences are on the rise. Dr Lyndsy Ambler, Cancer Research UK senior strategic evidence manager, said: 'Around 4,100 people die from head and neck cancers every year—that's approximately 11 deaths every day. 'Any potential new treatment options for a disease where there has been limited progress for decades are very welcome. 'Pembrolizumab's potential benefit for people with head and neck cancer could represent a significant step forward in how we treat the disease.'
CNN
16 hours ago
- General
- CNN
Joe Biden set to give first public remarks since cancer diagnosis
Former President Joe Biden is expected to deliver his first public remarks since receiving his cancer diagnosis at a Memorial Day service in New Castle, Delaware Friday, a source familiar with the plans tells CNN. The appearance comes two weeks after Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. Biden's office has yet to detail whether the former president has started treatment. The annual Memorial Day event at Veterans Memorial Park in New Castle also coincides with the ten-year anniversary of his son Beau Biden's passing from brain cancer. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester, Rep. Sarah McBride, Lieutenant Governor Kyle Evans Gay, and former Sen. Tom Carper also will speak at the event Friday. While this marks the first time Biden will speak publicly since the cancer diagnosis, he was spotted by travelers at an airport in Connecticut last Friday when he traveled to his grandson's high school graduation.
