Dr. Tan Min-Han of the National Cancer Center, Singapore has announced the discovery of the genetic secrets of kidney cancer. By sifting through 30,000 genes from 130 samples obtained from kidney tumour patients, Tan had been able to pinpoint the 30 critical genes which dictate the possibility of a relapse in a patient after the surgical removal of the tumour. This discovery will allow medical doctors better prediction in a patient’s chance of recovery and may dictate the required aggressiveness of treatment in kidney cancer for optimal medical attention.

With the latest outbreak of polio which has crippled 16 children, Indonesian authorities have begun mass polio vaccination to immunize 6.4 million children across the provinces of West Java, Banten and Jakarta. The campaign providing free but compulsory immunization was a timely campaign to halt the viral epidemic. Indonesia was declared polio free a decade ago, but cases emerged last month in the Western Java city of Sukabumi. The potent disease of the brain and spinal cord generally affects children below 5 years of age and can cause irreversible paralysis in hours and may even be fatal.