SpaceX founder Elon Musk says that if Ukraine fires through Starlink, Russia would be entitled to shoot the network down. That is why Starlink must remain a civilian operation and cannot be used for outright offensive strikes that would put its very existence at risk.
The warning lands in the middle of a fight over Musk’s own hand on that network. Weeks ago, his company unexpectedly throttled the service Ukraine’s drones depend on amid US President Donald Trump diesel deal with Russia, which led to the disruption of a few operations on the front.
The US Treasury authorized the sale, delivery, offloading, and import of Russian-origin diesel fuel, effectively suspending sanctions on that trade until 7 April 2027, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said on its website on 9 October.
The diesel deal combining intelligence halt and military Starlink, with pressure on Ukraine to make a quick peace deal, has angered both Democrats and Republicans ahead of the US elections on 3 November, where Democrats could win.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian official interprets Musk's talk of strikes as an attempt to build an alibi before a possible investigation into that decision.
A civilian network, or a target
Musk was responding to a post warning that if Starlink shifted from a civilian network into a military system, Russia could treat it as a target for retaliation, and that destroying satellites in orbit could scatter enough debris to make space unusable for years or centuries.
“An adversary blowing up Starlink satellites would create a domino effect of destruction that would generate a vast field of debris, making space unusable," he writes.
When the shield and the warnings failed together
Overnight into 14 October, SpaceX quietly capped the speed of Starshield, the military version Ukraine’s drones run on, without telling Kyiv. Ukrainian units said the limit broke a series of missions, with connections dropping mid-flight and leaving drones hard to control.
At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine relies on the network for air defense, not attack, to intercept the Russian drones Moscow sends to its cities, and that once the speed was cut, his forces could no longer stop some of them as effectively as before.
Simultaneously, Ukraine's other American lifeline also went dark: for about three days, the US stopped passing the intelligence that warns of Russian ballistic launches. On 12 October, Russian ballistic missiles hit Kyiv before the air-raid alert reached people, with no advance data from partners. In a strike during that window, three people were killed in the capital, the sirens sounding only after the blasts.
A Ukrainian official sees alibi-building
Meanwhile, Andrii Kovalenko, the ex-head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, read Musk’s statement as self-protection rather than physics
“Musk, having taken responsibility for the restrictions on Starlink and Starshield for Ukraine, is now trying to build himself an alibi before a possible investigation into that decision,” he wrote.
He said that regardless of who was behind the idea of restricting Starlink and Starshield access for Ukraine, it represents a strategic setback for the US in the long run, as it risks portraying the country as an unreliable partner that may fail to honor its commitments.
"Europe purchases around 60% of its imported weapons from the US. Trust in the US as a security guarantor directly supports sales for American defense companies. Moves like this only undermine that trust and encourage European countries to develop their own systems," he said.
The US has sent a message that its guarantees may not be reliable and that even paid-for services can be subject to political decisions, Kovalenko stressed.
Modératrice de contenus pour Meta pendant près d'un an, Inès Mendoza avait entamé un combat judiciaire contre les conditions de travail qu’elle jugeait destructrices. Elle s’est suicidée le 4 octobre dernier, à 34...
Andy Burnham wants to look like a man of the people on Celebrity Gogglebox. But why not test his working-class credentials with Benny Hill or Love Thy Neighbour? Alexander McKibbin thinks he knows why.
Maya, une habitante de Lacapelle, à Cahors, a vécu une scène dramatique lorsque son chien Barry White, un dogue allemand de huit mois, a traversé une baie vitrée, se blessant gravement. Grâce à l'aide de son voisin et...
A Póvoa de Santa Iria recebeu este sábado, 24 de outubro, o Campeonato Nacional de Pump Track, numa jornada que reuniu atletas oriundos do BMX, do BTT e do Freestyle na luta pelas camisolas de Campeão Nacional, tendo no final de uma tarde de competição intensa, Bernardo Rocha (Team BMX Quarteira) e Rita Xufre (Núcleo Bicross de Setúbal / VSPu) se sagrado Campeões Nacionais na categoria Elite.
A competição decorreu na pista asfaltada da Póvoa de Santa Iria, uma das principais infraestruturas nacionais dedicadas à modalidade. Após os treinos realizados durante a manhã, os participantes disputaram duas mangas cronometradas em formato “Flying Lap”, contando para a classificação final o melhor tempo obtido por cada atleta.
Na categoria Elite masculina, Bernardo Rocha foi o mais rápido do dia, ao completar o percurso em 16,177 segundos, superando o colega de equipa Leonardo Carmo, segundo classificado, e Manuel Magalhães (Linda a Pastora Sporting Clube), que completou o pódio. Já na Elite feminina, Rita Xufre conquistou o título nacional diante de Hannah Heyse (Team BMX Quarteira).
Bernardo Rocha (Foto: João Calado / FPC)
Nos escalões de formação, Gustavo Pereira (Clube Bicross de Portimão) venceu entre os Sub-15 masculinos, enquanto Mafalda Piedade (Team BMX Quarteira) triunfou em Sub-15 femininos. Em Sub-17, os títulos ficaram entregues a Martim Reis (Linda a Pastora Sporting Clube) e a Maria Pinto (Casa do Povo do Alqueidão), a atleta com o melhor tempo absoluto feminino.
Quanto aos mais jovens, Lourenço Bento (Linda a Pastora Sporting Clube) foi o vencedor em Sub-7 e em Sub-9 foi o colega de equipa Vicente Cardoso o mais rápido. Já nas Sub-9 femininas, Luna Alves (Team BMX Quarteira) foi a vencedora.
Na categoria Sub-11, Francisco Gil (Clube Bicross de Portimão) conquistou a vitória e nas femininas foi Maria Rebelo (Núcleo Bicross de Setúbal / VSPu) a vencedora do dia. Tomás Cardoso (Linda a Pastora Sporting Clube) triunfou em Sub-13 masculinos e Ema Emídio (Team BMX Quarteira) nas femininas.
Entre os veteranos, Fábio Jorge (Núcleo Bicross de Setúbal / VSPu) conquistou o título nacional de Master 30 masculino, Fábio Piloto (Casa do Povo do Alqueidão) venceu em Master 40 masculino, o colega de equipa Manuel Mendes triunfou em Master 50 masculino e também da Casa do Povo do Alqueidão, Alexandra Loureiro foi a mais forte na categoria Master feminina.
O Campeonato Nacional de Pump Track voltou assim a afirmar o crescimento da disciplina em Portugal, reunindo cerca de uma centena de praticantes de diferentes vertentes do ciclismo, num evento que uniu a fluidez técnica, a velocidade em pista e desempenhos de excelência. Para aceder à classificação completa clique aqui.
Com colaboração da Federação Portuguesa de Ciclismo (FPC)
Danielle Fewings before and after receiving Sculptra and cheek filler.
Courtesy of Danielle Fewings
Danielle Fewings, founder of Get Clear Beauty, has invested in cosmetic treatments since she was 27.
Fewings' journey with aesthetic procedures began with a breast reduction and includes Botox and filler.
Her $150,000 investment in herself has supported both personal confidence and professional success.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Danielle Fewings, a 40-year-old entrepreneur from New York City. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I started my career in digital marketing and ran my own agency from 2020 until 2025, when I sold it. I'm now the founder of Get Clear Beauty, an aesthetic treatment marketplace, which I started in 2026.
I've always felt like there was something missing from my appearance, as if someone much more confident was buried beneath it all. I got my first procedure done in 2013 and have had many since.
I don't regret any of them.
I'm the most treatment‑forward person in almost every room I'm in
In my broader New York circle, routine maintenance is completely normal. People are getting Botox and lip filler, and a few have had breast augmentations. Most are dipping in rather than going all in.
I'm honestly the most treatment-forward person in almost every room I'm in. In any given conversation, I'm the one who's had the most work done, which is a little wild when I think about it.
For most of the people I know, the max is Botox. Routine maintenance is common around me, but no one I'm close to has done anywhere near as much as I have.
My first major decision was my breast reduction at 27
I wore a 32G and desperately wanted them smaller. I call this my gateway surgery because it was honestly a very easy recovery, so I had this ease as the template, which gave me the confidence to keep pursuing additional treatments.
It made me more willing to put myself out there, both in dating and especially in showing up online to create content for my business, which matters enormously when you're building something. It shifted how I approach relationships, too, both friendships and romantic ones.
When you feel confident inside and out, you see yourself as more valuable, recognize your worth, and become more selective about who you let into your life. As I've felt better about myself, I've been more intentional about the relationships I keep close, and I see a direct correlation between the two.
I've never made decisions due to outside pressure
My choices have always been personal. I've never done any of this for another person or because of outside pressure. It has always been about putting my best self forward, and if that takes some tweaks and some money, I'm willing to do it.
I'm a very confident person — I just haven't accepted every imperfection. My upper blepharoplasty is a good example: most people would say I didn't need it, and they would be right, because no one needs any of these things. I wanted it. My eyelids felt heavy, and I chose to change that.
I'm fully committed to antiaging and the maintenance it requires. I go to my quarterly Botox appointments and my annual lip filler appointments, and I'll be ready for a facelift when that time comes. The idea that aging gracefully means avoiding treatments is absurd; aging gracefully is doing whatever feels good to you as an individual.
The cost breakdown
Because my first breast surgery was a reduction, I paid $6,000 out of pocket, and my insurance covered the rest. I had a full-body makeover in the Dominican Republic, which included a tummy tuck, skin tightening, and two further breast surgeries after major weight loss, costing around $12,000. I've also had liposuction, scar revision, an upper blepharoplasty, Sculptra and filler, a Morpheus8 treatment on my legs, tattoo removal, lip blushing, microblading and shading, Invisalign, and teeth whitening. These procedures have cost about $50,000 in total.
The maintenance I keep up with regularly includes manicures and pedicures, which I have gotten every two weeks for the past 10 years; lash extensions, which I have gotten every three weeks for about 15 years; Botox; more filler; peels and lasers; tanning; and haircuts. The recurring maintenance has cost about $105,000 over time.
What struck me is that the one-time procedures come to about $50,000, but the quiet, recurring maintenance is over $100,000. The costs nobody tracks are the ones that add up the most. That is exactly why I built Get Clear Beauty.
Each procedure served a purpose
My whole philosophy has been doing high-maintenance things to stay low-maintenance. The lashes, manicures and pedicures, lip blushing, and microblading are all upkeep that let me feel put-together with minimal effort, and because of them, I barely wear makeup, so some of that cost is a trade-off.
The bigger procedures came from real changes in my body. My weight has gone up and down for years, and that has driven a lot of it. The Morpheus8 on my legs was for skin laxity, because I'm not ready for a leg lift and probably don't need one. I've had three breast surgeries total.
I'd never do CoolSculpting, and I'd never have a nose job. I don't think CoolSculpting is cost-effective, and I've grown to love my nose.
My appearance impacts confidence, and confidence impacts business
When you're on 15 Zooms a week and constantly recording content to win business, looking and feeling your best matters.
Appearance affects business outcomes, but for me, it works through confidence. When I feel good about how I'm showing up, I represent my company more powerfully and carry my knowledge into the room in a way that lands.
I love how I look. 10 years ago, I never thought looking this way was achievable, and it's the result of a GLP-1 medication, surgeries, and really taking my appearance by the horns. I'm in a genuinely happy place with it.
Ukraine's military satellite links work at full speed again after a cap that hobbled its drones, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said on 24 October. Hours later, SpaceX owner Elon Musk, who earlier pointed at Washington, said his company had enforced its own rules. A Ukrainian presidential adviser and a drone volunteer replied that civilian Starlink could not fly such missions.
Ukraine holds off Russia with American tools it doesn't control, so any pause decided abroad, like stalled Patriot deliveries or the Starlink cap, opens gaps in its defense. With no stated rule on what Ukraine's forces may do, the next cutoff could again come unannounced and unexplained.
Kyiv records full speed again
The ministry recorded stable connections above 400 km/h (250 mph). Before, Kyiv said, links on Starlink and its military version, Starshield, cut out above 161 km/h (100 mph).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the restoration began overnight. "The speeds are now where they need to be," he said, citing defense against jet-powered Shahed drones. He thanked US lawmakers, the media, the State Department, and the US President, but not Musk or SpaceX.
A Ukrainian soldier installs a Starlink terminal. Illustrative photo: Armed Forces of Ukraine
Musk: "That loophole was closed last week"
Musk replied "Correct" to an X user who called Starlink "not a weapons system." "Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week," he wrote.
Correct.
Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be.
Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government. What they decide to do is up to them.
He called Starshield "a different system" the US government controls, and warned: "Were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately. This is NOT a threat, it is simply a statement of fact."
Musk named no evidence, cases, or time frames. Overnight, he answered a headline on the US financial blog ZeroHedge saying he "admits" SpaceX throttled Starlink.
"We simply enforced our terms of service when they were bypassed. There has been no change to our terms of service," Musk wrote.
Explore further
Who capped Ukraine’s Starlink? “Ultimately POTUS,” Musk said. Ultimately Musk, reports now say
When the cap hit on 14 October, Musk wrote that the US government owns and controls Starshield and that the US military and "ultimately POTUS" decide any limits. US President Donald Trump, who credited Musk with the fix while Kyiv still saw the cap, said on 24 October he had spoken to Musk about Ukraine but gave no details.
US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk in the Oval Office on 11 February 2025. Photo: White House / Daniel Torok
Ukrainians note contradiction to reality
Ukrainian presidential adviser on defense technology Serhii Beskrestnov, known by the callsign Flash, wrote:
"It is very strange that Elon Musk doesn't know about the restrictions on Starlink operations in Ukraine."
Since winter 2026, every Starlink terminal over Ukraine, occupied areas included, has been limited to 70–90 km/h (43–56 mph), he said, and over Russia, Starlink does not work. "So we PHYSICALLY CANNOT USE COMMERCIAL STARLINK for deep strikes and mid-range strikes," Beskrestnov wrote. Deep strikes hit targets far inside Russia, mid-range ones targets closer to the front.
Ukrainian activist and drone fundraiser Serhii Sternenko called Musk's claim untrue. He said Ukraine introduced whitelists of terminals in February, and any terminal used on the move had to be listed and connected to Starshield.
"So using civilian Starlink for drone missions was technically impossible. All drone missions that needed satellite communication could be carried out only with Starshield," Sternenko added.
European governments help pay for Ukraine's Starlink service. Germany funds it under a contract that runs until April 2027. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, whose country pays around $50 million a year for the service, said on 23 October: "Mixing business with politics usually ends badly, especially when we talk about Elon Musk."
KARACHI – Pakistan’s open currency market witnessed no changes in foreign exchange rates on October 25, with US Dollar selling at Rs280, UK Pound at Rs375.08, and Euro at Rs315.95.
US Dollaris being bought at Rs277.50 and sold at Rs280 in open market. UK pound sterling stands at Rs370.90 for buying and Rs375.08 for selling. Euro is quoted at Rs311.44 for buying and Rs315.95 for selling, while the UAE dirham is available at Rs75.45 and Rs76.30, respectively.
Saudi riyal, widely followed by Pakistani expatriates working in Saudi Arabia and families receiving remittances, is being bought at Rs73.80 and sold at Rs74.40. Kuwaiti dinar remains the most expensive in the supplied exchange rate list, with a buying rate of Rs881.35 and a selling rate of Rs892.50. The Bahraini dinar is trading at Rs734.95 for buying and Rs746.98 for selling, while the Omani riyal stands at Rs719.85 and Rs731.83, respectively.
Canadian dollar is quoted at Rs196.68 for buying and Rs204.59 for selling, while the Australian dollar stands at Rs193.23 and Rs200.41.
Currency dealers generally offer different buying and selling rates, while actual exchange rates may vary slightly between exchange companies, banks and cities.
For the past two decades, Zoe Kazan, 43, has built a low-key career, moving between independent films and more ambitious projects. The former include Ruby Sparks (2012), a comedy she also wrote and produced. The latter include hits such as She Said (2022), in which she starred alongside Carey Mulligan as one of the New York Times reporters who exposed Harvey Weinstein’s abuses.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Starlink's speed had returned to normal.
Genya SAVILOV / AFP via Getty Images
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that speed restrictions on Ukraine's Starlink connection have been lifted.
His comments marked the end of a chaotic 10-day period where connection speeds were throttled.
Ukraine uses Starlink to fly its drones and interceptors.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that his military's access to a network of Elon Musk's satellites, which it relies on for defense, had been restored.
Zelenskyy's comment, made in an X post, came after a chaotic 10 days that began when an advisor to the Ukrainian president said that drones and other projectiles were losing access to the Starshield network.
Starshield is the military application of Musk's Starlink satellite network. In the no-man's-land of war-torn eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian military relies on Starshield satellites to give it control of fast-flying, exploding drones and interceptors.
"I thank all Americans and all our partners who took this seriously and truly helped — members of Congress, senators, all the media, the State Department, and the President," Zelenskyy said in a video he posted to X on Saturday.
Though Musk, as the CEO of SpaceX, to some degree owns the network of satellites, he said in an X post that "any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS."
In an X post on Saturday, Musk differentiated between Starlink, which is used for commercial purposes, and Starshield, which is "controlled by the US government," he said.
"Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people," Musk said. "That loophole was closed last week."
The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk himself had ordered the slowdown. Earlier this month, after Ukraine targeted Russian oil facilities, both Musk and President Donald Trump made statements disparaging Zelenskyy. Trump has tried to ease high gas prices — which spiked after the US attacked Iran in February — by loosening sanctions on Russian energy.
"Zelensky has gone too far," Musk said in an X post on October 10.
For his part, Trump told reporters that he didn't know who ordered the slowdown. "I don't know who it was, but I'd like to find out," he said on October 19.
As Russia attempts to bombard Kyiv into submission ahead of what is widely expected to be one of the most brutal winters of the nearly seven-year-long war, a Starlink connection allows Ukraine to intercept some of Russia's slower-paced drones.
The throttling of Starlink prompted a rare outburst from Ukraine's leader, who has sought to control his demeanor after a disastrous Oval Office meeting last year, when Trump berated Zelenskyy for not adequately appreciating US support.
In an interview with Piers Morgan on his YouTube channel on October 14, Zelenskyy called the Starlink slowdown "a big mistake."
"This decision will bring a lot of human losses," he said.
SpaceX and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent on Saturday.
But Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX owns Starlink, accuses Ukrainian military of violating the company’s terms
Ukraine’s military has a “stable connection to Starlink”, the Ukrainian government said, 10 days after its ability to use the satellite communications system was suddenly restricted.
But hours after the announcement, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, whose company owns Starlink, accused the Ukrainian military of violating the company’s terms. Neither Musk nor the US government, which operates Starshield using Starlink technology, took responsibility for imposing the curbs.
A Netflix faz esta sexta-feira dez anos na Coreia do Sul, e os números que divulgou para marcar a data mostram o quanto mudou desde 2016. Cerca de 80% dos subscritores da plataforma em todo o mundo já viram pelo menos uma série ou filme coreano. Mais de 200 produções coreanas entraram nos tops 10 globais da Netflix desde 2021. A Coreia, que há dez anos era um mercado novo para a empresa, é hoje a segunda maior fonte de audiência da plataforma, logo a seguir aos Estados Unidos. Os dados vieram num comunicado e num site comemorativo, “Netflix and
A Netflix faz esta sexta-feira dez anos na Coreia do Sul, e os números que divulgou para marcar a data mostram o quanto mudou desde 2016. Cerca de 80% dos subscritores da plataforma em todo o mundo já viram pelo menos uma série ou filme coreano. Mais de 200 produções coreanas entraram nos tops 10 gl
🚨BILL GATES: The COVID pandemic “didn’t work the way I expected.” “Over the next several years… you will see a lot of ATTACKS different in terms of scale than anything we’ve seen in the past.” That literally sounds like a threat… — Nicolas Hulscher, MPH (@NicHulscher) October 23, 2026
by Leo Hohmann, Leo’s Newsletter: The puppet masters running our politicians are apolitical; they care not whether their puppets come from the left or the right as long as they move the dial toward more and bigger centralized powers. In my previous article I focused on a group of elitists, loosely referred to as neocons, […]
Una coppia imperfetta, piena di contraddizioni, davanti al desiderio e alla paura di diventare genitori. È il cuore di “Noi un po’ meglio”, il nuovo film di Daniele Luchetti con Elio Germano e Maria Chiara Giannetta, presentato alla Festa del Cinema di Roma e in arrivo su Netflix il 29 ottobre. Il film segue Simone e Lucia, due persone profondamente diverse alle prese con il complesso percorso dell’adozione, che li porta a mettere in discussione se stessi, la propria idea di famiglia e le aspettative della società.
Per costruire il suo personaggio, Germano ha trascorso del tempo nelle caserme dei vigili del fuoco. “Da loro ho colto una grande attenzione verso gli altri e una forte empatia. Sono persone abituate ad affrontare situazioni imprevedibili e a rassicurare gli altri”, racconta l’attore.
Secondo Germano, il film mostra soprattutto lo sforzo di due persone che provano a uscire dalle proprie certezze per incontrarsi. “La relazione raccontata nel film è lo sforzo che ognuno fa per uscire dalla propria zona di comfort e andare incontro all’altro”, spiega.
L’attore si sofferma poi sui modelli familiari contemporanei. “Sembra che solo famiglie che rispondono a un certo modello possano crescere dei figli. Quando entrano in gioco i minori emergono tante paure e tanti pregiudizi. Ma spesso si finisce per valutare il modello a cui una famiglia assomiglia e non l’amore e l’affetto che può offrire. E invece credo che sia proprio quello ciò che conta”.
Lynch syndrome, a hereditary condition that increases cancer risk, has no symptoms. Most people don't realize they have it until after a cancer diagnosis.
iStock; Tyler Le/BI
After Bryce Ramsey was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer at 33, she learned another piece of shocking news: She had a genetically high chance of developing it from the very beginning.
Ramsey tested positive for Lynch syndrome, a silent, inherited condition that heightened her lifetime risk of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer by up to 56% for her variant. It also put her at greater risk of developing ovarian, uterine, stomach, pancreatic, and other forms of cancer.
Before she learned she had Lynch, Ramsey urged her relatives to also get screened for colon cancer. Since then, her father, brother, and aunt have all been diagnosed with various stages of colon cancer. Like Ramsey, her aunt also tested positive for Lynch.
"I was the whistleblower," Ramsey, 40, based in Mississippi, told Business Insider. Ramsey now wants her two young sons to test for Lynch once they're in their early 20s, the recommended starting age for her specific Lynch mutation.
Bryce Ramsey only learned she had Lynch syndrome after being diagnosed with colon cancer.
Bryce Ramsey
Like most genetic testing, Lynch syndrome testing is relatively quick, cheap, and non-invasive. It involves a saliva test, a cheek swab, or a blood test, with the latter having the least room for error.
Still, it hasn't caught on: About 1 in 279 Americans (1.2 million people) are estimated to have Lynch syndrome, including between 3 to 5% colon cancer patients. Yet an estimated 95% of Americans with Lynch syndrome have no idea they have it.
All the while, cases of colon, breast, uterine, and pancreatic cancers are rising in young people, with colon cancer the deadliest cancer for adults under 50. "If you don't know, then you can't get help," Ramsey said, including earlier screenings or preventive measures such as hysterectomies.
"Ignorance is not always bliss."
The 'lowest hanging fruit' for cutting down cancer risk
Some experts view broader Lynch syndrome testing as a way to get more people screened for cancer before symptoms arise — and a way to potentially help entire families better understand their cancer risks.
Like Ramsey, the majority of people diagnosed with Lynch syndrome only get screened after they have cancer. In the US, the CDC's general guidelines recommend that colon and uterine cancer patients have tumors biopsied for Lynch, followed by Lynch syndrome screening for the patient if there are abnormal findings.
Some experts believe the lack of early genetic testing is a huge missed opportunity for reducing cancer risk. One 2021 study found that about 16.4% of 713 early-onset colorectal cancer cases could have been prevented if patients knew either their family history or had been genetically screened, and would have subsequently started getting colonoscopies sooner.
Lynch syndrome testing "has got so much potential, but it's not being utilized," Heather Hampel, a professor at City of Hope in California who specializes in clinical cancer genomics and Lynch syndrome, and a co-author of the study, told Business Insider.
While Lynch syndrome remains unknown to most Americans, some health systems are trying to expand testing to the broader population. Helix, a genetic screening company that first started out as a consumer DNA marketplace, started partnering with 17 health systems in 2021 as part of its "Population Genomics Initiative." The goal has been to introduce broader population-scale genomic programs that include testing for Lynch syndrome.
Helix offers broad, population-based Lynch syndrome testing through participating health systems.
Helix
Dr. Cassie Hajek, the medical director of Helix, told Business Insider that most patients diagnosed with one of these hereditary conditions by Helix were completely taken aback by the news. "They're kind of operating on the assumption that their risk is just as it is in the general population, but in fact, it's significantly elevated," she said. "The whole goal is to identify these patients hiding in plain sight."
By knowing their genetic predispositions for cancer, they can both more easily start earlier cancer screenings and also inform their family members of their potential genetic risks.
Hampel noted that lowering overall cancer rates is complicated. We still don't know why colon cancer cases are rising so rapidly among young people, and lifestyle factors like sedentary routines and diets high in ultra-processed foods are far more difficult to control for.
"If the lowest-hanging fruit is family history and gene testing, and we can't even prevent those," Hampel said, "how are we ever going to prevent things where we need people to make lifestyle or behavioral changes?"
The ripple effects for families
Michelle York was 33 when she first heard of Lynch syndrome.
Up until that point, all she'd known was that her mom's side of the family had a long cancer history. Her great-grandmother died from colon cancer. Her grandfather had stomach and brain cancer. Her great-aunts died from liver, ovarian, and breast cancer, respectively. Her mother's cousin died from pancreatic cancer.
York (second from left) with her mother, sister, and brother — all of whom tested positive for Lynch syndrome.
Michelle York
York's mother, a nurse at the time, had come across the term through her work. She tested positive for Lynch, along with York, her two siblings, aunt, uncle, and cousin.
At first, the news caused some anxiety. "Does this mean I'm going to get cancer at a young age?" York, 43 and based in Los Angeles, told Business Insider. "Does this mean every time I don't feel well, I'm going to immediately think I have cancer?"
However, once York and her family started getting routine cancer screenings, including annual colonoscopies, they felt more reassured than afraid, because they knew they could catch cancer early. York's mother had multiple precancerous polyps removed.
"None of us have had cancer yet, but we've had lots of scares," York said. She also wants her kids, ages 17 and 14, to test once they're older.
York's mother triggered something called "cascade testing," in which other family members test for Lynch and can take preventive measures to reduce their cancer risk.
Dr. Sapna Syngal, the director of research at the division of cancer genetics and prevention at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and the founder of its Lynch Syndrome Center, sees cascade testing for Lynch as a "real opportunity" to lower cancer risk, she told Business Insider.
Particularly for young people, if they test positive for Lynch in their 20s and start getting cancer screenings, "there's a really, really good chance that you could prevent that cancer by taking out polyps earlier on," she said.
There are also financial benefits to knowing you have a genetic predisposition to cancer. While insurance coverage for Lynch-related cancer screenings can vary, Hajek said her patients typically have a more "straightforward" experience in getting otherwise expensive screenings like colonoscopies covered. York, for example, said her insurance covered her cancer screenings once she got her Lynch syndrome diagnosis.
York, pictured with her family, wants her kids to test for Lynch syndrome when they're old enough.
Michelle York
Ultimately, Hajek said Lynch syndrome testing can help patients get more precise care than simply knowing they have a family history of cancer. Just as testing positive for Lynch can prompt someone to start cancer screenings sooner, testing negative can also relieve a person of anxiety about being at high risk of early-onset cancer and potentially call for less frequent cancer screenings than if they had Lynch.
York said she's ultimately grateful for finding out and knowing she can catch any early signs of cancer by starting annual screenings such as colonoscopies in her 30s — over a decade before the average-risk recommended screening age of 45. Both Ramsey and York also had hysterectomies and oophorectomies unrelated to cancer, which brought extra relief in also reducing their uterine and ovarian cancer risks to essentially zero.
"I think knowledge is power," York said. "Now, it almost feels comforting because I know that I started doing this young."
Lynch needs its Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie appearing on the red carpet a month after her May 2013 op-ed revealing her BRCA1 diagnosis and decision to undergo a preventive double-mastectomy.
LEON NEAL/AFP via Getty Images
In 2013, Angelina Jolie revealed in a New York Times op-ed that she had tested positive for BRCA1, a gene that increases the risks of breast and ovarian cancer.
Her revelation — and subsequent operations to remove her breasts and ovaries — sparked an international drive to get tested for BRCA1/BRCA2. Years later, a study found that 15 business days after Jolie's op-ed went live, BRCA testing rose 64% in the US.
Over a decade later, researchers and patients are working to make Lynch syndrome screening similarly universal.
Getting every person screened comes with its own obstacles.
Lynch could be added to the list of genetic conditions screened for in newborn heel tests. However, critics of the idea believe it can create years of stress when the person with Lynch isn't recommended to start getting colonoscopies until they're in their early 20s.
Other routes, such as including Lynch syndrome testing when people join the military or go to college, would miss broad swaths of the population.
There's also the question of funding. Helix, for example, doesn't bill patients and instead relies on the participating health systems for financial support. Few hospital systems can afford to prioritize testing for a gene condition that impacts a small portion of the population.
Ramsey's advocacy work includes raising more awareness around colon cancer as well as Lynch syndrome.
Bryce Ramsey
Syngal said one immediate option for getting more people screened for Lynch is to follow York's route: consider getting tested if you have a family history of colon or other relevant cancers.
Since their diagnoses, Ramsey and York have tried to spread the word about Lynch syndrome testing. Ramsey is an official advocate for the non-profit Lynch Syndrome Awareness, while York, a full-time content creator, has shared her story on social media.
"It's scary when you first find out that you have a genetic mutation that predisposes you to cancer," York said. "But at the end of the day, knowing that and taking those precautions could ultimately save your life."
Fresh economic data show Argentina's wages and consumer confidence improving, even as the country's risk premium climbs past 700 points. Markets are already looking ahead to the 2027 elections for direction.
He de reconocer que, hasta ahora, creía que la postura escorada de los gobiernos autonómicos en favor de los centros de datos se debía a la misma injusta mezcla que nos afecta a buena parte de los españoles: la falta de información por parte de las grandes corporaciones promotoras y la diseminación por estas de algunos datos confusos y sobredimensionados en empleo e inversión. La labor que he tratado de desempeñar estos últimos meses, como investigador predoctoral del CSIC y de la UC3M, ha sido precisamente tratar de poner la información a disposición de los vecinos y las administraciones afectadas por estas instalaciones. Es por ello que recibí con ilusión la invitación de Unidas por Extremadura para comparecer en la Comisión de Economía, Empleo y Transformación Digital de la Asamblea de Extremadura con el objeto de ofrecer un análisis científico de los beneficios y riesgos asociados a los proyectos de instalación de grandes centros de datos en esta tierra. La misma tierra que cultivaron mis abuelos y de la que emigraron con la intención de que sus nietos pudieran estudiar en las instituciones en las que a día de hoy trabajo.