HomeOncology
Oncology
Young scientist to explore nanoparticle therapy for brain cancer
Michael Gomes, a PhD candidate at the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP), has been awarded the 2026 South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)...
Global breast cancer cases expected to rise to 3.5m by 2050 – Lancet
Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among women globally, and the number of cases worldwide is estimated to reach more than 3.5m by 2050,...
Why some breast cancers evade treatment – Texas study
Up to 20% of hormone receptor-positive breast cancers do not respond to anti-oestrogen therapies, and a study led by researchers at the University of...
More positive cancer drug data for auto-immune kidney disease
Continuing the reinvention of its cancer drug Gazyva as a treatment for immune-mediated diseases of the kidney – which resulted in a lupus nephritis...
KZN researcher’s search and destroy cancer mission rewarded
With South Africa facing a rapidly growing cancer burden, experts warn that more needs to be done to increase access to detection and diagnosis...
Cats may hold clues for human cancer treatment – global study
Although cancer studies have been carried out extensively in dogs, cats have remained unexplored, until now – with the recent first detailed genetic map...
Wits team develops microbial ‘watchlist’ tool for cancer prevention
Wits University scientists have identified a “microbial watchlist” of bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that could cause cancer, saying that understanding these microbial links...
FDA approves first wearable device to treat pancreatic cancer
The FDA has approved a first-of-its-kind wearable electrical device – Optune Pax (Novocure) – for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer, in combination with...
Fallopian tubes removal cuts ovarian cancer risk – Canada corroboration
A team of Canada scientists has provided more evidence that fallopian tube removal can slash the risks of ovarian cancer risk, finding women who...
Surprising link between aspirin, cancer deaths – ASPREE trial follow-up
A team of researchers has suggested that low-dose aspirin was not associated with a reduced incidence of cancer in older adults, but was associated...
SA’s cancer fight needs backing of local science
Cancer is a democratic affliction: it does not only target the wealthy, yet its effect on South Africans is deeply unequal – thus requiring...
Almost 40% of cancers tied to modifiable risk factors – global report
Modifiable risk factors account for almost 40% of the worldwide cancer burden, according to an international study group that said smoking, infections and alcohol...
Brain-damaged cancer patient sues NHS after eight years of chemo
A British cancer patient is taking legal action against the NHS after being given chemotherapy for eight years instead of six months and being...
Steady rise in cancer treatment alternatives to surgery – US report
The second annual report from the US National Cancer Database (NCDB) shows a notable increase in the use of medication therapies like chemotherapy and immunotherapy...
Two-pronged therapeutic technology for cancer wins 2026 Pfizer Prize
A team from Geneva University Hospital (HUG) and the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has won Switzerland’s prestigious 2026 Pfizer Prize for Biomedical Research for...
US to probe health links from cellphone radiation
A study on cellphone radiation will be undertaken by the US Department of Health and Human Services, building on Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s...
Smokeless tobacco a growing oral cancer burden
Clinical interventions are vital to slash the burden of disease associated with smokeless tobacco, and providing cessation treatment in clinical settings is critical, say...
Drug combo boosts hope for multiple myeloma survival
A new therapy for bone-marrow cancer is creating a stir and raising hopes of a potential cure, reports The Washington Post.
Oncologist Luciano Costa waited...
Durban hospital saluted for heart care in cancer treatment
A pioneering South African centre is being celebrated internationally for its dual roles of treating cancer while protecting heart health, with the team at...
Century-old tumours hold clues to young people's cancer
Bowel cancer samples that have been stored for up to 100 years will be analysed by British scientists to try to solve the mysterious...
Short exercise bursts can trigger anti-cancer signals – UK study
Evidence suggests regular exercise can help tackle cancer, with a recent study finding that cancer-fighting biological changes might be triggered in the body after...
Common food additives linked to cancer – French study
A recent study, published in The BMJ, has suggested that greater consumption of food preservatives widely used in processed foods and beverages was associated...
Why some doctors say certain cancers shouldn’t be treated
Statistics show a clear spike in eight cancers in younger people, but that has brought a debate over whether many cases ever needed to...
Can a mammogram help find heart disease?
A growing body of evidence has proved that cardiovascular disease clues lie in the breasts, with experts calling for more emphasis on the importance...
UK starts new prostate cancer treatment trials using AI, robotics
Britain has launched a transformative trial for a prostate cancer treatment that has fewer side effects and which could work as well as if...
Global study flags disparities in child cancer deaths
Concerned experts are urging faster action to help reduce childhood cancer rates and boost survival, while calling for investment in registries as well as...
Bleeding alert for cancer patients on extended blood-thinners
Researchers who have identified four predictors of clinically relevant bleeding in patients receiving extended anticoagulation with apixaban (Eliquis) for cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) said...
More proof that one dose of HPV jab as good as two – Costa Rica trial
The results from a recent trial support the WHO recommendation for single-dose human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to achieve higher coverage while sustaining efficiency, say...
US approves changes for cervical cancer screening
The American Cancer Society (ACS) is introducing two key changes for cervical cancer screening: the option of self-collection of vaginal samples for primary human...
Growing concern over tattoos, cancer link – Swedish study
Sweden’s population has become one of the most tattooed in Europe, but at the same time, the incidence of melanoma is increasing, with a...
Why screening for the deadliest cancer misses most cases – US study
Recent research has found that current lung cancer screening guidelines could be missing most cases, prompting calls for changes to detect the disease earlier,...
PARP inhibitors under-used for prostate cancer – Utah study
Experts say it’s concerning that nearly half of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who are eligible for PARP inhibitors – which could improve...
Why colorectal cancers are rising in young people – US nurses’ study
The sharp climb of colon and rectal cancers in young people has overlapped with the consumption of ultra-processed foods in the United States –...
Serotonin’s role in cancer
Serotonin is often described as the happiness chemical because of its well-known role in regulating mood. However, recent research suggests this familiar molecule may...
SA’s cervical cancer crisis a wake-up call
Sixteen women die from cervical cancer every day in South Africa; a sobering reality which calls for authorities to take stock of its approach...
WHO roadmap for paediatric cancer drugs
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released six new target product profiles for child-friendly formulations of essential cancer medicines, giving pharmaceutical manufacturers a technical...
Grant for NMU researcher to study cancer-fighting indigenous plants
Dr Nehemiah Latolla, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Nelson Mandela University’s Department of Human Physiology, has been awarded an Australia-Africa Universities Network Partnership Research...
Eastern Cape chemo patients left in the lurch after bungle
There appears to be no end to the problems affecting the Eastern Cape Department of Health, the latest mess coming after its account with...
Cancer victim dies after alleged wrong diagnosis of TB
A 20-year-old woman from Bizana in the Eastern Cape who was apparently treated treated for tuberculosis (TB) for two years instead of cancer as...
Why are so many millennials getting cancer?
Millennials – people born between 1981 and 1995 – are the first generation at greater risk of developing tumours than their parents, writes Lydia Begoña Horndler...