Articles
Why is the cancer mortality gap between Eastern and Western Europe so hard to close?
Efforts to reduce the excess risk of dying from cancer faced by people living in countries of Eastern and Central Europe, compared with their Western counterparts have been high on the European agenda for the best part of two decades.…
Can a novel anti-diabetic, anti-obesity ‘wonder drug’ be repurposed for cancer?
Throughout human history, the search for a universal cure has captivated the minds of philosophers, healers and scientists across time and cultures. In Greek mythology, the goddess Panacea was believed to possess a potion to treat all afflictions. We still…
Women, power and cancer in India
There is not a dull moment when Tulasi Singh is around. She makes sure that the women’s hall on the fifth floor of the Gadge Maharaj Dharamshala, a subsidised hostel for cancer patients close to the Tata Memorial Hospital in…
Safely pausing or stopping treatment: could this be the future for solid tumours?
The success of treatment cessation in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), outlined in an earlier Cancerworld feature, is opening the way for treatment breaks – or cessation with monitoring – to be considered in advanced solid tumours, including breast, kidney, colorectal,…
Drug repurposing: EU legislative changes could speed up new treatment options
The length of time it takes for each new cancer drug to reach the market – and more importantly, the patient – remains a cause of deep frustration particularly among those whose lives depend on accessing new options. Concrete data…
Keeping family hopes alive among African women treated for breast cancer
In Africa, women's infertility carries a heavy stigma; it becomes their label. Many end up feeling worthless, face harsh treatment from in-laws, abandonment by spouses, or relegation to polygamous marriages, as husbands take additional wives capable of bearing children. For…
Soft policies on smokeless tobacco to cost India, Pakistan and Bangladesh billions
Smokeless tobacco products such as paan masala, gutkha, khaini, mishri and snuff are chewed, sucked or sniffed rather than smoked, with the nicotine absorbed through the nose and mouth. Many contain more than 4,000 chemicals, 30 of which are linked to cancer. …
Is yours a beach-ready body? Dietary tips to lower your risk of melanoma
“Did you remember to bring the sunscreen?” Public awareness of the need to protect against the risk of melanoma from excessive exposure to UV rays from the sun has risen dramatically over recent decades. ‘Bringing the sunscreen’ is now a…
Treatment-free remission: How today’s CML patients can aspire to a drug-free life
Around the start of the millennium, the therapeutic landscape for chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), a rare type of blood cancer affecting the bone marrow and white blood cells, was transformed by the arrival of a revolutionary cancer drug. This was…
Quality palliative care: investing in data collection to monitor and improve services in Africa
Effective palliative care has become a growing priority in African health services in recent decades. This is partly a result of the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases including cancer – and the sad reality that palliative care is often all…