Janet Fricker

Breast cancer survivors who carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations and received textured implants are 16 times more likely to develop breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) than those who have implants but do not carry these mutations.  The study,…

A deep learning model using biological age estimations from photographs improved physicians’ survival predictions in patients with incurable cancer receiving palliative care. The study, published in Lancet Digital Health, found that the faces of cancer patients averaged five years older…

Colon cancer patients with a documented history of high cannabis use prior to diagnosis showed dramatic increases in mortality. The study, published in the Annals of Epidemiology on April 28, found that cannabis users were nearly 25 times more likely…

The alpha-synuclein, a protein long associated with Parkinson’s disease may hold the key to melanoma proliferation. The study, published in Science Advances, on 9 April, suggests that while excess alpha-synuclein results in cell death in neurons, conversely, it enables uncontrolled…

The gut microbiota can transform cholesterol-derived bile acids into metabolites capable of blocking androgen receptors and strengthening anti-cancer immunity. The study, published in Cell, April 15, demonstrates how one of the microbiota-derived secondary bile acids is capable of suppressing tumour…

Survivors of childhood cancer experience accelerated onset of ageing-related diseases, regardless of prior radiation exposure. The simulation modelling study, published in JAMA Oncology, online March 20, found that chronic health conditions developed 10 to 20 years earlier than expected and…

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, a common type of diabetes medication, may protect the heart during and after cancer treatment. The systematic review and meta-analysis, published in European Journal of Preventive Cardiology on 6 March, shows that SGLT2 inhibitors halve…

Personalised neoantigen cancer vaccines (both with and without ipilimumab) elicited anticancer immune responses in nine patients with fully resected clear cell renal cell carcinoma. The investigator-initiated phase 1 trial, published in Nature, February 5 2025, observed no recurrences at a…

April 2025 marked a significant month in oncology, with notable advancements in cancer treatment and research. Here’s a summary of the most compelling studies and recent breakthroughs that caught our eye this month. Popular CT scans could account for 5%…

It’s long been clear that, in most patients with metastatic HER-positive breast cancer, adding effective HER2 blockade to cytotoxics can result in very prolonged responses. Janet Fricker reports on the prospective trials building evidence on whether – and in whom…