CancerWorld is not only about cells and treatments. It is about hope, endurance, and the voices that shape the fight against cancer—patients, doctors, scientists, advocates, families, caregivers, and the unsung heroes dedicating their lives to oncology.
In this issue, we bring them all to your radar. Our grand opening features Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, one of our dual cover stories. His career is more than a profession; it is a mission. His conviction that lifesaving cell therapies should not be reserved for the privileged few but made accessible to underprivileged communities is a powerful reminder that science without equity remains unfinished.
We are also honored to share the voice of HRH Princess Dina Mired of Jordan, a voice for the voiceless, a beacon for equity and equality, and a tireless advocate for accessible cancer care in Jordan, across MENA, and far beyond.
We also report on new research suggesting that certain antidepressants may do more than lift spirits; they can enhance T cell activity, shrink tumors, and improve survival across several cancer types.
Our gaze also turns outward, to the blue and green world. Plastic fragments are invading not only our oceans but also our bodies, and even our tumors. It is a stark warning: the environment we harm will inevitably harm us in return.
In these pages, caregivers speak. Too often invisible, they shoulder both devotion and exhaustion. Their voices remind us that cancer is never a solitary illness but a shared journey.
We confront the challenges of the digital era, where social media can offer connection and comfort to cancer patients, but also spread dangerous misinformation.
Latvia’s puzzling cancer statistics, the promise of early detection, and the surprising link between radiotherapy and Alzheimer’s protection—these are dots in a vast universe. Dots of science, compassion, and discovery.
We also explore the new frontier of combination early detection and interception, where cutting-edge advances in genomics, immunology, and artificial intelligence are shifting cancer screening from late diagnosis to interception before the disease strikes.
Finally, we follow the remarkable journey of Dr. Nageatte Ibrahim, from a curious child to a trailblazer who helped bring pembrolizumab, a groundbreaking immunotherapy, to patients worldwide, forever changing the landscape of cancer care.
This issue is a tapestry of voices and visions, of equity, discovery, and resilience. And as we always say: progress in cancer care is not only about breakthroughs in the lab, but about the people who make them matter.
Adriana Albini, Co-Editor-In-Chief, CancerWorld
