News - Cancerworld

Tobacco control is improving (slowly) worldwide, WHO reports

News 12 August 2019 0

Launched in late June this year, the 2019 WHO Report "Offer help to quit tobacco use" claims that 5 billion people (65% of the world's population) are exposed to at least one measure to control the tobacco epidemic. They were... [ more ]

Burden of cancer types is not reflected in research funding

News 5 August 2019 0

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Nearly half of cancer patients don’t feel involved in treatment decisions, survey finds

News 29 July 2019 0

Almost half (47%) of patients with cancer do not think that they have been sufficiently involved in the treatment decision process. This is what the international All.Can cancer initiative reveals in its report Patient insights on... [ more ]

Cancer deaths translate to billions of lost earnings per year

News 22 July 2019 0

Almost 95 billion dollars of lost earnings. That’s the estimated price USA paid in 2015 for cancer-related deaths in people aged 16 to 84 years, according to a paper recently published in JAMA Oncology by Farhad Islami, American C... [ more ]

Cancer patients advocates train up fellow activists across Europe

News 16 July 2019 0

Cancer patient advocates from 26 European countries, active across a wide spectrum of cancer types, spent four days last week at the first training course to be developed and run by advocates themselves.The intensive training ‘Academy’ was organised by WECAN [more]

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Cancer clinical trials recruit younger and younger patients

News 15 July 2019 0

Seminal data from decades ago already demonstrated a marked underrepresentation of older patients in clinical trials: now an analysis of more than 300 randomised clinical trials (RCTs) shows not only that the disparity persists but the gap between trial and population median ages is widening. [more]

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New evidence supports inverse association between cancer and Alzheimer

News 8 July 2019 0

Among patients with a history of cancer, risk of Alzheimer disease (AD) might be lower: a study published in JAMA Network Open showed that elderly cancer patients had modestly higher memory function and slower memory decline both ... [ more ]

Social networks and digital oncology to reach young patients with cancer

News 26 June 2019 0

The scientific community should always be on the same page as the patients, and in order to really meet the needs of adolescents and young adults (AYA) a smart and flexible digital system is somehow mandatory in cancer care, accor... [ more ]

Novel hematological therapies were the main focus of the EHA congress

News 24 June 2019 0

Several new agents and combination therapies for the treatments of haematological malignant and non-malignant diseases were presented at the 24th congress of the European Haematology Association (EHA) that took place 13-16 June 20... [ more ]

The real impact of checkpoint inhibitors is not as hoped

News 10 June 2019 0

It seems that the big revolution linked to the introduction of checkpoint inhibitor drugs is still far to come. According to estimates recently published in JAMA Network Open, only a small percentage of patients eligible for these... [ more ]

More than 50 percent rise in chemotherapy demand by 2040

News 3 June 2019 0

Between 2018 and 2040, patients requiring first course chemotherapy will significantly increase annually, accordingly to a modelling study published in The Lancet Oncology.For the first time researchers estimated the scale of chem... [ more ]

Cancer data standards will make it easier to share information through the electronic health record

News 2 June 2019 0

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Incidence of colorectal cancer is on the rise among young adults

News 27 May 2019 0

Data from 20 European countries show that in the past 15 years colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence increased among young adults. The awareness of the changing epidemiology of CRC could have a practical implication: to reconsider at ... [ more ]

A manifesto to make breast cancer a top priority in EU

News 13 May 2019 0

“For any incoming MEP or Commissioner, tackling breast cancer should be a top priority. We are still seeing major inequalities across the individual EU member states in breast cancer diagnosis and care, which result in some countr... [ more ]

Trials on anticancer drugs often have inadequate control arms

News 13 May 2019 0

Randomized controlled trials that have been used for the FDA approval of new anticancer drugs were sometimes based on a flawed design, with suboptimal control arms... [ more ]

The annual ESTRO congress outlines the future of radiotherapy

News 6 May 2019 0

The combination of immuno-oncology and radiotherapy, new technologies, new indications, the role of artificial intelligence: these are the highlights of ESTRO38, the annual congress of European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncolog... [ more ]

Cancer enters the campaign for European Commission President

News 30 April 2019 0

Manfred Weber, one of the leading candidates to become the next president of the European Commission, has promised to “make the fight against cancer an absolute priority” in the next five years.... [ more ]

Alternative therapies in cancer: don’t ask don’t tell?

News 23 April 2019 0

According to a nationwide survey, almost one out of three patients with cancer or cancer survivors in the US use complementary/alternative medicines (CAMs). And among them, three out of ten do not think that their physician should... [ more ]

FDA warns that we are trusting surgeon-robots too much

News 15 April 2019 0

The US Food and Drug Administration issued a safety communication about robotically-assisted surgical procedures for cancer prevention or treatment, pointing out that their safety and effectiveness has not been established yet. ... [ more ]

Home stool test might replace first-line colonoscopy

News 12 April 2019 0

A new article published in Annals of Internal Medicine states that average risk patients can safely choose for an annual home stool test instead of a screening colonoscopy.... [ more ]

ESMO delivers its recipe to prevent shortages of essential medicines in Europe

News 10 April 2019 0

Even essential medicines can at times become difficult to find in Europe, and this can in some cases represent a threat to the life of cancer patients who are otherwise being treated effectively: to prevent future shortages of ess... [ more ]

Mind the label! Especially with low-risk neoplasms

News 8 April 2019 0

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One cycle of chemotherapy or radiotherapy does not affect sperm count

News 26 March 2019 0

According to an article published in the journal Annals of Oncology, men with early stage testicular cancer (Testicular Cancer in Clinical Stage I, or TC CS I) can be treated with one course of chemotherapy or radiotherapy after s... [ more ]

An unexpected side-effect of radiotherapy

News 18 March 2019 2

The staff of a crematorium in the United States was contaminated after dealing with the dead body of one or more persons who had died right after a radiotherapy course, raising concerns about the risk for human ashes to become pot... [ more ]

A Manifesto to put childhood cancers high in the European agenda

News 11 March 2019 0

he European Parliament that will be elected in the coming months has to deal with more than 35.000 new cancer diagnoses in children and young people, more than 6.000 deaths among young patients, and nearly half a million childhoo... [ more ]

Early-phase trials are moving away from the “big killers”

News 11 March 2019 0

No more colorectal or lung cancer in phase 1 trials. Stretching the point, this could be the scenario in the near future following the trends described in an abstract presented at the International Congress on Targeted Anticancer ... [ more ]

Half of pediatric cancers undiagnosed and untreated worldwide

News 4 March 2019 0

Nearly one in two children with cancer are never diagnosed and may die untreated, according to a a new model proposed in a study published in The Lancet Oncology by Zachary Ward and colleagues from Harvard University T.H. Chan S... [ more ]

Mammography screening and improved treatment saved half a million women

News 25 February 2019 0

As many as Baltimore’s residents. This is the answer to the question: “How many breast cancer patients have been saved from death in the past 30 years thanks to mammography screening and improved treatment?”. Baltimore has over 60... [ more ]

Kids born with assisted reproduction are not at higher risk of getting cancer

News 18 February 2019 0

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Case reports: when a consent could become a barrier to medical education

News 11 February 2019 0

In a viewpoint published on JAMA Oncology, experts from University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, have raised the question whether it is always convenient to ask patient consent before publishing case reports. ... [ more ]

Regular NSAID use may improve survival in head and neck cancer

News 4 February 2019 0

A subset of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) who regularly used aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for more than 6 months showed longer disease-specific survival and overall survival than nonreg... [ more ]

With ICIs, the effect of mutations changes with cancer types

News 17 January 2019 0

“Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatments benefit some patients with metastatic cancers, but predictive biomarkers are needed”: starting from this premise, a group of researchers of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center i... [ more ]

World Oncology Forum articulates the case for investing in affordable cancer care

News 11 January 2019 0

Following the third UN high-level summit on non-communicable diseases last September, and with preparations for the 2019 high-level summit on Universal Health Coverage gathering speed, the World Oncology Forum (WOF) is making the ... [ more ]

The slow adoption of biomarkers affects cancer treatment in Greece

News 18 December 2018 1

A huge gap in the Hellenic Organization for Health Care Services Provision reimbursement system (EOPPY) for cancer biomarkers is causing a lot of trouble for doctors and patients. At the moment the Ministry of health approved the ... [ more ]

Cancer and suicide risk: we know when, not who, how nor why

News 6 December 2018 1

In the six months after a diagnosis of cancer, suicide risk increases significantly, up to 20% relative to the general population, according to a paper recently published on JAMA Psychiatry.... [ more ]

Adjuvant therapy in stage III colon cancer: is less (really) better?

News 26 November 2018 0

The results of the IDEA collaboration opened a still unsolved debate about the possibility to halve the duration of adjuvant therapy after surgery of stage III colon cancer. Italian oncologists discussed the practical effects... [ more ]

It’s urgent to learn more on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Toxicity

News 19 November 2018 0

Checkpoint inhibitors have significant side effects, that according to an analysis published in Jama are still poorly known by many health professionals. It is “urgent”, according to authors, “to identify who is at highest risk of... [ more ]

For cervical cancer, open surgery is better than minimally invasive surgery

News 5 November 2018 0

In patients with early cervical cancer, minimally invasive surgery is likely not be the best option, according to two studies with “alarming data” appearing in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.... [ more ]

EuropaColon expands into Digestive Cancers Europe 

News 23 October 2018 0

With the goal of “saving additional 250,000 Europeans every year”, EuropaColon decided to expand its activities to all digestive cancers: oesophageal, stomach, colon, rectum, pancreas and rare digestive cancers.... [ more ]

Lung cancer mortality expected to decrease over the next half century

News 22 October 2018 0

“Tobacco control efforts implemented since the 1960s will continue to reduce lung cancer rates well into the next half-century. Additional prevention and cessation efforts will be required to sustain and expand these gains to furt... [ more ]

Reimbursement of newly approved cancer drugs may take more than one year

News 21 October 2018 0

After the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approves a new cancer drug, reimbursement decisions by each country’s health authorities can take up to one year, with wide variations between countries. according to a study just... [ more ]

Low-adherence to hormonal therapy among premenopausal early breast cancer patients

News 20 October 2018 0

“At one year from initiation of TAM, plasma measurements show that a substantial proportion of premenopausal patients are not adequately adherent to this treatment. Poorly-adherent patients could benefit from metabolic and pharmac... [ more ]

World Thrombosis Day: what’s the role of thrombosis in cancer?

News 16 October 2018 0

There is too little awareness about cancer associated thrombosis: this is the main result of the first survey on awareness of cancer related thrombosis presented on October 16th by ECPC (the European Cancer Patient Coalition) duri... [ more ]

Immunologists Allison and Honjo won the Nobel prize for their work on checkpoints

News 1 October 2018 0

American James Allison and Japanese Tasuku Honjo have been awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine thanks to their findings leading to recent new approaches in cancer treatment.... [ more ]

Fatal reactions to immunotherapies are rare, but have diverse causes

News 24 September 2018 0

The most commonly prescribed class of immunotherapies (called ICIs, immune checkpoint inhibitors) are not free from fulminant and fatal toxic side effects; the researchers of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center recently evaluated ... [ more ]

Catalan independence yellow ribbons clashing with a cancer symbol in Spain

News 17 September 2018 0

On Tuesday 11th of September Catalonia (Spain) celebrated its 'National Day'. Hundreds of thousands Catalans in favor of independence filled the streets, wearing yellow ribbons: the symbol they are using for claiming freedom for ... [ more ]

Mind your head (and neck), say famous paintings

News 15 September 2018 0

Over 20 specialised centres that will be open to the public, and events in ten cities will be part of the Italian effort to raise public awareness on early diagnosis in head and neck cancers, within the European “Make Sense Campai... [ more ]

Terminally ill patients are given preventative medicines until they die

News 11 September 2018 0

Among patients hospitalised for advanced lung cancer, the prescription of preventative medicines for diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, antiplatelet agents, and vitamins/minerals is very common not only at the moment of admis... [ more ]

Second opinions offend oncologists in two ways

News 6 September 2018 1

Physicians seem to accommodate to patients’ requests of second opinions trying not to harm neither the relationship with patients themselves nor with colleagues. Oncologists usually cooperate among each other, even though they do ... [ more ]

Doctors should care more of financial toxicity, US survey warns

News 8 August 2018 0

For many patients newly diagnosed with cancer, financial toxicity should be on top of the list of their doctors concerns: according to a US survey described on the peer-reviewed journal Cancer, published by the American Cancer Soc... [ more ]

A new test for castration-resistant prostate cancer welcomed warmly

News 31 July 2018 0

A blood test that can predict how men with advanced prostate cancer will respond to specific treatments has been validated in a multi-institution cohort study, recently published on Jama Oncology by an International group coordina... [ more ]

Users of alternative remedies tend to refuse cancer treatments, with increased mortality

News 20 July 2018 0

Cancer patients who use complementary medicine tend to refuse effective treatments more often than non users, and this reflects on increased mortality: this is the conclusion of an observational study just published on Jama Oncolo... [ more ]

New markers could pave the way to early diagnosis of AML in the healthy population

News 14 July 2018 0

A research letter just published in the journal Nature by an International group of researchers directed by Grace Collord of the Wellcome Sanger Institute and University of Cambridge, in England, "provides proof-of-principle that ... [ more ]

Governments urged to do more against cancer and other non-communicable diseases

News 5 July 2018 0

The organisations of oncologists ESMO and ASCO are worried by the "tsunami of future cancer cases that will drain our health systems and our economies".... [ more ]

Chasing teenage clouds away, with music

News 3 July 2018 0

The song is captivating, with professional music and arrangements. The voices are those of the teenage patients of the pediatric unit of Milan’s Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori who worked for several months to record a video just re... [ more ]

Outstanding journalism recognised in the Cancer World Award

News 2 July 2018 0

Journalists from India, Germany, France, Pakistan and Syria have been recognised for their outstanding achievement in the 2018 Cancer Journalism Award, organised by Cancer World magazine. A remarkable 181 entries produced in 2017 ... [ more ]

The National Guideline Clearinghouse will be shut down soon

News 27 June 2018 0

The website of the US National Guideline Clearinghouse, that currently makes available 359 guidelines related to oncology, will be closed in mid-July, for lack of federal funding.... [ more ]

SEEKing cancer with liquid biopsy

News 29 May 2018 0

It’s called CancerSEEK the first experimental noninvasive blood test that could screen eight different cancers and localize their source. It was developed by an international research team based at Johns Hopkins University in Balt... [ more ]

Acupuncture and behavioral therapy can improve sleep in cancer survivors

News 25 May 2018 0

Acupuncture and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can improve insomnia severity beyond traditional medicine, and have lasting effects, according to a study – funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institu... [ more ]

Cannabis can be an option in palliative care

News 17 May 2018 0

Cannabis is an effective and safe option to help patients cope with malignancy related symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, sleep disorders, pain, anxiety, and depression. ... [ more ]

A new tool for mastering cancer genetics: the Pan Cancer Atlas

News 8 May 2018 0

The largest survey conducted so far on the genetics of tumours has catalogued the data of over 11 thousand tumours from 33 of the most prevalent forms of cancer. It is now available online.... [ more ]

A single PSA test in asymptomatic men has no mortality benefit

News 30 April 2018 2

The British CAP Randomized Clinical Trial that recruited more than 400.000 subjetcs observed an increase in diagnoses, but no significant effect on the reduction of prostate cancer mortality after a median follow-up of 10 years.... [ more ]

Cancer in childhood leaves a burden on mental health

News 26 April 2018 0

Being diagnosed with cancer as a kid is associated with an increased risk of mental health events later in life, according to an article recently published in Cancer.... [ more ]

To stay afloat, cancer patients in the US need a “financial navigator”

News 19 April 2018 0

A cancer diagnosis in the United Stated is so costly, on so many different aspects, that a new professional figure of “financial navigator” is emerging, to manage all the issues that so far have been partially followed by medical ... [ more ]

New rules limit the professional exposure to cancer-causing substances in Europe

News 9 April 2018 0

The European Commission has recently annonced its proposal to limit workers' exposure to five cancer-causing substances... [ more ]

Californian coffee will soon carry a label on cancer risk

Featured, News 5 April 2018 0

In California, coffee will soon have to carry a label stating that the beverage can cause cancer: a court decicded to impose the warning because of the presence of acrylamide in the drink. The compound is used in certain industria... [ more ]

Liquid biopsies are not fit for clinical practice, yet

Featured, News 21 March 2018 1

More convenient and less risky for patients than proper, traditional ones, liquid biopsies are being rapidly adopted; they can be performed on a serial basis and, in theory, give more complete information. ... [ more ]

Blind women lend a hand for early detection of breast cancer

News 9 March 2018 0

The enhanced tactile sensitivity of blind and visually impaired women might make them especially suitable for breast examination, according to a visionary German gynaecologist. If it’s true that mammography is an effective breast ... [ more ]

Breast cancer patients say excessive fears surround radiation therapy

News 27 February 2018 1

The perspective of undergoing radiation therapy usually scares most breast cancer patients, but according to a new study most women treated with modern breast radiation therapy describe their experience as much better than they ex... [ more ]

A world without cancer: how a pseudoscientific congress opened a fierce debate in Spain

News 5 February 2018 0

“Breast cancer can be cured just being aware of the disease and doing nothing". It’s just one of the many senseless things attendees heard at the congress A World Without Cancer: what your doctor is not telling you, held last mont... [ more ]

The European Commission wants more reliable tools for health technology assessment

News 31 January 2018 0

«Better quality, innovative healthcare for the benefit of patients, especially those with unmet medical needs» this is the mail goal of the proposal for strenghtening cooperation within the European Union on the assessment of heal... [ more ]

Cancer risk factors are in eye of the beholder?

News 5 January 2018 0

Screening for cancer can not only affect overdiagnosis, but also misrepresent the influence of specific risk factors that might instead have no real role, argue two researchers writing on the Annals of Internal Medicine.... [ more ]

Europa Donna Italy provides guidelines for voluntary associations working in breast centres

News 18 December 2017 0

«A common platform for a proper understanding of the interaction system and knowledge between voluntary associations operating in breast centres, specialists of breast centre, political and territorial authorities involved in the ... [ more ]

Tito Fojo: Cancer drugs not delivering on their potential

News, voices, World Oncology Forum videos 29 November 2017 0

New drugs being approved for treatment of patients with cancer are providing an average of only 2.5 months of extra life, a leading researcher has told the World Oncology Forum (WOF). Tito Fojo, Professor of Medicine at Columbia... [ more ]

Austerity measures in Greece leave cancer patients without treatment

News 16 November 2017 0

Swiss drugmaker Roche confirmed on Monday October 30th the withdrawal from the «positive list» of drugs reimbursed in Greece of cobimetinib, used to treat melanoma in adults in combination with vemurafenib, after the government im... [ more ]

Chatham House calls on oncology community to join global drive for universal health coverage

News, World Oncology Forum videos 15 November 2017 0

Robert Yates from the Chatham House policy institute has called on the oncology community to join the global campaign for universal health coverage as the best way of ensuring that governments allocate sufficient resources to... ... [ more ]

ABC4, Lisbon 2017: day two report

News 13 November 2017 1

Day two of ABC-Lisbon featured a pioneer in metastatic breast cancer advocacy, Musa Mayer, who gave the ABC Award lecture. Mayer told the history of how the “silent voices” of women with advanced disease came eventually to be hear... [ more ]

Rifat Atun: Seven point strategy to tackle global cancer

News, voices, World Oncology Forum videos 10 November 2017 0

Rifat Atun, Director of Global Health Systems at Harvard, warns the cancer community they must heal fragmented delivery and financing systems to tackle cancer worldwide. He summarises a seven point strategy from the World Oncology... [ more ]

At the ABC in Lisbon, crossing the lines between being a doctor and patient

News 3 November 2017 1

One talk dominated the opening day of the fourth Advanced Breast Cancer conference in Lisbon (ABC-Lisbon) – a powerful, personal testimony from Bella Kaufman, an Israeli breast cancer oncologist and ABC-Lisbon faculty member who... [ more ]

Is a global movement to tackle cancer possible?

News 31 October 2017 0

At some point in this century cancer will become the leading cause of global deaths. It is already the leading cause of premature death under the age of 70 in 48 higher income countries and second or third in another 100 countries... [ more ]

A is for apple (but not always in Africa)

News 26 October 2017 0

In many books used for teaching the alphabet to children, the letter A is associated to an apple: the association may seem obvious, but usually it is not so for an African child: in Africa A is not for apple, but more likely for a... [ more ]

The (overrated) power of the hazard ratio

News 24 October 2017 0

«Maybe in our fight against cancer we are just looking at the wrong endpoints, focusing our attention on techinicalities like the hazard ratio of a trial instead of thinking at the best way to help the patient improving its qualit... [ more ]

Are cancer patients right in looking for robotic surgery?

News 18 October 2017 0

Does robotic surgery offer superior outcomes? Yes and no – or better: yes and maybe – answers a study published earlier this month in The Lancet Oncology: their clinical benefit is still uncertain, but robots appear to offer supe... [ more ]

ESMO publishes the Patient Guide on Survivorship

News 27 September 2017 0

The new "Patient Guide on Survivorship" produced jointly by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) the European Cancer Patient coalition (ECPC) and the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) is now available... [ more ]

BRCA1 could not wait: Mary-Claire King tells the story of her “special” week of 36 years ago

News 25 September 2017 0

What happens to a strong and motivated scientist when she is left by her husband? When it happened to Mary-Claire King, many unusual things happened: she learned that she had just been awarded tenure at the Berkeley University and... [ more ]

IBM Watson’s skills in oncology? Elementary, according to an investigation

News 10 September 2017 0

The «intelligent» supercomputer that IBM started selling around three years ago as "Watson for Oncology" claiming that it was capable of recommending the best cancer treatments to doctors was the object of an in-depth investigatio... [ more ]

PSA for prostate cancer screening: still a balancing act

News 5 September 2017 0

The conclusions of the 2012 Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) could be wrong: the authors of the trial – published on the Journal of the National Cancer Institute – had found no reduction in pro... [ more ]

Solange Peters will be ESMO President for 2020-2021

News 15 August 2017 0

Solange Peters, MD, PhD, head of the Medical Oncology Service, chair of Thoracic Oncology, Oncology Department, of the University Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, CHUV), will be the Pres... [ more ]

Hair loss caused by chemo: an online registry will help to learn more

News 21 July 2017 0

Hair loss can be a big concern for many cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, and according to a recent review of the literature published on the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, «scalp cooling efficacy is dependent on man... [ more ]

Europe should act to curb alcohol consumption, cancer experts say

News 6 July 2017 0

Rates of alcohol-related digestive cancers are expected to increase very rapidly in Europe, according to an alarming new report issued by United European Gastroenterology (UEG) that calls for a new strategic, political and clinica... [ more ]

The BMJ decries the gap in cancer mortality between rich and poor countries

News 26 June 2017 0

Cancer control measures that have contributed to increase life expectancy in rich populations have yet to be seen in poorer populations, according to a study just published on The BMJ by a group led by Dr. Bochen Cao of the Intern... [ more ]

Cyclists raise funds for the Cancer Association of Botswana

News 26 June 2017 0

Gaborone - Botswana’s cancer conscious cyclists – Team Chainring have embarked on a 1000kilometres ‘Ride for Pink’ to create awareness and raise funds for Cancer Association of Botswana (CAB).
... [ more ]

The National Health Insurance Fund now helps Kenyans with cancer

News 13 June 2017 0

Thousands of cancer patients in Kenya die prematurely due to lack of treatment. In a country where health insurance is a preserve of the wealthy, most patients are forced to sell their cows or land to pay for surgery, radiotherapy... [ more ]

“The Big Four of the Millennium” in Women’s Health

News 6 June 2017 0

“The Big Four of the Millennium” was recently announced at the 61st Congress of the German Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. This honor identifies four individuals, whose life’s work created the standards of women’s health th... [ more ]

Tattoo works of art on the breast after mastectomy gives back the self-confidence

News 5 June 2017 0

Rea undertakes to make a tattoo on the breast after mastectomy and rehabilitation. And most of the times this is not just a tattoo. This is an inspired work of art.... [ more ]

For the first time, the FDA approves a cancer drug for use based on biomarker and not origin

News 29 May 2017 0

Pembrolizumab is the first drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use based on a biomarker (a specific genetic feature) rather than the location in the body where the tumor originated. The drug is indicated for... [ more ]

Rare cancers account for one fifth of new diagnoses in the US

News 22 May 2017 0

According to an analysis just published on American Cancer Society's CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, rare cancers account for almost a fifth of all new diagnoses, and up to over two thirds of all new diagnoses... [ more ]

Biosimilars in oncology: challenges and opportunities

Featured, News 18 May 2017 0

ESO created a Task Force to discuss challenges and opportunities related to biosimilars in oncology, that started to analyze facts and debunk some myths, and will come up in the near future with a position paper on the topic.... [ more ]

Cancer drugs: don’t give in to political pressure, warns report

News 5 May 2017 0

A team of researchers studied the impact of the NHS Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) that was introduced in the UK in 2010 following media criticism that cancer patients were being denied access to the latest treatments. By 2016 it had spe... [ more ]

Tackling rare cancers through more unified research and care all around Europe

Featured, News 18 April 2017 0

Rare cancers were among the topics discussed last month at the 3rd conference on European Reference Networks held in Vilnius, in Lithuania, where Dr Paolo Casali, from the Milan's Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori illustrated the goal... [ more ]

US doctors continue to recommend mammography more often than most International guidelines

Featured, News 11 April 2017 0

When it comes to breast cancer screening with mammography, are women receiving a coherent message about the best age to start and to stop, and about frequency? A survey examined the situation in the United States, and concluded th... [ more ]

Cancer prevention, bad luck and bad wording

News 31 March 2017 0

Cancer, genetics, “bad luck” and prevention through lifestyle: two years after their first study that tried to quantify the random mutations that accumulate during stem cell divisions in healthy cells and drive cancer in different... [ more ]

A call to action to defeat advanced and metastatic breast cancer

News 17 March 2017 0

A call to action to intervene on the many gaps in the care of patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer (ABC/mBC), the European School of Oncology announced at the 15th St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference in... [ more ]

Breast units are effective, and must become the standard: the EBC Manifesto

News 15 March 2017 0

Breast units staffed with specialist multidisciplinary teams deliver superior care and quality of life to women and men with breast cancer: this is the premise of the Manifesto on Breast Cancer Centres/Units that was discussed in ... [ more ]

Signed in Greece the “Road map for treating breast cancer”

News 6 March 2017 0

The Greek women sitting in the National and European parliament managed to find a prominent place in the political agenda for women with breast cancer through the establishment of the so-called “road map for treating breast cancer... [ more ]

How to improve cancer care in Europe? Two reports propose solutions

News 28 February 2017 0

Two comprehensive reports addressing cancer care in Europe have been published recently: «Past and current approaches to cancer care may not be sufficient for tomorrow. We face limited resources and a demand for cancer that will o... [ more ]

“Help a Dane”: a brilliant online campaign against melanoma

News 21 February 2017 0

Images of carbonized pizza, paella, croissant and meatballs with tzaziki are smartly used by a Danish campaign on sun safety advice for Danes tourists who love to spend their holidays in Southern Europe, where their delicate skins... [ more ]

Romanians protest against corruption that plagues hospitals

News 10 February 2017 1

The protest that brought many Romanians in the streets, ignited by a law proposal on corruption, soon touched other sensitive topics, including the dramatic state of public hospitals. A highly contested law proposed by the governm... [ more ]

Cost of drugs and the role of patients: lessons learned at ECCO 2017

News 9 February 2017 0

The cost of drugs and the critical importance of the patient voice in designing clinical trials were two of the key issues picked out by journalists who attended the European Cancer Congress (ECCO 2017) recently held in Amsterdam.... [ more ]

Is first-in-human clinical research always ethical?

Featured, News 4 February 2017 5

«We must abandon the fiction that current oversight systems are adequate to protect volunteers in first-in-human trials or to steward scientific efforts»: this is the strong conclusion of a paper published in Nature by two bioethi... [ more ]

US healthcare and research communities protest Trump’s ban on seven Muslim countries

News 1 February 2017 0

Healthcare professionals in the United States are worried by the impact that the executive order by President Donald Trump barring access in the country to nationals of seven predominantly Muslim countries is having on hospitals a... [ more ]

A viral campaign recruits lemons against breast cancer

News 23 January 2017 0

A brilliant visual campaign called «Know your Lemons» (hashtag #knowyourlemons), launched by a British charity to increase awareness about breast cancer prevention, become viral on social media, with over 7 million views in a few ... [ more ]

Kudos to the recipients of the Cancer World Journalism Awards 2016

News 15 December 2016 1

Journalists from China, Germany, India and Kenya have been recognised for their outstanding articles on cancer in the 2016 Cancer World Journalism Awards. The awards, organised by the European School of Oncology’s Cancer World mag... [ more ]

Not all social relationships are beneficial to breast cancer patients

News 13 December 2016 0

In women hit by breast cancer, the size and type of social relationships influence the rates of recurrence and mortality, according to a research published on Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. In gene... [ more ]

Jama Oncology updates the Global burden of cancer

News 3 December 2016 0

In the last decade, cancer cases increased worldwide by 33 percent, mostly due to population aging, population growth and changes in age-specific cancer rates: this is one of the key conclusions of the new report from the Global B... [ more ]

A new comprehensive cancer research center announced in Greece

News 22 November 2016 0

Efforts to establish a new comprehensive cancer research center in Athens as part of the National Hellenic Research Foundation are underway, according to the director of the foundation, Dr. Vasilis Gregoriou. The National Hellenic... [ more ]

Journalists can apply for Amsterdam conference until Wed Nov 16th

News 14 November 2016 0

The deadline for applying for a journalist grant to the ECCO congress has been extended. The new deadline is Wednesday 16th November •
Reporting on Cancer ESO @ #ECCOCongress Fellowship – 27-30 January 2017 – Amsterdam... [ more ]

Six questions to look at, when dealing with active surveillance

News 31 October 2016 0

For patients with localized prostate cancer (PCa), active surveillance might not be easy to deal with, with possible repercussions on the quality of life: starting from this åassumption, the European School of Oncology convened a ... [ more ]

In the US, costs of breast cancer treatments vary wildly

Featured, News 17 October 2016 0

An observational cohort study just published on the peer-reviewed journal Cancer concluded that the costs of breast cancer chemotherapy vary widely in the United States, even among treatment regimens with similar efficacy, and tha... [ more ]

Personalized oncology: too good to be true?

News 6 October 2016 0

Is there too much hype surrounding personalized oncology? An article just published on The New England Journal of Medicine (available only to subscribers) essentially invites to use more caution: «There should be a clear message t... [ more ]

Cancer in Greek islands: not a paradise anymore

News 27 September 2016 2

Living high in the Cretan mountains, breathing fresh air, walking along shepherds’ paths, eating fresh fruits and vegetables may sound like the healthiest way of life. Unfortunately this is not the case in Crete, w... [ more ]

Adverse events appear to be systematically underreported in clinical trials

News 27 September 2016 0

«There is strong evidence that much of the information on adverse events remains unpublished and that the number and range of adverse events is higher in unpublished than in published versions of the same study»: this is the concl... [ more ]

The Evidence Blocks will help discuss affordable cancer care with patients

News 22 July 2016 0

When discussing about therapies, particularly in oncology, affordability needs to be addressed as one of the top priorities, along with safety and efficacy of the intervention, and quality and consistency of the evidence: this is ... [ more ]

The Cancer World Journalism Award 2016 is now inviting submissions

News 4 July 2016 0

The call for submissions for the 2016 edition of the Cancer World Journalism Award is open: outstanding pieces of journalism that contributed to reshape the way we think about cancer will be awarded a prize of €1500. A winner will... [ more ]

Why can’t doctors get rid of “futile” treatments at the end of life?

News 23 June 2016 0

The Journal of Medical Ethics recently published the results of an Australian survey involving 96 physicians from 10 medical specialties who were asked why patients at the end of life are often ... [ more ]

Fellowhips available for European journalists reporting on cancer

News 23 June 2016 0

Health journalists from all over Europe are invited to apply for one of the 12 fellowships to attend the European Cancer Congress ECCO2017, which will be held in Amsterdam from 27-30 January 2017, with the theme “From evidence to ... [ more ]

Mental health might be negatively affected by a recent cancer diagnosis

News 3 May 2016 0

Cancer diagnosis seems associated with an increased risk of some mental health disorders, and increased use of psychiatric medications, according to a Swedish cohort study published on JAMA Oncology. The study by Donghao Lu and co... [ more ]

A new model for active surveillance of low-risk prostate cancer

News 3 May 2016 0

A new model of active surveillance (AS) for patients with low-risk prostate cancer proved to be effective in helping clinicians to appropriately select and follow patients preventing the risk of overtreatment, according to the res... [ more ]