News
EC publishes route map for tackling cancer
A plan from the European Commission provides a roadmap for Europe to tackle the entire cancer pathway from prevention to improving the quality of life for cancer survivors. The aim of the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (published 3 February), accompanied…
Therapy targeting androgen receptors opens new chapter for hormone driven breast cancers
Androgen receptor activation exerts potent antitumour activity in oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer. The international study, published in Nature Medicine (18th January), has important therapeutic implications for women with metastatic breast cancers that are oestrogen receptor positive, including those who…
Coffee may protect against prostate cancer
Drinking several cups of coffee every day may be linked to a lower risk of developing prostate cancer. The meta-analysis study, published in BMJ Open, (11 January) found that each additional daily cup of coffee was associated with a 1%…
Financial burden on older adults with advanced cancer worsens quality of life
Among older adults with advanced cancer, those judged to have financial issues experience worse quality of life, with the adverse effects including higher levels of depression, anxiety and distress. The study, reported in JAMA Network Open (published 7 December), highlights…
Integrated imaging opens the way for virtual biopsies
Combining computed tomography (CT) scans, spatial radiomic maps, and ultrasound (US) images creates a visual guide that helps doctors perform fewer and more accurate tumour biopsies. The feasibility study, published in European Radiology (14 December), demonstrates how imaging can be…
Cancer survivors at greater risk of subsequent primary cancers
Survivors of adult-onset cancers run a greater risk of developing and dying from subsequent primary cancers (SPCs) than the general population. The retrospective cohort study, reported in JAMA (December 22), found cancers associated with smoking or obesity comprised the majority…
Immunotherapy cardiotoxicity higher than previously estimated
Cancer patients receiving immunotherapy drugs have a much higher incidence of cardiac events than previous estimates from pharmacovigilance data, reports a nationwide Danish registry. The study, published in the European Heart Journal, found patients with lung cancer or malignant melanoma…
NHS England’s pilot of cancer screening blood test raises questions
The UK National Health Service (NHS) announced on the 27 November that it would be piloting an early detection multi-cancer blood test next year. This represents an important advance because “every year, nearly 200,000 people in the UK die from…
Building back cancer services after Covid-19: European Cancer Organisation plan
The European Cancer Organisation has proposed seven urgent recommendations to ‘build back cancer services better’ after the ongoing challenges resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. ‘The Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer in Europe’, launched during the European Cancer Summit on the…
Prolonged ADT use in prostate cancer increases CV mortality: A need for cardiovascular protection
Prolonged androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) exposure was found to be associated with reduced cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and increased cardiovascular (CV) mortality. The study, published in JACC: CardioOncology, emphasizes the need to consider CV surveillance and risk modification for men both…