https://medicalxpress.com/cancer-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Oncology Immunotherapy that targets tumor-associated macrophages, a type of immune cell in the tumor microenvironment, works only if the cells have a functional system of molecules that enables them to respond to the treatment. This is shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal Nature Communications. The findings may help identify which tumors could respond to the treatment and open up new combination therapies for cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-mechanism-macrophage-cancer-immunotherapy.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:20:03 EDT news705932761 Every year, lung cancer kills more than 100,000 people in the United States. Smoking is the leading risk factor for lung cancer, but other environmental exposures can also contribute to the disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-drug-inflammatory-enzyme-lung-cancer.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:00:06 EDT news705921421 Researchers at Karolinska Institutet report in the Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research that sodium selenite not only can damage tumor cells but also influence characteristics linked to tumor aggressiveness and treatment response. The findings are based on both cell experiments and analyses of tumor tissue from patients with pancreatic cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-selenite-key-properties-pancreatic-cancer.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:00:01 EDT news705929562 Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women in Germany: Around 1 in 8 women will develop it during their lifetime. In around 5% to 10% of cases, the condition is caused by a hereditary predisposition. Thirteen risk genes have currently been identified for genetic testing, including the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Variations (mutations) in these genes are associated with a significantly increased risk of breast cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-genome-analysis-uncovers-candidate-genes.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:20:04 EDT news705928442 Researchers at WashU Medicine have shown that cells originating in bone and best known for their role in bone formation are recruited to primary breast tumors, where they become cancer-associated fibroblasts, a type of cell that helps create the environment tumors need to grow. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-breast-cancers-bone-cells-tumor.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:40:01 EDT news705924541 More than a decade ago, Dr. Matthew Hebb was treating patients with Parkinson's disease using deep brain stimulation by implanting tiny electrodes into the brain and delivering electrical signals to control tremors. He wondered if the same basic technology could be used against brain cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-electric-fields-aggressive-brain-cancer.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:20:06 EDT news705861001 Using a photochemically driven labeling technique, a Cornell-led research group has devised a strategy for capturing cancer-specific protein–protein interactions, which could one day lead to targeted therapies for prostate, small-cell lung, pancreatic and other deadly forms of cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-cancer-specific-myc-reveals-overlooked.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 16:40:05 EDT news705850081 Researchers at Peter Mac have discovered why breast cancer treatment stops working for some patients, uncovering the unexpected role of one of the body's most important cancer-fighting proteins. The study, published in Nature, revealed that the retinoblastoma (Rb) protein—long considered one of the body's natural brakes on cancer growth—has a more complex function than previously understood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-rb-unexpected-estrogen-responsive-genes.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 16:20:03 EDT news705849422 Researchers from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that helps cancer cells evade detection by the body's immune system. The finding could pave the way for the development of more effective cancer immunotherapies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-scientists-uncover-hidden-cancer-cells.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 16:00:02 EDT news705849242 Although there are many cancer treatments available today that effectively eliminate abnormal cells, these therapies may also damage healthy cells, leading to unwanted side effects. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-cancer-therapeutic-tumors-limiting-exposure.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:40:06 EDT news705844562 Gliomas are malignant brain tumors that originate from glial cells, which do not produce electrical impulses like neurons but instead support neurons by maintaining their structure and function. They are the most common form of brain cancer in adults and hijack normal neuronal signaling, especially the protein neuroligin-3 (NLGN3), released by active nerve cells, to fuel their own growth and spread into healthy brain tissue. Researchers wanted to uncover how NLGN3 interacts with glioma cells and healthy OPCs, and the role it normally plays in healthy brain cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-brain-cancer-cells-exploit-nerve.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:20:02 EDT news705830630 As focal therapy gains popularity as a less invasive treatment option for some men with prostate cancer, a national study led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that some men may be receiving treatment that is either unnecessary or not aggressive enough for their cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-prostate-cancer-focal-therapy-fall.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:00:07 EDT news705671341 Three decades after UC San Francisco pioneered "active surveillance" for patients with low-risk prostate cancer, a new study has found that the vast majority of veterans with the diagnosis pursued this option instead of treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-early-prostate-cancer-surveillance-choice.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:00:04 EDT news705833174 For patients with blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, the immunotherapy known as CAR-T cell therapy can be lifesaving. Doctors remove a patient's immune cells, called T cells, engineer them in the lab to better recognize and attack cancer, and infuse them back into the bloodstream. But for solid tumors—which include lung, pancreatic, ovarian, colon, breast and other cancer types—these engineered immune cells still face too much resistance to effectively treat the disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-vivo-crispr-screen-gene-car.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 18:40:03 EDT news705772141 For more than 70 years, the drug 6-thioguanine (6-TG) has been used to treat leukemia. Although its clinical effects have been studied extensively, scientists are still uncovering the molecular mechanisms that determine whether cells succumb to the drug or survive its attack. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-layer-decades-leukemia-drug.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 18:00:01 EDT news705766741 A large population-based study led by researchers at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Mass General Brigham suggests that genetic testing added to routine newborn screening could identify some babies at increased risk of developing cancer before symptoms appear, opening a window for cancer surveillance and early detection. The paper was published in Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-genomic-newborn-screening-children-early.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:20:05 EDT news705766449 Researchers and physicians at the Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ) and other leading cancer centers report an exceptional treatment outcome in an adolescent with an advanced, treatment-resistant kidney tumor. Using a novel, personalized T-cell therapy, they succeeded in completely reversing the disease despite multiple metastases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-personalized-cell-therapy-metastatic-kidney.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:00:07 EDT news705749342 Cancer occurs when cells divide uncontrollably and displace healthy cells. Tumor suppressors provide an important defense against this. As molecular growth inhibitors, they prevent healthy cells from becoming cancerous. A key protein among them is p53, also known as the "guardian of the genome." If p53 detects errors in a cell's DNA, it stops the cell from dividing. If the DNA is irreparably damaged, p53 triggers cell death. To perform these tasks, the protein interacts with many other proteins. However, if p53 is inhibited or altered, cells continue to divide despite damage—and a tumor develops. More than half of all tumors are associated with p53 failing to fulfill its function properly within cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-cancer-protein-p53-action-reveals.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 15:40:05 EDT news705765640 Researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and Keck School of Medicine of USC have engineered a genetic tool that addresses one of the most persistent obstacles in cancer immunotherapy: the physical softness of tumors. The work, detailed in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, reveals how the soft environment of a tumor enables cancer cells to become "stealthy" and resistant to treatment, providing a mechanism to tag those evasive cells for destruction. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-tumor-soft-power-immunotherapy.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 15:20:01 EDT news705765601 Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) account for nearly 60% of adults' and 70% of children's energy intake in the United States. These industrially manufactured products—such as soft drinks, packaged cereals and snacks, and processed meats—are made with refined fats, oils, sugars, starches, salts and other additives that can enhance flavor, texture and shelf life while reducing nutritional value. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-ultra-foods-linked-notably-higher.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 12:00:03 EDT news705753569 A new study, published Tuesday in Nature Communications, found measurable changes in people's blood associated with exposure to air pollution and the subsequent development of lung cancer. The findings provide promising clues that could help shape future cancer research, detection and prevention strategies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-air-pollution-linked-blood-years.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:00:04 EDT news705683582 The thyroid gland consists of two types of hormone-producing cells that regulate the body's metabolism and calcium balance. In mammals, these cell types merge into a single organ, whereas in other vertebrates, they develop into separate organs. How this fusion occurs has long remained unclear, even though developmental defects can lead to congenital abnormalities of the thyroid gland. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-thyroid-hormone-cell-merging.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:40:05 EDT news705667741 Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center have identified a previously unknown metabolic weakness in the stem cells that drive high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a discovery that could lead to more targeted treatments for this aggressive blood cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-energy-addiction-high-blood-cancer.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 17:20:03 EDT news705597542