https://medicalxpress.com/cancer-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Oncology A human brain network associated with survival in children with diffuse midline glioma (DMG), the deadliest childhood brain cancer, has been identified by UCL clinician-scientists, raising the possibility of entirely new treatment approaches. The researchers found that DMG tumors seem to exploit the brain's existing neural circuitry to drive tumor growth and progression. Tumors that were more strongly connected to this network were associated with significantly shorter patient survival. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-clinicianscientists-brain-network-linked-deadliest.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 19:00:05 EDT news700755542 Screening people with the rare, inherited cancer-causing condition Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) brings both medical and economic benefits to patients and health care systems, according to research to be presented to the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-european-patients-inherited-cancer-substantial.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 18:10:03 EDT news700733462 Patients with multiple myeloma who received a new immunotherapy combination lived significantly longer without their cancer worsening and showed early signs of improved survival in a large international clinical trial. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-combo-treatment-delays-multiple-myeloma.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:50:03 EDT news700760821 Researchers from the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, together with key pioneers in glioma biology, neuro-oncology and stem cell biology, have published a comprehensive review in Society for Neuro-Oncology's journal Neuro-Oncology outlining the evolving landscape of glioma organoid technologies and proposing a foundational classification framework to guide translational brain tumor research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-glioma-organoid-classification-framework-brain.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:00:01 EDT news700739760 Anti-T-lymphocyte globulin (ATLG) for the prevention of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) reduces complications and infection-related mortality compared with post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from unrelated donors. Although PTCy was associated with fewer cases of acute (Grade II–IV) and chronic GvHD, this did not result in a survival benefit for patients with blood cancer. These initial results from the GRAPPA study were presented by DKMS as a late-breaking abstract at the European Hematology Association Congress (EHA 2026) in Stockholm. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-evidence-graft-host-disease-stem.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:50:01 EDT news700759741 Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have identified a target that may improve the response to CAR T-cell therapy, a treatment for patients with recurrent or difficult-to-treat blood cancers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-potential-car-cell-therapy-response.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:40:12 EDT news700758513 Dual-target CAR T-cell therapy for recurrent glioblastoma (GBM), delivered directly into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), triggers a broad immune response, with natural killer (NK) cell activation linked to better patient outcomes and longer overall survival. CSF of individuals who did not respond to the therapy exhibited a higher proportion of activated regulatory T cells (Tregs) and high baseline levels of immunosuppressive scavenger myeloid cells, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine and Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, published in Cell. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-immune-success-dual-car-therapy.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:20:04 EDT news700752355 Tumor cells can lapse into a sleep-like state and thereby evade the destructive effect of cancer drugs. In some types of the disease, such as certain forms of lung cancer, this state is triggered by stress hormones in the body. Inside the cancer cells, glucocorticoid receptors recognize the hormones, and the cells respond by lapsing into a state in which they undergo barely any division. This renders many treatments ineffective. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-lung-cancer-cells-dormant-state.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:00:08 EDT news700752001 Triplet therapy with pirtobrutinib, venetoclax and rituximab as a two-year fixed-duration therapy improves progression-free survival for patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) compared with standard-of-care venetoclax plus rituximab therapy, according to interim data from the randomized, phase 3 BRUIN CLL-322 clinical trial. Matthew Davids, MD, MMSc, chief of the Division of Lymphoma at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, presented the results in the Late-Breaking Abstract session at the European Hematology Association 2026 Congress in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 14, 2026. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-duration-triplet-therapy-efficacy-patients.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:20:01 EDT news700741801 QIMR Berghofer scientists have uncovered hundreds of genes that play a role in the growth of both moles and melanoma, in a discovery that could lead to new ways of preventing and treating the deadliest form of skin cancer. The world's largest genetics study of "moliness," published in Nature Communications, is unraveling the complex causes of both moles and melanomas that are not related to well-known risks caused by sun exposure, skin color and pigmentation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-world-largest-genetic-moliness-unravel.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:40:06 EDT news700746783 Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have developed a new stain-free imaging platform designed to analyze tissue samples more quickly and consistently, supporting future AI-assisted cancer diagnostics. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-silicon-imaging-cancer-diagnosis-agreement.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:20:01 EDT news700746662 Certain white blood cells in the immune system, known as neutrophils, can make cancer immunotherapy less effective, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Immunity. The results show that a signaling molecule in the tumor affects neutrophils, reducing the effect of treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-immunotherapy-tumor-triggered-neutrophils-cancer.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 13:40:10 EDT news700742702 You might think of cancer as a mass of rogue cells that grow uncontrollably. But cancer is more organized and strategic than that. Rather, cancer is a tightly controlled cellular neighborhood that can keep the body's defenses out or weaken them once they get in. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-cancer-requires-immune-cells-infiltrate.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 13:20:01 EDT news700740362 Cancer drugs can shrink fast-growing tumors. But sometimes a few tumor cells survive. These "persister" cells seed new tumors, forcing cancer patients into arduous cycles of testing and treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-cancers-robotic-mini-tumor-ways.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:00:05 EDT news700737318 Prostate-targeted, engineered nanoparticles made of amorphous silica are effective in killing prostate tumors directly while enhancing antitumor immunity, according to a preclinical study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-experimental-treatment-prostate-tumor-cells.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:00:10 EDT news700735501 Researchers from Flinders University say that building lung cancer screening programs that include strong, consistent and long-term quit-smoking support could play a crucial role in preventing smoking-related deaths. The new review published in JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows that although many screening programs are beginning to offer smoking cessation assistance, most are not yet designed to deliver the full benefit. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-focuses-sustaining-cessation-lung-cancer.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 09:40:06 EDT news700733222 Scientists at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research have discovered how Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium responsible for most stomach cancers and peptic ulcers, delivers a key disease-causing protein into human cells. This breakthrough provides new insight into how H. pylori modulates chronic inflammation and promotes cancer, potentially opening new diagnostic and therapeutic pathways. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-pylori-extracellular-vesicles-stomach-cancer.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 09:20:04 EDT news700731062 New research in the June 2026 issue of Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds that small, targeted prompts delivered to both patients and providers at the right moment can significantly increase the number of serious illness conversations that take place. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-nudges-honor-patients-cancer.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 09:00:01 EDT news700486573 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy, plus belzutifan, a HIF-2α inhibitor, as adjuvant treatment for adult patients with renal cell carcinoma with a clear cell component (ccRCC) at intermediate-high or high risk of recurrence following nephrectomy, with or without resection of metastatic lesions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-fda-combination-therapy-higher-cell.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 07:40:01 EDT news700717921 New research to be presented today at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics shows that a cancer patient's genetic ancestry can have a significant effect both on how their disease progresses and their survival. In the largest study of its kind, researchers examined nearly 1,900 specific genetic changes in tumors to measure whether certain mutations were more common in patients with different historic geographic origins. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-genetic-tumor-analyses-enables-survival.html Sun, 14 Jun 2026 18:10:01 EDT news700482241 Longer lifetime exposure to female hormones may increase the risk of thyroid cancer in women, according to a study presented at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago. The research suggests reproductive and hormonal factors may be involved in thyroid carcinogenesis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-women-thyroid-cancer-linked-reproductive.html Sat, 13 Jun 2026 14:50:05 EDT news700464313 Researchers at National Taiwan University refined a pseudo-germ-free mouse model to make gut microbiome studies safer for mice and more reliable. Using this model, they found that antibiotic-driven changes in gut microbes suppressed pancreatic tumor growth and enhanced the effect of gemcitabine chemotherapy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-refined-pseudo-germ-free-mice.html Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:40:03 EDT news700483981 A carefully designed metal-free carbon monoxide prodrug—an inactive compound that is converted into its active form in the body—may help prevent some of the deadliest forms of cancer from spreading, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine. Their recent preclinical study, published in Advanced Science, offers a new strategy to potentially reduce the recurrence of pancreatic and triple-negative breast cancer in patients who initially respond to treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-metal-free-carbon-monoxide-prodrugs.html Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:40:11 EDT news700478911 A new study led by UCLA Health physician-scientists suggests that subtle changes in heart structure and function may signal an increased risk of developing certain cancers years later. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, could eventually help physicians identify patients who may benefit from earlier prevention strategies aimed at both cardiovascular disease and cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-early-heart-cancer-years-diagnosis.html Fri, 12 Jun 2026 11:40:04 EDT news700479121 A signaling system known as the Wnt pathway plays a central role in how cells in the intestine grow, divide and renew themselves. Decades of research have shown that disruption of this pathway is a defining feature of many intestinal cancers. In particular, mutations in the APC gene—which normally acts as a brake on Wnt signaling—are widely recognized as a key initiating event in colorectal tumors. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-copa-mutations-reveal-alternative-trigger.html Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:40:07 EDT news700477943 A research team at Kanazawa University, led by Professor Atsushi Mizokami, Associate Professor Koji Izumi and Specially Appointed Assistant Professor Taiki Kamishima (a fourth-year doctoral student at the Graduate School of Medical Sciences), has elucidated a novel molecular mechanism driving the progression of "double-negative castration-resistant prostate cancer (DNPC)"—one of the most treatment-resistant forms of prostate cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-hard-prostate-cancer-stroma-kras.html Fri, 12 Jun 2026 08:20:02 EDT news700464441 A new treatment that involves growing a patient's immune cells and then infusing them back into their body has shown promise for people with the rare blood disorder aplastic anemia. Results from the Phase 1 trial, led by Professor Ghulam Mufti, provide the first evidence that autologous regulatory T-cell therapy is feasible and safe in people with aplastic anemia and may have clinical benefit. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-treatment-patients-rare-blood-disorder.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 20:00:01 EDT news700389678 Daily life is shaped by the solar day, influencing when we wake up, eat, work and sleep. Inside the body, a similar internal timing system—present in nearly every cell—known as the circadian clock synchronizes many biological functions, such as sleep, metabolism, hormone release and even the immune system's activity. Now, researchers from Kyushu University have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism by which the circadian clock protein called brain and muscle ARNT-like 1 (BMAL1) enhances inflammatory responses in immune cells. The findings offer new insights into how the body clock influences immune responses and may pave the way for new approaches to treating inflammatory diseases and cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-body-clock-inflammation-cancer-future.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 18:00:04 EDT news700413837 Mesothelioma deaths and diagnoses continue to rise in the United States despite decades of asbestos regulation and reduced industrial use, according to a new national analysis from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-mesothelioma-cases-deaths-decades-asbestos.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 16:00:01 EDT news700387621 An experimental antibody treatment that binds to a protein known as PCDH7 shrank tumors in preclinical models of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including those resistant to a targeted therapy, a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers showed. The findings, published in Science Advances, could eventually lead to a new class of drugs to treat NSCLC and potentially other cancers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-antibody-boost-kras-lung-cancer.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:20:01 EDT news700404455