https://medicalxpress.com/cancer-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Oncology Researchers from the University of Toronto have created a new multi-organ-on-a-chip device to investigate why the heart is one of the least common sites of cancer metastasis, creating new opportunities for cancer research and drug discovery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-cancer-rarely-heart-chip-platform.html Tue, 10 Nov 2026 18:00:09 EST news713551441 The prospective, multicenter, randomized phase 2 ZZ-FIRST clinical trial, led by the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology's (VHIO) Prostate Cancer Group, evaluated the androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) enzalutamide plus the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) talazoparib versus enzalutamide alone in patients with high-tumor-burden metastatic prostate cancer who had not previously received hormone therapy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-prostate-cancer-drug-combination-toxicity.html Tue, 10 Nov 2026 17:20:08 EST news713545981 Scientists are developing a new MRI-based test that could spare thousands of cancer patients from aggressive radiotherapy treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-mri-scan-codes-treatment-resistant.html Tue, 10 Nov 2026 15:40:12 EST news713539723 Chemotherapy helps many women survive breast cancer, but new research suggests that chemotherapy may also accelerate biological aging beyond chronological age and increase the risk of earlier death from other causes. The findings point to a need to explore whether interventions to slow or reverse biological aging could improve long-term health for breast cancer survivors. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-chemotherapy-breast-cancer-linked-biological.html Tue, 10 Nov 2026 11:00:14 EST news713441244 Many solid tumors, including many cancers of the pancreas, breast, colon and lung, protect themselves with a dense wall of scar-like tissue. That wall keeps the immune system's cancer-killing T cells out. It is a major reason why immunotherapy drugs, which have transformed treatment for some patients, help only a minority of people with solid tumors. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-experimental-drug-aggressive-pancreatic-tumors.html Tue, 10 Nov 2026 09:40:01 EST news713525461 For patients undergoing gastric cancer surgery, informed consent (IC) can involve extensive information about surgical methods, complications, risks, benefits and life after treatment. Conventional face-to-face explanations can be difficult to absorb in one sitting and require substantial time from both patients and surgeons. Decisional conflict, the uncertainty people may feel when making a treatment choice, adds to this challenge. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-video-consent-decisional-conflict-cancer.html Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:20:01 EST news713517321 DNA methylation patterns present at diagnosis could help predict which patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) will respond to azacitidine. That's the key finding of a new multicenter study involving researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-dna-marker-treatment-response-myelodysplastic.html Tue, 10 Nov 2026 07:20:10 EST news713516944 Hoag researchers have discovered a molecular warning signal in the blood that identifies serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC), an early, precancerous stage of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). This advance is particularly significant because ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, after the disease has already spread. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-blood-rna-reveal-ovarian-cancer.html Tue, 10 Nov 2026 05:00:25 EST news713440802 A new study led by researchers at Oxford Population Health shows that higher levels of proteins involved in activating and coordinating the immune system were associated with a lower risk of developing prostate cancer. The findings suggest that the body's ability to recognize and respond to abnormal cells may play an important role in the early development of prostate cancer and could point to new approaches for preventing the disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-immune-proteins-clues-prostate-cancer.html Tue, 10 Nov 2026 05:00:01 EST news713449204 Sleep disturbances affect up to 60% of people after primary cancer treatment, and they are often waved away as the price of treatment, or of age. For older men in particular, science has had little to offer. Most research on behavioral treatments for insomnia has studied women with breast cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-quiet-nights-tai-chi-class.html Mon, 09 Nov 2026 20:00:01 EST news713446739 Australians living with cancer are increasingly being asked a simple but powerful question: How are you? A study led by Flinders University and Flinders Medical Center describes how clinicians routinely listening to cancer patients about their symptoms, well-being and quality of life can transform cancer care. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-cancer-patients-voices-australia.html Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:40:08 EST news713449823 A new treatment approach could help people with an aggressive form of bladder cancer live longer and reduce the chances of their cancer returning or progressing, particularly those who cannot receive standard chemotherapy, according to findings from a large international clinical trial co-led by researchers at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-drug-combination-survival-patients-muscle.html Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:30:01 EST news713457716 Cancer isn't the leading cause of death in the United States; heart disease ranks first in that regard. But it's cancer that strikes fear into the hearts of many Americans. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-blood-cancers-symptoms-proof-cancer.html Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:00:16 EST news713446408 Researchers have identified a promising new target in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. A new study in The American Journal of Pathology demonstrates that blocking complement factor B (CFB), a pivotal enzyme in the alternative complement pathway, halts cancer growth and alters the tumor microenvironment. The greatest tumor suppression was observed when CFB inhibition was combined with chemotherapy and immunotherapy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-scientists-inhibition-specific-enzyme-pancreatic.html Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:00:07 EST news713454154 Injecting an ordinary flu vaccine straight into skin cancer tumors may help rally the immune system against the cancer, a small early trial suggests. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-flu-shot-skin-cancer.html Mon, 09 Nov 2026 17:30:08 EST news713466961 Researchers from VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center recently demonstrated that the inhibition of glucosylceramide synthase (GCS) can cause death in cancer cells that is independent of changes in pro-death ceramide levels. The findings, which were recently published in Cell Death Discovery, showed that using eliglustat, an FDA-approved drug, induced cell death in several cancer cell lines. Additionally, the findings demonstrated, for the first time, that GCS and its products had a pro-survival role in cancer cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-fda-drug-cancer-cells-lab.html Mon, 09 Nov 2026 17:10:02 EST news713459064 In a new thesis, Mattias Hammarström studied whether lower doses of tamoxifen and also its active metabolite endoxifen for direct administration, as a preventive medication could reduce side effects while still affecting breast tissue in healthy women. The findings suggest that lower doses of tamoxifen and a low dose of endoxifen may offer a better balance between biological effects and side effects, potentially contributing to more individualized approaches to breast cancer prevention. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-qa-pharmacological-approaches-breast-cancer.html Mon, 09 Nov 2026 16:00:01 EST news713453462 In a new international study led by Lund University in Sweden, researchers have uncovered how reprogrammed cancer cells can help orchestrate the immune system's attack on tumors. Experiments in mice revealed how immune cells are recruited and organized within tumors to mount an immune response. The findings could pave the way for more effective immunotherapy and, ultimately, help more patients benefit from the treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-cell-reprogramming-tumors-responsive-immunotherapy.html Mon, 09 Nov 2026 14:40:04 EST news713451001 A drug used to support blood cell production (hematopoiesis) could be more effective in a specific leukemia treatment if administered before chemotherapy rather than after it. This was the outcome of computer simulations that involved researchers from Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg. The finding resulted from a comparison of 323 treatment protocols by the research team led by mathematicians professor Dr. Sebastian Sager, Dr. Adrian Reimann and Anna Gebhard from the Institute of Mathematical Optimization. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-ways-side-effects-chemotherapy-children.html Mon, 09 Nov 2026 14:20:13 EST news713446813 Years of research point to obesity and type 2 diabetes raising the risk of developing several types of cancer. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), a recent medical breakthrough, were originally developed for blood sugar control or diabetes management and also work overtime promoting weight loss. Scientists are curious to explore whether there are any links between these drugs and the onset of cancers in people with diabetes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-glp-drugs-obesity-cancer-insulin.html Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:20:04 EST news713446027 Differences within breast tumors and between patients are associated with the risk of metastasis and response to endocrine therapy, according to a new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet. The findings also highlight the importance of long-term follow-up in capturing the full benefit of treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-heterogeneity-breast-cancer-linked-metastasis.html Mon, 09 Nov 2026 12:20:11 EST news713445261 Like every other cell in the human body, cancer cells also produce their own share of proteins for survival. During this production process, cells often encounter a glitch called ribosomal frameshifting. This exceptionally rare event occurs roughly once in every 100,000 translation events, when the ribosome, while reading genetic instructions to make a protein, shifts its reading position. A recent Nature study investigated whether this protein-building glitch in cancer cells can be turned into a targeted cancer therapy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-scientists-protein-errors-cancer-cells.html Mon, 09 Nov 2026 12:00:10 EST news713445998 Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UK) have proposed an explanation for why some childhood tumors spread aggressively around the body despite having relatively few genetic faults. For years, experts believed cancers become more dangerous by accumulating genetic mutations that allow them to invade new tissues and evade treatment. But a new paper shows how childhood cancers may not always need extra mutations to spread. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-childhood-cancers-shifting-mutating.html Mon, 09 Nov 2026 09:00:01 EST news713166820 New research reveals that participating in cancer clinical trials can cause financial burdens that are shaped by both socioeconomic and logistical factors. The analysis published by Wiley online in CANCER, indicates the need for better reimbursement programs to improve equitable access to, and retention in, cancer clinical trials. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-cancer-clinical-trial-reimbursed-median.html Mon, 09 Nov 2026 03:10:01 EST news713104756 South African researchers are testing "off-the-shelf" immune cells against lymphoma that has returned or resisted treatment, investigating an approach that avoids having to manufacture a separate treatment from each patient's own cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-south-african-trial-shelf-killer.html Fri, 06 Nov 2026 19:40:01 EST news713181130 Cancer remains among the most deadly diseases worldwide. Globally, more than 300,000 new cases of brain cancer are reported each year, with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, accounting for over 250,000 deaths. The current standard of care involves the use of temozolomide (TMZ), a chemotherapy medication. However, the tumor can be difficult to control because cancer cells evolve to evade the effects of such treatments. Thus, finding new ways to target these cells is an important area in cancer research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-compounds-drug-resistant-brain-cancer.html Fri, 06 Nov 2026 15:00:06 EST news713196004 New research from the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center found biological differences in pancreatic cancer tumors and immune environments, opening the possibility for more personalized treatments for different populations. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-biological-differences-pancreatic-cancer.html Fri, 06 Nov 2026 14:20:06 EST news713190027 Adelaide University researchers have found a DNA "switch" that helps the body stop the growth of the most common form of breast cancer, providing new insights that could help with future treatments. Up to 80% of breast cancer cases are classified as estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)—meaning their growth is driven by the hormone estrogen. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-dna-uncovers-breast-cancer-growth.html Fri, 06 Nov 2026 13:20:06 EST news713193423 Women with higher blood levels of two common per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also familiarly known as PFAS, were more likely to develop estrogen receptor-negative, or ER-negative, breast cancer, according to a new study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). PFAS are a large group of chemicals used in common consumer products. Often referred to as "forever chemicals," PFAS do not break down easily in the environment and can remain in the body for years. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-chemicals-higher-aggressive-breast-cancer.html Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:00:09 EST news713019440 A personalized cancer vaccine could help prevent melanoma from returning after surgery. Sutter investigators Dr. Kevin Kim, oncologist and chief of precision medicine at Sutter Health, and Dr. Mohammed Kashani-Sabet, medical director of Sutter CPMC's Cancer Center, led Sutter's participation in the phase 2 KEYNOTE-942 study that helped make possible this advance. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-personalized-vaccine-melanoma-recurrence.html Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:40:01 EST news713108692