Oncology news

One of the reasons why cervical cancer is more common among poorer women could be because they start having sex at a younger age than more affluent women, scientists have said.

Social isolation and related stress could contribute to human breast cancer susceptibility, according to research using a rat model designed at the University of Chicago to identify environmental contributions to cancer risk.

A new study has found no increase in the incidence of brain tumours during the years immediately following the introduction of mobile phones in Nordic countries.

New figures on cancer in Europe show a steady decline in mortality, but large variations between countries and between men and women. New figures on deaths from cancer in Europe show a steady decline in mortality between the periods 1990-1994 and 2000-2004. Deaths from all cancers in the European Union (EU) between these two periods fell by nine percent in men and eight percent in women

Breast density, already related to breast cancer risk, has been found to be an important indicator for cancer recurrence.

Cervical cancer could be eliminated through the use of two drugs normally used to treat breast cancer and osteoporosis, a US study suggests.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has updated its assessments of several cancer-causing substances and behaviours, which are published in the latest issue of the Lancet Oncology.

People who drink five cups of green tea each day may be less likely to develop some types of blood cancer, Japanese scientists have suggested.

At least 124,000 new cancers in 2008 in Europe may have been caused by excess body weight, according to estimates from a new modelling study. The proportion of cases of new cancers attributable to a body mass index of 25kg/m2 or more were highest among women and in central European countries such as the Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovenia and Bulgaria.

New research shows higher levels of vitamin D may help improve survival for both bowel and skin cancer patients. The results of two studies published in the British Journal of Cancer and Journal of Clinical Oncology found people with higher levels of vitamin D - at the time they were diagnosed - were more likely to survive.

A daily dose of aspirin can prevent the occurrence of cancer in people with a genetic predisposition towards Lynch syndrome, a condition which accounts for around five percent of all colon cancers, a scientist told Europe’s largest cancer congress, ECCO 15 – ESMO 34, in Berlin today.

New US research has confirmed that women who take the hormone therapy tamoxifen to reduce the risk of their breast cancer recurring are less likely to develop the most common type of breast cancer, but may face an increased risk of developing a more aggressive form of the disease.

Cancer Research UK scientists have identified a brand new approach to cancer treatment which radically increases the effectiveness of radiotherapy, reveals a study published in Cancer Research today.

An initiative to boost cancer prevention, treatment and care throughout Europe by improving communications within the cancer community kicks off today (Monday 20 July) with the launch of a new website: www.eurocancercoms.eu. The project will involve all those with an interest in cancer, from researchers and doctors to patients.

A large Danish study has found more evidence that women who take - or have ever taken - hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are more likely to develop ovarian cancer than those who have never used it.

Roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes expose smokers to similar levels of cancer-causing chemicals as manufactured cigarettes according to a new study by Cancer Research UK now published in Addiction Biology*.

Vegetarians are 12 per cent less likely to develop cancer than meat eaters, according to new research published in the British Journal of Cancer today (Wednesday).

The incidence of bowel cancer is increasing in many countries around the world, according to a new study. The study's authors believe the rise is due to the uptake of so-called 'western' diets and lifestyles - such as high red meat consumption and low levels of exercise.

A small clinical trial of a new drug designed to treat hereditary breast cancer has achieved promising results, UK scientists have said.

Patients with early-stage cervical cancer could benefit from a modified surgical technique that offers fewer complications and reduces the chances of the cancer coming back, German scientists have said.

Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) have identified the first inherited genetic risk factors for testicular cancer, a disease that affects around 2,100 men every year in the UK.

People who survived cancer during childhood continue to have a slightly higher risk of developing cancer throughout their lifetime, a Danish study has found.

Exposure to asbestos, which is known to cause a form of cancer called mesothelioma, has also been shown to cause some cancers of the ovary and larynx (voice box) as well, scientists have said.

Cancer Research UK scientists have tamed a virus so that it attacks and destroys cancer cells but does not harm healthy cells, according to a paper published in PLoS Pathogens*.

Ex-smokers are overwhelmingly happier after quitting according to a new Cancer Research UK study published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research*.

A new study published by the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) has provided support for continuing cervical screening beyond the age of 50.

Scientists in the US have identified a gene that could allow cancer cells to enter the brain. The work, published in Nature, sheds new light on the spread of cancer, and could provide new therapeutic targets in the future.

A study at a Swiss treatment centre has found that women diagnosed with lung cancer tend to be younger than men.

Iranian researchers appear to have found a link between drinking extremely hot tea and a person's risk of cancer of the oesophagus (foodpipe). However Cancer Research UK said the study only looked at a small number of people and didn't prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

Cancer Research UK scientists have found two new regions of the genome that alter a woman's risk of breast cancer, according to a study in Nature Genetics.

Cancer Research UK has said that more research is needed to investigate the effect of eating oily fish on men's risk of prostate cancer after US scientists claimed that it may provide protection against aggressive forms of the disease.

People who regularly eat large amounts of red or processed meat appear to have a greater risk of death from cancer, US scientists have said.

Red and white wine have a similar impact on breast cancer risk, according to US scientists.

US scientists have found that women who consume plenty of calcium-rich foods appear to have a reduced risk of cancer. Men with a high calcium intake were found to have a lower risk of specific cancers of the digestive system, including bowel cancer, but their overall cancer risk was not lower.

Women who regularly have one or two alcoholic drinks a day increase their risk of several cancers according to a new report from Cancer Research UK published today.

A US study has provided further evidence that smoking increases the risk of death from cancers other than lung cancer.

A new report into the availability of cancer drugs across Europe has revealed that patients still face unequal access depending on where they live.