Cancer news covering oncology trials, treatment advances, screening guidelines, epidemiology, and patient outcomes.
Professor Richard Scolyer, former Australian of the Year and pioneering melanoma pathologist, died at 59 after a three-year battle with glioblastoma. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Scolyer's wife, Katie Nicholl, has accepted an offer for a state funeral. A clinical trial based on his experimental treatment has commenced in the US.
Dr. Jill Biden disclosed that president Joe Biden has stage 4 prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones, requiring lifelong treatment. Biden underwent five weeks of radiation therapy and maintains a busy schedule despite slowing down due to the cancer and his age.
At ASCO 2026, researchers unveiled smart drugs that strip cancer cells' ability to hide from the immune system. The experimental pill GRWD5769 shrank tumors in 15 of 83 patients with six common cancers when combined with immunotherapy. Another drug, daraxonrasib, doubled survival in pancreatic cancer patients.
The Palestinian Health Ministry reports life-saving drugs for about 4,000 cancer patients and thousands of dialysis patients are dwindling. Over 11,000 surgeries have been postponed since early 2026. Al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron will stop accepting ministry-referred patients on June 14 due to shortages and unpaid debts.
This Guardian editorial argues that progress against cancer comes through incremental advances rather than dramatic victories, highlighting recent breakthroughs in immunotherapy and the drug daraxonrasib. It contends that these developments, while modest in survival gains, offer precious time to patients and may transform treatment of multiple cancers through targeting Ras molecules.
NHS hospitals in England and Wales are rolling out the Galeas bladder test, a urine test that detects bladder cancer with 92% accuracy, outperforming traditional cystoscopy. Five hospitals have adopted it, with 16 more expected by end of 2026.
This commentary argues that rising cancer rates among young adults are leading more 20-somethings to opt for preventive double mastectomies, using the personal story of a woman with a BRCA1 mutation. It suggests this trend reflects increased awareness and genetic testing, but also raises questions about the psychological and physical impacts of such drastic preventive measures.
This commentary explains the biological and medical challenges of treating glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer. It discusses the tumor's aggressive nature, resistance to chemotherapy, and difficulty of surgical removal, while noting that survival rates remain low despite research advances.
This commentary argues that the era of blockbuster cancer drugs like Keytruda is ending, as recent data suggests no single successor will emerge. It uses Summit Therapeutics' ivonescimab as a cautionary example, contending that investors' hopes for a one-size-fits-all replacement are misplaced.
This commentary argues that the 20% rise in lung cancer cases among Hong Kong women, despite declining smoking rates, points to genetic predisposition and cooking fumes as key risk factors. It contends that wider screening is needed to detect the disease earlier in non-smoking women.