The holy grail in oncology is ‘how do you cure cancer that as spread?’ At the moment, all types of cancer, except a few rare malignancies, cannot be cured after they have spread beyond the original site. Chemotherapy can wipes out vast swathes of cancer cells and keep them at bay, but is usually used […]
The number of cancer deaths related to radon gas is very small but for people living in radon hotspots it can be a real concern. A report in the British Medical Journal claimed that at least 1,100 people die each year from lung cancer linked to indoor radon – a natural radioactive gas that can seep […]
The PSA test has long been considered the first line of defence against prostate cancer. A simple blood test, it measures the level of PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) in the blood. All men have some PSA in their blood, which is made by the prostate gland. High levels can indicate prostate cancer. This week, the […]
A study led by myself and my colleague Dr Sandrine Willaime-Morawek, lecturer in Stem Cells and Brain Repair at the University and published in Molecular Neurobiology, analysed how enzymes called ADAMs affect the movement and function of the human tumour cells which cause brain cancer. We discovered a potential way of stopping one of the most […]
Men who have suspected prostate cancer are usually offered a biopsy alongside a scan to confirm the diagnosis. Those who fit the protocol for ‘active surveillance,’ who have low grade localised prostate cancer, should be offered a prostate rebiopsy at 12 months, according to NICE guidelines. These patients may undergo further biopsies if there are further changes or clinical concerns. […]
Leukaemia is a cancer of the blood with a high mortality rate, partly due to the fact that leukaemia cells show a remarkable ability to survive initial chemotherapy treatments. These surviving cells are often resistant to treatment, allowing the cancer to spread and become fatal. It has always been thought that the leukaemia cells saved […]
A record number of women under the age of 50 are developing breast cancer. One in five breast cancer cases are now among women under the age of 50, according to Cancer Research UK, whose research found that 10,000 women under the age of 50 in the UK were diagnosed with the disease in 2012 – […]
I am a father of someone who had cancer. My daughter, Bryony, died in 2004 when she was 23 after suffering from three highly malignant cancers, starting from when she was nine years old. She is the inspiration for Yes to Life which has helped thousands of people who want to pursue non-conventional approaches which are not currently available on […]
Cancer of all types is a growing cause of disease in low and middle-income countries and smoking tobacco is a major contributing factor to many cancers. Smoking is also a prime cause of poor health and chronic lung diseases like emphysema. Unlike in countries with higher GDP, there may be poor medical facilities to diagnose […]
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common type of pancreatic cancer and very aggressive. As one of the stiffest human tumours, PDAC is characterised by an extensive fibrotic tissue or desmoplasia in the stroma around the tumour. This desmoplastic tissue is known to help the tumour to grow and metastasize and hinders drug delivery. […]