Topic description and stories

We are are helping to end death and disease caused by cancer, saving more lives by detecting early and personalising treatments. The experiences of patients and their families shape every stage of research and of plans for the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, as we work together to change the story of cancer.

Professor Jean Abraham speaking to a patient

Cambridge is changing the story of cancer

15 July 2024

Find out about groundbreaking cancer research at Cambridge, including our planned new hospital, how we're studying the earliest stages of cancer, how AI is helping fight the disease, and the patients playing a key role in our work.

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Two women holding pink ribbons

International collaboration identifies new breast cancer susceptibility genes

17 Aug 2023

A large-scale international collaboration has identified new genes associated with breast cancer that could eventually be included in tests to...

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Professor Charlotte Coles

Radiotherapy boost cuts breast cancer treatment time by at least one week

03 Jul 2023

Treatment times for radiotherapy could be reduced for some early breast cancer patients, according to a trial led by University of Cambridge and The...

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Dr Raj Jena in front of a computer

AI cuts waiting times for cancer patients in NHS first

27 Jun 2023

Artificial intelligence developed by and for the NHS at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge is reducing the amount of time cancer patients wait for...

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Tasmanian Devil

Evolution of two contagious cancers affecting Tasmanian devils underlines unpredictability of disease threat

20 Apr 2023

Scientists have traced the family trees of two transmissible cancers that affect Tasmanian devils and have pinpointed mutations which may drive...

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Dr Jessica Taylor working in the lab

Finding new ways to diagnose childhood brain tumours

24 Mar 2023

Cambridge researchers are using new techniques to distinguish different types of medulloblastoma, a type of brain tumour in children.

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Pipetting sample into a tray

Cambridge start-up wins funding to develop new diagnostics

20 Mar 2023

Cambridge start-up SMi and its research partners have received two Innovate UK awards to progress their work on testing for infectious diseases and...

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Illustration of DNA molecules

DNA sequencing method lifts ‘veil’ from genome black box

23 Jan 2023

Many life-saving drugs directly interact with DNA to treat diseases such as cancer, but scientists have struggled to detect how and why they work –...

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An Asian woman in her 60s embraces her mid-30s daughter who is battling cancer - stock photo

First UK proton beam therapy trial for breast cancer launches

04 Jan 2023

Cambridge researchers are jointly leading the first UK trial to test the benefits of proton beam therapy for certain patients with breast cancer.

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Breast cancer cells

Technique for tracking resistant cancer cells could lead to new treatments for relapsing breast cancer patients

19 Dec 2022

Cambridge scientists have managed to identify and kill those breast cancer cells that evade standard treatments in a study in mice. The approach is a...

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Middle-aged couple

Prostate cancer risk prediction algorithm could help target testing at men at greatest risk

09 Dec 2022

Cambridge scientists have created a comprehensive tool for predicting an individual’s risk of developing prostate cancer, which they say could help...

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Mitochondria surrounded by cytoplasm

New route to evolution: how DNA from our mitochondria gets into our genomes

05 Oct 2022

Scientists have shown that in one in every 4,000 births, some of the genetic code from our mitochondria – the ‘batteries’ that power our cells –...

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Cancer cell migrating through blood vessel

Breakthrough in understanding of how cancer spreads could lead to better treatments

29 Sep 2022

Cambridge scientists have discovered that cancer cells ‘hijack’ a process used by healthy cells to spread around the body, completely changing...

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