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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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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Mole-rats: meet the Ugly Naked Guys

06 Sep 2022

Understanding their weirdness could help prevent and better treat human illnesses like arthritis and cancer.

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The PhD student encouraging young Black aspiring scientists to claim their place

30 Aug 2022

When PhD student Sigourney Bell turned to Twitter to connect with other Black scientists, she could never have guessed that this would be the...

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The doctor turned detective investigating the imprints of cancer

15 Aug 2022

Self-confessed ‘nerd’ Serena Nik-Zainal went from hospital wards to the laboratory on a mission to provide patients with the best possible treatment...

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Sun

Large number of stem cell lines carry significant DNA damage, say researchers

11 Aug 2022

DNA damage caused by factors such as ultraviolet radiation affect nearly three-quarters of all stem cell lines derived from human skin cells, say...

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Black man looking out window

Prostate cancer cases risk late detection due to misleading urinary focus

04 Aug 2022

Men with early, curable stages of prostate cancer are missing opportunities to have their cancer detected because national guidelines and media...

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Free-roaming dog

Male dogs four times more likely to develop contagious cancer on nose or mouth than females

04 Jul 2022

Sniffing or licking other dogs’ genitalia – the common site of Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumour – can spread this unusual cancer to the nose and...

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