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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Man experiencing heartburn

Discovery of origin of oesophageal cancer cells highlights importance of screening for pre-cancerous Barrett’s oesophagus

12 Aug 2021

Abnormal cells that develop into oesophageal cancer – cancer that affects the tube connecting the mouth and stomach – start life as cells of the...

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Scientists can detect brain tumours using a simple urine or blood plasma test

23 Jul 2021

Researchers from the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute have developed two tests that can detect the presence of glioma, a type of brain tumour...

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David Klenerman and Shankar Balasubramanian receiving the MTP prize

Cambridge researchers awarded the Millennium Technology Prize

18 May 2021

British duo Professor Shankar Balasubramanian and Professor David Klenerman have been awarded the Millennium Technology Prize for their development...

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Cancer rates in medieval Britain were around ten times higher than previously thought, study suggests

30 Apr 2021

CT scanning used to uncover remnants of malignancy hidden inside medieval bones provides new insight into cancer prevalence in a pre-industrial world.

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Dr Serena Nik-Zainal

New cancer algorithm flags genetic weaknesses in tumours

27 Apr 2021

A new way to identify tumours that could be sensitive to particular immunotherapies has been developed using data from thousands of NHS cancer...

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Human cells with acute myelocytic leukemia, shown with an esterase stain at 400x

Scientists develop new class of cancer drug with potential to treat leukaemia

26 Apr 2021

Scientists have made a promising step towards developing a new drug for treating acute myeloid leukaemia, a rare blood disorder. In a study published...

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Cytosponge

Artificial intelligence could be used to triage patients suspected at risk of early-stage oesophageal cancer

15 Apr 2021

Artificial intelligence ‘deep learning’ techniques can be used to triage suspected cases of Barrett oesophagus, a precursor to oesophageal cancer...

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Mammogram image

Changes can be detected in BRCA1 breast cells before they turn cancerous

09 Mar 2021

Researchers may have found the earliest changes that occur in seemingly healthy breast tissue long before any tumours appear, according to a new...

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Image showing individual and combined scans

‘Virtual biopsies’ could replace tissue biopsies in future thanks to technique developed by Cambridge scientists

06 Jan 2021

A new advanced computing technique using routine medical scans to enable doctors to take fewer, more accurate tumour biopsies, has been developed by...

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Dr Raj Jena and Yvonne Rimmer look at scans

AI could help cut waiting times for cancer by automating mark-up of patient scans prior to radiotherapy

16 Dec 2020

Doctors at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge aim to drastically cut cancer waiting times by using artificial intelligence (AI) to automate lengthy...

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Tiny golden bullets could help tackle asbestos-related cancers

27 Oct 2020

Gold nanotubes – tiny hollow cylinders one thousandth the width of a human hair – could be used to treat mesothelioma, a type of cancer caused by...

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Husband supporting a sick wife

Imaging technique could replace tissue biopsies in assessing drug resistance in breast cancer patients

06 Oct 2020

Imaging techniques could replace the need for invasive tissue biopsies in helping rapidly determine whether cancer treatments are working effectively...

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