Category Archives: Cancer

NHS cancer patients denied life-saving drugs due to Brexit costs, report finds

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Exclusive: Britons found to have ‘lost out’ while rest of Europe benefits from golden age of research and treatments

British cancer patients are being denied life-saving drugs and trials of revolutionary treatments are being derailed by the red tape and extra costs brought on by Brexit, a damning report warns.

Soaring numbers are being diagnosed with the disease amid a growing and ageing population, improved diagnosis initiatives and wider public awareness – making global collaborations to find new medicines essential.

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‘Children with cancer cannot wait’: the human cost of clinical trial delays after Brexit

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Exclusive: Price of importing drugs for a Paris and Birmingham study has almost quadrupled to £175,000

British clinical trials of revolutionary cancer treatments are being derailed by red tape and extra costs caused by Brexit, according to a report obtained by the Guardian.

These two examples illustrate how the UK’s departure from the EU is harming UK cancer research, leaving patients in limbo and unable to access pioneering treatments.

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Melanoma patients in England get fast-track access to cancer vaccine

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NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad expanded to include trial for patients with advanced type of skin cancer

Patients with an advanced type of skin melanoma in England will be given fast-track access to a “revolutionary” new cancer vaccine as part of an NHS trial.

The vaccine, known as iSCIB1+ (ImmunoBody), helps the immune system recognise cancer cells and therefore better respond to immunotherapy treatment.

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‘Toxic cocktail’: study finds almost 200 pesticides in European homes

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More than 40% of pesticides discovered in dust linked to toxic effects including cancer and hormone disruption

Almost 200 pesticides have been found by a study examining dust in homes around Europe, as scientists say regulators need to take “toxic cocktails” of chemicals into account when banning or restricting the use of pesticides.

Scientists say their research supports the idea that regulators should assess the risks posed by pesticides when they react with other chemicals, as well as individually. They say this should apply to substances already in use, as well as those yet to be approved.

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Women should avoid all alcohol to reduce risk of breast cancer, charity says

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World Cancer Research Fund goes further than UK and WHO advice on alcohol after review of evidence

Women should avoid alcohol altogether to reduce their risk of breast cancer, a charity has warned.

The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has published a review of evidence on how diet and lifestyle factors can play a role in the development of the disease.

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Prostate cancer surgery breakthrough offers hope for erectile function

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Neurosafe procedure allows doctors to remove prostate while preserving as much nerve tissue around it as possible

A more precise form of prostate cancer surgery nearly doubles the chances of men retaining erectile function afterwards compared with standard surgery, according to the first comprehensive trial of the procedure.

Doctors in five UK hospitals assessed the surgical approach that aims to preserve crucial nerves that run through the outer layer of the prostate and are thought to be responsible for producing erections.

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Comedian Katherine Ryan reveals second skin cancer diagnosis

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Standup, 41, says she was initially given all-clear by private doctor after raising concerns about a mole

The comedian Katherine Ryan has received a second skin cancer diagnosis after raising concerns about a mole on her arm.

Ryan attended a private clinic where a doctor who also works for the NHS dismissed her concerns about melanoma and gave her the all-clear, but she went back and a test revealed the mole was cancerous.

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Swab test could help UK women avoid invasive checks for womb cancer

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New method reported to cut number of false positives by 87% has been registered with regulator for approval

A new swab test could help hundreds of thousands of women a year in the UK who may have womb cancer avoid having an often painful invasive procedure to detect the disease.

About 800,000 women annually go to see a GP because they are suffering from abnormal bleeding from their uterus and then undergo uncomfortable and stressful investigations to identify the cause.

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Long-term effects of Gaza war could quadruple Palestinian death toll, warn UK doctors

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Surgeons who worked in Gaza fear disease, malnutrition and eradication of healthcare will reverberate for decades

British doctors who worked in Gaza during the war have issued dire predictions over the long-term health of Palestinian civillians, warning that large numbers will continue to die.

The prevalence of infectious disease and multiple health problems linked to malnutrition, alongside the destruction of hospitals and killing of medical experts, meant mortality rates among Palestinians in Gaza would remain high after the cessation of Israeli shelling.

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Cancer death rates 60% higher in deprived areas, UK research finds

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Analysis by Cancer Research UK says there are 28,400 extra cancer deaths across the UK every year due to deprivation

Cancer death rates are 60% higher for people living in the most deprived areas of the UK compared with those in more affluent areas, according to new analysis.

There are 28,400 extra cancer deaths across the UK each year due to deprivation, the equivalent of 78 additional deaths every day, Cancer Research UK found.

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NHS England launches first advertising drive to boost breast cancer screenings

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TV, radio and online adverts aimed at increasing uptake of routine mammograms for women aged 50 to 71

Women in England will be encouraged to attend potentially life-saving screenings for breast cancer in TV, radio and online adverts as part of the first NHS awareness campaign for the disease.

Women in the UK are invited for their first routine mammogram between the ages of 50 and 53, with further invitations arriving every three years until they reach 71, after which they can request screening.

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WHO calls for cigarette-style cancer warnings on alcohol packaging

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Cancer charities back call for prominent warning labels while industry body says move ‘not proportionate’

Cans and bottles of alcohol should carry cigarette-style labels warning that drinking increases the risk of cancer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

It has said governments should insist that “prominent” warning labels become standard in order to alert consumers to the link between alcohol and cancer and tackle the harm caused by heavy drinking.

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Air pollution causing 1,100 cases a year of main form of lung cancer in UK

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Exclusive: Health experts and cancer charities say findings should serve as wake-up call to ministers

More than 1,100 people a year in the UK are developing the most prevalent form of lung cancer as a result of air pollution, the Guardian can reveal.

Exposure to toxic air was attributed to 515 men and 590 women in the UK in 2022 getting adenocarcinoma – now the most dominant of the four main subtypes of lung cancer – an analysis by the World Health Organization’s cancer agency found.

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NHS to launch world’s biggest trial of AI breast cancer diagnosis

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If successful, the scheme could speed up testing and reduce radiologists’ workload by around half

The NHS is launching the world’s biggest trial of artificial intelligence to detect breast cancer, which could lead to faster diagnosis of the disease.

AI will be deployed to analyse two-thirds of at least 700,000 mammograms done in England over the next few years to see if it is as accurate and reliable at reading scans as a radiologist.

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Surviving breast cancer was enough – Patsy didn’t want to undergo early menopause as well

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Study finds too few women are told chemotherapy can cause early menopause – or given the drug that can lessen that risk

When Patsy Mullen was diagnosed with breast cancer, she had no idea that chemotherapy treatment could lead to early onset menopause.

It was Mullen’s oncologist who mentioned the possibility, and offered the then 47-year-old the drug Goserelin, which reduces the risk by up to 70% compared with women receiving chemotherapy alone.

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NHS England told to scrap improvement pledges and prioritise cutting waiting times

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Plans shelved include earlier cancer diagnosis, boosting women’s health and expanding access to dental care

NHS England is scrapping plans to diagnose more cancers early, boost women’s health and ramp up childhood vaccinations after ministers told it to prioritise cutting waiting times.

The health service is also abandoning pledges to expand access to dental treatment, give more people drugs to prevent strokes and enhance care for those with learning disabilities.

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Burning is risky – so why are tan lines having their time in the sun on social media?

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Gen Z influencers spruik tan lines as summer’s ‘fav accessory’ to generation ‘obsessed’ with looks

In life, there are lots of pleasurable things that we know aren’t that good for us: simple carbs deep-fried in vegetable oil, drinking one or two wines over the recommended limit at dinner with friends, and sitting in the Australian sun.

But despite the risk of cancer and early death the latter poses, parts of the internet are now encouraging extensive time in the sun.

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Hiring freeze at dozens of NHS cancer and diagnostic units despite rising referrals

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Royal College of Radiologists calls move ‘shortsighted’ and says it puts Labour’s waiting times plan at risk

Dozens of NHS hospitals have banned their cancer or diagnostic units from hiring new staff, despite GPs referring growing numbers of people who they fear may have the disease.

Doctors warned that widespread recruitment freezes imposed on both types of units over the last year risked undermining Keir Starmer’s drive, outlined this week, to cut waiting times for NHS care.

13 of 54 cancer centres (24.1%) had a recruitment freeze imposed on them last year, along with 29 out of 150 (19.3%) radiology departments.

The 42 hiring bans were imposed by 40 different NHS trusts or boards.

At least one freeze was implemented in each of the four home nations and each region of England.

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More breast cancer cases found when AI used in screenings, study finds

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First real-world test finds approach has higher detection rate without having a higher rate of false positives

The use of artificial intelligence in breast cancer screening increases the chance of the disease being detected, researchers have found, in what they say is the first real-world test of the approach.

Numerous studies have suggested AI could help medical professionals spot cancer, whether it is identifying abnormal growths in CT scans or signs of breast cancer in mammograms.

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Government must look at effects of toxic smoke on Grenfell firefighters, minister says

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Union calls for regular health checks for 600 Grenfell firefighters after many developed long-term conditions

The government “needs to seriously look” at the effects of toxic smoke inhalation on firefighters who served at the Grenfell Tower fire, a minister has said.

The comments from Andrew Gwynne, the health minister, came after the Guardian disclosed that more than a quarter of firefighters who battled against the fire eight years ago have long-term health disorders.

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