Action for access
More and more people across Europe are finding it hard to access high-quality cancer care in the wake of years of public spending cuts. This Editorial looks at some initiatives to address growing inequalities and [more]
2014
Christopher Wild: Let’s be practical
Understanding how cancer wreaks its havoc on the human body is important for the head of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, but his main concern is how to stop it. In the 30 [more]
Biology in the bunker
Advances in imaging and molecular biology are opening up a wealth of new avenues for research and treatment in radiotherapy. But could progress be held back by a lack of public awareness of the potential [more]
Inside India’s cancer epidemic
Epidemiologists have long been warning of the rapid rise in cancer rates hitting low- and middle-income countries. But it takes a journalist to get across how those statistics are playing out in peoples lives. Jason [more]
Age discrimination at a time of health rationing: unthinkable or common sense?
Karol Sikora, a medical oncologist who has directed cancer services at a major London hospital, triggered an angry reaction earlier this year when he suggested that younger patients should have priority when it comes to [more]
Mindfulness: a way to live life in the present tense
I have learned to shift from seeing myself as invulnerable to quite vulnerable and to know that as not something to push away. There are good things about vulnerability. I have never felt so [more]
Treatment of skin rash and pruritus induced by biological therapies
Skin rash and itchy skin are known to be common side-effects in patients treated with EGFR and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and can be distressing, particularly when severe. A growing understanding of why this happens is [more]
The heroic role of the caregiver in oncology
Doctors in Tel Aviv teamed up with a photojournalist to learn more about the role of the unsung heroes who place their patientcompanion at the heart of their world. This article was first published in [more]
Redefining the primary objective of phase I oncology trials
Cytotoxic agents are conventionally dosed on the basis of the maximum tolerated dose defined in phase I trials. A study assessing adverse events in over 2,000 patients treated with molecularly targeted agents suggests a need [more]
If you want better drugs consult a PRO
Our systems for evaluating new therapies are only as good as the accuracy of the judgements we make about how far patients benefit and how far they feel the burden of side-effects and other drawbacks. [more]
Shelley Dolan: walking alongside patients
Nurses are not the only ones who care and can nurture, support and explain things to patients who are scared and vulnerable, says pioneering cancer nurse Shelley Dolan. But they are the only health professionals [more]
Deconstructing evolution: can number crunchers find the answer to resistance?
Is there a logic, a pattern, a system behind the way cancer cells adapt to develop resistance to agents designed to kill them? Cancer research is calling on systems biologists to see if they can [more]