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.

Read more

Online tools transform outcomes for cancer patients

21 Oct 2021

PREDICT Breast and Prostate, powerful online risk communication tools developed by Cambridge researchers, have helped thousands of patients across...

Read more
Killer T cell attacking a cancer cell

Mito warriors: how T cell assassins reload their weapons to kill and kill again

14 Oct 2021

Cambridge researchers have discovered how T cells – an important component of our immune system – are able to keep on killing as they hunt down and...

Read more
L-R: David Klenerman, Shankar Balasubramanian, Suchitra Sebastian, Jack Thorne

Four Cambridge researchers recognised in the 2022 Breakthrough Prizes

09 Sep 2021

Four University of Cambridge researchers – Professors Shankar Balasubramanian, David Klenerman, Suchitra Sebastian and Jack Thorne – have been...

Read more
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...

Read more

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...

Read more
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...

Read more

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.

Read more
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...

Read more
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...

Read more
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...

Read more
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...

Read more
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...

Read more

Pages