Cambridge researchers are harnessing the latest developments in science and technology to help us predict, diagnose and treat cancers at an ever earlier stage.

Inside the new institute looking at early cancer

21 September 2022

Today sees the launch of the Early Cancer Institute at Cambridge. Its mission is deceptively simple: to detect cancer early enough to cure it.

Evolution of two contagious cancers affecting Tasmanian devils underlines unpredictability of disease threat

20 Apr 2023

Scientists have traced the family trees of two transmissible cancers that affect Tasmanian devils and have pinpointed mutations which may drive...

Finding new ways to diagnose childhood brain tumours

24 Mar 2023

Cambridge researchers are using new techniques to distinguish different types of medulloblastoma, a type of brain tumour in children.

Cambridge start-up wins funding to develop new diagnostics

20 Mar 2023

Cambridge start-up SMi and its research partners have received two Innovate UK awards to progress their work on testing for infectious diseases and...

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 –...

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.

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...

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...

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 –...

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...

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.

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...

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...

Cancer