EurekAlert! Cancer Research

News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 20-Oct-2026 08:16 ET (20-Oct-2026 12:16 GMT/UTC)

20-Oct-2026

WSU researchers discover way to ‘crank up’ the body’s antiviral defenses

Washington State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Washington State University researchers have discovered how to “crank up” a natural defense system in the body to combat viral infection, potentially opening a new door for treating virus infections, cancer, neurological disorders and other diseases.

Journal: Cell Communication and Signaling

20-Oct-2026

New study identifies immune trigger behind radiation-related lung damage

City of Hope
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at City of Hope have uncovered an immune pathway that may contribute to radiation-related lung damage and have identified a potential strategy to block it. Published today in Nature Communications, the insights from the preclinical study could lead to new treatments that prevent radiation from harming healthy lung tissue and improve patients’ quality of life.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development

20-Oct-2026

New PET imaging approach detects almost all lesions in common form of kidney cancer

European Association of Nuclear Medicine
Reports and Proceedings

A new PET imaging approach detected 97.9% of lesions in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), potentially giving clinicians a more complete picture of the location and extent of a patient’s disease, according to research presented today at the 39th Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM’26)

Meeting: 39th Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM'26)

20-Oct-2026

Researchers explore a potential role for NKR antagonists in breast cancer biology

The Menopause Society
Reports and Proceedings

CLEVELAND, Ohio (October 20, 2026) – Neurokinin receptor (NKR) antagonists are already widely used for treating menopausal hot flashes, representing a highly effective nonhormone treatment. A new study suggests they may also help breast cancer patients by limiting the spread of cancer cells and helping to prevent a recurring cancer diagnosis. Results of the study will be presented at the 2026 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society in San Diego October 20-24, 2026.

Meeting: 2026 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society

19-Oct-2026

‘Hiding in plain sight’ - new bacteria discovered in DNA samples from prostate cancer patients

University of East Anglia
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers have discovered the genetic blueprints of 18 new bacterial species collected from prostate cancer patients.

The team recovered 249 near-complete bacterial genomes from 194 prostate cancer patients. Twenty-four of these did not match any species on record.

Most came from saliva samples in the mouth, including new types of Porphyromonas, which the team has previously linked to more aggressive prostate cancer, and Treponema. Whether they contribute to prostate cancer is unknown, but this work provides new insights into microbes in cancer patients and could uncover links that improve our understanding of how cancer develops.

Journal: npj Biofilms and Microbiomes

19-Oct-2026

AI facial health recognition tools help physicians assess age and survival risk to guide personalized treatment

Mass General Brigham
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Mass General Brigham researchers developed FAHR-Face, a foundation AI model trained on more than 40 million facial photographs, and used it to create two tools that estimate biological age and predict survival outcomes in patients with cancer from a simple photo. Their new study found the model improved upon the team's earlier FaceAge technology, remained robust across common photo variations, cosmetic procedures and presence of makeup, and showed that lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol and drug use were associated with accelerated facial aging.

Journal: The Lancet Digital Health
Funder: EU European Research Council

19-Oct-2026

More people with alcohol-associated liver disease could benefit from routine liver cancer screening than current guidelines assume

Mass General Brigham
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A modeling study by Mass General Brigham researchers found that routine screening provided good value and led to earlier cancer detection, even in patients whose liver cancer risk was below traditional thresholds

Journal: Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Funder: Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas

19-Oct-2026

Protecting young skin: a new approach to melanoma prevention for children

Huntsman Cancer Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The FLARE program teaches children at risk for melanoma and their parents who have melanoma sun-safety habits through telehealth education and parent-child problem-solving strategies.

Journal: JAMA Dermatology

19-Oct-2026

OU researcher to study CAR T-cell and opaganib combination in clinical trials for ultra-high-risk multiple myeloma

University of Oklahoma
Grant and Award Announcement

Patients with ultra-high-risk multiple myeloma, an aggressive form of blood cancer, often respond poorly to standard treatments, including bone marrow transplant. A University of Oklahoma physician-researcher recently received $2.9 million in funding from the National Cancer Institute to study whether RedHill Biopharma’s drug opaganib, given after CAR T-cell therapy, can help the immune cells fight cancer more effectively.

19-Oct-2026

Gladstone’s Melanie Ott and Alex Marson elected to the National Academy of Medicine

Gladstone Institutes
Grant and Award Announcement

Gladstone Institutes scientists Melanie Ott, MD, PhD, and Alex Marson, MD, PhD, have earned one of the highest honors in health and medicine with their election to the National Academy of Medicine.