Researchers have developed a cutting-edge approach to treating glioblastoma, the most common and deadliest brain cancer, that could overcome the limitations of existing drugs.

Curcumin may offer the most promising balance between anticancer activity and safety among several well-known plant-derived compounds, according to a new laboratory study by researchers from Wroclaw Medical University and the University of Wroclaw. Comparing curcumin, berberine, biochanin A, cucurbitacin E and CAPE in fibrosarcoma and healthy muscle cells, the team found that all five compounds disrupted cancer cell energy metabolism and induced cellular senescence, but curcumin showed the most favorable combination of selectivity and low toxicity. The findings highlight the importance of evaluating both anticancer efficacy and safety when developing future therapies and emphasize that these compounds remain experimental rather than clinical treatments.

A new study from researchers at the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) identifies a previously unrecognized mechanism by which mutations in the p53 gene can limit the effectiveness of immunotherapy

Photothermal therapy is a cancer treatment option lacking the negative side effects associated with chemotherapy. Near-infrared laser light selectively heats and destroys cancer cells. However, two issues have stopped this less invasive treatment from becoming mainstream. Scientists have long sought to find a way to prevent nanoparticle clearance - where the immune system clears the nanoparticles carrying therapeutic agents before they can reach tumors - and better laser efficacy so it can reach deeper tumors. Now, a research team has overcome these challenges.

A physics- and spatially informed diffusion model was developed to achieve rapid Monte Carlo–consistent dose prediction for CyberKnife radiotherapy. The model integrates finite-size pencil beam dose distributions, planning CT images, and signed distance maps to incorporate physical, anatomical, and spatial prior information. PSIDMViT improved agreement with Monte Carlo reference doses across head-and-neck, lung, and liver cancer cases. The model reduced the time required for Monte Carlo–consistent dose estimation from approximately one hour to about 18 minutes, supporting more efficient high-precision radiotherapy planning and verification.

- A joint team from KAIST, Gangnam Severance Hospital, and Asan Medical Center is the first to reveal how colorectal cancer progression reshapes the blood’s “metabolic map”

- The new method showed higher predictive power than CEA, a conventional blood biomarker, raising hopes for personalized treatment strategies

- An interdisciplinary idea born from the KAIST Master’s and PhD Venture Research Program led to a world-class research achievement

Biological sex factors into cancer in ways you might not expect. In lung cancer, a form called squamous cell carcinoma disproportionately affects males while adenocarcinoma occurs more frequently in females. Researchers want to know what is happening in our cells to cause these divergent outcomes in lung and other cancers, and how this knowledge can benefit physicians and patients.

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute published findings July 15, 2026, in BMJ Oncology demonstrating differences in protein levels in tumor samples from male and female patients. The study shows that lung cancer featured more sex-based protein differences than other cancer types with available data. The authors also highlighted the need for more protein sequencing of clinical tumor samples to enable additional research.