Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have found that a largely overlooked form of cancer evolution, which drives aggressive disease and poor patient outcomes, is far more widespread than previously thought. Comparing chromosome patterns in these tumours, the team also developed a new method for accurately distinguishing between two leukaemias, which could provide information to better guide patient treatment decisions.

In this study, the researchers found that extensive chromosome loss is more widespread than previously believed and is often associated with highly unstable tumours that are harder to treat. These hypodiploid tumours show instability at all levels of the genome, from the smallest gene changes to doubling of the entire chromosome complement. And, remarkably, they can tolerate and continue to evolve with profound disruptions to their genomes. 

In combination, the findings point to a unifying principle: tumours with very different chromosome profiles, from extreme gain to extreme loss, can show similar behaviour when they share a high level of chromosomal instability. In these cancers, it is this underlying instability, rather than the specific pattern of chromosome change, that appears to drive disease progression.

BUFFALO, NY – June 2, 2026 – A new research paper was published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget on May 20, 2026, titled “Microenvironmental CTHRC1 has a pro-tumorigenic role in colorectal cancer.”

A new study from researchers at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center found that machine learning may help identify cancer patients at high risk of experiencing financial toxicity — the financial hardship and stress that often accompany cancer treatment. Using data from 793 patients, researchers tested six machine learning models and developed a web-based tool that can estimate a patient's likelihood of financial strain based on factors such as age, income, health status, treatment status and out-of-pocket costs. The best-performing model identified high-risk patients with 84% sensitivity and 75% specificity, offering a potential way for health care teams to intervene earlier with financial counseling and support services. The goal is to move financial toxicity screening from a reactive process to a proactive one, helping patients access resources before financial strain affects treatment decisions, quality of life or health outcomes.

Researchers at IRB Barcelona develop a computational framework that creates molecules with selective activity in specific cell types, without the need to start from a predefined molecular target.

Published in Communications Chemistry, the new strategy combines predictive and generative AI to design new chemical entities with specific biological effects.

Experimental validation confirmed that several of the AI-generated molecules displayed the activity they were designed for, achieving a success rate superior to that of traditional screening methods.

Results of a multicenter clinical trial found that adding the investigational adenoviral-based viral immunotherapy aglatimagene besadenovec (alglatimagene, CAN-2409) to standard radiation therapy improved disease-free survival for patients with intermediate- or high-risk localized prostate cancer. The study was led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, and Brady Urological Institute.