November 17, 2008
The News of the World claimed today that the Government has opted for the weaker of two possible cervical cancer vaccines because it is cheaper. The paper calls it a “scandal” but the story has been rather mangled resulting in some misleading information. Here, we try and set the facts straight.
First, a quick recap. The vaccines are designed to protect young girls from infection by HPV – the virus that causes cervical cancer. There are two vaccines – Gardasil and Cervarix – and the Department of Health picked Cervarix for use in a nationwide vaccination programme.
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Cancer Prevention, Cancer in the news, Cervical | 
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Posted by Ed Yong
November 17, 2008
Migraines are very severe headaches that affect up to a quarter of people at some point in their lives. They can be very debilitating. Typical attacks can last for several hours and are often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to both bright lights and loud noises.
Last week, a widely reported study suggested that there is an upside to these symptoms – a reduced risk of breast cancer. But is the study a ray of hope or a false alarm?
The research in question is the first of its kind – the only study to date to look at the rates of breast cancer in migraine sufferers compared to other women. A team of US researchers compared about 1,900 women with breast cancer to about 1,500 women without it and asked them if they had a history of migraines.
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Breast, Cancer in the news, Cancer myths, Health & Lifestyle, Scientific papers | 
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Posted by Ed Yong
November 12, 2008
“Tamoxifen is the most important drug in the history of medical oncology.” Dr. Harold J. Burstein, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston.
Tamoxifen is a drug that blocks the action of the hormone oestrogen – a job that sounds simple. So is it really one of the greatest advances in cancer treatment? It’s a pretty grandiose claim.
But when you consider the impact it’s had on extending and saving the lives of women breast cancer, and the fact that breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK, you can see why some oncologists hold it in such high regard.
It’s certainly saved the lives of millions of women around the world. But the drug is usually only given for five years because cancer cells develop resistance to its effects over time.
That’s why today’s announcement – that scientists have worked out how tamoxifen resistance develops – paves the way for even more improvements in breast cancer care.
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Breast, Cancer Research UK-funded research, Cancer Treatment, Cancer in the news, Scientific papers | 
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Posted by Henry Scowcroft
November 10, 2008
It’s a question that is often asked of us. Most people know that we’re working to beat cancer, but we thought it would be useful to lay out how we’re doing it.
Put simply, we do scientific research into cancer. Lots of it. We fund more than 4,500 scientists, doctors and nurses around the UK who are working hard to find better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, as well as improving the quality of life for people living with the disease. Last year we spent £333 million on research.
We also provide information for people affected by cancer and lobby governments to improve cancer services and public health, at a cost of £11 million last year.
That’s a lot of money. So what do we spend it on? And what have we achieved so far?
To answer these questions, we’ve launched two new sections on our website.
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1 Comment | Cancer Research UK-funded research, Cancer Treatment, Health & Lifestyle, Science | Permalink
Posted by Kat Arney
Breast cancer is one of the most well-known types of cancer, and receives a lot of media attention and campaigning energy. So it’s shocking to discover that many people are still in the dark about some basic aspects of the disease.
Welcome to the
