Science blog

Waiting to hear if you have cancer, or if your cancer has come back, can be an extremely stressful time – especially if the results take weeks to come back.

New survival figures have revealed some encouraging trends around the world. But they also highlight how much progress still needs to be made in the UK.

Diagnosing cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages is vital to help more people survive their cancer. But it requires having enough NHS staff in place.

In the news this week: our figures show how NHS staff shortages are undermining ambitions to diagnose cancer early and parents in Scotland support restrictions on junk food price promotions.

With the Government redesigning the immigration system, we spoke to scientist Ines Figueiredo about her experiences of moving to and working in the UK.

In the news this week: hormone replacement therapy has been linked to breast cancer risk even a decade after use.

Cancer treatments can work in lots of different ways, aiming to kill tumour cells or keep them under control. Ideally they cause tumours to shrink, but they can also be considered successful if they stop tumours growing. But unfortunately, the effects don’t always last forever.

In the news this week: our scientists have developed an ovarian cancer blood test that maybe be able to detect cancer two years earlier than current methods.

There has been an overall increase in early stage cancer detection in Scotland and Simon Armitage has engraved his latest poem on a cancer pill.