Series: Science Surgery

We chat to neurosurgeon Dr Stuart Smith about the differences between benign and cancerous tumours, and how the word ‘benign’ can often be misleading.

There are many unanswered questions about how and why cancer spreads around the body. But one thing we do know is that only some cancers metastasise.

It can be strange to think of cancer cells not dividing, but sleeping cancer cells could help to explain why some cancers come back after treatment.

Our latest Science Surgery instalment answers the question, ‘Does cancer affect the future development of children?’

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.

Cancer can affect any age group but we see many more cases in older people.

For almost all skin cancers, the environmental carcinogen is sunlight, according to Professor Richard Marais. Here’s how scientists uncovered the link.

It’s hard to talking about cancers ‘knowing’ something, but they can have predictable patterns of spread. And scientists are beginning to understand why.

In this Science Surgery post Millie asks: ‘Why doesn’t the immune system attack cancer cells?’ The short answer is it does! But sometimes it needs a helping hand from exciting new treatments.

We don’t always know why never-smokers develop lung cancer, but the data suggests that genetics play a role, as well as environmental or occupational exposures.