The Directors: NCORP PIs discuss workforce shortages, expanding workload, and crushing burden of regulatory oversight

Clinical

When CAM is added to standard therapies, survival rates drop, observational study finds

Clinical Trials & Tribulations

As rural cancer disparities persist, aligning policy with care delivery models can close the gap

UK Markey’s Denise Fabian: Theranostics lets us pair a diagnostic with a radioactive therapeutic that target the same molecule

Kennedy calls for a “moonshot” targeted on the role of the microbiome in cancer

Cancer Policy

Protect the integrity of USPSTF, patient and provider groups urge in letter to Kennedy

FDA issues a warning to retailers selling illegal tobacco products that resemble everyday items

FDA advisory panel votes to recommend updated 2026-2027 formula for COVID-19 vaccines

Pam Bondi diagnosed with thyroid cancer

FDA’s acting drug chief, acting vaccines chief, and chief of staff ousted in the wake of Makary departure

HHS rescinds vaccine panel charter citing “administrative error”

Clinical Roundup

Teclistamab extends OS, deepens remissions in landmark trial published in NEJM and presented at ASCO

Dermatologists and oncologists call for overhaul of widely used cancer side-effect grading system

Adding a lower cutoff value for CA19-9 may identify additional high-risk cases of pancreatic cancer

Ovarian cancer cells use stress hormone signaling to shut down immune system, UTSW study finds

Human cells can exchange genomic DNA that alter cell behavior, UT Southwestern-led study finds

AI model links tumor mutations to treatment response, UCSD study finds

In The Clinic

FDA clears fruit-flavored vapes, relaxes enforcement on black-market products with pending premarket applications
Critics say policies clear the way for major tobacco companies to enter fruit-flavored vape market

Problem: Misinformation and stigma prevent uptake of HPV vaccines and screening. Solution: A comic book

Long-awaited results from first phase III trial of a RAS inhibitor in pancreatic cancer shows that daraxonrasib doubles median OS
PanCAN’s Berkenblit: “It’s here. This is a tipping point, and we’ve tipped. And this is just the beginning.”

Trials & Tribulations

Protecting the cure: Why the future of radiation oncology must be precision-guided

Free Trials & Tribulations

Early-onset cancer is on the rise. Here is how OSUCCC–James is adapting to the needs of younger patients

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Jun 2026

MASCC/ISOO 2026 Annual Meeting

Sep 2026

NCCN 2026 Annual Congress: Hematologic Malignancies™️

View All Events

Conversations with The Cancer Letter

Marcel van den Brink: Microbiome research is now in “critical phase” where evidence points to therapeutic use

Letai: Perceptions aside, money is flowing and the cancer research infrastructure is sturdy
NCI expects record-breaking spending on extramural research

Break Through Cancer’s Tyler Jacks: “We’ve created a new operating model for collaborative cancer research.”

GRAIL’s Megan Hall: “I think we can be confident that there is clinical benefit to implementing this technology. And I think that’s really hard to argue with.”
Mainstream epidemiologists beg to differ

Podcasts

May 27, 2026

As FDA’s wheels almost entirely come off, NCI remains sturdy—a cancer moonshot may even be on the horizon

May 20, 2026

The Cancer History Project debuts first de novo book; meanwhile, FDA snafus continue

May 15, 2026

“Backwater to Blockbuster” chronicles the previously untold story of the explosive growth of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

May 13, 2026

Prasad’s “deceit,” plus, ODAC’s tough decision against biomarker-based progression assessment (for now)

THE DIRECTORS

May 29, 2026

NCORP PIs discuss workforce shortages, expanding workload, and crushing burden of regulatory oversight

April 24, 2026

UPMC’s Byrd and Jefferson’s Chapman speak about avoiding catastrophism and using bridge funding to keep labs open

March 27, 2026

Wistar’s Altieri and ChristianaCare’s Petrelli say partnership of their institutions will go on as the guard changes

February 27, 2026

Yolanda Sanchez and Kelvin Lee talk about making cancer centers more resilient

Contributors

Haroon Ahmad, MD

UMGCCC neuro-oncologist navigates the reality of his father’s pancreatic cancer

Marcel van den Brink, MD, PhD

How City of Hope is turning microbiome science into better cancer care

Dan G. Duda, DMD, PhD, AM (Hon)

Houston Methodist researchers identify B cells as driver of immunotherapy resistance in liver cancer

Joyce Ohm, PhD

J. Craig Venter’s work was foundational to cancer advancement of the past 25 years

The Directors: NCORP PIs discuss workforce shortages, expanding workload, and crushing burden of regulatory oversight

When CAM is added to standard therapies, survival rates drop, observational study finds

As rural cancer disparities persist, aligning policy with care delivery models can close the gap

UK Markey’s Denise Fabian: Theranostics lets us pair a diagnostic with a radioactive therapeutic that target the same molecule

Kennedy calls for a “moonshot” targeted on the role of the microbiome in cancer

Protect the integrity of USPSTF, patient and provider groups urge in letter to Kennedy

FDA issues a warning to retailers selling illegal tobacco products that resemble everyday items

FDA advisory panel votes to recommend updated 2026-2027 formula for COVID-19 vaccines

Pam Bondi diagnosed with thyroid cancer

FDA’s acting drug chief, acting vaccines chief, and chief of staff ousted in the wake of Makary departure

HHS rescinds vaccine panel charter citing “administrative error”

Teclistamab extends OS, deepens remissions in landmark trial published in NEJM and presented at ASCO

Dermatologists and oncologists call for overhaul of widely used cancer side-effect grading system

Adding a lower cutoff value for CA19-9 may identify additional high-risk cases of pancreatic cancer

Ovarian cancer cells use stress hormone signaling to shut down immune system, UTSW study finds

Human cells can exchange genomic DNA that alter cell behavior, UT Southwestern-led study finds

AI model links tumor mutations to treatment response, UCSD study finds

FDA clears fruit-flavored vapes, relaxes enforcement on black-market products with pending premarket applications
Critics say policies clear the way for major tobacco companies to enter fruit-flavored vape market

Problem: Misinformation and stigma prevent uptake of HPV vaccines and screening. Solution: A comic book

Long-awaited results from first phase III trial of a RAS inhibitor in pancreatic cancer shows that daraxonrasib doubles median OS
PanCAN’s Berkenblit: “It’s here. This is a tipping point, and we’ve tipped. And this is just the beginning.”

Protecting the cure: Why the future of radiation oncology must be precision-guided

Early-onset cancer is on the rise. Here is how OSUCCC–James is adapting to the needs of younger patients

Marcel van den Brink: Microbiome research is now in “critical phase” where evidence points to therapeutic use

Letai: Perceptions aside, money is flowing and the cancer research infrastructure is sturdy
NCI expects record-breaking spending on extramural research

Break Through Cancer’s Tyler Jacks: “We’ve created a new operating model for collaborative cancer research.”

GRAIL’s Megan Hall: “I think we can be confident that there is clinical benefit to implementing this technology. And I think that’s really hard to argue with.”
Mainstream epidemiologists beg to differ

As FDA’s wheels almost entirely come off, NCI remains sturdy—a cancer moonshot may even be on the horizon

The Cancer History Project debuts first de novo book; meanwhile, FDA snafus continue

“Backwater to Blockbuster” chronicles the previously untold story of the explosive growth of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Prasad’s “deceit,” plus, ODAC’s tough decision against biomarker-based progression assessment (for now)

NCORP PIs discuss workforce shortages, expanding workload, and crushing burden of regulatory oversight

UPMC’s Byrd and Jefferson’s Chapman speak about avoiding catastrophism and using bridge funding to keep labs open

Wistar’s Altieri and ChristianaCare’s Petrelli say partnership of their institutions will go on as the guard changes

Yolanda Sanchez and Kelvin Lee talk about making cancer centers more resilient

Haroon Ahmad, MD

Marcel van den Brink, MD, PhD

Dan G. Duda, DMD, PhD, AM (Hon)

Joyce Ohm, PhD

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The Directors: NCORP PIs discuss workforce shortages, expanding workload, and crushing burden of regulatory oversight

Marcel van den Brink: Microbiome research is now in “critical phase” where evidence points to therapeutic use

Letai: Perceptions aside, money is flowing and the cancer research infrastructure is sturdyNCI expects record-breaking spending on extramural research

Break Through Cancer’s Tyler Jacks: “We’ve created a new operating model for collaborative cancer research.”

GRAIL’s Megan Hall: “I think we can be confident that there is clinical benefit to implementing this technology. And I think that’s really hard to argue with.”Mainstream epidemiologists beg to differ

Never miss an issue!

Login

Letai: Perceptions aside, money is flowing and the cancer research infrastructure is sturdy
NCI expects record-breaking spending on extramural research

GRAIL’s Megan Hall: “I think we can be confident that there is clinical benefit to implementing this technology. And I think that’s really hard to argue with.”
Mainstream epidemiologists beg to differ