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Latest Stories
The Directors
With major leadership changes, grant disruptions and terminations, and a stoked distrust in science, Steven Artandi, the director of Stanford Cancer Center, worries that young investigators will feel disenchanted by the U.S. research atmosphere and take their work and study elsewhere.
Guest Editorial
Cancer care is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Practitioners feel the mounting pressures daily: rising cancer rates—particularly in younger patients—a growing population of older cancer survivors, rapid growth in new care and treatment options, and navigating heightened fiscal constraints and uncertainty.
In 1988, Frank McCormick learned with the rest of the field that more than 90% of patients with pancreatic cancer have a mutation in the Kirsten rat sarcoma viral gene.
Guest Editorial
As every non-profit organization knows, it is our obligation to be purpose-driven. Most NPO founders and the people who work for them have been thrown into this space as a result of life experiences. It is our passion rather than a job to simply collect a paycheck.
Cancer Policy
A report by the American Society of Clinical Oncology points to a growing challenge in cancer care access driven by a widening gap between the number of available oncologists and increasing patient demand.
Cancer Policy
President Donald Trump had threatened pharmaceutical companies with a 100% tariff, with an ultimatum set for Oct. 1.
Cancer Policy
Jim O’Neill, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced that he has signed off on a slew of recommendations that change the childhood vaccination schedule.
Cancer Policy
NIH has published a policy that prohibits U.S. researchers and NIH grant recipients working with human biospecimens to share this data with “countries of concern.” That list includes China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela.
Cancer Policy
Governor Gavin Newsom Oct. 6 signed into law SB 351—a piece of legislation that prohibits hedge fund and private equity groups from interfering with the medical decisionmaking of physicians and their patients.
Cancer Policy
United for Medical Research conducted a report surveying patients and researchers on why NIH, and NIH funding matters to them.
In Brief
Cornelia UlrichDiane M. SimeoneBarry P. SleckmanCornelia Ulrich was selected to serve as vice president/president-elect of the Association of American Cancer Institute’s board of directors. Ulrich is chief scientific officer and executive director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah.
In Brief
Paul Boutros was named director of the NCI-designated Basic Laboratory Cancer Center at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute.
In Brief
NCI has awarded a five-year, $11.2 million Cancer Health Disparities Specialized Program of Research Excellence in Endometrial Cancer grant to Victoria Bae-Jump and Hazel Nichols at the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
In Brief
Ruth Rechis was named chief prevention officer the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas.
In Brief
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have been awarded a $22.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of War to lead studies and clinical trials for leptomeningeal disease, a devastating complication of breast and other cancers that spreads to the coverings of the brain and spinal cord.
In Brief
The University of Kansas Cancer Center is poised to be part of a deal called “Name, Image and Likeness” that will benefit cancer research and engage KU basketball student-athletes.
Clinical Roundup
Positive high-level results from the Tropion-Breast02 phase III trial showed Datroway (datopotamab deruxtecan-dlnk) demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement for the dual primary endpoints of overall survival and progression-free survival compared to investigator’s choice of chemotherapy as first-line treatment for patients with locally recurrent inoperable or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer for whom immunotherapy was not an option.
Clinical Roundup
Men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer can receive a complete course of radiation in just five treatments—rather than the typical 20 to 28—while maintaining excellent cancer control and improving quality of life, according to results of an international phase III trial conducted by Rodney J. Ellis.
Clinical Roundup
Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center is using artificial intelligence to devise new ways of predicting which patients will develop an aggressive and difficult-to-detect form of breast cancer called lobular cancer, which represents one in every 10 breast cancers diagnosed in the United States.
Clinical Roundup
Researchers have refined a powerful DNA sequencing tool that can uncover hidden mutations that occur naturally in our bodies as we age. In the largest study to date, they have used the tool to provide insights into the earliest steps of cancer development and the role of mutations in healthy tissue.
Clinical Roundup
Using cell cultures and animal models, researchers from the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at Keck School of Medicine of USC showed that next-generation CAR T cells can safely and effectively shrink solid tumors.
Clinical Roundup
Cell and gene therapies are steadily becoming more available to patients, but are still facing systemic hurdles slowing widespread adoption, according to the second annual 2025 “Cell and Gene Therapy Report: Advancing the Future of Medicine,” published by InspiroGene by McKesson.
The report draws on new insights from research with physicians and payers, an updated analysis of the U.S. CGT pipeline, and an analysis of all the U.S. sites of care where CGTs are administered.
The report showcases a newly refreshed interactive map of qualified CGT treatment centers nationwide, along with exclusive insights from leading industry experts.
Key findings include:
- Providers are gaining experience, but barriers persist. According to a double-blinded nationwide survey of more than 125 oncologists, familiarity with CGTs is growing—60% say they are very familiar with CGTs vs 55% in 2024, and the average number of patients treated has risen from 17 to 25 annually. However, access challenges remain entrenched. Two-thirds of oncologists still view CGTs as “largely unproven,” and 66% say their patients view CGTs as “too experimental or risky.” Community-based oncologists navigate particularly complex challenges around site readiness and reimbursement.
- Payers recognize CGT’s potential but demand more evidence to approve reimbursement. While 80% of interviewed payers believe CGTs are safe and effective, they remain skeptical about high upfront costs and limited long-term data. 60% of payers say innovative payment models could mitigate the risks of CGTs, but cite the need for easy-to-measure, clinically relevant endpoints to make these models effective.
- Expansion into the community is happening, slowly. The number of qualified treatment centers in the U.S. is flat from 2024 to 2025, underscoring the disappointingly slow pace at which CGT care is migrating into community settings.
- The CGT pipeline continues to expand rapidly. A total of 178 oncology-focused drug candidates entered the late-stage pipeline in the past year alone, signaling continued momentum in cancer research. Beyond oncology, promising early results are emerging in lupus, diabetes and heart failure, reflecting CGT’s growing potential to benefit broader patient populations.
Clinical Roundup
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology has launched the ASPIRE trial—a large-scale, phase III clinical study investigating whether adding chemotherapy to current standard treatments can extend survival for men living with advanced prostate cancer.
Clinical Roundup
When cells divide, DNA must be copied from one cell to the next—a process called replication.
Clinical Roundup
Wistar Institute researchers have overturned three decades of scientific thinking about p53, the most important tumor suppressor protein in cancer research.
Clinical Roundup
UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified two distinct populations of cells known as antigen-presenting cancer-associated fibroblasts that appear to support the survival and growth of malignant tumors.
Drugs & Targets
FDA approved cemiplimab-rwlc (Libtayo) for the adjuvant treatment of adults with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma at high risk of recurrence after surgery and radiation.
Podcast
“Patient stories, as you know, can either make or break a story,” said Laurie McGinley, a former health and science editor at The Washington Post who is now on the board of Patient Action for Cancer Research, or PACR, a new advocacy organization aimed at organizing and amplifying patient voices in an effort to protect life-saving federal health research.
Chris Biggar, a 34-year-old from Ohio, had just landed his dream job working in R&D when he was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.
NCI
Anthony G. Letai, accompanied by his wife Jean, was sworn in by HHS Secretary Kennedy as the 18th NCI Director on Sept. 29.Anthony G. Letai, a physician-scientist at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has been officially named the 18th director of the National Cancer Institute.
Capitol Hill
On Oct. 1, for the first time in six years, the U.S. government shut down after Congress was unable to reach a deal to fund federal agencies for Fiscal Year 2026.
Guest Editorial
In recent months, federal policies have stripped away funding for research on sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) communities and blocked the collection of data related to gender.
Guest Editorial
Fiscal and strategic uncertainty abound at our leading academic medical centers. Job cuts to hospital staff (University of Southern California), research nurses (Vanderbilt) and librarians (Duke) are changing the landscape of our leading centers.
Sponsored
Nearly five decades ago, I joined City of Hope’s nascent bone marrow transplant (BMT) program, which focused on improving outcomes for patients with advanced leukemia.
Cancer Policy
President Trump has signed an executive order to use artificial intelligence to accelerate research in pediatric cancers.
Cancer Policy
President Donald Trump has announced a multipronged effort aimed at lowering drug costs in the United States, including the creation of “TrumpRx,” a direct-to-consumer website where Americans can buy medicine at discounted prices and a sweeping deal with Pfizer to reduce the prices of many of its products.
In Brief
From left to right: Geoffrey Shapiro, Leif Ellisen and Nancy Lin. Sitting below them is Kornelia Polyak.The Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, a cancer research consortium comprised of five of Boston’s academic medical centers, including Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital, has been awarded an NCI grant to continue its Specialized Program of Research Excellence in Breast Cancer.
In Brief
John J. Turchi was named chair of the newly merged Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Pharmacology at Indiana University School of Medicine.
In Brief
Alessio Pigazzi was chosen to lead the newly created faculty division of colorectal surgery in the Jim and Eleanor Randall Department of Surgery at Cedars-Sinai.
In Brief
The International Myeloma Foundation has announced that Heather Cooper Ortner, president & CEO of Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, and former CEO of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, has been named as the IMF’s new president and chief executive officer.
In Brief
Brown University will name its emerging research center focused on RNA science the Giuliani RNA Center, in recognition of a gift from health care investor and Brown trustee Giammaria Giuliani and his wife, Sabrina.
In Brief
Over 3,000 riders, runners, walkers, and spinners joined forces at UC San Diego last month for the 2025 Curebound Cancer Challenge (formerly Padres Pedal the Cause), generating $4 million to advance cancer research in the San Diego region.
In Brief
The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, a collaborative consortium of immuno-oncology experts that bridges scientific discovery and commercialization of cancer therapies, announced its 2025 class of Early Career Researcher awardees.
In Brief
Thyme Care has announced a $97M Series D fundraise from current investors CVS Health Ventures, Foresite Capital, a16z Bio + Health, Concord Health Partners, Town Hall Ventures, AlleyCorp, and Frist Cressey Ventures. New strategic investors include Morgan Health, a division of JPMorganChase focused on employer-sponsored healthcare, as well as Humana, Texas Oncology, and Memorial Hermann Health System, bringing Thyme Care’s total capital raised to $275M.
In Brief
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center announced that its lung cancer team has been recognized by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer for delivering outstanding care. The announcement was made during the IASLC annual meeting in Barcelona.
In Brief
The Northwell Cancer Institute has unveiled its Center for Women’s Cancer at the R.J. Zuckerberg Cancer Center.
In Brief
The University of Cincinnati Cancer Center’s Joan Garrett has received a two-year, $162,000 NCI grant to study a new combination approach to treat KRAS-mutated colorectal cancers.
Clinical Roundup
Patients with recurring prostate cancer who were treated with a new PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy before stereotactic body radiotherapy went more than twice as long without their disease worsening compared with those who received SBRT alone, according to new clinical trial results from UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers.
Clinical Roundup
Utilization of proton therapy is increasing, but barriers to access remain, NAPT annual survey finds
The National Association for Proton Therapy’s Annual Member Survey showed more patients treated, additional centers opening, and an evolving and complex case mix of disease sites being treated with proton therapy.
Clinical Roundup
The American Lung Association launched a campaign to raise awareness about lung cancer screening and biomarker testing, shaped by the voices of people diagnosed with lung cancer and their caregivers across the country.
Clinical Roundup
The European Union, in coordination with the European Health and Digital Executive Agency, has launched DISARM, a Horizon Europe Innovation Action project that brings together 28 partners from 12 countries, including 10 EU Member States, the UK, and Canada.
Clinical Roundup
In experiments with mouse models of breast, pancreatic, and muscle cancers, researchers at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital report new evidence that a novel means of boosting the natural immune system prevents cancer recurrence and improves survival.
Clinical Roundup
In a preclinical study, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center scientists developed a highly targeted gene therapy that could revolutionize treatment for cancers linked to a common herpesvirus, with minimal side effects.
Clinical Roundup
Research by Wistar Institute scientists shows how targeting a cleft in the retinoblastoma protein can kill tumor-protecting macrophages in ovarian cancer. The discovery provides a novel therapeutic target that could potentially make ovarian and other cancers more sensitive to immunotherapies.
Drugs & Targets
FDA has granted a approval for Zepzelca (lurbinectedin) in combination with atezolizumab (Tecentriq) or atezolizumab and hyaluronidase-tqjs (Tecentriq Hybreza) as a maintenance treatment for adults with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer whose disease has not progressed after first-line induction therapy with atezolizumab, carboplatin and etoposide.
Drugs & Targets
FDA has approved Inluriyo (imlunestrant, 200 mg tablets), an oral estrogen receptor antagonist, for the treatment of adults with estrogen receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative, ESR1-mutated advanced or metastatic breast cancer whose disease progressed after at least one line of endocrine therapy.
Drugs & Targets
FDA has granted Fast Track designation to UB-VV111 for the treatment of relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma following two or more lines of prior therapy and relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia following two or more lines of prior therapy.
Drugs & Targets
FDA has published a new guidance for the development of non-opioid pain treatments in the Federal Register.
NCI Trials
The National Cancer Institute approved the following clinical research studies last month.
Podcast
With little fanfare, Anthony Letai, a highly respected physician-scientist, was sworn in as the 18th director of the National Cancer Institute on Sept. 29. Then, two days later, on Oct. 1, the government shut down.
Regulatory News
FDA has initiated the approval of leucovorin calcium tablets, rushing them to market as part of a push from the Trump administration to identify potential treatments for autism spectrum disorder.
Guest Editorial
There is a silent crisis in cancer research that underpins nearly all aspects of the work we do to combat this disease.
Sponsored
Chaired by the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, the 24th Cancer Centers Informatics Society (Ci4CC) Symposium will convene the nation’s leading designated and community cancer centers with a central focus on advancing precision oncology.
Trials & Tribulations
We are rapidly approaching the Sept. 30 planned expiration of telemedicine coverage under Medicaid. Letting this authorization expire is short-sighted. As an oncologist, I believe there are multiple compelling, non-pandemic reasons for telemedicine to remain a permanent fixture in cancer care.
Guest Editorial
Working in a comprehensive cancer center requires emotional endurance, strong clinical judgment, and constant interprofessional collaboration, all of which rest on a foundation of personal wellness. For nurses, whose roles are inherently intensive, focusing on wellbeing is integral to their ability to provide safe, compassionate, and effective patient care.
In the Archives
Appearing on the Cancer History Project Podcast, Michael P. Link, the Lydia J. Lee Professor in Pediatric Oncology at Stanford University, discussed his career in pediatric oncology, his 2011-2012 ASCO presidential term, and voiced concerns about what he’s seeing in oncology today.
Cancer Policy
In a press conference on Sept. 22, President Donald Trump, flanked by NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, touted that Tylenol use while pregnant is “probably” the cause of autism.
Cancer Policy
NIH’s new “unified grant funding policy,” is “not political,” NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya said during his remarks at Research!America’s annual National Health Research Forum Sept. 17.
In Brief
Monica Bertagnolli, former director of NIH and NCI, is on the path to becoming the next president of the National Academy of Medicine.
In Brief
Break Through Cancer has launched the Defying Osteosarcoma TeamLab, an initiative that brings together more than 20 researchers from eight institutions in a coordinated, multi-year effort focused on improving pediatric osteosarcoma care.
In Brief
Twelve leading research teams from around the world have been shortlisted for Cancer Grand Challenges’ fifth funding round. The teams will present final proposals to a panel of leading international scientists in December, with winners receiving up to £20 million each.
In Brief
Nicholas Richardson was named vice president of clinical development at Precision for Medicine, a company focused on biomarker-driven clinical research and development.
In Brief
Scott Eggener was named chair of the Department of Urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and executive medical director for urology for the UCLA Health system.
In Brief
UC Davis Health and UCLA are co-leading a newly funded national clinical trial to evaluate whether AI can help radiologists interpret screening mammograms more accurately. The goal is to improve breast cancer detection and reduce unnecessary callbacks and anxiety for patients.
In Brief
Kimberly Leslie, a professor at the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, was awarded a 5-year, $12.9 million grant from NCI. Leslie and her research team, which includes scientists from the Universities of Iowa, Utah, Kansas, Virginia, and California at San Diego, will study all available hormonal regimens to prevent and treat endometrial cancer.
In Brief
The Wistar Institute is opening the Center for Advanced Therapeutics to speed up the creation of new drugs and therapies for human health. The CAT is led by Paul Lieberman and capitalizes on a history of Wistar research in cancer, immunology, and infectious disease.
In Brief
Haystack Oncology, a Quest Diagnostics company, and Rutgers Cancer Institute are partnering to evaluate the use of Haystack MRD, a circulating tumor DNA minimal residual disease test, to help optimize postoperative therapy decisions in patients with stage 2/3 non-small cell lung cancer.
In Brief
Moffitt Cancer Center and Tampa-based Mainsail Lodging & Development announced a partnership to bring a new 200-room, full-service hotel to Moffitt’s McKinley Campus. Expected to open in summer 2028, the hotel aims to enhance the experience of patients, families, visiting physicians and scientists, and the broader community.
Funding Opportunities
Project Purple, a national nonprofit dedicated to empowering the fight against pancreatic cancer, is launching the Pancreatic Cancer Research Recovery Support Grant. The initiative provides up to two years of bridge or rescue funding for promising pancreatic cancer research projects that were disrupted due to administrative funding policy changes at major federal agencies such as the NIH, the Department of Defense, or the National Science Foundation.
Clinical Roundup
Ten percent of pediatric blood and bone marrow cancers may have stemmed from radiation exposure, according to a study led by UC San Francisco and UC Davis.
Clinical Roundup
An investigational immune-based induction regimen with Tecvayli (teclistamab-cqyv) and Darzalex Faspro (daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj) demonstrated meaningful clinical efficacy in transplant-eligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.
Clinical Roundup
For many older women, the question of whether to continue breast cancer screening has been uncertain. While most guidelines recommend mammograms up to age 74, advice for women 75 and older has been less clear.
Clinical Roundup
Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy significantly improves survival only in stage 3 colorectal cancer patients aged 70 or younger, according to a study conducted by researchers at Korea University Guro Hospital and Korea University College of Medicine. For patients over 70, the drug offered no survival advantage and led to higher rates of treatment discontinuation due to toxicity.
Clinical Roundup
Targeting a cleft in the retinoblastoma protein can kill tumor-protecting macrophages in ovarian cancer, according to research by Wistar Institute scientists.
Clinical Roundup
About 19 million American adults consume dietary fish oil supplements. These supplements, which primarily consist of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, are widely used as a remedy for chronic diseases. However, the effects of EPA and DHA supplementation on cancer risk have been inconsistent.
Drugs & Targets
FDA approved Keytruda Qlex (pembrolizumab and berahyaluronidase alfa-pmph) Sept. 19 for subcutaneous injection for adult and pediatric (12 years and older) solid tumor indications approved for the intravenous formulation of pembrolizumab.
Drugs & Targets
The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use adopted two positive opinions for Keytruda (pembrolizumab), Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy.
Drugs & Targets
AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s supplemental Biologics License Application for Enhertu (fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki) in combination with pertuzumab has been accepted and granted Priority Review in the U.S. FDA for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer.
NCI
Anthony G. Letai, a physician-scientist at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute whose research is focused on apoptosis and functional diagnostics, has been tapped by the Trump administration to become the 18th director of the National Cancer Institute.
Podcast
With the fiscal year drawing to a close, grant funding from NCI is picking up speed, offering a glimmer of hope to cancer researchers who are beginning to feel cautiously optimistic about the road ahead.
Grants are flowing out of NCI again to beat the fiscal-year end deadline and some cancer researchers are starting to feel cautiously optimistic about the future.
NCI
NCI has released the names of the members of the newly formed ad hoc Working Group on Extramural Research Concepts and Programs. The group will perform the peer review functions of the now-defunct Board of Scientific Advisors.
As NCI and NIH funding is being deliberated in Congress, this year’s 2025 AACR Cancer Progress Report had an unequivocal message: With 20 new anticancer therapeutics, new uses for eight previously approved anticancer therapeutics, two new early detection tools, and several AI-powered diagnostics approved over the span of just one year, cancer research funding yields a good return on investment.
Letter To The Editor
Jonathan Mahler’s article in the Sept. 14 issue of The New York Times Magazine provided an excellent overview of the Trump administration’s assault on cancer research.
Guest Editorial
The Cancer Letter has published a number of excellent pieces lately on the importance of supporting and encouraging trainees and junior investigators during these uncertain times.
Cancer Policy
Ousted from her position as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention less than a month after her confirmation, Susan Monarez has now had the chance to tell her side of the story before Congress.
Cancer Policy
At a two-day meeting, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 8-3 to change the current recommendations that allow children under age 4 to receive the MMRV vaccine, a combination shot for measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox (or varicella).
Cancer Policy
The American Association for Cancer Research released the results of a national survey measuring voters’ attitudes about federal funding for medical research, which found very high levels of support for federal funding for medical and cancer research across the electorate.
Cancer Policy
FDA has begun to crack down on direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising.
Cancer Policy
A panel of doctors and lawmakers launched the bipartisan Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2025 (HR 5160) and discussed its positive impacts on research, healthcare, and treatment in the United States.
