Salk Institute and the University of California San Diego have identified a unique sugar called HSAT (antithrombin-binding heparan sulfate) as a potential therapeutic target for slowing tumor progression and metastasis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common pancreatic cancer. They also found that HSAT was detectable in cancer patients’ plasma, suggesting it may be a useful biomarker to help catch and track pancreatic cancer.

Findings from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital reveal new levels of complexity in neuroblastoma cell identity and present a new approach to treatment.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the primary cause of virus-associated cancers, especially cervical and head and neck cancers. A key mechanism involves the integration of HPV DNA into the host genome. To support the WHO's strategy to eliminate cervical cancer, understanding HPV integration is crucial. This summary highlights current insights into the mechanisms of HPV integration, their clinical implications, and emerging therapeutic strategies aimed at enhancing precision oncology for HPV-related cancers.

A project at Lund University in Sweden has trained an AI model to identify breast cancer patients who could be spared from axillary surgery. The model analyses previously unutilised information in mammograms and pinpoints with high accuracy the individual risk of metastasis in the armpit. A newly completed study shows that the model indicates that just over 40 per cent of today’s axillary surgery procedures could be avoided.