The latest news, stories and exciting findings from across the Oxford cancer research community
New compound developed to target hypoxia by reducing tumour oxygen consumption
12 May 2026
Researchers in the Departments of Oncology and Chemistry. have developed a promising new compound designed to reduce tumour hypoxia, a major cause of radiotherapy resistance.
Dr Natalie Jooss named latest winner of CRUK's Research is Beautiful competition
1 May 2026
Cancer Research UK's 'Research is Beautiful' image campaign highlights images that showcase cancer research.
Funding for research to investigate how certain cancers turn aggressive
1 May 2026
Dr Srinivasa Rao and Dr Beatriz Gamez Molina receive a Cancer Research UK Early Detection and Diagnosis Primer award to improve early detection and prevention of progression in prostate cancer and multiple myeloma.
Study reveals lifetime obesity exposure in cancer patients is widely underestimated
30 April 2026
New data published today in ESMO Real World Data and Digital Oncology show that more than half of people receiving systemic anticancer treatment had a history of obesity, compared with only around one in four who were classified as obese at the time their treatment began.
Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust joins €50m European study on heart health in cancer patients
28 April 2026
Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust is one of the project partners and will receive €399,000 in funding. Daniel McGowan, Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, and Head of Education and Research in the Department of Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering at OUH, will lead the Oxford team in collaboration with GE HealthCare. Their research is focus on how they can adapt routine PET scans to also assess a patient’s heart health.
New Oxford-led study set to evaluate multi-cancer blood tests in GP practices for earlier diagnosis
14 April 2026
In an advance for early cancer detection, a new Oxford-led study has received £3.6 million from the National Institute of Health and Care Research to evaluate breakthrough multi-cancer tests in NHS general practices. The research addresses a critical healthcare challenge: approximately half of all cancer patients initially visit their GP with vague, non-specific symptoms such as weight loss or abdominal pain, leading to dangerous delays in diagnosis and treatment.
Onima Chowdhury receives Cancer Research UK clinical trial grant
9 April 2026
Congratulations to Dr Onima Chowdhury at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, who has been awarded a clinical trial grant by Cancer Research UK to improve treatment of Myelodysplastic Syndromes.
2026 Oxford Cancer Symposium showcases latest advances in the network's research and collaboration
8 April 2026
Researchers and clinicians came together last week for the Oxford Cancer/Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Oxford Centre’s Annual Symposium, an event that continues to grow as a focal point for collaboration in cancer research across Oxford.
Funding for molecular tools to more precisely diagnose prostate cancer
1 April 2026
Dr Pengfei Li and Dr Jonathan Wojciechowski receive a Cancer Research UK Early Detection and Diagnosis Primer Award to analyse modifications to PSA for early detection and phenotyping of prostate cancer.
Blood Test May Improve Survival of Childhood Cancer in Africa
19 March 2026
In a study published today in Nature Medicine, researchers from the University of Oxford and the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Dar es salaam, Tanzania have shown that a minimally invasive “liquid biopsy” test can diagnose Burkitt lymphoma rapidly and accurately in sub-Saharan Africa, where delays in traditional testing often prove fatal.
Experts gather for the second annual Oxford Oesophagogastric Cancer Centre of Excellence Symposium
13 March 2026
Our second annual Oxford Oesophagogastric Cancer Centre of Excellence Symposium took place on Friday 6 March, bringing together researchers and clinicians from across Oxford alongside external collaborators for a stimulating day of multidisciplinary discussion.
New research reveals why some oesophageal cancers are so hard to treat
11 March 2026
Research published today in Science Advances has uncovered new insights into why the most aggressive oesophageal cancers are so difficult to treat and how the body’s own defence systems are helping them to thrive.
Paresh Vyas receives CRUK Discovery Programme Award
11 March 2026
Congratulations to Professor Paresh Vyas in the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, who has been awarded a Discovery Research grant from Cancer Research UK to investigate cancer immunotherapies.
Professor Ester Hammond Awarded Brain Research UK Funding to Tackle Paediatric High-Grade Glioma
10 March 2026
Ester Hammond, Professor of Molecular Cancer Biology in the Department of Oncology, has been awarded new funding from Brain Research UK to investigate much needed treatment options for paediatric high-grade glioma (pHGG), the most common cause of tumour-related death in children.
Oxford Researchers Join Global Cancer Grand Challenges Teams
4 March 2026
Cancer Grand Challenges, a global initiative co-founded by the National Cancer Institute in the US and Cancer Research UK, today announced a major $125m commitment to propel cancer research into uncharted territory. Five pioneering international teams – two of which include researchers from the University of Oxford - will each receive up to $25m over approximately five years to tackle some of the most ambitious and unanswered questions in cancer.
Largest study of vegetarian diets and cancer shows lower risk of five cancers
27 February 2026
The largest ever study of non-meat diets and cancer risk has found that vegetarian diets are associated with lower risks of several cancers ‒ breast, prostate, kidney and pancreatic cancers, and multiple myeloma ‒ but a higher risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus.
Oxford Cancer Research Leadership Highlighted at CRUK’s Data-Driven Cancer Research Conference
26 February 2026
Oxford University cancer researchers showcased cutting-edge data science and collaboration at Cancer Research UK’s 2026 Data-Driven Cancer Research Conference, reinforcing Oxford’s pivotal role in progressing CRUK’s research data strategy.
Early-phase study demonstrates safety and immune response of therapeutic HPV vaccine
24 February 2026
An early-phase clinical trial led by Associate Professor Karin Hellner has reported results evaluating a new therapeutic vaccine designed to help the body clear high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women with low-grade cervical lesions.
How Unstable Cancer Genomes Reshape the Tumour Landscape
19 February 2026
Chromosomal instability (CIN) is a hallmark of aggressive cancers, yet the mechanisms through which it shapes tumour behaviour and clinical outcomes remain poorly defined. With new funding from Guts UK and the University of Oxford Medical Sciences Division, Dr Bruno Beernaert, postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Oncology, is tackling this challenge by developing innovative approaches to uncover the role of CIN in tumour evolution and immune evasion.
New trial on the Oxford Cancer Translational Data Platform
18 February 2026
Through the Translational Data Platform, researchers can now access a rich collection of WINGMEN trial data, including patients demographics, cancer history, blood test results and biochemistry. Available datasets include RNA sequencing data from prostate tumours before and after treatment, alongside immunohistochemistry images assessing five key markers of prostate cancer biology, like IGF-R and pS6.