The latest news, stories and exciting findings from across the Oxford cancer research community
Michael Bryan wins international award at Europe’s largest cancer conference
24 October 2025
Michael - who is a CRUK Oxford Centre DPhil in Cancer Science student, working in the Nuffield Department of Medicine's Centre of Immuno-oncology - has been awarded the Best Poster Prize in CNS Tumours at the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress.
Professor Sarah Blagden to star in New Landmark Channel 4 Documentary Series 'Cancer Detectives: Finding the Cures'
16 October 2025
Channel 4 today announces 'Cancer Detectives: Finding the Cures', an observational documentary series that will explore the pioneering research that could transform the future of cancer detection, treatment and prevention.
Oxford Cancer Announces 2025 CRIS Cancer Clinical Career Fellows
13 October 2025
Oxford Cancer, together with the CRIS Cancer Foundation, is delighted to announce the appointment of the 2025 CRIS Cancer Postdoctoral Clinical Fellows: Dr Rebecca Ling and Dr Casmir Turnquist. Both Fellows will lead on two distinct projects focused on childhood cancer.
Dr Peter Wan Awarded Pancreatic Cancer UK Fellowship to Develop New Immunotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer
9 October 2025
Dr Peter Kok-Ting Wan, PhD, postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Oncology, has been awarded a prestigious fellowship from Pancreatic Cancer UK to develop a new immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer, which has the lowest survival rate of any common cancer
PSA testing patterns in England raise concerns about overtesting
9 October 2025
Study of 10 million men finds many are having prostate cancer tests more frequently than recommended. Research published in The BMJ reveals significant variations in PSA testing across England, raising concerns about overtesting.
CRUK Oxford Development Fund - now open for applications!
6 October 2025
The CRUK Oxford Centre's development fund is now open for applications.
Embracing Pride to assess perceptions of cancer research involvement among the LGBTQ+ community and improve inclusivity
1 October 2025
The Cancer Theme at NDPCHS participated in four UK Pride events in summer 2025 to better understand and improve LGBTQ+ representation in cancer research.
Two world firsts in myeloma trials at OUH
23 September 2025
Two world firsts have taken place in trials at Oxford University Hospitals to tackle the blood cancer myeloma. One of the trials is testing a new tracer to be used on myeloma patients during PET-CT scans; the other is investigating a new potential drug combination therapy.
Kezia Gaitskell awarded a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship
16 September 2025
Kezia Gaitskell, Consultant Pathologist and Honorary Visiting Fellow at Oxford Population Health, has been awarded a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship. The Fellowship will support Dr Gaitskell’s research programme that uses large-scale population data to investigate the risk factors and origins of different types of endometrial and ovarian cancers. The programme will also develop methods to integrate digital and molecular pathology techniques into large cohort studies.
Iron Levels Found to Play a Key Role in FLASH Radiotherapy’s Tissue-Sparing Effect
16 September 2025
Researchers in the Department of Oncology have uncovered new insights into how FLASH radiation therapy (RT) kills cancer cells while minimising damage to healthy tissues. The study, led by Dr Ejung Moon in collaboration with Dr Kristoffer Petersson, has demonstrated that FLASH RT induces iron-dependent cell death in tumour cells but not in healthy cells, which may contribute to its tissue sparing effect. Notably, tissue iron levels were shown to critically influence this process, opening new avenues of investigation into which cancer types may benefit most from this promising therapeutic technique.
New Study Evaluates Effectiveness of Cancer Diagnosis Pathway for Patients with Non-Specific Symptoms
10 September 2025
A major UK study, led by researchers at the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, and Oxford Cancer, has provided the most comprehensive analysis to date of a cancer diagnosis pathway for patients presenting with non-specific symptoms (NSS), such as unexplained weight loss or fatigue.
Join our Healthy Volunteer Blood Donation Campaign!
8 September 2025
Oxford Cancer is inviting healthy volunteers from the University to provide a small blood sample to the INTEGRATOR Research Tissue Bank.
New ‘off-the-shelf’ immunotherapy shows promise for treating high-risk childhood leukaemia
3 September 2025
Scientists at the University of Oxford, together with colleagues at Imperial College London and the University of Glasgow, have developed a new type of immunotherapy that could improve outcomes for infants and children with high-risk leukaemia.
The Kaiya Foundation to fund leukaemia research at University of Oxford
2 September 2025
The Kaiya Foundation has awarded one of its first major research grants, which will fund pioneering research into the fundamental cause of a high-risk leukaemia. The grant is being made to Dr Emily Neil and Professor Anindita Roy from the Childhood Leukaemia Research Group, based at the University of Oxford, in the hope that their discoveries will transform treatment approaches for sufferers through personalised medicine.
Women who have had early breast cancer have a lower risk of developing a second cancer than previously thought
28 August 2025
A new study by researchers at Oxford Population Health has found that women who have been successfully treated for early invasive breast cancer have a lower risk of developing a second primary cancer than previously thought. The study is published in The BMJ.
AI supercomputer to help cancer vaccine research
27 August 2025
Researchers developing vaccines to treat cancer have been granted access to one of the UK's most powerful artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputers.
Save the date for the 2026 Oxford Cancer Symposium!
22 August 2025
The CRUK Oxford Centre - Oxford Cancer Symposium is the crowning event in the Oxford Cancer calendar. With approximately 300 people attending in person each year, it provides an opportunity for our members to network and build new collaborations.
Dr Elizabeth Smyth elected ESMO Director of Education
18 August 2025
Dr Elizabeth Smyth has been elected as Director of Education for the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), the leading professional organisation for medical oncologists in Europe.
Platelets shown to store DNA in study that could transform cancer screening
15 August 2025
Oxford-led study uncovers previously unknown function of platelets as DNA ‘vacuum cleaners’ in the blood, with profound implications for cancer diagnosis and prenatal screening.
Oxford researchers create first atlas showing cell interaction in lung fibrosis
5 August 2025
Researchers have developed the first mathematically supported cellular map of lung tissue in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and uncovered key immune cell interactions that could explain why lungs fail to repair in this deadly disease with no known cure.