Cancer

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Drug Combo Boosts Prostate Cancer Survival by 40%: What to Know

Oct. 21, 2025 – A new drug combination cuts the risk of death in people with advanced prostate cancer by 40% over eight years, according to unprecedented results of a drug treatment trial in men whose prostate cancer had returned.

https://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20251021/prostate-cancer-therapy-boosts-survival-what-to-know?

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COVID-19 vaccines may help some cancer patients fight tumors

The most widely used COVID-19 vaccines may offer a surprise benefit for some cancer patients – revving up their immune systems to help fight tumors.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/23/health/covid-19-mrna-vaccines-cancer?

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Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

What Is Squamous Cell Carcinoma?

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a very common type of skin cancer that's linked to sun damage. You can get it anywhere that you have skin. 

Squamous cells are flat cells that make up the outer layer of your skin. Your body constantly sheds old ones and makes new ones. But if these squamous cells mutate and start to build up, a tumor can form.

SCC is a fairly slow-growing skin cancer. When caught early, it’s easy to treat. Unlike some other types of skin cancer, it can spread to your tissues, bones, and nearby lymph nodes over time. If so, treatment can become more complex.

https://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/squamous-cell-carcinoma?

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Understanding Colorectal Cancer -- The Basics

What Is Colorectal Cancer?

Inside your abdominal cavity is the long, tubular digestive tract. The second part of this tube -- the large intestine -- is composed of the colon, which stretches 4 feet to 6 feet, and the rectum, which is only 4 inches to 6 inches long.

https://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/understanding-colorectal-cancer-basics?

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A single shot of HPV vaccine may be enough to fight cervical cancer, study finds

WASHINGTON (AP) — A single HPV vaccination appears just as effective as two doses at preventing the viral infection that causes cervical cancer, researchers reported Wednesday.

https://apnews.com/article/cervical-cancer-hpv-virus-ae8d7f9d6b6a94dd468f4af665fd0600?

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The Prostate Cancer Test More Men Should Ask About

Pre-biopsy MRIs can help doctors diagnose and treat prostate cancer more accurately. Here’s when you should get one.

https://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20251215/prostate-cancer-mri-test-men-ask-about?

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Cancer Survival Rises

The five-year cancer survival rate in the US has reached 70% for the first time, according to an American Cancer Society report released yesterday. The figure, based on diagnoses from 2015 to 2021, is up from 49% in the mid-1970s and 63% in the mid-1990s. The ACS attributes the rise to wider and earlier screening, lower smoking rates, and advances in targeted and immunotherapy treatments. Survival has improved across most major cancer types, including thyroid (98%), prostate (98%), testis (95%), melanoma (95%), and breast (92%), though racial, economic, and regional disparities persist. Myeloma (blood cancer) survival nearly doubled to 62% since the 1990s, and liver cancer survival more than tripled to 22%. Rates were lowest for cancers of the lung (28%), liver (22%), esophagus (22%), and pancreas (13%). Between 1991 and 2023, advances in cancer care prevented an estimated 4.8 million deaths. The ACS projects about 2.1 million new cases and over 626,000 cancer deaths in 2026. Explore the best resources we've found on cancer here.

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Colorectal cancer is rising in younger adults. Here’s who is most at risk and symptoms to watch for

WASHINGTON (AP) — Colorectal cancer is a threat not just to older adults but increasingly to young men and women, too. It’s now the top cancer killer of Americans younger than 50.

https://apnews.com/article/colon-cancer-young-adults-boseman-van-der-beek-7200285f2060145b8369de9ed8db9c17?

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Staying Active With Prostate Cancer

Exercise has many benefits for men with prostate cancer, both during and after treatment. Staying active helps you manage treatment side effects like incontinence, builds your strength, and lifts your spirits.

https://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/features/prostate-cancer-staying-active?

Advanced Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is usually called "advanced" if it’s spread outside of the prostate gland. It may have moved to the tissues nearby, which doctors call “locally advanced.” It also could spread to your lymph nodes, bones, or other parts of your body. Then, it’s called metastatic prostate cancer.

https://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/advanced-prostate-cancer?

Common Treatments for Advanced Prostate Cancer

Doctors can treat, but not cure, advanced prostate cancer. The goal is to slow down the cancer's spread and help you feel better. Most men with it have a high quality of life for many years.

https://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/prostate-cancer-advanced-treatments?

Prepare for Your Appointment

https://www.webmd.com/apptprep/your-journey-with-advanced-prostate-cancer/treatment-advanced-prostate-cancer?

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Pancreatic Cancer Drug

A new drug to treat late-stage pancreatic cancer slashes the risk of death by 60% compared with chemotherapy, oncology company Revolution Medicines said yesterday. Shares closed up 41.4% on the news.  Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, with a five-year survival rate of 13% for the more than 67,000 people diagnosed in the US annually. At issue are mutations in a group of genes known as RAS. (Watch pancreatic cancer 101.) Now, a daily pill called daraxonrasib has shown promise at targeting mutant RAS proteins, with patients surviving a median of 13.2 months, compared with 6.7 months on chemotherapy. Revolution Medicines plans to apply for FDA approval.  Former Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) is one of the roughly 500 patients who participated in the trial after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and given up to four months to live. His tumor has shrunk by roughly 76% since late December. Watch him reflect on embracing life after his diagnosis here.