Science Talk
With our Science Talk blog, we hope to lift the lid on the black box that is the ICR: to show you inside our labs, to introduce you to a few of the people here who make the discoveries, and to allow them to tell some of the stories behind the science. We try to put our discoveries in a wider scientific context, and give an idea of how our science is actually done. We also give you the view from the ICR of important developments in the wider world of cancer research.
What is it like to study at the UK’s leading academic research centre?
As we start to recruit our latest round of PhD students, we provide a window into student life at The Institute of Cancer Research.
What success looks like in the War on Cancer
More basic cancer research, a braver approach to drug discovery and earlier use of targeted treatments were among the prescriptions for success made by the ICR’s Professor Kevin Harrington at a prestigious debate this week. Dr Claire Hastings went along to find out what he had to say.
Sounding an early warning of cancer’s return
Tests for cancer DNA in the bloodstream can act as an early warning sign that drugs are no longer working, and could change the face of cancer treatment.
How Nobel Prize winning research is helping us to treat cancer
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded for discoveries into how cells repair DNA – mechanisms which are being exploited by ICR researchers in exciting new treatments for cancer
Putting the pieces together: a jigsaw puzzle approach to treating cancer
Delegates at the European Cancer Congress in Vienna heard Professor Kevin Harrington talk on putting together the pieces of the puzzle – radiotherapy, immunotherapy and viral therapy – for each individual patient.
How the elephant got less cancer (and other stories)
New research has come up with a plausible answer to one of the most celebrated riddles in evolutionary biology – why some big animals with lots of cells have low rates of cancer.
HPV or not HPV, and what this means for throat cancer treatment
ICR researchers are at the forefront of improving treatments for all patients with throat cancer, including those with the harder-to-treat HPV-negative throat cancer.
The huge hole in the ground that is set to revolutionise radiotherapy
Dr Claire Bithell visited the site of our revolutionary new radiotherapy machine - the MR Linac.
What we learned from Europe’s largest cancer conference
We look back on some of the announcements from the European Cancer Conference in Vienna to highlight research which could make a big impact on cancer care and treatment
Hormone replacement therapy and cancer – and where our new study fits in
A new study suggests it’s safe for women with ovarian cancer to take HRT. Henry French places the results in context.
Europe’s biggest cancer conference takes a big picture view of cancer drug discovery
Thousands of cancer researchers across the world are descending on Vienna for one of the biggest dates in the international cancer calendar – the European Cancer Congress (#ECC2015)
Collaborating for cancer – finding common ground to cure childhood cancers
Germ cell tumours are rare in children, but differing criteria to treat the disease around the world makes developing new therapies challenging. Now researchers are working together to ensure a common approach to test new treatments for children with germ cell tumours.
How a simple change in dosing has made radiotherapy for breast cancer better and cheaper
A new type of radiotherapy could help breast cancer patients by delivering more radiation in fewer sessions.
Five key points on cancer drug pricing
The Cancer Drugs Fund in England will no longer pay for 16 medicines, used in 23 separate cancer treatments. Henry French provides some views on cancer drug pricing, and how to improve access to cancer drugs.
Summer students, and the surprising role they play in cancer research
Every year, a few undergraduate students gain a very special experience over their summer months – becoming a cancer researcher.
Why I value being a patient advocate – and how it can shape clinical trial design
Involving patients and the public is an important and valuable aspect of clinical trial design argues the patient advocates group, the Independent Cancer Patients' Voice.
The displays bringing the ICR’s history – and the role played in it by women – back to life
The ICR is celebrating its history with a series of historical photo displays – the latest is devoted to some of the women who have made vital contributions to our research
Treating testicular cancer in men with Down syndrome
Dr Shaista Hafeez argues in a new opinion piece that there is a need for a more holistic and personalised approach to make sure that patients with Down syndrome get the care they deserve
MR Linac promises to revolutionise radiotherapy
A new radiotherapy machine, known as MR Linac, promises to more accurately track and target tumours – how else is radiotherapy improving patients' lives?
The rocky road to developing new children’s cancer treatments
It takes years to develop drugs that target a specific cancer-causing mutation. Dr Claire Bithell reflects on the promises of targeting ALK mutations in neuroblastoma – a common type of childhood cancer.