The Medical Advisor

Despite  trillions spent on cancer research  ( The Lancet Oncology ), cancer still  kills around 10 million people a year  ( WHO ) and is a leading cause of death globally, according to the World Health Organization. Cancer research continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, with new treatments offering hope to millions of patients worldwide. The 2026 American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting took place in San Diego from April 17-22 and reflected how cancer research continues to evolve. Progress is increasingly driven by how advances across biology, technology, and policy come together to shape how we understand disease, develop new treatments, and bring them into practice. A central theme this year was the continued focus on cancer as more than just a collection of tumor cells. It is shaped by a complex ecosystem — immune cells, surrounding tissue, metabolism, and even the microbiome — all interacting in dynamic ways. Credit:  ...

Cancer treatment is no longer one-dimensional. For decades, chemotherapy dominated oncology.  Today, treatment may include chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy — or carefully designed combinations of all three. Yet confusion persists. Patients often ask: Is chemotherapy outdated? Is immunotherapy safer? Is targeted therapy more effective? Why do some people respond dramatically while others do not? This guide explains the science, clinical evidence, benefits, risks, and real-world decision-making framework behind modern oncology — grounded in standards used by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. What is immunotherapy? Cancer cells are abnormal cells that replicate uncontrollably. Normally, your immune system destroys abnormal cells, but many types of cancer ce...