Author: Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University

A major shift is unfolding in the field of skin cancer prevention, ignited by new research showing that an everyday vitamin supplement may prevent many cases of the world’s most frequently diagnosed cancer. The supplement in question is nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3. Whereas previous studies hinted at a potential benefit, the latest research […]

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine celebrates a discovery that answers one of medicine’s most profound questions: how does the immune system know when to attack, and when to stand down? Most of the time, our defences target dangerous infections and even cancers while leaving the body’s own tissues unharmed. But when that […]

Removing lymph nodes during cancer surgery has saved countless lives in many tumour types. Yet recent research is challenging parts of this long-standing practice. Imagine your body’s immune defences as a city, and lymph nodes as the hubs where police and firefighters gather fresh intel to launch their attack on criminals. What happens if you […]

Why do health stories about food and cancer grab so much attention? Because they offer an enticing promise: that a single item on your plate, or even a sudden change in what you crave, might hold the key to spotting disease early. It’s a compelling idea, but in reality the science of appetite, taste, and […]

The health advice that keeps you from getting sick might actually harm you once you’re already ill. This counterintuitive medical reality has a new name: “Cuomo’s paradox”, coined by Professor Raphael Cuomo at UC San Diego School of Medicine after analysing findings across numerous studies. The paradox describes how behaviour long considered unhealthy – carrying […]

The worry that breast cancer may someday return is a troubling source of anxiety for many survivors of the disease. It’s understandable why, since most relapses and metastatic cancers (cancers that have spread) aren’t started by new tumours. Rather, they’re caused by sleeper cancer cells that suddenly awaken. These “dormant” cancer cells usually colonise places […]