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

Grey hair is an inevitable hallmark of ageing. It’s a visual reminder of the passing years and all the bodily changes that accompany it. But emerging scientific research is challenging this simple narrative – revealing that those silver strands on our heads could be an outward sign of our body’s own intricate defences against cancer. […]

A group of scientists in the UK recently demanded that bacon and ham products carry health warnings similar to those on cigarettes. These experts argue that these meats, which are often preserved with chemicals called nitrites, pose a cancer risk that successive UK governments have failed to address. They are urging the government to act […]

Every few months, a new “miracle cure” for cancer trends on social media. From superfoods and supplements to extreme diets, the promises are always bold – and almost always misleading. The latest claim suggests that a 21-day water fast can “starve” cancer cells and trigger the body to heal itself. It sounds simple, even empowering: […]

Cancer treatment has come a long way, but many of today’s therapies still come with steep costs: not just financial, but physical and emotional too. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy remain vital tools, yet they often damage healthy cells alongside cancerous ones, leaving patients exhausted and vulnerable to long-term side effects. Around the world, researchers are searching […]

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 […]