Can certain food cravings predict a cancer diagnosis, up to three months before other symptoms appear?

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 […]

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Why losing weight or cutting alcohol isn’t always best after illness strikes

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 […]

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COVID, the flu and other viral infections can re-awaken dormant breast cancer cells, new study in mice shows

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 […]

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What dinosaur fossils could teach us about cancer

Ilnaz Bagautdinov/Shutterstock When you think of dinosaurs, you might imagine towering predators or gentle giants roaming prehistoric landscapes. But what if these ancient creatures could teach us about one of humanity’s most persistent challenges: cancer? In a new study, my team and I explored how fossilised soft tissues, preserved for tens of millions of years, […]

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