New findings in a report led by the American Cancer Society (ACS) reveal an urgent picture of a growing global cancer burden and underscore the life-saving potential of stronger prevention and equitable access to care. According to Global Cancer Statistics, 2026, nearly 21 million people were...
Alcohol use and smoking were linked to breast cancer and atrial fibrillation/flutter in women aged 55 years and older in multiple regions of the world, according to new research published by Zhang et al in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Breast cancer and atrial fibrillation—also...
Reprinted with permission from ASCO Connection, June 26, 2026. ASCO joins the oncology community in mourning the loss of Maura L. Gillison, MD, PhD. As a medical oncologist specializing in thoracic/head and neck cancers, and as a molecular epidemiologist, Dr. Gillison definitively characterized the ...
A large retrospective cohort study found that GLP-1 receptor agonist use was associated with significantly lower 5-year rates of colorectal cancer among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The research was highlighted in a media briefing ahead of the 2026 ASCO Breakthrough Meeting,...
A large real-world study conducted across six Asian countries suggests that a blood-based multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test may accurately identify multiple cancer types in routine clinical practice, including cancers for which no standard screening programs currently exist. The research was ...
Longer exposure to hormone replacement therapy and longer reproductive lifespan showed potential associations with increased thyroid cancer risk in women, according to findings presented at ENDO 2026 (Abstract ORF12-08). “These results show how common life events in women, such as the timing of...
Editor’s Note: On May 1, 2026, The New York Historical, an American history museum and library in New York City, published the following blog post by Leland Jasperse, PhD, in its From the Stacks collection. The story, “How New York City—and the Nation—Got Its First Cancer Hospitals,” chronicles the ...
The conclusions drawn from the study by Johnson et al1 appear overstated and should be interpreted with caution. In the study discussed in this issue of The ASCO Post, investigators compared breast and testicular cancer incidence trends in American states that had or had not legalized the use of...
Researchers reported there was no protective net effect of any level of alcohol consumption on health observed in a new study published by George et al in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Further, researchers reported that low levels of alcohol use may be associated with elevated health ...
Long-term exposure to air pollution significantly increases both the risk of developing cancer and the likelihood of dying from the disease, according to a new global evidence report released by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), titled Clean air in cancer control: An overview of...
Colon cancer is among the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, with alarming increases in incidence and mortality among younger adults. Although the exact causes of these increases are unknown, lifestyle, including poor diets, sedentary habits, smoking, and alcohol...
A U.S. population-based study across demographic groups and cancer types found that ever-married adults consistently had a lower cancer risk compared with never-married individuals. Published in Cancer Research Communications, these findings suggest that marital status may serve as a valuable...
As the data continue to show, the incidence of breast, testis, and other cancers are on the rise in adolescent and young adults (AYAs) between the ages of 15 and 39, with increases of 30% over the last 4 decades.1 And while potential explanations for this rapid increase have included obesity,...
Public awareness of the link between drinking alcohol and elevated cancer risk remains unchanged since February 2025, with over half of Americans saying that regularly consuming alcohol increases your chances of later developing cancer, according to a new survey by the Annenberg Public Policy...
Metformin use was linked to lower odds of developing esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in a Nordic population–based case-control study, according to findings published by Xie et al in JAMA Network Open. “This should prompt investigations of metformin as a preventive option in high-risk individuals ...
In a nationwide Korean cohort study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Park et al found that risk of young-onset pancreatic cancer was associated with increased consumption of alcohol and increased frequency of alcohol consumption. Study Details In the study, a nationwide cohort of...
Almost 40% of all new cancer cases could be attributed to at least one of 30 modifiable risk factors, according to a new global analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The analysis of preventable cancers was published in Nature...
Genetic ancestry plays a key role in determining the behavior of head and neck tumors and may help explain why African American patients survive for half as long as their counterparts of European ancestry, according to a new review study published by Ndahayo et al in Cancer and Metastasis Reviews....
Studies have demonstrated a link between alcohol consumption and an elevated risk of colorectal cancer. New research now reveals that higher lifetime alcohol consumption is also associated with a higher risk, especially for rectal cancer, and that quitting drinking can lower a person’s risk. The...
Although it’s been widely reported for years that colorectal cancer incidence has been increasing among younger adults under age 50 by between 1% and 2% annually since the mid-1990s,1 two new studies by Kimmie Ng, MD, MPH, Associate Chief of the Division of Gastrointestinal Oncology and Founding...
Rates of multiple myeloma, the second most common blood cancer in the United States, are increasing and are twice as high in men than in women. A new study published by Ong et al in the journal Cancer provides insights that may help to explain this disparity. To investigate the sex difference in...
Higher intake of food preservatives, widely used in industrially processed foods and beverages to extend shelf life, is associated with a modestly increased risk of cancer, according to the results of a French study published by Hasenböhler et al in The BMJ. While further research is needed to...
Studies show that while the overall rates of colorectal cancer are decreasing, for individuals younger than age 50, the incidence has risen by an alarming 50% since the mid-1990s. While the exact causes are unknown, poor diet and alcohol consumption are believed to be contributing factors. A study...
The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) published its World Cancer Declaration 2025–2035 framework on November 19, 2025.1 The declaration urges governments and policymakers to take decisive action to reduce the global burden of cancer; promote equitable access to prevention, diagnosis,...
In 2022, Congress requested a scientific review from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to study the associated risks of cancer and other health conditions and the use of alcohol. The concern was that the health risks associated with low-to-moderate consumption of ...
There has been a rapid increase in the global number of cancer cases and deaths between 1990 and 2023, despite advances in cancer treatment and efforts to tackle cancer risk factors over that same period. Without urgent action and targeted funding, 30.5 million people are forecast to receive a new...
Research has shown that pain is among the most commonly experienced and feared aspects of a cancer diagnosis.1 It’s easy to understand why. In fact, cancer-related pain is so ubiquitous, between 20% and 50% of patients with early-stage cancer will experience pain,2 and up to 90% of patients with...
Globally, three in five liver cancer cases may be due to preventable risk factors, and obesity-linked cases of the disease are on the rise, according to findings from The Lancet Commission on hepatocellular carcinoma. The majority of liver cancer cases could be prevented by reducing levels of viral ...
Alcohol-associated cancer deaths have doubled in the United States, disproportionately affecting men and those aged 55 or older, according to the results of an observational study presented at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting.1 Over the study period of 30 years, proportional mortality rates increased...
Researchers have discovered that most cancer survivors do not make significant improvements to their diet or eating habits after their cancer diagnosis, according to findings published in Public Health Nutrition. Despite their cancer diagnosis, there was no significant difference in diet-related...
Rates of early-onset gastrointestinal cancers, beyond just colorectal cancer, are rising among people younger than age 50, according to experts from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Researchers from Dana-Farber published a literature review in the British Journal of Surgery showing that cases of newly ...
New reporting in The Cancer Atlas, Fourth Edition, showed that an estimated 50% of all cancer deaths worldwide are attributed to modifiable risk factors, including tobacco and alcohol use, infections, excess body weight, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, ultraviolet radiation, environmental...
In a study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Neupane et al explored the question of whether cancer treatment and genetic predisposition are primary contributors to the risk of subsequent neoplasms (SNs) in long-term survivors of childhood cancers. Study Details The study involved data from the St....
Although alcohol consumption is a known leading preventable cause of cancer, public awareness of the connection may remain concerningly low in the United States, according to a recent study published by Domgue et al in JAMA Oncology. Background Consuming alcohol has been linked to at least seven...
A new study led by experts at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is the first to look at trends over time in alcohol-linked cancer mortality across the United States. The findings were presented at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract ...
Investigators may have uncovered a modest but potentially significant association between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, according to a recent study published by Naudin et al in PLOS Medicine. Background Pancreatic cancer is the twelfth most common cancer type...
Investigators have uncovered mixed progress in major cancer risk factors, preventive behaviors, and screenings in the post–COVID-19 pandemic period among adults in the United States, according to a new study published by Bandi et al in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Background An ...
Researchers may have identified the bacterial toxin colibactin as a potential factor contributing to the concerning rise in early-onset colorectal cancer, according to a novel study published by Díaz-Gay et al in Nature. The findings demonstrated a substantial enrichment of colibactin-related...
At current use and radiation dose levels, computed tomography (CT) scans may eventually account for 5% of all cancers annually, according to a recent modeling study published by Smith-Bindman et al in JAMA Internal Medicine. The danger is greatest for infants, followed by children and...
An increasing proportion of the U.S. public may be aware of the link between consuming alcohol and the elevated risk of later developing cancer, according to a recent survey conducted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC). Background On January 3, 2025, Vivek...
Current standard chemoradiation therapy remains the most effective treatment for selected patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer, based on the results of the NRG-HN005 trial. Researchers have halted this large, randomized phase II/III trial after patients in the...
Guest Editor’s Note: Several epidemiologic studies have shown an inverse association between healthy dietary patterns and the risk of chronic diseases including cancer. Patients are often interested in exploring different dietary interventions throughout the cancer continuum. However, concrete...
A new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes may be linked to a subsequent increased risk of developing some obesity-related cancers, according to new findings presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) 2025. Background Previous research has uncovered associations between type 2 diabetes and a...
Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) can offer patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) improved survival while minimizing or avoiding late toxicities associated with the standard of care of radiation with cisplatin chemotherapy, according to a recent ASCO guideline.1 “We show in a...
The long-term impact of diet on health has been well studied, leading to guidance about limiting the consumption of red meat, alcohol, and other foods associated with an increased risk of malignancies such as colorectal, breast, and liver cancers. Researchers at the University of Florida Health...
Regular physical activity prior to a cancer diagnosis may be linked to a lower risk of disease progression and mortality, according to a recent study conducted by Professor Jon S. Patricios, MBBCh, of the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, and colleagues and published in the...
Investigators may have uncovered associations between the reported number of sunburns and sociodemographic characteristics as well as the prevalence of protective skin behaviors adopted by U.S. adults, according to a recent study published by Etzel et al in the American Journal of Lifestyle...
The consumption of alcohol has been associated with increased cancer risk, but red wine has been perceived by some as a healthier choice compared to white wine and other types of alcohol. Investigators evaluated whether the anticancer properties of red wine were greater in a recent study published...
Combining the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab and chemotherapy, and following that regimen with response-adapted chemoradiation, may an effective treatment for advanced human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Rosenberg et al in...
Researchers have developed and validated a novel prediction model that may be capable of estimating the risk of colorectal cancer and advanced precancerous polyps in patients younger than 45 years, according to a recent study published by Wehbe et al in Digestive Diseases and Sciences. Background...