News and features

Scientists have discovered why breast cancer cells that have spread to the lungs may ‘wake up’ following years of sleep - forming incurable secondary tumours.

The team of scientists who made a ground-breaking gene discovery which transformed the field of cancer research have been celebrated with the unveiling of two commemorative plaques in London today. The plaques pay homage to the 41 scientists who made the landmark discovery of the BRCA2 cancer gene at the ICR in 1995.

Removing a single protein from cells that surround tumours can improve the sensitivity of certain cancers to immunotherapy, researchers have found.

An innovative trial to detect relapse in breast cancer patients with circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) has opened at our partner hospital, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. The TRAK-ER trial, led by researchers at The Royal Marsden and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, will establish a circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) surveillance programme for over 1,000 patiets with ER positive breast cancer who are currently receiving hormone therapy to reduce their risk of cancer returning.

The Institute of Cancer Research, London, is urging NHS-England, NICE and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to continue discussions after the disappointing decision not to recommend targeted drug olaparib for women with early-stage, high-risk, inherited breast cancer.

The Institute of Cancer Research, London, celebrates the news that the precision medicine olaparib has been approved by the UK regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), for patients with high-risk, early-stage breast cancer and inherited faults in their BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.

The Institute of Cancer Research, London, strongly welcomes the news that the precision medicine olaparib has been approved in Europe for people with high-risk, early-stage breast cancer who have inherited faults in their BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.

PhD student Rose Foster in the Prostate and Bladder Cancer Team in the Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging has won the ICR Science and Medical Imaging Competition 2022 for her image of a fluorescent image of bladder tumour tissue.

Scientists have shown it is possible to reverse a key process that allows pancreatic cancer cells to grow and spread around the body.

To mark our outstanding success in REF2021, Alison Halliday spoke to several of our researchers here at the ICR who were instrumental in the development of PARP inhibitors, a type of targeted drug that’s been approved for use in breast, ovarian and prostate cancer.

Pancreatic cancers recycle resources to fuel their survival and growth, opening up the possibility of new treatments aimed at stopping them from doing so, scientists report.

A new study led by scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, has changed our understanding of invasive lobular breast cancer – and could increase the number of patients who access new treatments via lobular breast cancer specific clinical trials.