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A Scalable Model to Improve Cancer Care for Older Adults

Individuals aged 70 years and older account for more than 40% of patients with cancer in the US and 25% of those with incident cancers. Yet older adults have been largely neglected by cancer research and care improvement efforts. Less than 3% of older patients with cancer are enrolled in oncology clinical trials, and the landscape of treatments received by older adults is not well understood. Comorbid conditions, frailty, and resource limitations can necessitate modifications to cancer treatments and render older patients more vulnerable to complications. Moreover, many may be ineligible for or choose to forgo anticancer therapy and therefore see oncology practitioners infrequently—despite experiencing symptoms and conditions that require ongoing management. These complexities beg for scalable strategies to monitor and support older adults with cancer.

[Clinical Picture] High-output cardiac failure from a synovial sarcoma mimicking arteriovenous fistula

A 30-year-old woman presented to the Vascular Anomalies Centre at Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital in February, 2021, for a worsening and painful left inguinal arteriovenous fistula, which had been diagnosis 7 years previously following a strain 10 years ago. Initial endovascular embolisation in 2014 provided only transient relief, with subsequent symptom recurrence, progressive deep vein thrombosis, limb oedema, and claudication. By 2018, she had developed orthopnoea indicative of cardiac failure and required continuous diuretics, having received only symptomatic care until her presentation.

[Review] Development of a core outcome set for adolescents and young adults with cancer

Adolescents and young adults aged 15–39 years diagnosed with cancer are faced with unique challenges, which affect key developmental milestones and can create complex care needs. The aim of this study was to reach international consensus on the minimum set of outcomes to measure through the development of a core outcome set (COS). The COS development followed published methodological standards. A literature review and interviews with adolescents and young adults with cancer and health-care professionals generated a comprehensive list of 129 outcomes, spanning clinical and patient-reported outcomes relevant to adolescents and young adults with cancer.

[Policy Review] International consensus recommendations and alignment of terminology for the histopathological diagnosis of extranodal extension in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: an HN-CLEAR initiative

Histopathologically detected extranodal extension leads to upstaging and treatment escalation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. There is considerable variation in the prevalence of histopathologically detected extranodal extension in comparable studies. The Head and Neck Cancer International Group, which includes 23 organisations managing patients with head and neck cancer, identified several challenges in evaluating histopathologically detected extranodal extension. Thus, the Head and Neck Consensus Language for Ease and Reproducibility (HN-CLEAR) and its global stakeholders prioritised developing diagnostic criteria and uniform terminology for histopathologically detected extranodal extension.

[Policy Review] A comprehensive framework for glioma surgery by the PIONEER Consortium and RANO resect group, part 2: perioperative recommendations for neurological, language, functional, and quality-of-life assessment

Historically, the assessment of surgical outcomes in patients with glioma has been focused on technical outcomes, such as volumetric analysis of the residual tumour, progression-free survival, and overall survival. Other outcomes, such as neurological deficits, can be challenging to assess in an objective, quantifiable, and comprehensive manner. As a result, no consensus is available on methods to systematically evaluate perioperative neurological, language, cognitive, and functional outcomes in patients with glioma.

[Policy Review] A comprehensive framework for glioma surgery by the PIONEER Consortium and RANO resect group, part 1: intraoperative recommendations for mapping, monitoring, and decision making

In adult patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent diffuse glioma, more extensive resection is associated with longer progression-free and overall survival. Intraoperative mapping techniques are used to safely increase the extent of resection by locating, monitoring, and preserving the function of potentially infiltrated brain during surgery. However, there is no consensus on the indications for intraoperative mapping, the optimal functional tests to be used intraoperatively, or intraoperative decision making.

[Articles] Tiragolumab plus atezolizumab and chemotherapy as first-line treatment for patients with unresectable oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SKYSCRAPER-08): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial

Independent review facility-assessed progression-free survival and overall survival were significantly better in the tiragolumab plus atezolizumab and chemotherapy group compared with chemotherapy alone for unresectable locally advanced, unresectable recurrent, or metastatic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. These data support the rationale for exploring dual checkpoint inhibition added to chemotherapy for this group of patients with a high unmet need.

[Perspectives] Current landscape, successes, and key challenges in cancer vaccine clinical trials across the UK

Cancer vaccines represent a transformative frontier in oncology, offering the potential to elicit durable and specific immune responses against tumour-associated or tumour-specific antigens. This technology has the potential to treat established malignancy, reduce tumour relapse, and even prevent cancer formation—improving survival outcomes. Advances in neoantigen discovery, mRNA vaccine platforms, and personalised immunotherapy have substantially enhanced the feasibility and efficacy of cancer vaccines across various malignancies.

[News] UK Government launches first Men's Health Strategy

On Nov 19, 2025, the UK Government launched the first Men's Health Strategy for England. The policy paper noted that, over the past decade, healthy life expectancy for men has fallen by 1·5 years and that men in parts of the country with the most poverty die on average 10 years earlier than men in parts with the least poverty. Men are more likely than women to smoke, drink alcohol, or use drugs, and be overweight or have obesity. 19% of deaths in men over 35 years are attributable to smoking, seven percentage points higher than women in the same age group, and 68% of deaths from liver disease are in men.

[News] New South Wales expands cancer coverage for firefighters

On Nov 21, 2025, a ministerial media release announced a new legislation passed through Australian Parliament, expanding presumptive workers' compensation coverage for firefighters diagnosed with cancer. The new legislation extends the current list of 12 recognised malignancies in New South Wales, Australia, to include ten new cancers, including primary site lung, pancreatic, thyroid, and skin cancers. Reproductive cancers including cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, vulval, and penile were also included.

[News] Gavi hits HPV vaccine milestone early but concerns surround future funding

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, a public–private global health partnership with the goal of increasing access to immunisation in developing countries, is celebrating after working with lower-income countries to reach a key target to vaccinate millions of girls with the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for cervical cancer in mid-November, 2025—6 weeks ahead of its original 3-year target.

[News] Europe is falling behind on targets to address AMR

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is causing more than 35 000 deaths per year across Europe. According to estimates by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), based on 2024 data submitted by all countries in the EU and European Economic Area, Europe has met only one of five targets set to tackle the issue.

[News] Study links ultra-processed food consumption with bowel polyps in women younger than 50 years

New research by Andrew T Chan (Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA) and colleagues published in JAMA Oncology shows that younger women (aged ≤50 years) who eat the highest proportions of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are at a 45% increased risk of developing bowel polyps that can later develop into colorectal cancer. UPFs are novel branded products made from inexpensive industrial ingredients such as hydrogenated oils, protein isolates or glucose or fructose syrup, and cosmetic food additives (including dyes, artificial sweeteners, and emulsifiers).

[Corrections] Correction to Lancet Oncol 2025; 26: e477–87

Tang L-L, Huang C-L, Lin S-J, et al. Primary target volume delineation for radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: CSTRO, CACA, CSCO, HNCIG, ESTRO, and ASTRO guidelines and contouring atlas. Lancet Oncol 2025; 26: e477–87—In this Policy Review, the first sentence of Recommendation 3.3 should have read, “Posteriorly delineate the anterior third of the clivus (the cortex) if uninvolved (usually for T1 and T2 disease) and include the whole clivus (inferior, posterior column, up to the posterior clinoid process) for any clival involvement (usually for T3 and T4 disease).” This correction has been made to the online version as of Dec 22, 2025.

[Corrections] Correction to Lancet Oncol 2025; 26: 1227–39

Ma D, Price K, Moore E, et al. De-escalated adjuvant radiotherapy versus standard adjuvant treatment for human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (MC1675): a phase 3, open-label, randomised controlled trial. Lancet Oncol 2025; 26: 1227–39—In table 1 of this Article, the number of participants in each AJCC 8th edition N stage and AJCC 7th edition N stage at baseline have been corrected. This correction has been made as of Dec 22, 2025.