That Cancer Conversation

The UK is on the path to a smokefree generation.   Under the new Tobacco and Vapes Act, the age of sale of tobacco in the UK will now start rising by one year each new year, making it illegal to ever sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.  It’s a world-leading law, and one we’ve been calling for as part of our ongoing...

When cancer touches your life, it’s natural to look for answers. But online, those answers can be overwhelming, and sometimes dangerously wrong.  In this episode, we explore the rise of cancer misinformation and why false claims about “miracle cures” spread so quickly on social media.  From viral myths like  “sugar feeds cancer”  to extreme diets, supplement...

In this episode of  That Cancer Conversation , we’re joined by Cancer Research UK science expert Dr Claire Bromley to explore the future of cancer prevention. We dive into the surprising clues hidden in the animal kingdom, the mystery of human “super avoiders,” and the cutting-edge research that could make cancer prevention more targeted and personalised tha...

Cancer isn’t a modern disease – it’s an ancient biological phenomenon that has existed for hundreds of millions of years. In this episode, we trace cancer’s origins from the dawn of multicellular life, explore how it affected ancient animals and break down the major scientific and medical advances that shaped modern cancer research.  We’re joined by&nbs...

What if our blood could help us detect cancer earlier than ever before?  In this episode, we’re exploring liquid biopsies, cutting-edge blood tests that can pick up the smallest signs of cancer swirling through the blood. We sit down with Professor Nitzan Rosenfeld, Director of Barts Cancer Institute and a pi...

Welcome back to That Cancer Conversation!  Drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy are helping millions of people across the UK lose weight faster and more effectively. That’s important for us, because obesity is one of the leading preventable causes of cancer. So, with obesity and cancer on the rise around the world, could weight loss drugs be a way for us to t...

Welcome back to That Cancer Conversation!  Artificial Intelligence is no longer science fiction. It's here and it's becoming part of our everyday lives. But what happens when AI steps into the world of healthcare? Could it actually help us beat cancer?  In this episode we’re joined by Lara Lewington, a technology journalist and...

Welcome to series 4 of That Cancer Conversation!  We kick off the first episode of the new series discussing the power of exercise. We all know exercise is good for our health. It can make a huge difference to our overall wellbeing and recovery, but could it go even further? Could it help us survive cancer?    In this episode we...

Welcome to another episode of That Cancer Conversation!  For our series finale, Sophie is joined by royal correspondent and best-selling author, Katie Nicholl.  Katie has spent over 20 years writing about the British royal family, from A-levels to coronations, Katie has reported it all. But when King Charles III and Princess Catherine both announced their cancer diagnoses, their stories...

Welcome to another episode of That Cancer Conversation! Here in the UK,  radiotherapy  plays a part in treating more than 140,000 people with cancer every year. From infants to adults, radiotherapy is a precise and personalised tool used to target many different types of cancer. But how does it all work? In this episode Sophie speaks to Hayley Brown, a science engagement manager at Cance...

Welcome to another episode of That Cancer Conversation! We're entering the summer season and hopefully expecting some sunny weather. But with warm weather approaching we're likely to spend more time outdoors, so it’s time to start thinking about protecting ourselves from those UV rays! Skin cancer is the 5th most common cancer in the UK, with almost 9 in 10 cases caused by exposure to too much ult...

Welcome to another episode of That Cancer Conversation!  In this episode Sophie delves into the big topic of food and cancer. She begins the conversation with her first guest, Professor Marc Gunter, a cancer epidemiologist who specialises in diet and obesity and is part of Cancer Grand Challenges team,  PROMINENT . He talks all about how food can impact someone’s risk of getting cancer a...

Welcome to another episode of That Cancer Conversation!  We think of cancer as a primarily elderly disease but there’s a rising trend of cancer cases in younger adults (age 25 to 50), also known as early onset cancer. And in this episode we’re discussing what early onset cancer is and why it’s rising.  To start the conversation, Sophie speaks to Dr Nisha Duggan, a former researcher and n...

Welcome to another episode of That Cancer Conversation!    In this special episode, we’re celebrating the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK. The fund was set up by Dame Deborah James, also known as ‘Bowelbabe’, and her family in the last few weeks of her life.   For this special episode of the podcast, Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, interviews...

Welcome to another episode of That Cancer Conversation!  In our last episode, ‘What are cancer vaccines?’ , Sophie spoke to Dr Heather Shaw to learn about cancer vaccines and how they work. In this second episode, we continue to dive deeper into the world of cancer vaccines to find out when we might see cancer vaccines as treatments for cancer.  To start the conversation, Sophie speaks t...

We're back with the third season of That Cancer Conversation, the podcast from Cancer Research UK. Have you heard of cancer vaccines? Maybe you've seen a headline or two, but what is a cancer vaccine? In this episode, Sophie talks to Dr Heather Shaw, a skin cancer clinician and researcher at University College London, who is leading the first skin cancer (melanoma) vaccine trial in the UK. From wh...

Our DNA is made up of 3000 million letters of code. They make up genes within our DNA and are responsible for how cells in our body grow and multiply. But what happens when something in that code goes wrong?  Welcome to another episode of That Cancer Conversation, a podcast from Cancer Research UK that brings together the science and the stories behind cancer.   In this episode...

In the UK 4 in 10 cancer cases are preventable.  But what can the government do to stop those 4 out of every 10 cancers before they even start? Welcome to the fourth episode of our mini-series, That Cancer Conversation Longer, better lives.  In this episode, Sophie sits with Alizee Froguel who works on prevention policy here at Cancer Research UK. They discuss what’s causing most of thes...

Welcome back to another episode of That Cancer Conversation!  We’re kicking off Volunteers’ Week 2024 with the second of our special episodes celebrating our inspiring volunteers.  Last time, we chatted to Penny, one of our campaigns ambassadors. This week, we’re moving into the world of events with Rhian.  Rhian has been volunteering at Race for Life and Pretty Muddy events across...

Welcome back to another episode of That Cancer Conversation!  Here at Cancer Research UK, we’re grateful to benefit from the support of more than 25,000 incredible volunteers, who donate their time to help us beat cancer.   So, in the lead up to Volunteers’ Week on the 3rd of June, we want to say a huge thank you to our brilliant community of volunteers, whose support makes our life...

You can’t beat cancer without scientists.  Without research the progress we've made in beating cancer wouldn’t be where it is today. But that progress is at risk of stalling. To keep up and to plug the funding gap, we would need to find an additional £1 billion pounds over the next decade.   In this episode, Sophie sits down with Owen Jackson, head of policy at Cancer Research...

Welcome to another episode of That Cancer Conversation! While bowel cancer is relatively rare for people in their 30s and 40s to get bowel cancer, cases are rising.   At 39 years old Dr Anisha Patel ( @doctorsgetcancertoo ), a practicing GP, was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer. Now, 6 years on, Anisha is dedicated to raising awareness of cancer, especially in adults under 50. In this...

Welcome to another episode of That Cancer Conversation!   April is Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month, where charities and the young people we support come together to raise awareness of the unique challenges of having cancer during some of the most intense years of your life.    In this episode Sophie speaks to Shaumya, who was 18 years old and getting ready t...

We’re back with another episode of our subseries, Longer, better lives! This series unpacks our recently published manifesto, Longer, Better Lives: A Manifesto for Cancer Research and Care .     You might recognise our next guest, as she was part of our ‘Together We Are Beating Cancer’ campaign featuring on a TV advert as well as billboards and posters on display across the UK,...

We’ve made huge progress on cancer in the last 50 years.  But not all of it has been felt equally. People’s experience of the healthcare system, and ultimately how likely they are to be successfully diagnosed and treated, varies massively. These are known as health inequalities and can be caused by a range of factors.  In this episode of That Cancer Conversation, we’re exploring how depr...