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OncoBites is taking a short break from publications to prepare for the new writing cycle. We may still publish new articles and/or re-promote past articles here and there, but we’ll be back to our regular weekly publishing in November/December. Thanks to all, we’ll be back soon!

Proteins in muscles called myoglobin can play a role in breast cancer prognosis, and several studies show how. Korliss Britt writes. oncobites.blog/2026/08/12/m...

Myoglobin in breast cancer prognosis

Reading time: 3 minutes Korliss Britt Low levels of myoglobin in breast cancer is a significant factor in prognosis of the disease. Since cancer cells have high metabolic requirements, these cells …

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Amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare blood cell disorder closely linked to blood cancers like multiple myeloma. It is tricky to diagnose, and if you haven’t heard of AL amyloidosis, you’re not alone. Cameron Van Cleave writes. oncobites.blog/2026/08/05/a...

Amyloidosis (AL)- A Potentially Underdiagnosed Disorder Closely Related to Blood Cancer

Reading time: 4 minutes Cameron Van Cleave Introduction If you haven’t heard of amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis, you aren’t alone. According to the Amyloidosis Foundation, 4,500 new cases are …

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While scientific studies have explored the connection between diet and long-term cancer risk for decades, recent research has clarified some patterns while also revealing just how complex the relationship truly is. Hema Saranya Ilamathi writes. oncobites.blog/2026/07/29/y...

Your Plate, Your Future: Unpacking the Diet–Cancer Connection

Reading time: 4 minutes Hema Saranya Ilamathi Diet plays a powerful but often misunderstood role in shaping our long‑term cancer risk. While scientific studies have explored this connection for dec…

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When you search online about how cancer develops, you may have seen: “cancer arises when cells acquire mutations in their DNA that lead to uncontrolled proliferation.” This is correct for most cancers. But for many sarcomas, it’s not. Rafaela Muniz de Queiroz writes. oncobites.blog/2026/07/22/t...

The Tale of Sarcomas

Reading time: 4 minutes Rafaela Muniz de Queiroz When you search online or hear explanations about how cancer develops, you have probably come across something along the lines of: “cancer arises wh…

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Doxorubicin remains one of the most widely used chemotherapeutic agents in cancer treatment, with a projected market growth of USD 2 billion by 2030, despite its well-known cardiotoxicity. Dr. Ludmila Peres Diaz writes. oncobites.blog/2026/07/15/d...

Doxorubicin, lights and shadows

Reading time: 5 minutes Dr. Ludmila Peres Diaz An unexpected turn in the storyline is one of the most valuable tools novelists use to keep the audience engaged. The sudden death of a beloved charac…

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AI cannot replace doctors, but it may help address the setbacks associated with a lack of participation in clinical trials. How effective is AI innovation in cancer clinical trials, and does it address inequity? Charles Okila, MPH writes. oncobites.blog/2026/07/08/h...

How AI Is Changing Access to Cancer Clinical Trials

Reading time: 5 minutes Charles Okila, MPH Clinical trials provide an avenue for many patients suffering from cancer to obtain access to new therapies and more intensive care. However, only a small…

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Researchers recently proposed a modern technique involving circularly polarized light for early detection of cervical cancer. This technique is noninvasive & could potentially be integrated into medical instruments like endoscopes. Sandhyaa Venkatachalam writes. oncobites.blog/2026/07/01/a...

A New Light-Based Method for Early Detection of Cervical Cancer

Reading time: 5 minutes Sandhyaa Venkatachalam Cervical cancer is jinxed in the world of oncology: caused by a high-risk HPV (Human papillomavirus) infection in the uterine cervix (lower part of th…

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Research suggests that gut bacteria may help determine whether one responds to immunotherapy. Understanding this connection could open a new way to improve cancer care by pairing existing therapies with microbiome-based treatments. Anthony Tao writes. oncobites.blog/2026/06/24/h...

Harnessing the Gut Microbiome to Enhance Cancer Immunotherapy

Reading time: 4 minutes Anthony Tao Cancer treatment is being reshaped by drugs that modulate the immune system (aka immunotherapy), yet many patients still fail to benefit from these powerful drug…

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A recent preliminary study suggested that ultramarathon runners (those who run for more than 26.2 miles at a time) may be at a higher risk for colon cancer. Should runners be cautious of these findings, or should they be concerned? Mia Hubert writes. oncobites.blog/2026/06/17/u...

Ultramarathons and Colon Cancer: Should Runners Be Concerned?

Reading time: 4 minutes Mia Hubert Running is widely considered one of the healthiest and most accessible habits you can adopt. It has proven cardiovascular benefits, improves mood and cognition, a…

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Recent research showed that some tumors not only survive in the brain atmosphere, but can also form synapse-like connections with neurons. Tumor cells can thus activate growth-promoting signals themselves. Unmila P. Jhuti, PhD writes. oncobites.blog/2026/06/10/c...

Cancer Cells Travel to the Brain and Form Connections with Neurons: How cancer cells colonize the brain

Reading time: 4 minutes Unmila P. Jhuti, PhD Brain metastasis is the deadliest yet least understood type of metastasis. Recent research showed that some tumors not only survive in the brain atmosph…

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Researchers found chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells burrowed into bone marrow fibroblasts. While this has been observed before, no one has been able to explain how it relates to disease progression & resistance to therapy, until now. Cameron Van Cleave writes. oncobites.blog/2026/06/03/l...

Leukemia Cells Find Shelter in Bone Marrow

Reading time: 4 minutes Cameron Van Cleave The bone marrow is more than just blood cells. It’s a complex mixture of blood vessels, stem cells, immune cells, and even fat cells.1 There is a lot of c…

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In a recent study, researchers found significant activation, infiltration, and differentiation of regulatory T cells, or Tregs, in patients with early stage high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. Madeline J. Morrisson writes. oncobites.blog/2026/05/27/t...

The Role of Regulatory T Cells (Tregs) in Early Stage Ovarian Cancer

Reading time: 5 minutes Madeline J. Morrisson Ovarian Cancer Ovarian cancer (OC) is the deadliest gynecological malignancy. High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is the most prevalent subtype…

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The heart is like a chief engineer that helps keep the ship moving. Sometimes, a storm of cardiovascular complications arises from cancer & cancer therapies. Oncocardiology is a logical, key way to navigate & weather this storm. Ludmila Peres Diaz, PhD writes. oncobites.blog/2026/05/20/o...

Oncocardiology: “A way to weather the storm and keep sailing”

Reading time: 7 minutes Ludmila Peres Diaz, PhD The human body is a highly coordinated biological machine that responds synchronously to a wide variety of internal and external stimuli. Therefore, …

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In 2024, the FDA approved lifileucel for the treatment of advanced melanoma. Lifileucel was the first tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy approved for use in cancer, and the first cellular therapy approved for a solid tumor. Florence Roan writes. oncobites.blog/2026/05/13/t...

Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) Therapy: Mobilizing the Body’s Cancer Fighters

Reading time: 4 minutes Florence Roan In 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved lifileucel for the treatment of advanced melanoma. Lifileucel’s approval marked dual milestones. It…

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Targeting STAT3 protein, which is found in 95% of head & neck cancers, has been tricky. But one new strategy with STAT3 decoy oligonucleotides shows promise, as shown by a phase 1 clinical trial study on mice & domestic cats with oral cancer. Colin Ong writes. oncobites.blog/2026/05/06/a...

A new treatment modality for oral cancer: testing in felines holds promise for humans

Reading time: 8 minutes Colin Ong Druggable and undruggable targets in cancer Drug discovery in cancer has always been arduous. A major milestone in aiding our understanding and discovery of cancer…

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Arthropod venoms provide a rich cocktail of bioactive components and might be drug leads. So what’s their potential in treating cancer? A recent study on scorpion venom and human breast cancer cells gives a glimpse. Krishnakoli Adhikary, PhD writes. oncobites.blog/2026/04/29/a...

Animal Venom to the Rescue

Reading time: 2 minutes Krishnakoli Adhikary, PhD Cancer is the second most leading cause of death in the world after ischemic heart disease. Global reports suggest that by 2030, the total number o…

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This April, we’re celebrating 8 years of OncoBites! We’ve been steadily flourishing, and we want to express much gratitude to all our lovely contributors, old and new, as well as all our devoted readers. Here’s to continuing to grow!

Tumor treating fields use low-energy electrical fields to disrupt cancer cells’ ability to grow. As of now, devices that deliver TTFields are approved to treat 4 difficult-to-treat cancer types, and approval for another cancer type may lie soon. Chris Wang writes. oncobites.blog/2026/04/22/e...

Electrifying New Life into Hard to Treat Tumors: New Indications for Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields)

Reading time: 6 minutes Chris Wang From the initial discovery in the early 2000s that low intensity, intermediate frequency (150-200 KHz), alternating electric fields can inhibit growth of cancer c…

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Colorectal cancer survival rates are improving, but what does “survival” actually look like for those hoping to start a family after their diagnosis? Xanthea Heighington writes. oncobites.blog/2026/04/15/t...

Thriving, or just surviving? Exploring women’s reproductive health after colorectal cancer

Reading time: 6 minutes Xanthea Heighington Introduction Colorectal cancer survival rates are improving, with the American Cancer Society recently having reported a 1.5% decrease in deaths associat…

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How can AI play a role in detecting early breast cancer cases, and what are some challenges and concerns in AI use? Laura Urbina Jara writes. oncobites.blog/2026/04/08/a...

AI’s Role in Breast Cancer Detection

Reading time: 5 minutes Laura Urbina Jara How AI works in breast cancer detection Today, it may seem that AI is present in different fields, and the medical field is no exception. Physicians are cu…

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It’s time for our periodic call for authors! If interested, please DM us for the link to the form by April 10.

Researchers found that tiny, bubble-shaped particles found in lemon juice have potential as successful cancer drug carriers. This method offers a new anti-cancer ray of hope and a roadmap for the future of nanomedicine. Sandhyaa Venkatachalam writes. oncobites.blog/2026/04/01/w...

When life gives you lemons – Use them to fight cancer

Reading time: 5 minutes Sandhyaa Venkatachalam Treating cancers, which can be as unpredictable as loose cannons, is an uphill battle even now in the age of modern medicine. Most cancer treatments r…

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Can scientists predict which nutrients facilitate the metastatic potential of cancer? A recent study published in Nature may have an answer. Nancy Paz writes. oncobites.blog/2026/03/25/h...

How important are nutrients to cancer cell metastasis?

Reading time: 5 minutes Nancy Paz Can scientists predict which nutrients facilitate the metastatic potential of cancer? Just like humans, cancer cells will get off the sofa for their favorite snack…

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Tiny microRNAs can play a huge role in biological processes. They also act as cancer biomarkers and can be promising targets for cancer treatment. Madeline J. Morrisson writes. oncobites.blog/2026/03/18/m...

MicroRNAs in Cancer

Reading time: 4 minutes Madeline J. Morrisson What are miRNAs? Within a cell, information flows from DNA to RNA to protein, in a process known as the Central Dogma of biology. RNA is a relatively s…

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Large language models, an emerging modern technology cornerstone, can learn the language of our genome. With this in mind, researchers recently sought to develop neural networks that can gain a latent understanding of the genomic code of life. Anthony Tao writes. oncobites.blog/2026/03/11/f...

From Words to Nucleotides: AI Language Models Trained on DNA

Reading time: 4 minutes Anthony Tao Since the public introduction of ChatGPT in 2020, large language models (LLMs) have become an emerging cornerstone of modern technology. In healthcare, LLMs have…

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