National Cancer Institute

10/14/2026

News of Pope Leo XIV’s lung cancer diagnosis has brought renewed attention to a disease that affects people from all walks of life.

Through research supported by the NCI, scientists are advancing our understanding of lung cancer, including how to detect it earlier and develop more effective treatments.

Our evidence-based information about lung cancer, treatment options, screening, and clinical trials is available to help people make informed decisions about their care.

Explore lung cancer research and resources: https://www.cancer.gov/types/lung

Questions about cancer? Contact NCI’s free and confidential Cancer Information Service for reliable information and support: https://www.cancer.gov/contact

Image description: This image shows how lung cancer cells invade surrounding tissues and start to spread (metastasis).

10/14/2026

Last month, the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative reached an exciting milestone: the Molecular Characterization Initiative (MCI) surpassed 10,000 patients enrolled!

The MCI is a national collaboration between NCI and the Children’s Oncology Group that provides state-of-the-art molecular characterization at no cost to children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer.

As the program grows, the valuable molecular and clinical data generated through the MCI can benefit both individual patients and the broader childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer community. Physicians can use these data to refine diagnoses and inform treatment options, while researchers can use them to deepen our understanding of childhood cancers, inform clinical care and clinical trials, and advance the development of new treatments.

Learn more about the MCI: https://go.nih.gov/fJRYter

10/13/2026

Treatment options are expanding for women with advanced breast cancer.

In a trial, giredestrant plus everolimus kept cancer from worsening longer than standard hormone therapy plus everolimus. The benefit was greatest among those whose tumor had an ESR1 mutation.

Read more: https://go.nih.gov/fvYdJ8I

10/12/2026

Cancer is often thought of as a disease of older age. But several cancers, including colorectal cancer, are being diagnosed more frequently in younger adults.

We don’t yet know exactly what is driving this trend. Researchers are investigating a range of possible contributors—from environmental and lifestyle factors to the microbiome and genetics.

Finding answers will take rigorous research. In the meantime, awareness is important: persistent or concerning symptoms shouldn’t be dismissed simply because someone is young.

Learn more about what scientists know—and the questions they are working to answer:

As diagnoses of colorectal, breast, and other cancers continue to increase in people under age 50, researchers are trying to understand why it’s happening.

10/09/2026

An NCI-led study found that higher blood levels of PFHpA, a type of PFAS, were linked to a greater risk of liver cancer. Researchers found no link with the other eight PFAS studied.

Because short-chain PFAS like PFHpA are still used in consumer products, researchers say more studies are needed to better understand their potential effects on liver health.

Read more: https://go.nih.gov/SDv72Oz

10/08/2026

For years, RAS was seen as one of the toughest targets in cancer research.

Our latest Your NCI video tells the story of how decades of NCI-supported research helped change that.

The video traces the work from early discoveries about RAS biology to the launch of the NCI RAS Initiative in 2013, when researchers from government, academia, and industry came together to take on a problem that no single group could solve alone.

Harold Varmus, M.D., and Frank McCormick, Ph.D., who helped launch the initiative, share how the field evolved. Paula, a clinical trial participant with pancreatic cancer, shares what advances in RAS research have meant for her and her family.

The RAS story is a reminder that progress in cancer research often takes time, and that sustained investment in science can lead to possibilities that once seemed out of reach. Read more: https://go.nih.gov/fDHf4Tr

10/06/2026

Big challenges call for bold ideas—and teamwork.

Meet researchers working together through a Cancer Grand Challenges grant to tackle some of the toughest questions in cancer research and help drive progress toward new discoveries.

Learn how the CAUSE team is studying how DNA damage leads to mutational signatures, with the goal of developing tools that could provide new insights for cancer prevention and treatment. https://www.cancergrandchallenges.org/cause

10/05/2026

An estimated 2.3 million cancer cases worldwide—about 1 in 8—were attributable to infections in 2024, according to a new analysis led by researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

H. pylori and HPV accounted for the most cases, followed by hepatitis B, Epstein-Barr virus and hepatitis C. The findings highlight the potential for cancer prevention through measures such as vaccination, screening, and testing and treatment for certain infections. Read more: https://go.nih.gov/wvDDQC7

10/02/2026

Seven years. One remarkable journey.

At nine years old, Autumn shared a glimpse into her life at The Children's Inn at NIH while receiving care at NCI for neurofibromatosis type one (NF1). Today, at 16, she’s still coming to NIH-and she’s found her voice in more ways than one.

She sings in her school choir, loves live music, spends time with friends, and looks forward to reconnecting with the care team she’s known for years, including Dr. Brigitte Widemann, who leads NF1 research at NCI, in addition to serving as Chief of the Pediatric Oncology Branch and a Deputy Director of NCI.

For , see Autumn‘s story then (at the video above) as a 9 year-old, and now (at our link in bio) as a teenager – at The Children’s Inn.

Because research happens at the clinic, but growing up happens everywhere. 💛 https://go.nih.gov/gcs164A

09/30/2026

In June 1990, The Children’s Inn opened after years of planning and collaboration. Dr. Philip Pizzo, then chief of NCI’s Pediatric Branch, had first envisioned the idea nine years earlier: a family-centered residence where children participating in research at NIH could stay with their families.

The Inn was designed to accommodate up to 36 families participating in NIH pediatric protocols, with approximately 60% of its residents expected to be children with cancer.

As pediatric research at NIH grew, so did The Inn. An expansion in 2004 increased the number of guest rooms, and today another major renovation and expansion is underway to serve even more children, young adults and families participating in research at NIH.

More than three decades later, the vision that helped inspire The Inn remains closely connected to NCI’s research mission: supporting the children and families whose participation makes advances in pediatric research possible.

Learn more about The Children's Inn at NIH:

The Children's Inn at NIH provides free lodging, meals, and support programs for children with rare diseases enrolled in NIH clinical research studies. A place like home.