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Good morning. Israel has returned fire on Iran following a wave of missile strikes, the first attacks between the two countries since April\u2019s ceasefire, despite Donald Trump reportedly urging Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate. The escalation threatens to drag the Middle East back into a regional war and raises fears that peace talks between Washington and Tehran could be derailed. But today we are looking at another \u2013 and possibly more hopeful \u2013 topic.<\/p>\n
News of cancer, whenever it arrives, is never welcome. For most of human history, a diagnosis has been a death sentence. But increasingly, better drugs, better care and better testing mean that this is no longer true for many. Survival chances have radically improved for several cancers in recent decades. More than 50 million people are alive today after a cancer diagnosis in the last 5 years, according to the World Health Organization. Cancer mortality rates have decreased by almost a quarter (23%) in the UK since the early 1970s.<\/p>\n
Still, there is much to do. Many forms of the disease have miserable survival rates, while globally, the availability of care is unevenly distributed. Hundreds of thousands of people will die this year from treatable forms of the disease, and the burden on healthcare systems is expected to get worse.<\/p>\n
For today on First Edition, I spoke with the Guardian\u2019s health editor Andrew Gregory<\/strong><\/em>, who was at a summit in Chicago last week where more than 40,000 cancer experts discussed what is and is not working to eradicate the disease. But first, the headlines.<\/p>\n Middle East <\/strong><\/em>| Israel launched airstrikes on central and western Iran on Monday in apparent defiance of Donald Trump after he urged restraint over a reprisal attack by Tehran.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n UK news <\/strong><\/em>| Vulnerable families including women fleeing abuse are being illegally \u201cdumped\u201d hundreds of miles away by London councils in a practice \u201cripping at the social fabric\u201d of deprived towns.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Ukraine <\/strong><\/em>| Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the leaders of the UK, France and Germany discussed \u201cthe urgent need to scale up\u201d Ukraine\u2019s air defences and deep-strike capabilities, after Russia fired hypersonic weapons at Ukraine.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Technology <\/strong><\/em>| Silicon Valley companies including Meta have decided to embrace Maga politics, some for \u201crather more self-interested\u201d reasons, the former UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has said.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n UK politics <\/strong><\/em>| David Lammy has said he told the US vice-president, JD Vance, he was \u201cwrong\u201d to blame the murder of the British teenager Henry Nowak on mass migration.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n <\/span>Research can sometimes take a leap but it can take years to find new effective treatments.<\/span> Photograph: nobeastsofierce Science\/Alamy<\/p>\n The disease does not discriminate: rich and poor, young and old. Football icons Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish are just some of the latest high profile figures to announce they were receiving treatment. Despite the huge strides made in reducing smoking, lung cancer is the most common form of the disease globally \u2013 and the leading cause of death, with 1.8 million people dying each year. Breast, colorectal and stomach are the next most diagnosed, each claiming hundreds of thousands of lives annually.<\/p>\n But an army of people are working on cures and treatments. Andrew has just returned from the American Society of Clinical Oncology\u2019s (ASCO) annual meeting, which brings together cancer experts to discuss progress on drugs, treatments and testing. Despite its name, the summit has an international focus, attended by doctors, nurses, care workers and therapists from around the world.<\/p>\n A magic bullet cancer cure may linger in the public imagination, but Andrew says that progress on cures and treatments are almost always gradual. Cancer is a group of more than 200 separate diseases that each require their own approach.<\/p>\n \u201cScientific discoveries in cancer are incredibly incremental, so you do not tend to see huge advances every year. These things take time,\u201d he says. \u201cBut this conference only accepts cutting edge discoveries and results; the creme de la creme of cancer research.\u201d<\/p>\n From a drug that spares bladder cancer patients brutal surgery to the impact of yoga in reducing distress in survivors, this year\u2019s summit saw several notable signs of progress. There was bad news, too: experts warned of a cancer workforce shortage, with a 100 million person shortfall expected by the middle of the century, while a blood test for more than 50 types of cancer that was billed as the next holy grail of oncology failed to achieve its main objective of diagnosing cancer earlier. But we discussed three presentations that stood out.<\/p>\n Doubling survival rates<\/strong><\/p>\n Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest. According to figures from Cancer Research UK, once the disease has spread \u2013 which is more common with this form of the disease as it is often only diagnosed at an advanced stage \u2013 just 1% of people survive more than three years after diagnosis.<\/p>\n Only 10% of patients are able to have surgery which would offer them the best chance of a cure, as the cancer has often spread before it is identified. But there is finally some good news. A new daily pill has doubled survival time in a 500-person trial whose pancreatic cancer had spread, while appearing to cause fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy. Experts described the breakthrough as a \u201cgamechanger\u201d. The drug effectively stops a signal to cancer cells that tells them to reproduce.<\/p>\n \u201cFor decades, there just has not been an effective treatment,\u201d says Andrew. \u201c In this trial, they tested the new drug in patients with pancreatic cancer and compared it with another group receiving chemotherapy. The group with chemo lived for about six and a half months, while the patients who took this new drug lived much longer \u2013 about 13 and a half months. That might not seem like a huge leap, but it\u2019s hopefully the first step.<\/p>\n Andrew\u2019s full report has a summary of the science. But, he warns, there is still a way to go.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not a cure. It is still an incredibly difficult cancer to be diagnosed with. But when you look at where we were, this really is a huge step change.\u201d<\/p>\n Pinpointing hidden cancer cells<\/strong><\/p>\n The next exciting news from Chicago has its origins in Oxford. While there have been major steps in immunotherapy treatments in recent years, many tumour cells can effectively \u201chide\u201d from the treatment, rendering it ineffective. But early trials of a new smart drug have been found to shrink tumours by at least 30% in six of the world\u2019s most common cancers by stopping them from hiding.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is one class of drugs that simply attack and kill cancer cells. There are another class, which we call smart drugs, where you give the patient an immunotherapy drug that helps the immune system attack the cancer. The problem is that quite a few therapies fail.<\/p>\n \u201cThe new drugs work by removing the invisibility cloak that keeps tumour cells hidden. The smart drug helps expose the tumour cells which enables the immunotherapy to pinpoint where the cancer is, and destroy it.\u201d<\/p>\n Experts responding to the findings caution that it is early days, with the trial spanning just 83 patients. All patients had previously failed to respond to treatment. Further large-scale studies are needed to determine the true potential of the drug.<\/p>\n More research is needed<\/strong><\/p>\n Weight loss drugs also made an appearance at the conference. A series of studies indicated that GLP-1 medications could help prevent and treat cancer, with one finding that those who took the drugs were 30% less likely to develop breast cancer. Another found using the weight loss drugs alongside standard treatments reduced the risk of death by 30%, while more research found those on weight-loss drugs were up to half as likely to see their cancer spread.<\/p>\n The studies are observational and do not yet find a causal link.<\/p>\n \u201cThe new studies add to the evidence that there is an association between taking GLP-1 medications and a reduced risk of developing and dying from cancer,\u201d says Andrew. \u201cWe don\u2019t yet know the mechanism.\u201d It remains unclear whether GLP-1 medications are causing these better outcomes directly, or if it is a consequence of weight loss. But scientists and drug companies are working to understand the relationship.<\/p>\n \u201cOne thing I was told by a researcher at the conference was that they\u2019ve long suspected that inflammation in the body may be one of the things that GLP-1 drugs are helping reduce,\u201d says Andrew. \u201cWe know that inflammation plays a role in cancer development, but we need a lot more research before we can definitively say that we should start considering these drugs as cancer prevention tools.\u201d<\/p>\n Hardly a day goes by without some sort of miracle cancer cure being promoted, alongside the regular scares about what we\u2019re eating or the environmental impacts on our body. While individual treatments reported on in Chicago may be many years from reaching your local hospital \u2013 if they even materialise and can then be paid for \u2013 the conference does at least point to an ever-improving survival rate for the millions who will get the disease.<\/p>\n <\/span>Dr Marnie Lovejoy, chair of the Grayling Society, was inspired to fish in Hampshire by a \u2018wonderful female instructor\u2019.<\/span> Photograph: Marnie Lovejoy<\/p>\n Angling of any kind has never appealed to me, but Dr Marnie Lovejoy, newly appointed chair of the Grayling society, is on a mission to get more women interested in the sport of fly-fishing<\/strong>. Katy Vans, newsletters team<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n If you haven\u2019t tried our brilliant new World Cup <\/strong>Bracketology<\/strong> game<\/strong>, then why not follow in The footsteps of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (!?!) and give it a go. Toby Moses, head of newsletters<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Hilarious and fascinating, Steve Goldman\u2019s exhibition of the worst album covers<\/strong> ever opens in Nottingham this month, you\u2019ll never unsee them. Katy<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Jason Burke\u2019s Sunday read about how one man may have been behind a spate of antisemitic attacks<\/strong> across Europe, including the destruction of ambulances in London, is at turns astonishing and terrifying. Toby<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n AI<\/strong> is not only racing ahead faster than it can be regulated, but also faster than we can understand it. Here some of our writers unpack the latest boom. Katy<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/span>Players and staff hold screens around Christian Eriksen as he receives treatment on the pitch.<\/span> Photograph: Bo Amstrup\/Ritzau Scanpix Foto\/AP<\/p>\n Football <\/strong><\/em>| Denmark\u2019s former Manchester United and Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch in a match against Ukraine on Sunday, but was conscious as he was taken from the field by medics.<\/p>\n Tennis <\/strong><\/em>| The German No 2 seed Alexander Zverev overcame some late nerves to beat Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 and so won his first major in his fourth final.<\/p>\n Cricket <\/strong><\/em>| England beat New Zealand in the first test of the summer at Lord\u2019s, bowling the visitors out before lunch to win by 115 runs.<\/p>\n <\/span> Photograph: The Guardian<\/p>\n \u201cIran fires wave of missiles at Israel in response to strikes on Beirut\u201d, is the Guardian<\/strong>\u2019s front page today, and the Telegraph<\/strong> splashes \u201cIran fires missile barrage into Israel\u201d.<\/p>\n The Times<\/strong> says \u201cStarmer ban on \u2018harmful\u2019 social media for children\u201d, the i Paper<\/strong> has \u201cBurnham set to challenge Starmer within two weeks if he becomes MP\u201d and the Mail<\/strong> says \u201cSpend now on defence or we will pay a \u2018cost in blood\u2019\u201d.<\/p>\n The FT<\/strong> leads with \u201cOpenAI plots revamp of ChatGPT as high-value \u2018superapp\u2019 ahead of listing\u201d, the Express<\/strong> has \u201cBritain won\u2019t send us back, boast criminals\u201d and the Mirror<\/strong> highlights a water safety campaign with \u201cFor Sam and all the kids we\u2019ve lost\u201d. Lastly, Metro<\/strong>, on David Lammy\u2019s recent response to JD Vance, is \u201cThanks \u2026 but no Yanks!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/span>Daniela Klette, a former member of the Red Army Faction, also known as the Baader-Meinhof group.<\/span> Photograph: Sina Schuldt\/EPA<\/p>\n The jailing of Germany\u2019s most wanted woman<\/strong><\/p>\n Germany\u2019s most wanted woman, Daniela Klette, <\/strong>has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after decades on the run, evading justice for violent crimes committed as a leading member of West Germany\u2019s most notorious far-left militant group, the Red Army Faction, or RAF. Deborah Cole<\/strong><\/em> <\/strong>and Jason Burke<\/strong><\/em> <\/strong>report.<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/span> Illustration: Becky Barnicoat\/The Guardian<\/p>\n A bit of good news to remind you that the world\u2019s not all bad<\/em><\/p>\n <\/span>Mama G: \u2018Lesbian visibility is considerably less than gay male visibility in just the media in general.\u2019<\/span> Photograph: Linda Nylind\/The Guardian<\/p>\n A children\u2019s book by performer Mama G was inspired by two lesbian grandmothers she met at Blackpool Pride in 2021, who lamented the lack of representation in young literature.<\/p>\n Their question about stories featuring families like theirs motivated Mama G to write The Proudest Bird in the World, centred on two older queer women teaching their grandchild about Pride. She hopes to dedicate the book to the pair but has been unable to find them despite media appeals. The encounter highlighted ongoing gaps in LGBTQ+ visibility, especially for older women.<\/p>\n Says Mama G: \u201cI\u2019m excited to see what happens with this book \u2013 and I hope that if we do find the lesbian grandmothers, they will be proud to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday<\/strong><\/p>\n And finally, the Guardian\u2019s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Good morning. Israel has returned fire on Iran following a wave of missile strikes, the first attacks between the two countries since April\u2019s ceasefire, despite Donald Trump reportedly urging Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate. The escalation threatens to drag the Middle East back into a regional war and raises fears that peace talks between Washington<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[1043,654,1208,6597,7543],"class_list":{"0":"post-50173","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-briefing","9":"tag-cancer","10":"tag-closer","11":"tag-cure","12":"tag-monday"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=50173"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50173\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/50174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=50173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=50173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=50173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Five big stories<\/h2>\n
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In depth: \u2018Scientific discoveries in cancer are incredibly incremental\u2019<\/h2>\n
What else we\u2019ve been reading<\/h2>\n
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Sport<\/h2>\n
The front pages<\/h2>\n
Today in Focus<\/h2>\n
Cartoon of the day | Becky Barnicoat<\/h2>\n
The Upside<\/h2>\n
Bored at work?<\/h2>\n