Growing questions about marijuana smoking and cancer risk
While a growing body of research suggests a link between heavy marijuana smoking and cancer risk, there remains many unanswered questions. – Image credit Keck Medicine at USC CANCER DIGEST – July 26, 2026 – With marijuana being legalized in more states, questions about health and safety remain, and a growing body of research is showing that heavy marijuana smoking may raise the risk of lung cancer and several types of head and neck cancers. Nevertheless, even as preliminary i
Most non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with Keytruda® survive four or more years
Most patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with pembrolizumab were alive two years after discontinuing treatment without needing additional treatment, a new analysis has found.
Sequential radiotherapy and immunotherapy boosts survival for non-small cell lung cancer patients
Non-small cell lung cancer patients survived longer when treated with a sequence of radiation and immunotherapy compared to being treated with the two at the same time, according to a new clinical trial.
Severe lung infections may boost lung cancer risk
Image representing Covid lung infection generated by Wix AI CANCER DIGEST – March 16, 2026 – Scientists have discovered that serious viral lung infections that require hospitalization can alter immune cells in the lungs, leaving behind chronic inflammation that may help tumors develop months or years later, but that vaccination heads off those harmful effects. The study led by Jie Sun, PhD at the University of Virginia Health looked at the harmful effects of severe Covid-19 a
Cancer treatments failing to consider older patients' preferences
A new large-scale analysis of older adults with advanced cancer reveals a stark "preference gap" in modern oncology, showing that clinical treatments rarely align with what patients actually value most.
Durvalumab boosts survival for small-cell lung cancer but at a high cost
A new cost/benefit analysis of an immunotherapy drug that showed significantly longer survival for people with an aggressive form of lung cancer, called small-cell lung cancer, concludes that the treatment might be too expensive to be worth it.
