That Cancer Conversation

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, supplements and unproven treatments, how can you tell what’s real, and what could cause harm?

We’re joined by breast surgeon, author and content creator Dr Liz O'Riordan to break down the science and explain how misinformation can impact decisions, treatment and lives.

What you’ll learn in this episode:
Why cancer misinformation spreads so easily online
The truth about sugar and cancer
The risks of extreme diets like juicing and alkaline diets
The reality behind claims about ivermectin and fenbendazole
Why testimonials can feel more convincing than science
The real dangers of choosing alternative treatments
How to spot misinformation online

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For more information about cancer myths and misinformation, you can check out these pages:
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/cancer-myths-questions
https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2024/02/16/sorting-fact-from-fiction-a-guide-to-spotting-health-misinformation/?
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/cancer-myths-questions/how-does-cancer-research-uk-evaluate-research
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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 than ever before.
From elephants and naked mole rats to innovative vaccines and the gut microbiome, this episode uncovers the fascinating science shaping a new era of prevention.

Don't forget to like, subscribe and hit that notification bell to hear about new episodes!

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In this episode, you'll learn:

What precision prevention actually means and how researchers are looking for cancer’s earliest biological warning signs
How animals resist cancer, including the secrets of elephants, bowhead whales, naked mole rats and other species with remarkable natural protection.
The mystery of human “super avoiders”, and the team mapping the antibodies that may help protect some people from developing cancer.
The rise of cancer vaccines for people at higher risk, including projects like LungVax and OvarianVax.
The role of the microbiome, and how trillions of microbes in our gut may influence cancer risk as we age.


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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 Dr Roselyn Campbell, bioarchaeologist and Egyptologist at Purdue University. She explains how scientists identify tumours in archaeological remains and what living with cancer might have been like in ancient societies.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

How cancer first emerged in early multicellular life
What ancient animal fossils reveal about the history of cancer
How past civilisations like Ancient Egypt understood, described, and attempted to treat cancer
The key discoveries that unlocked cancer’s biology
The major treatment milestones – from surgery to radiation to chemotherapy
How imaging technologies revolutionised diagnosis
How genomics and targeted therapies reshaped modern cancer care

For more cancer stories visit Cancer News!
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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 pioneer in the field.

Professor Rosenfeld explains how fragments of tumour DNA enter our blood from cancer cells, what they can tell us about cancer, and how liquid biopsies can use blood samples to transform early detection, screening and treatment.

Don't forget to like, subscribe and hit that notification bell to hear about new episodes!
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In this episode, you’ll learn:
The ways tiny molecular hints about our health can end up in our blood
How circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) in the blood can help us detect and understand tumours in other parts of the body, giving a fuller picture than traditional biopsies and scans
The different types of liquid biopsies that can be used to diagnose cancer, guide personalised treatment, check if any traces of cancer remain after therapy (called MRD, or minimal residual disease) and track changes as tumours evolve
What the NHS GALLERI trial, which uses a single blood test to screen more than 50 cancer types in people without symptoms, could mean for early cancer detection
What our blood might reveal about our future health, and how that might change the way we think

Professor Nitzan Rosenfeld is the Director of Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), which is a key part of the Cancer Research UK City of London Centre. He’s also Professor of Applied Cancer Research at QMUL and the head of a lab that develops liquid biopsies for detecting and monitoring cancer.
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If you enjoyed today’s episode and want to find out more, you can check out our liquid biopsies articles on the Cancer News site: https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/topic/liquid-biopsies/
We also have an immersive guide to the array of cancer clues that tests can find floating in blood: https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/shorthand_story/what-are-liquid-biopsies/
You can read more about the NHS-Galleri trial on the NHS website: https://www.nhs-galleri.org/
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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 tackle them both together?

To help break down the science of weight loss injections and how they work, we’re joined by Dr Rachel Orritt, one of our health information managers at Cancer Research UK. We also speak to Dr Matthew Harris, a surgeon and Cancer Research UK Clinical Research Fellow, about how he and his fellow researchers are working to answer the long list of questions we still have about weight loss drugs and cancer.

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Discussed on today’s episode:

Weight loss drugs and cancer: what we know so far

PADRAIC project

Causes of cancer and reducing your risk
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