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As COVID-19 continues to surge, it is essential to understand and address the looming crisis of mental-health issues caused or exacerbated by the pandemic.
Beyond the suffering caused by the disease, most patients diagnosed with cancer in the USA face substantial financial hardships associated with their treatments. What underlies the financial toxicity of cancer?
Recent advances in cancer neuroscience necessitate the systematic analysis of neural influences in cancer as potential therapeutic targets in oncology. Here we outline recommendations for future preclinical and translational research in this field.
Postdoctoral researchers face substantial challenges and stresses that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Positive action is needed from research institutions, funders and individual investigators to support postdocs and fortify the research endeavor.
The need to address COVID-19 is placing huge demands on biomedical research and regulatory processes. Under pressure, it is essential to uphold high bioethical principles and rigorous standards for the development and approval of medicines.
Travel restrictions due to COVID-19 have forced the science world to change conference and networking practices. Retaining the positives of virtual interactions should be a priority in the post-pandemic era.
Government policies that threaten the international mobility of biomedical students, researchers and physicians stand to imperil scientific progress and innovation at a time when supporting them is paramount.
Inequalities are prevalent across the spectrum of cancer research and patient care, with destructive repercussions for people and society. We cannot ignore them and must act against the social injustices that perpetuate them.
The risks posed to patients with cancer by the current COVID-19 pandemic demand rapid structural changes in healthcare delivery, with many positive changes likely to continue long term. An immediate critical reassessment of trial methodology based on clinical and scientific priorities is essential to ensure the resilience of clinical cancer research and optimize patient-centered care.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the spectrum of cancer care, including delaying diagnoses and treatment and halting clinical trials. In response, healthcare systems are rapidly reorganizing cancer services to ensure that patients continue to receive essential care while minimizing exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
The urgent need to address COVID-19 has highlighted the delicate relationships among science, politics and the media. To achieve a successful long-term response to the pandemic, stakeholders need to be guided by data, integrity and a sense of responsibility toward the public.
Crowdsourcing efforts are currently underway to collect and analyze data from patients with cancer who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. These community-led initiatives will fill key knowledge gaps to tackle crucial clinical questions on the complexities of infection with the causative coronavirus SARS-Cov-2 in the large, heterogeneous group of vulnerable patients with cancer.
As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps through the world, we must reassess the principles that guide our individual and collective responses and the way we operate in society. In the face of crisis, we must lead with science and humanity.
The field of cancer genomics has been advancing at a rapid pace, opening up a wealth of possibilities for translational applications. In this issue, we are excited to launch a Series of commissioned articles that explore the role of genomics in cancer research and oncology, from current achievements to future directions.
The convergence of big data and artificial intelligence is poised to revolutionize cancer research and care, from basic conceptual developments to translational and clinical applications. To reap these benefits, it is important to separate the hope from the hype.
Low- and middle-income countries share the greatest burden of cancer mortality globally but lag behind high-income countries in terms of clinical trials. Here we discuss the challenges facing low- and middle-income countries and the opportunities for conducting trials of affordable, accessible and effective interventions relevant to the local population.
Zena Werb is Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Anatomy at the University of California at San Francisco and Associate Director for Basic Science of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Nature Cancer caught up with her at the 6th International Conference on Tumor Microenvironment and Cellular Stress organized by Aegean Conferences and held in Greece in the fall of 2019, to talk about her career and work in the tumor microenvironment field.
