News about oncology: events, facts and developments on tafs uz.
17 stories
At a meeting with healthcare and pharmaceutical workers, the President of Uzbekistan announced a program for early detection of four types of cancer, to be launched in Samarkand and extended nationwide from 2028, an expansion of the guaranteed package of services, and new incentives for medical workers.
Javlon TursunovResearchers at the University of Oxford analysed blood samples from more than 2,500 men collected between 1992 and 2000 and identified proteins whose levels were associated with prostate cancer risk long before diagnosis. The study was published in European Urology; the authors emphasise that the findings are still far from being a screening test.
Otabek YusupovFollowing a meeting between Uzbekistan's Health Minister Eldor Adilov and Lee Won-sok, vice president of South Korea's AUM & LEE Architects & Associates, the Ministry of Health signed a consulting services agreement for the project of a 265-bed National Oncology Center in Tashkent. The center will be part of a medical cluster being created with the participation of the Export-Import Bank of Korea. The contract's cost and the construction timeline are not disclosed.
Otabek YusupovResearchers at the University of Erlangen–Nuremberg found that quercetin slowed the division and motility of lung cancer cells in laboratory conditions, and in mice reduced levels of the proteins EGFR and PD-L1 and altered gut microbiota. Effectiveness in humans has not yet been confirmed.
Javlon TursunovIn a clinical trial involving more than 1,100 patients, the personalized mRNA vaccine Intismeran in combination with the immunotherapy Keytruda reduced the risk of death or melanoma recurrence by 42%, and the risk of spread by 38% over two years. MSD and Moderna are preparing to file for registration. Experts call the result important but demand long-term follow-up.
Javlon TursunovChinese researchers showed in mouse experiments that the natural compound nuciferine from lotus leaves slows the growth of bladder tumors and increases apoptosis of tumor cells. The results are published in Frontiers in Nutrition. Effectiveness has so far been confirmed only in animals.
Sevara AzamovaSenior Lecturer at the Department of Surgery of the State University of Education Alexander Umnov stated that even 50–100 ml of wine per day cannot be considered harmless. According to him, the WHO does not recognize a safe dose of alcohol, and ethanol is linked to the risk of cancer, liver disease, heart disease, and the development of dependence.
Sevara AzamovaCorresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sergei Ivanov, speaking at the XXI National Congress of Therapists, stated that the formula 'stress causes cancer' does not match the level of evidence. The question is being studied, but the data are insufficient. The main risk factors named were smoking, alcohol and infections.
Javlon TursunovScientists at the Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IONH RAN) synthesized bimetallic complexes with palladium, copper and zinc that showed a higher cytotoxic effect than cisplatin. The complex with two palladium atoms selectively affected lung cancer cells with the KRAS mutation, acting simultaneously on DNA and the mutant protein.
Sevara AzamovaA hospital on Tiber Island in Rome uses art, music, views of ancient ruins and city tours to support cancer patients. According to the project's doctors, beauty helps restore the 'desire to live' and activate resilience mechanisms. The project has been running since 2013.
Sevara AzamovaResearchers at Mass General Brigham have developed AI tools FAHR-FaceAge and FAHR-FaceSurvival that assess biological age and survival of cancer patients from a single face photo. The survival model was trained on tens of thousands of images of cancer patients; the results are published in The Lancet Digital Health. The scientists emphasize: the technology requires further validation and is not ready for clinical use.
Sevara AzamovaMonica Thomas from Suffolk and Claire Baumer from Kent told the BBC about years of misdiagnosis with lichen sclerosus — an inflammatory condition affecting the genitals. According to a University of Bristol estimate, it affects around 1% of women, but researchers believe this figure is an underestimate due to taboo and late diagnosis.
Aziz KarimovPope Leo XIV on Sunday, October 18, led the Angelus prayer from the window of the Apostolic Palace for the first time since his lung surgery. The 71-year-old pontiff, whose lower lobe of the right lung was removed on October 13 due to adenocarcinoma, thanked doctors and the faithful and said he would gradually return to his duties. Surgeon Stefano Margaritora described the pope's condition as satisfactory and sees no clinical obstacles to the trip to Latin America on November 6–17.
Aziz KarimovUzbekistan is holding a Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, 4,793 new cases and 2,085 deaths among women were registered in the country in 2024. Onco-mammologist Lola Zokirova and obstetrician-gynecologist Dilfuza Aniyozova told Gazeta about symptoms, risk factors, the mammographic screening program and the problem of late presentation, including turning to folk healers.
Aziz KarimovPope Leo XIV underwent surgery at Rome's Gemelli hospital to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. The procedure was performed using the minimally invasive Uniportal VATS technique developed by Spanish surgeon Diego González Rivas. According to the Vatican, the operation lasted about 90 minutes and went without complications; the pope is recovering, and doctors are awaiting test results on the spread of the cancer.
Otabek YusupovTimeTeller, a startup spun out of Berlin's Charité clinic, has developed an at-home saliva test to determine a person's circadian rhythm. Founder Angela Relogio sees the main goal as timing cancer treatment, but stresses that the consumer kit does not determine this. The company has partnered with insurer Techniker Krankenkasse and presented at TechCrunch Disrupt.
Sardor QodirovGazeta received appeals from cancer patients in Tashkent about failures when obtaining discounted referrals to the Republican Oncology and Radiology Center after the transition to the DMED electronic system. The Center explained that free treatment was never suspended — only the referral procedure changed. The State Medical Insurance Fund stated that patients must receive care in a timely manner and that funding is based on services actually provided.
Javlon Tursunov
