The toxic side effects of some cancer medications are well-known. They can cause everything from nausea and hair loss to joint pain and fatigue. One very serious side effect is being under-reported and jeopardizing patients.

It's always been a mystery as to why some cancers don't respond to chemotherapies . Recent research has uncovered why a common chemo agent doesn't always work with breast cancers.

Using the perfected ability of viruses to infect cancer cells might strike some people as a cure worse than the disease. Despite that perception, this latest trend in cancer research has a lot of momentum behind it.

Glioblastoma (a form of aggressive brain cancer) has limited treatment options. Recently some studies have tried to make headway in treatment by examining the use of viruses to upload new DNA into the tumor cells, then using a secondary effect to kill the tumor.

Endoscopes are tube-like devices used to examine the area from the mouth to the stomach, and are useful for checking for several types of cancers. Visible light is helpful to see major changes but can miss important warning signs.

Cancer cells are, by definition, malfunctioning. If researchers know what to look for, the cancer can be detected by the abnormal metabolic products the malfunctioning cells contain.

Cancer found in children may signify an underlying genetic problem, and in many cases early detection of those underlying genetic problems can help successful treatment of that patient.

A certain class of drugs known as  bisphosphonates  is extremely helpful in boosting bone density. They are commonly prescribed to treat osteoporosis. An ongoing trial suggest these medications may offer additional benefits.

A healthy lifestyle can be the key to preventing many chronic diseases, including cancer. In fact, thousands of lives could be saved - not to mention billions of dollars - if society worked together to encourage healthier lifestyles.

In some cases, surgeons will not operate on patients with pancreatic cancer that has spread significantly in the local area, due to the many risks. A new surgical technique that uses many small pulses of electricity may change that.