To mark World Cancer Day 2026, we are putting the spotlight on some of the biggest and most impactful cancer breakthroughs that we anticipate will become key to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients in the future.
Cancer is a painfully ubiquitous feature of modern life. Whether friends or family have had the illness, or you are a survivor yourself, cancer has affected almost all of us in some way.
And it's getting more commonplace, with latest research suggesting that 1 in 2 people born after 1960 in the UK will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime.
With the number of new cancer cases in the UK and throughout the world continuing to rise, the outlook may seem bleak. But with breakthrough technologies currently at the research, development and implementation stages, the likelihood of providing earlier diagnoses, offering more effective treatments and even find a cure increases exponentially.
So, what are these new technologies, therapies and treatments, and what effect can they have on different types of cancer going forward? Here are the five most exciting cancer developments to look out for in 2026 and beyond.
Artificial intelligence (AI) in cancer diagnostics
Artificial Intelligence has been at the heart of many medical breakthroughs in recent years, and in the field of oncology it is continuing to make a big impact – helping to improve cancer diagnosis, treatment planning and patient care.
For example, in 2020, an international team at Google Health developed AI capable of evaluating breast cancer mammograms. Comparing the detection accuracy of the tech with the ability of experienced radiologists, the team found that the AI surpassed traditional methods of detection. It was also shown to reduce the number of false positives and false negatives. This pioneering study represents a major leap in the use of AI during clinical care for cancer.
Just a few years later and AI tools are increasingly supplementing, supporting and – in some cases – replacing the work of physicians and radiologists; playing a key role in facilitating and accelerating drug discovery and enhancing precision medicines that are increasing a patient’s chance of recovery from cancer.
What’s more, a use of AI produces several biproducts and benefits, including significant time savings and increased capacity for over-stretched diagnosis facilities all over the globe.
Allogeneic Natural Killer (NK) Cells Therapy
In January 2025, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre unveiled an abundance of exciting breakthroughs, uncovered from recent research into cancer therapy within clinical settings.
A standout finding from the centre’s numerous studies highlights the promising potential of novel cellular therapies, specifically allogeneic natural killer (NK) cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
In a pioneering Phase I clinical trial, researchers investigated the use of FT596, an iPSC-derived chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cell therapy. This therapy, engineered to hunt down B-cell lymphoma cells, demonstrated a promising safety profile, with more than 80% of participants observing significant clinical responses.
With the immune landscape in cancer research and treatment ever-changing, it is vital to continue developing our understanding of NK cells, and new therapies such as these will be key to finding safe, effective ways of treating cancer patients as we look ahead to 2026 and far beyond.
Continuing to harness the power of the immune system
For decades, Immunotherapy has been integral to combatting and transforming the outcomes of many cancers. Prostate cancer, however, as remained an exception... until now.
Whilst traditional immune-based approaches have shown limited benefit previously, in part due to prostate tumours being ‘immune-cold’, a recent breakthrough has been made utilising T-cell engagers (TCEs), as reported by the Institute of Cancer Research.
TCEs are a form of antibody designed to link the body’s cancer-killing immune T cells to tumour cells, with one half engineered to attach to antigens found on the surface of cancer cells, while the other half binds to T cells. By bringing T cells directly to the tumour, TCEs help the immune system to attack the cancer more effectively.
In advanced prostate cancer, TCEs have shown promise in early-stage clinical trials in which T cells are attached directly to tumours to assist the immune system in attacking cancer more effectively.
This exciting development provides hope for the discovery of therapies that could offer a new treatment option where few exist. ICR researchers are now trialling newer versions of these TCEs, which it is hoped will reduce the need for frequent treatments and hospital visits.
Seven-Minute Cancer Treatment
In a world first, the NHS has introduced a groundbreaking seven-minute cancer treatment, marking a significant advancement in patient care.
Traditionally, cancer patients have received the immunotherapy drug atezolizumab (Tencentriq®) via intravenous transfusion, a process which in some cases could take up to an hour.
This incredible new breakthrough method allows the drug to be given via subcutaneous injection, which not only speeds up the delivery of treatment – taking just seven minutes – but also makes for a more comfortable patient experience.
The rollout of this game-changing treatment, which will also enable the freeing-up of vital resources in NHS chemotherapy units, follows approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), making the NHS in England the first health system globally to implement this efficient cancer therapy
A new era of Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy has been at the forefront of cancer treatment of over a century; a vital innovation that has been key to curing early-stage cancers and easing symptoms for those dealing with terminal illness.
Since its first recorded use in 1896, when the treatment was considerably cruder – and less impactful – than it is today, scientists have continued to revolutionise radiotherapy to increase and accelerate its effectiveness, reduce side effects, and improve chances of survival.
In 2026, one of the most exciting new developments – according to the Institute of Cancer Research – is in Radiopharmaceuticals. This emerging class of targeted cancer treatments combines a molecule capable of homing in on cancer cells with a radioactive agent, delivering lethal radiation precisely to tumours while sparing surrounding healthy tissue.
New radioisotopes, including highly potent alpha-emitters such as actinium-225 (Ac-225), enable the release of large amounts of energy over very short distances – an extremely powerful method of killing cancer cells whilst minimising collateral damage. Additionally, the targeting molecules used to guide these treatments to tumours have become increasingly sophisticated, improving accuracy and effectiveness.
Whilst continued testing is required to fully understand and establish the potential of these new discoveries, preclinical studies of a novel targeted radiopharmaceutical, guided by immuno-PET imaging, have shown impressive early results.
