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Major epidemics such as the recent Ebola outbreak or the emerging Zika epidemic may be difficult to forecast because of our inability to determine whether individuals are uninfected or infected but not showing symptoms, according to a new study from the ̽»¨Ö±²¥ of Cambridge. ̽»¨Ö±²¥finding emphasises the need to develop and deploy reliable diagnostic tests to detect infected individuals whether or not they are showing symptoms, say the researchers.

A non-invasive, low cost blood test that could help doctors diagnose some types of malignant childhood tumour has been developed by researchers at the ̽»¨Ö±²¥ of Cambridge and Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge ̽»¨Ö±²¥ Health NHS Foundation Trust.

If it takes more than three trips to the GP to be referred for cancer tests, patients are more likely to be dissatisfied with their overall care, eroding confidence in the doctors and nurses who go on to treat and monitor them, according to new research.

A ‘pill on a string’ developed by researchers at the ̽»¨Ö±²¥ of Cambridge could help doctors detect oesophageal cancer – cancer of the gullet – at an early stage, helping them overcome the problem of wide variation between biopsies, suggests research published today in the journal Nature Genetics.

One of the world’s leading childhood brain tumour experts, Professor Richard Gilbertson, has been appointed as Li Ka Shing Chair of Oncology in Cambridge and Director of the Cambridge Cancer Centre. He will take up his appointment in August.

̽»¨Ö±²¥ ̽»¨Ö±²¥ of Cambridge has been awarded £2 million from the UK Medical Research Council and the Government of India’s Department for Biotechnology to develop a partnership with the National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT) in Chennai.

̽»¨Ö±²¥development of a ‘nanobarrel’ that traps and concentrates light onto single molecules could be used as a low-cost and reliable diagnostic test.

New research shows that lack of awareness of the symptoms of mouth and oesophageal cancer means people wait much longer before visiting their GPs than people with symptoms of other cancers.Ìý

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A new test for blood cancers will catch many more cases than the present test that identifies only 60 per cent.

A ‘dipstick’ test that detects Hepatitis B within 30 minutes – and could be used in some of the world’s poorest countries – has been given the green light for use in the European Union.