The Medical Advisor

Despite  trillions spent on cancer research  ( The Lancet Oncology ), cancer still  kills around 10 million people a year  ( WHO ) and is a leading cause of death globally, according to the World Health Organization. Cancer research continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, with new treatments offering hope to millions of patients worldwide. The 2026 American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting took place in San Diego from April 17-22 and reflected how cancer research continues to evolve. Progress is increasingly driven by how advances across biology, technology, and policy come together to shape how we understand disease, develop new treatments, and bring them into practice. A central theme this year was the continued focus on cancer as more than just a collection of tumor cells. It is shaped by a complex ecosystem — immune cells, surrounding tissue, metabolism, and even the microbiome — all interacting in dynamic ways. Credit:  ...

Abstract Glioblastoma and other high-grade brain tumors remain among the most lethal malignancies, characterized by aggressive growth, therapeutic resistance, and near-universal recurrence despite multimodal standard-of-care treatment. In recent years, drug repurposing has emerged as a promising strategy to accelerate the identification of novel anticancer therapies. Among these, the antiparasitic agents ivermectin and mebendazole have attracted increasing attention due to their demonstrated anticancer activity in preclinical models, including effects on cancer stem cells, tumor metabolism, microtubule dynamics, and signaling pathways relevant to glioma progression. This article presents a compilation of over 100 real-world case reports compiled between 2019 and 2026, involving patients with glioblastoma, astrocytoma, and other intracranial tumors who incorporated ivermectin and/or mebendazole into their treatment regimens. Reported outcomes include tumor stabilization, radiographic ...