The International Agency for Research on Cancer says clinical oral examination may reduce oral cancer mortality in people exposed to tobacco, areca nut or alcohol. The exam uses visual inspection and palpation to find suspicious lesions, but a positive result requires diagnostic follow-up and a negative result cannot rule out cancer.
Australia will expand its Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme listing for pembrolizumab on September 1, 2026, adding three cancer indications. The government expects about 700 people a year to benefit, but access will depend on the Australian scheme's prescribing conditions.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer issued globally applicable guidance in 2025 for population H. pylori screen-and-treat programs aimed at preventing stomach cancer. It says program design must account for local cancer burden, test performance, treatment capacity, antibiotic resistance and confirmation that infection was cleared.
A World Health Organization fact sheet updated in July 2026 says regular cervical screening remains necessary after human papillomavirus vaccination because vaccines do not prevent every cancer-causing infection. HPV tests detect high-risk virus types, while Pap cytology looks for abnormal cervical cells, and national programs set their own schedules.
A Japanese trial published in February 2026 found fewer stage II or higher breast cancers after two rounds of mammography plus ultrasound than after mammography alone among women ages 40 to 49. The study did not test breast cancer mortality or establish a routine ultrasound schedule for other ages, risk groups or countries.
Researchers reported in The Lancet on January 31, 2026 that AI-supported mammography was noninferior to double reading for interval cancer among 105,915 participants. The tested workflow triaged examinations to one or two radiologists and reduced screen readings by 44.2 percent.
The fifth European Code Against Cancer recommends organized low-dose CT screening for higher-risk adults aged 55 to 74, typically those with a smoking history. Rules in the United States and England draw different eligibility lines, while false positives, repeat scans and overdiagnosis remain part of the tradeoff.
A positive fecal immunochemical test means blood was detected in a stool sample, but it does not diagnose colorectal cancer. The result usually leads to colonoscopy because another stool sample cannot locate the bleeding source or remove a precancerous lesion.
Current clinical guidance treats ALT and AST as markers of liver-cell injury, not a complete measure of liver function. Results must be read against the laboratory range, symptoms, medical history and other tests because serious liver disease can occur with normal enzyme levels.
