It’s not every day that a standing ovation at a medical conference goes viral. Dateline: Chicago, at the annual conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Doctors from around the world rose to their feet to applaud the announcement of a new pill that doubles survival time for pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease.

The conference also brought major advances in breast, bladder and head and neck cancers, among others. So why are breakthroughs coming so quickly? Is it the same wave of innovation that delivered Covid vaccines in record time? The growing use of artificial intelligence and increasingly sophisticated data science? Or a political determination to intensify the fight against diseases that affect an ever-growing share of the population?

That broader question inevitably leads to prevention. We'll examine access to screening, lifestyle choices and a factor that often receives far less attention than it deserves: environmental exposure. From air pollution to industrial chemicals, many cancer risks lie beyond the control of any one individual.

Case in point: the bill passed on Wednesday by the French Parliament to reduce cadmium levels in fertilisers and food. Lawmakers backed stricter measures than those proposed by the government, which has faced pressure from France's powerful agricultural lobby.

The dangers of tobacco and alcohol are well known. But how many of the cancers we develop are shaped not only by personal choices, but also by political decisions and commercial interests?

 

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.