RESEARCHERS from Zhejiang University and the First Hospital of China Medical University developed a potential new method for cancer immunotherapy. In these allergy-triggering mast cells, which are a type of immune response cell, researchers have engineered them to serve as targeted delivery vehicles for attacking tumors. IgE antibodies normally recognize allergy antigens. They can be engineered to recognize specific tumor cells. Here the scientists attached engineered tumor-specific IgE antibodies to mast cells. They loaded the cells with oncolytic viruses that preferentially destroy cancer cells. Using these, they demonstrated in mice experiments that these engineered mast cells raise robust anticancer immune responses and also inhibit tumor development. The study was published online on December 9, 2025, in the journal Cell.  This method developed by publicly funded research highlights the potential of engineered mast cells as precision drug carriers and also as immune system amplifiers. The advantage is that this technique can be personalized for different cancer antigens and combined with existing therapies.

In China, physicians are studying an AI tool named PANDA that helps detect early indicators of pancreatic cancer in regular, low-radiation CT scans—before symptoms arise. There are reports of patients like a retired bricklayer named Qiu Sijun, whose tumor was discovered during a routine health checkup and removed in time, helping the patient to survive. Solutions like PANDA indicate a potential trend toward proactive, government-backed, suitable technology-driven treatment that may save lives and empower individuals via early identification.

What is cancer?

Cancer is a disease caused by changes in DNA called mutations that make cells proliferate and spread uncontrollably. These mutations, when in oncogenes, drive excessive division or deactivate tumor suppressor genes such as p53, eliminating protection that usually prevents growth or causes cells to die. The result is an immortal cell that does not follow signals to stop proliferating, avoids planned death, and will break free to invade other tissues. This process is referred to as the metastasis of cancer. This cellular immortality developed by tumor cells is in contrast to the strictly controlled lives of regular cells, and this leads to cancer, which is a significant public health concern globally.

Researchers are trying a novel approach to prevent cancer. They are enabling healthy cells to outcompete mutant cells instead of trying to eliminate them. A finding from the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the United Kingdom, published in the journal Nature Genetics in August 2024, showed that frequent cancer-driver mutations in genes such as PIK3CA may be controlled by modifying the cellular environment. The researchers were able to level the playing field and stop the spread of mutation-bearing cells. They induced positive metabolic changes in normal esophagus cells in mice by using metformin, a commonly used diabetic medicine. This technique takes advantage of natural cellular competition. It offers a potential new way to prevent cancer before it develops by changing the strategy from targeted killing to ecological reinforcement of healthy tissue.

Indian scenario

Cancer has become a leading cause of death by disease in India, contributing to approximately 9-10% of such deaths. Around 15-16 lakh cases of cancer are documented per year and projected to approach 22 lakh by 2040, with a lifetime risk of approximately 11%—which means around one in every nine Indians will develop cancer during their lifetime.

There is region-wise variation in the spread of cancer. The states in the Northeast, especially Mizoram, have the greatest incidence. Urban areas like Delhi and Hyderabad also have high numbers of oral, breast, and lung cancers due to tobacco use and pollution.

In India, treatment of cancer is based on globally established procedures, such as surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted treatment, and immunotherapy. But results vary greatly based on the type and stage of cancer. If found early, breast and cervical cancers are mostly curable. However, due to the late onset of symptoms, lung and gastrointestinal cancers are difficult to cure. Assertions from the government of increased capacity do not take into account that success in treatment depends on early identification, continuity of care, and affordability. Policy performance is poor in all of these areas.

Surveillance is commonly highlighted as a strength. However, the National Cancer Registry Program covers only approximately 15-18% of the population. Under-reporting and delayed data collection, especially in rural areas, lead to planning based on incomplete data and risks, wrong estimation of the underlying cost, and not allocating proper resources.Inadequacies.

Breast cancer screening shows both the potential and shortfalls of India's early detection strategy. The inclusion of this in primary health care in 2017 marked a significant policy milestone. However, the implementation has been slow and uneven. The coverage of individuals undergoing screening is inadequate. In addition, most of the diagnosed cases are in advanced stages. In India, the most cost-effective method of clinical screening for breast cancer is breast examination by experienced health professionals. Unfortunately, screening is often limited to one-time camps or app-based reporting, with almost no integration into routine treatment or responsibility for prompt follow-up. Mobile mammography and technology-driven solutions are pushed, and this detracts from scalable, evidence-based approaches. The lack of precise timetables for referral, diagnosis, and treatment causes harmful delays, undercutting the very aim of screening.

Equity is the main issue. Due to publicly supported initiatives, the reach of inpatient cancer treatment has increased. However, the catastrophic health costs affect more than three-quarters of afflicted households. Insurance does not usually cover outpatient treatment, tests, medications, and travel. Moreover, the long duration of cancer therapy leads to income loss and debt, which causes many impoverished patients to postpone, suspend, or discontinue care entirely.The cost of care reflects the policy conflict over government pricing of medicines and intellectual property.

Patented targeted treatments and immunotherapies remain unreasonably expensive. Though Indian generics and biosimilars, such as trastuzumab, have cut costs, market-based remedies are not sufficient. Public sector research has the potential to reduce prices; for example, the NexCAR19 CAR-T treatment was developed by IIT Bombay's ImmunoACT in collaboration with the Tata Memorial Centre. The scale of such initiatives remains restricted. The unwillingness of the government to fully implement legislative measures such as compulsory licensing points to a preference for intellectual property over public health.

Low public health investment, limited population screening, and little emphasis on survivability and palliative care are significant structural gaps in India’s policy when compared to high-income nations. Policy papers lay stress on infrastructure and innovation, but not on improving primary care, controlling private-sector prices, or addressing socioeconomic determinants of cancer risk. This results in a plan that is technologically ambitious but institutionally vulnerable.

Right-to-Health Approach

The cancer burden of India shows not only epidemiological change but also policy inadequacies. There is more ethical meaning within the framework of the right to health, which is inherent in Article 21 of the Constitution and has been upheld by the Supreme Court. Current cancer care policies fail to meet the guarantee that the state must give for healthcare to be available, accessible, affordable, and of high quality.

The global models of universal care plans, including rights-based models in countries such as the UK’s NHS and Thailand’s Universal Coverage Scheme, prove that caring for cancer patients requires obligatory pathways of care, comprehensive primary care integration, and public accountability. Discretion-based plans, which cannot enforce entitlements, form the basis of care planning in countries like India. These plans affect vulnerable people, including the poor, women, and rural citizens.

Comprehensive cancer control, grounded in the principles of the right to health, would require legislative guarantees for timely diagnosis and treatment, universal access to essential medications and tests, and mechanisms to coordinate care between providers. Without placing the right to health at the center of cancer policy, India risks perpetuating a system where technological advances—from AI-driven detection to ecological prevention—coexist with preventable deaths and avoidable suffering.