Episodes
| Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Patchwork Of Mutation | 20230808 | 20230814 (R4) | Why is it so hard to cure cancer? Although half of all people diagnosed with cancer a decade ago are still alive today - a figure that has doubled over the last 40 years - too many families are still suffering terrible losses while scientists scramble to find 'a cure'. Dr Kat Arney explores the incredible complexity that modern technology has revealed about this ancient disease, showing that every person's cancer is a unique medley of mutated cells, any one of which could be carrying the seeds of resistance to treatment, and meets researchers who are peering deep into our DNA to discover how to beat it for good. Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Beth Sagar-Fenton Dr Kat Arney explores why it is so hard to cure cancer, and its incredible complexity. Where does cancer came from, where is it going, and how might we finally overcome it? |
| Moths And Miracles | 20230815 | 20230821 (R4) | Dr Kat Arney hears from those at the cutting edge of the science of fighting cancer, and asks - will we ever defeat it altogether? We discover how researchers are taking fresh approaches drawn from the worlds of evolutionary biology, game theory and even pest control to devise strategies to finally find a cure and drive cancer to extinction. Featuring interviews with: Nobel Prize winner Jim Allison, Chair of Immunology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas Caroline Dive, Director of the Cancer Biomarkers Centre at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Research Institute Bob Gatenby, Associate Professor at the Moffitt Cancer Center at the University of South Florida in Tampa Crispian Jago Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Beth Sagar-Fenton. Dr Kat Arney hears from those at the cutting edge of the science of fighting cancer. Where does cancer came from, where is it going, and how might we finally overcome it? |
| The Cheating Amoebas | 20230801 | 20230807 (R4) | Dr Kat Arney explores cancer through the lens of evolution. Why do we get cancer? In this episode we find out that far from being a new disease, cancer is embedded deep in almost every branch of the tree of life, from the very earliest organisms through to today, and in most species from aardwolves to zebras. Kat explores how the origins of cancer are inseparable from the history of life itself, with the help of some ancient mummies, cheating amoebas, lazy bees and naked mole rats. Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Beth Sagar-Fenton Edited by Chris Ledgard Dr Kat Arney explores cancer through an evolutionary lens. Is it really a new disease? Where does cancer came from, where is it going, and how might we finally overcome it? |