factors, led by smoking, alcohol use and high BMI. However, one 2015 study suggested that between ~70% and ~90% of cancers are due to environmental factors and therefore potentially preventable. Furthermore, it is estimated that with further research cancer death rates could be reduced by 70% around the world even without the development of any new therapies. Cancer prevention research receives only 2 to 9% of global cancer research funding, albeit many of the options for prevention are already well-known without further cancer-specific research but are not reflected in economics and policy. Mutational signatures of various cancers, for example, could reveal further causes of cancer and support causal attribution. Detection Prompt detection of cancer is important, since it is usually more difficult to treat in later stages. Accurate detection of cancer is also important because false positives can cause harm from unnecessary medical procedures. Some screening protocols are currently not accurate (such as prostate-specific antigen testing). Others such as a colonoscopy or mammogram are unpleasant and as a result some patients may opt out. Active research is underway to address all these problems, to develop novel ways of cancer screening and to increase detection rates. For example: Multimodal learning AI systems are being developed to help detect many cancer types via integrating different types of data. Scientists work on identifying and measurability of novel biomarkers or sets of such to detect cancer early, such as tumor-associated mycobiomes and bacterial microbiomes Researchers investigate whether ants could be used as biosensors to detect cancer via urine Treatment Emerging topics of cancer treatment research include: Anti-cancer vaccines Oncophage Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) is a prostate cancer vaccine Inactivated tumor cells are investigated as potential bifunctional cancer vaccines Newer forms of chemotherapy Gene therapy Photodynamic therapy Radiation therapy Reoviridae (Reolysin drug therapy) Targeted therapy Medical microbots (including bacterial), nanobots and bacterial 'cyborg cells' Virotherapy Antibodies Photoimmunotherapy (for brain cancer) Natural killer cells can induce immunological memory. Research is being developed to modify their action against cancer. How treatments can best be combined (in combination therapies) Cause and development of cancer Research into the cause of cancer involves many different disciplines including genetics, diet, environmental factors (i.e. chemical carcinogens). In regard to investigation of causes and potential targets for therapy, the route used starts with data obtained from clinical observations, enters basic research, and, once convincing and independently confirmed results are obtained, proceeds with clinical research, involving