Commentary Calls for Consistent Evaluation of Potential Links Between COVID-19, Vaccination and Cancer

BUFFALO, NY – September 17, 2026 – A new #commentary was #published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget on September 11, 2026, titled “Are both COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines associated with cancer?”
The paper was authored by Raphael Lataster, an independent researcher at the University of Sydney, and responds to a recent Oncotarget review by Charlotte Kuperwasser and Wafik S. El-Deiry examining published reports concerning cancer following COVID-19 vaccination or infection.
Lataster highlights research concerning potential associations between COVID-19 and cancer and discusses mechanisms proposed in the literature. He argues that similar mechanisms reported in connection with COVID-19 vaccination warrant consideration and further study.
The commentary also highlights differences in how evidence concerning COVID-19 vaccines and cancer has been evaluated in the scientific literature. He calls for the same evidentiary standards to be applied when considering potential links between COVID-19 infection, vaccination, and cancer.
“Such inquiries should proceed without preconceptions, applying the same evidentiary standards regardless of whether findings implicate infection, vaccination, or both.”
The commentary does not establish a causal relationship between COVID-19 vaccination and cancer. Rather, it calls for potential associations and biological mechanisms to be investigated without predetermined conclusions and with appropriate consideration of alternative explanations and the limitations of observational evidence.
DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28918
Correspondence to - Raphael Lataster - okaythennews@gmail.com (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6670-1702)
Preview video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSbIKNe3Hho
Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28918
Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/
Keywords - cancer, COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccines, double standards
To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/
X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/
Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh
MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM