--- title: Herpes Cells Cancer: New Cancer Research Shows How To Survive Melanoma description: A genetically modified strain of herpes can kill cancer cells and stop tumors from growing, according to new research canonical: https://time.com/3897542/herpes-skin-cancer-melanoma/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-27T12:01:01.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T09:08:09.441Z article:section: Health og:title: How Herpes Is Being Used to Fight Cancer og:description: Patients whose cells were treated with this STD were 8 times more likely to survive than a control group og:url: https://time.com/3897542/herpes-skin-cancer-melanoma/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a5f55e5f60d63e9/698851c2a988caf30b6b2bcc/herpes.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Herpes og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How Herpes Is Being Used to Fight Cancer twitter:description: Patients whose cells were treated with this STD were 8 times more likely to survive than a control group twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a5f55e5f60d63e9/698851c2a988caf30b6b2bcc/herpes.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How Herpes Is Being Used to Fight Cancer > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=18c3a8de-e62b-46f0-88cf-b64e9309b567&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=18c3a8de-e62b-46f0-88cf-b64e9309b567&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=18c3a8de-e62b-46f0-88cf-b64e9309b567&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=18c3a8de-e62b-46f0-88cf-b64e9309b567&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: TIME Explains: Cancer Screenings [Watch (HLS stream): TIME Explains: Cancer Screenings](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/pAMu9cRG.m3u8) (1:51)  _Published 2012-10-01. TIME's Alice Park explains how new cancer screening recommendations effect you_  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent May 27, 2015 12:01 PM UTC  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent May 27, 2015 12:01 PM UTC A genetically modified strain of herpes can kill cancer cells and stop tumors from growing, according to new research. The strain, called T-Vec, was used to treat patients with melanoma as part of one of the final phases of testing of a new drug. The research, published in the _Journal of Clinical Oncology_, is the latest to show how viruses may be used clinically to kill cancer cells. Unlike chemotherapy, which casts a wide net and kills any proliferating cells, viruses often narrowly target cancer cells, which could make them more effective in fighting the disease. The method also appeals to researchers because it activates the immune system to fight cancer. Researchers looked at more than 400 patients with aggressive malignant melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer. More than 16% of patients given the T-Vec treatment showed a lasting response for six months, compared with 2% of members of the control group given normal treatment. “We may normally think of viruses as the enemies of mankind, but it’s their very ability to specifically infect and kill human cells that can make them such promising cancer treatments,” said professor Paul Workman, chief executive of the Institute of Cancer Research, in a statement. The drug, produced by Amgen, now awaits approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before it will be offered to patients. ### See the Human Body Under a Microscope  Adrenaline crystals (polarized light micrographs) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited  Balancing stone from inner ear (colored scanning electron micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited  Blood clot (colored scanning electron micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited  Breast cancer (light micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited  Insulin crystals (polarized light micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited  Melatonin crystals (polarized light micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited  Penicillium fungus (colored scanning electron micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited  Serotonin crystals (polarized light micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited  Vaginal cancer cells (colored scanning electron micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited  Ventolin crystals (colred scanning electron micrographs) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited ## Transcript In recent months, public health experts have said that not everyone should get screened for cancer, but that doesn't mean that you don't need to be screened. Here is what you need to know. [ MUSIC ] It used to be relatively straight forward that getting screened for cancer was a good way to prevent the disease. But a government group called the US Preventive Services Task Force has recently said that women, for example, Don't need to get mammograms until they're age 50, which is a full decade after previous recommendations had suggested that women get screened. And for men they now say that they don't need to get the blood test PSA which screens for prostate cancer at all. What hasn't changed is the idea that getting screened can prevent cancer. What has changed is the fact that we're better at calculating the risks and benefits of that screening. Lets take breast cancer for example, mammograms are actually x- rays, and so therefore expose women to a small dose of radiation each time they get screened. In addition, not every screening test is 100 % perfect, so they'll pick up. Some false positives, which means cancers that aren't really there. And that can lead to additional procedures, tests, and even surgery, which comes with its own complications. This is particularly true in prostate cancer which is such a slow growing cancer that most men are likely to outlive it. When the panel analyzed these costs and benefits They realized that the benefits did not outweigh the cost of having everyone screened. This doesn't mean that cancer screening is completely obsolete, however. The burden has really shifted to the patents to bring this up with their doctors and to talk about their individual risks for cancer. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3897542/herpes-skin-cancer-melanoma/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3897542/herpes-skin-cancer-melanoma/"},"headline":"How Herpes Is Being Used to Fight Cancer","datePublished":"2015-05-27T12:01:01.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-01T09:08:09.441Z","description":"Patients whose cells were treated with this STD were 8 times more likely to survive than a control group","url":"https://time.com/3897542/herpes-skin-cancer-melanoma/","keywords":["Cancer"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a5f55e5f60d63e9/698851c2a988caf30b6b2bcc/herpes.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a5f55e5f60d63e9/698851c2a988caf30b6b2bcc/herpes.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Herpes","caption":"Herpes virus","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/cancer/","name":"Cancer"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3897542/herpes-skin-cancer-melanoma/","name":"How Herpes Is Being Used to Fight Cancer"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Know Right Now: Herpes Cells Are Being Used to Fight Cancer","description":"A new treatment uses herpes cells to kill cancer cells in the body. Find out more by watching Know Right Now.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/XiQxDzcA/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-05-27T14:41:36.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/XiQxDzcA.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3897542/herpes-skin-cancer-melanoma/","duration":"PT1M5S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3897542/herpes-skin-cancer-melanoma/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"TIME Explains: Cancer Screenings","description":"TIME's Alice Park explains how new cancer screening recommendations effect you","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/pAMu9cRG/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2012-10-01T11:28:53.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/pAMu9cRG.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3897542/herpes-skin-cancer-melanoma/","duration":"PT1M51S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3897542/herpes-skin-cancer-melanoma/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```