Cancer News: Lung
Details of DNA damaged by smoking under research
Researchers have succeeded in amplifying genes altered by activities possibly causing lung cancer such as smoking, enabling deeper analysis of cancer causes.
Certain lung cancer patients benefit from radiation and chemotherapy
In a clinical trial, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) combined with specific chemotherapy improved survival among certain stage 4 lung cancer patients.
Ramucirumab approved for metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer
The US FDA approved ramucirumab (Cyramza) for the treatment of metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer in combination with docetaxel.
Immunotherapy lung cancer drug shows promising results in trial
As part of a clinical trial, treatment of a common form of advanced lung cancer with an experimental immunotherapy drug led to promising 1-year survival rate.
Lung cancer can stay hidden for over 20 years, researchers say
According to a study, lung cancers can stay hidden for over 20 years before suddenly "turning on" and revealing themselves as an aggressive form of the disease.
Experimental lung cancer drug designated as "breakthrough therapy"
An experimental drug against non-small cell lung cancer with a specific gene (ALK) mutation has been granted "breakthrough therapy" status by the US FDA.
Patients with genetic mutation in lung cancer benefit in trial
72% of patients with a mutation-specific form of non-small cell lung cancer had an objective response, with median response duration approaching 1.5 years.
New drug helps lung cancer patients with appetite and body mass
A new drug, anamorelin, helps advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with their appetite and body mass, if they suffer from cancer anorexia and cachexia.
HER2-positive non-small cell lung cancer responds with targeted drugs
Patients who have non-small cell lung cancer with HER2 mutations may have options for treatment from targeted drugs.
Targeted treatment for some non-small cell lung cancers "effective"
Patients with a mutated subtype of non-small cell lung cancer benefited from a drug in a phase 2 trial presented in the latest oncology conference.
E-cigarettes may not be helping cancer patients quit smoking
E-cigarettes may not be helping cancer patients to quit smoking, based on a new study.
Aggressive treatment for some stage 4 lung cancer patients improves survival
Aggressive treatment benefits some "low risk" stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in terms of overall survival.
Lung cancer patients benefit from radiation and traditional treatment
Advanced small cell lung cancer patients may benefit from radiation combined with conventional treatment in terms of long-term survival and disease recurrence.
Could a breath test detect lung cancer?
Genetic changes can be detected in the vapor given off by cells engineered to mimic the early stages of lung cancer, and could be used to build a breath test.
Modern technology can increase lung cancer detection rates to 90%
A study in Norway showed that current X-ray examinations detect only 20% of lung cancer cases. With modern, ultra-low-dose CT scans, this improved to 90%.
Patient-reported outcomes provide valuable insight regarding quality of life for patients with non-small cell lung cancer
An analysis of quality of life (QOL) data of stage III lung cancer patients who received higher doses of radiation therapy (with chemotherapy) shows a significantly lower quality of life at 3 months after treatment compared to patients who received a standard dose of radiation (with chemotherapy), according to research presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s (ASTRO’s) 55th Annual Meeting.
Roche immunotherapy drug may be 'game changer' in lung cancer
An experimental Roche drug that seems to work particularly well against lung cancer in smokers may be a "game changer" for these normally difficult-to-treat patients, researchers said on Sunday.
Merck drug triggers response in 24 percent of lung cancer patients
Early data from a small trial of Merck & Co Inc's experimental immunotherapy cancer drug, known as MK-3475, showed that about a quarter of lung cancer patients responded to the treatment.
What you need to know about e-cigarettes
E-cigarettes, as defined by the FDA, “are battery-operated products designed to deliver nicotine, flavor, and other chemicals. They turn nicotine, which is highly addictive, and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user.”
Scientists identify genetic errors in 12 major cancer types
Examining 12 major types of cancer, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified 127 repeatedly mutated genes that appear to drive the development and progression of a range of tumors in the body. The discovery sets the stage for devising new diagnostic tools and more personalized cancer treatments.
'Master protocol' could revolutionalize trials in lung cancer, and eventually other cancers
The ambitious “Master Protocol” is a collaboration among the lung cancer research community, the National Cancer Institute, the Foundation of the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Friends of Cancer Research, and industry.
Genotyping lung cancer linked to better survival
Genetic testing for personalized treatment of lung cancer was associated with improved survival, likely due to getting targeted kinase inhibitors to the right patients, a study showed.
A variety of cancers destroyed by drug combination therapy
Results from a recent preclinical study have shown that a new drug combination therapy being developed effectively killed colon, liver, lung, kidney, breast and brain cancer cells while having little effect on noncancerous cells. The results lay the foundation for researchers to plan a future phase 1 clinical trial to test the safety of the therapy in a small group of patients.
New Crizotinib side-effect: reduced measures of kidney function during treatment
A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published today in the journal Cancer shows that using crizotinib to treat ALK positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) appears to reduce kidney function when assessed by one of the most commonly used clinical methods. Whether this reflects a true effect of crizotinib on kidney function, or only on the accuracy of this particular method for assessing it is a topic of ongoing study.
Stereotactic body radiation beats standard treatment
The use of newer stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) appears to give patients with inoperable non-small cell lung cancer significantly improved outcomes when compared with the former technology of choice, conventionally fractioned radiotherapy (CFR), researchers suggested.
Radiation safe in unbiopsied lung cancer
Treating people with stereotactic body radiation for suspected -- but unbiopsied -- lung cancers appears to allow for acceptable local control of the disease with low toxicity, researchers reported.
Four-drug regimen shows first-line efficacy in advanced NSCLC
A four-drug combination of cetuximab, bevacizumab, carboplatin, and paclitaxel is effective and has acceptable safety as a first-line treatment for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), US researchers report.
Lung cancer is costliest cancer in European Union
The total cost of cancer care across the European Union (EU) was an estimated €126 billion (US$ 171.07 billion) in 2009, with lung cancer having the highest cost, at 15% of the total.
Cigarette smoking after cancer diagnosis increases risk of death
Men who continued to smoke after a cancer diagnosis had an increased risk of death compared with those who quit smoking after diagnosis, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
CT screening overdiagnoses lung cancer
18% of lung cancers identified by low-dose Computed Tomography screening were slow-growing tumors that would not have affected patients during their lifetime.