Cancer News
Profiling May Help in Cancer of Unknown Origin
Molecular profiling identified treatable targets in 80% of 1,400 patients with cancer of unknown primary (CUP) site, leading to improved treatment and evidence of clinical benefit, according to a study reported at ECCO2013 in Amsterdam.
Clues Found to Aspirin's Benefit in Colon Cancer
Aspirin's survival benefit in colon cancer correlated with the drug's antiplatelet activity but was not associated with a common tumor mutation or an enzyme linked to cancer etiology and pathogenesis, an analysis of 1,000 tumor samples showed.
Angelina and breast cancer copycat surge: Doctor warns patients are requesting double mastectomies even if they don't need one
Women inspired by Angelina Jolie are demanding breast removal surgery – even if they don’t need it - a leading doctor has warned. Tests for high-risk cancer gene have risen by 67% since Jolie's operation, and double mastectomies in the UK have quadrupled since then.
Cervical cancer diagnostic device gets certified in Europe
ZedScan, a device for diagnosing cervical cancer, has received EC certification allowing its use in the European Union.
ASCO and the CAP release updated guideline on HER2 testing in breast cancer
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) today issued a joint, updated guideline aimed at improving the accuracy and reporting of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) testing in patients with invasive breast cancer.
Radiation Therapy Overused in Advanced Prostate Cancer, Study Says
(HealthDay News) -- Most men given radiation to control pain from advanced prostate cancer undergo more treatments than they really need, a new study suggests.
Laparoscopic Surgery for Colon Cancer May Benefit Seniors
(HealthDay News) -- Seniors who have minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer are much less likely to end up in a nursing home after being discharged from the hospital than those who have open surgery, a new study finds.
Scientists break blood-brain barrier to allow cancer drugs in
Cancer Research UK scientists have found a way of delivering drugs more effectively to treat life-threatening cancers that have spread to the brain, according to research published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Testicular cancer risk may be much higher due to genetic variant
Researchers have identified a genetic variant which is associated with a very large risk of testicular cancer. This may lead to new personalized treatments.
Protein identified that may predict thyroid cancer recurrence
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, have taken the first steps to determine if a protein, called Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1), can help to predict which thyroid cancer patients will most likely have a recurrence of the disease. Study findings were presented at the 2013 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.
Improving nutritional status before bladder cancer surgery improves outcomes
Patients with bladder cancer are two times more likely to have complications after a radical cystectomy procedure if they have a biomarker for poor nutritional status before the operation, according to study findings presented at the 2013 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons. Surgeons from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, identified a potentially modifiable risk factor for such postsurgical problems: a low preoperative level of albumin, a marker of the protein level in the blood.
Pathway links heartburn and esophageal cancer
Got heartburn? More than 60 million adults in the U.S. have acid reflux, or heartburn, and approximately 10 percent are at risk for developing esophageal cancer, due in part to complications from Barrett's esophagus. But researchers at Rhode Island Hospital discovered a pathway they believe links Barrett's esophagus to the development of esophageal cancer. Their data suggest that blocking this pathway, such as with a proton pump inhibitor (e.g. omeprazole), may prevent the development of esophageal cancer. The study is published online in advance of print in the journal American Journal of Cell Physiology.
Cancer costing European Union countries 'billions'
Cancer costs countries in the European Union 126 billion euro a year, according to the first EU-wide analysis of the economic impact of the disease.
Scientists reveal new insights in the development of oesophageal cancer
Cancer Research UK scientists show that while inherited faulty genes can increase the risk of Barrett’s Oesophagus – a condition linked to acid reflux – it may be lifestyle factors such as smoking and obesity that cause it to develop into oesophageal cancer – according to a major study published in Nature Genetics.
Targeted treatment plus chemotherapy could benefit women with ovarian cancer
Conventional chemotherapy could further extend life in some women with ovarian cancer when used in tandem with a new type of targeted treatment, a new international study shows.
Gastroesophageal cancer tied to weight as a teen
Israelis who were overweight as teenagers were more likely to have esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancers later in life, researchers reported.
New imaging technique can identify breast cancer subtypes and early treatment response
An optical imaging technique that measures metabolic activity in cancer cells can accurately differentiate breast cancer subtypes, and it can detect responses to treatment as early as two days after therapy administration, according to a study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
For childhood cancer survivors, preventable risk factors pose serious threat to heart health
For childhood cancer survivors, risk factors associated with lifestyle, particularly hypertension, dramatically increase the likelihood of developing serious heart problems as adults, according to a national study led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The findings appear in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
4 genetic variants linked to esophageal cancer and Barrett's esophagus identified
An international consortium co-led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Australia has identified four genetic variants associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer and its precursor, a condition called Barrett's esophagus.
Gene mutation linked to low-risk bladder cancer
An international research team led by scientists from Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center has discovered a genetic mutation linked to low-risk bladder cancer. Their findings are reported online in Nature Genetics.
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.”
ALSYMPCA Trial: Updated Analysis of Survival With Radium-223 Treatment in Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Interim and updated analyses showed that radium-223 treatment was associated with significantly prolonged overall survival in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer and bone metastases, resulting in termination of the trial.
HPV and ovarian cancer: why are HPV vaccination rates low?
A new study attempts to explain why some young women at high risk for cervical cancer do not get the HPV vaccine.
Fecal blood test cuts colon cancer deaths
SAN DIEGO -- Annual fecal occult blood screening reduced the mortality associated with colorectal cancer by one-third, with benefits persisting over 30 years, a researcher said here.
Two-drug combination, nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine, improves survival in pancreatic cancer
A multicentre phase III study, with centers participating from 11 countries in North America, Europe and Australia, shows that the drug combination nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine is more effective in the treatment of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer than gemcitabine alone, which has been the standard treatment for these patients up until now.
Outdoor air pollution a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths
The specialised cancer agency of the World Health Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), announced that it has classified outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic to humans.
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.
Environmental factors 'turn on and off' cancer related genes
Research performed at the Center of Research and Advanced Studies (Cinvestav) has identified that certain food and lifestyle habits can turn on or off the expression of cancer related genes.
Internet users more likely to engage in cancer-preventive behaviors
Older men and women who used the internet were more likely to participate in screening for colorectal cancer, participate in physical activities, eat healthily, and smoke less, compared with those who did not use the internet, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Prognostic factors could aid RCC metastasectomy decisions
Researchers have identified four factors that are associated with survival time in patients who undergo metastasectomy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).