Cancer News
Gene sequencing project finds drugs with promise for treating childhood tumor
Rhabdomyosarcoma tumor cells were killed through a process called "oxidative stress", in a lab environment. This may improve chemotherapy effectiveness against this aggressive cancer.
Study suggests overdiagnosis in screening for lung cancer with low-dose CT
Lung cancers detected by low-dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) were over-diagnosed by 18%, according to a recent study.
Personalizing childhood cancer treatments
Pediatric cancers will receive increased focus for personalization via genomic profiling, following rapid advances in adult tumors.
Advanced-stage ovarian cancer treated with targeted nanomedicine
Advanced stage ovarian cancer in mice has been treated successfully using a targeted nanomedicine approach to deliver what are called "small molecule drugs".
Novel mechanism described by which glioblastoma tumors resist targeted therapies
Glioblastoma (GBM) tumor cells can evade targeted therapies, as shown recently, by essentially hiding the signaling molecule targeted by such therapies. This may affect new treatment strategies.
Gene therapy works in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) with no risk of leukemia
A next generation genetic therapy appeared to restore the immune system of patients with "bubble boy disease," but without leading to leukemia as a side effect, researchers reported.
Combination active in pretreated, poor-risk CLL
Poor-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients had much longer survival when treated with an experimental drug plus rituximab.
Pemetrexed, paclitaxel regimens equally effective in NSCLC
For non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at advanced stage, treatments with pemetrexed- and paclitaxel-based chemotherapy, have similar effectiveness but different toxicity.
1% of all cancers may be affected by a gene
Over 1% of all cancers may be driven by a single gene, according to researchers focusing on tumor growth.
Metastatic prostate cancer survival increased by combining chemotherapy and hormone therapy
Hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer patients, who received the chemotherapy drug docetaxel at the start of standard hormone therapy, lived longer than patients who received hormone therapy alone, according to early clinical trial results.
Metastatic breast cancer patients may not benefit from surgery and radiation after chemotherapy
Metastatic breast cancer patients do not benefit more if, after a response to initial chemotherapy, they are treated with radiotherapy and surgical removal of the breast tumor and nearby lymph nodes.
Herceptin plus Taxol highly effective in low-risk breast cancer
Almost 99% of small, node-negative, HER2+, lower-risk breast cancer patients were cancer-free at least 3 years after taking a combination of the drugs Herceptin and Taxol, a study has found.
Improved treatment for childhood cancer through groundbreaking discovery
Treatment for an aggressive childhood brain tumor (known as ETMR/ETANTR) may become more effective, based on the latest pediatric cancer research.
Liver cancer in men could be due to gene deficiency
Hepatocellular carcinoma (the most common type of liver cancer) in males may be developed due to a genetic deficiency.
Study identifies highly effective treatment option for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer
For patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, combining the chemotherapy drugs docetaxel & carboplatin with the HER2-targeted therapy trastuzumab was identified as an ideal post-surgery treatment option.
Avoiding radiotherapy is an option for some older patients with breast cancer
Breast cancer patients over 65 may omit radiotherapy if they receive hormone therapy after breast-conserving surgery for hormone receptor-positive, axillary node-negative breast cancer.
Breast cancer patients most likely to benefit from trastuzumab if they have high levels of immune cells
HER2-positive breast cancer patients with most immune cells in their tumors benefited the most from presurgery treatment with chemotherapy and trastuzumab.
Revlimid slows multiple myeloma relapse
Multiple myeloma patients in remission after initial therapy can prolong the time to relapse through lenalidomide (Revlimid) maintenance treatment (an immune modulator).
Breast cancer cases cut by more than 50% in high risk women by taking anastrozole
Post-menopausal women at high risk of breast cancer taking the drug anastrozole for 5 years had 53% less chances of developing the disease.
Early suggestion of cure in Hodgkin lymphoma patients treated with brentuximab vedotin
Relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma patients following autologous stem cell transplant achieved a longer median overall survival with brentuximab vedotin.
Breast cancer subtype benefits less from treatment due to gene mutations
HER2 and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer women benefit much less from pre-surgery treatment with chemotherapy and HER2-targeted therapies if their cancer had one or more specific mutations.
Breast cancer survivors who exercise feel less drug-associated joint pain
Breast cancer survivors taking aromatase inhibitors experienced less joint pain if they exercised while on treatment, according to results presented at the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
Subgroup of women with metastatic breast cancer improved disease progression through new drug combination
Hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer women had longer periods of disease stability when the drug dasatinib was added to a standard antihormone therapy, letrozole.
Refractory myeloma outcomes improved by drug combination
Relapsed refractory myeloma treatment outperformed standard therapy in a trial. The treatment is based on a newly approved immune modulator.
Possible weapons against pediatric soft tissue tumor identified
Rhabdomyosarcoma tumor cells in a lab were killed by drugs which enhance a process called oxidative stress and can possibly improve chemotherapy effectiveness.
Blood cancer researchers find genetic puzzle piece
Research on neoplasms like Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) finds another genetic element towards diagnosis.
Not all breast cancer needs radiation
Older women with low-risk breast cancer who skipped radiation therapy saw small impact on recurrence risk and no effect on survival, a randomized trial showed.
Cancer deaths rise to 8.2 million, breast cancer sharply up
Cancer deaths globally rose to 8.2 million in 2012. Breast cancer deaths increased 12%, while diagnoses were 20% compared to 2008, probably due to lifestyle changes in developing nations.
Nipple test not an effective breast cancer screening tool, FDA warns
Breast cancer screening by nipple fluid test is not as effective as mammography, which leads to earlier diagnosis & improves treatment odds, according to US regulators.
Childhood cancer survivors suffer long-term symptoms affecting quality of life
70% of childhood cancer survivors experience late effects from their disease and treatment 30 years after their diagnosis, significantly affecting their quality of life.