Oncology News and Research

RSS

Oncology, meaning bulk, mass, or tumor, and the suffix ''-logy'', meaning "study of") is a branch of medicine that deals with tumors (cancer). A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''.

Tumor-suppressor gene for lung cancer identified

The GPRC5A gene, which is under-expressed in human lung cancer cells, suppresses lung tumors in mouse models and could provide a key to attacking lung cancer in humans, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report in the Nov. 21 edition of The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

14 Nov 2007

Real-time 3-D analysis of breast cancer biopsies

A sophisticated microscope that offers a “real-time” 3-D analysis of tissue samples might, in the future, reduce the number of needle biopsies traditionally needed from women suspected of having breast cancer, according to recent research published at Georgetown University Medical Center's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

14 Nov 2007

Is the inability to express emotions hereditary?

The inability to express emotions (alexithymia) is thought to be hereditary. The largest study so far has provided new data in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.

13 Nov 2007

Synthetic version of chlorotoxin shows promise in treatment of brain tumors

A drug developed and tested at UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) targeted at malignant brain tumors known as glioma has shown promising results in a Phase 1 trial, according to results presented at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology annual meeting.

6 Nov 2007

Li-Fraumeni syndrome found, for the first time, in Singapore

A rare hereditary disorder that strongly predisposes carriers to develop cancer at an early age has been found in an Asian female, report researchers at the American Association for Cancer Research Centennial Conference on Translational Cancer Medicine.

6 Nov 2007

Modified Curcumin demonstrates even greater tumor suppressive properties

Curcumin, the yellowish component of turmeric that gives curry its flavor, has long been noted for its potential anti-cancer properties.

6 Nov 2007

First systemic therapy for fatal childhood disease - recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa

University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, Fairview physicians have performed the first bone marrow and cord blood transplant to treat recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB).

5 Nov 2007

Manipulation of MOF enzyme may make tumors more sensitive to radiation therapy

To make tumors more sensitive to the killing power of radiation is a key aspiration for many radiation oncologists. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have uncovered new information that leads them closer to that goal.

5 Nov 2007

Anti-leukemia drug dexamethasone increases patient fatigue

The anti-leukemia drug dexamethasone contributes to a relentless fatigue and poor quality of sleep in children undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to a new study from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

2 Nov 2007

Non-invasive radio waves heat up nanotubes to destroy cancer

Cancer cells treated with carbon nanotubes can be destroyed by non-invasive radio waves that heat up the nanotubes while sparing untreated tissue, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and Rice University has shown in preclinical experiments.

2 Nov 2007

New approach to medical nondisclosure

When family members ask physicians not to disclose bad news to ill loved ones, clinicians often struggle to balance their obligation to be truthful to the patient with the family's belief that the information would be harmful.

2 Nov 2007

Radiation seed implant decreases risk of death over watchful waiting/active surveillance for prostate cancer

Prostate cancer patients cut their risk of dying of the disease in half when they receive radiation seed implants (brachytherapy) to treat their cancer, compared to those who don't receive active treatment (watchful waiting/active surveillance), within six months from being diagnosed with localized prostate cancer, according to a study presented October 31, 2007, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 49th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.

1 Nov 2007

Merck Serono and EPFL announce neuroscience, oncology and drug delivery partnership

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, and EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), one of the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, announced the signing of a research collaboration agreement in the areas of Neuroscience, Oncology and Drug Delivery. Under this agreement, three Merck Serono-endowed Chairs will be created at EPFL: in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's; in cancer, in the framework of the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC); and in innovative drug delivery technologies, for instance nanoparticle vaccines.

1 Nov 2007

Radiation after surgery keeps high-risk prostate cancer at bay

An analysis of data involving more than 2,000 patients from 17 U.S. institutions demonstrates that men with high-risk prostate cancer who receive radiation therapy after a prostatectomy were less likely to have a recurrence of disease.

31 Oct 2007

Quality of life most important for survival in advanced non-small cell lung patients

Healthcare providers have observed it for years -- patients who appear to have a better quality of life while battling their cancer live longer.

31 Oct 2007

Men, don't skip your prostate cancer treatment appointments!

Men with “low risk” prostate cancer who miss more than two radiation treatments in an eight week treatment face an increased chance of their cancer recurring.

31 Oct 2007

Stereotactic radiation is effective as surgery against nerve tumor

Specifically aimed, "stereotactic" radiation may be as good as surgery - and in some cases, even better - in treating benign but potentially devastating brain tumors called non-acoustic schwannomas, according to a study by rradiation oncologists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

31 Oct 2007

Breast cancer victims who smoke not at risk for more aggressive tumors

According to a new study women who develop breast cancer and smoke are not at an increased risk of developing more aggressive or advanced tumors.

31 Oct 2007

Children would need different medical care in wake of dirty bomb

If terrorists were to attack with a dirty bomb, medical authorities should be prepared to treat children differently than adults because their developing bodies would absorb and respond to the radiation exposure in distinct ways, according to a new study from the University of Rochester Medical Center.

31 Oct 2007

Which lung volumes to use for radiotherapy planning of lung cancer

A new method to standardize the reporting of radiation dose volumes in the use of four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) can lead to a more accurate radiation dose to the lungs in lung cancers, thereby lowering the risk of lung injury, according to a study presented at the Plenary I session on October 29, 2007, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 49th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.

29 Oct 2007