Cancer News and Research

Latest Cancer News and Research

Gene variation associated with resistance to chemotherapy drug in women with breast cancer

Researchers have found links between an individual's genetics and their response to treatment with chemotherapy. The findings, by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues, show how a genetic variant, located in the SOD2 gene, may affect how a person responds to the chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide. Cyclophosphamide is used in the treatment of breast and other cancers.

9 Jun 2009

Dioxins in food chain linked to breastfeeding problems

Exposure to dioxins during pregnancy harms the cells in rapidly-changing breast tissue, which may explain why some women have trouble breastfeeding or don’t produce enough milk, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study.

9 Jun 2009

Expansion of Australia’s bowel cancer screening program could save 30 lives each week

New research has revealed that as many as 5 million Australians are missing out on bowel cancer screening tests that could save their lives and according to new data on bowel cancer screening released last week there is an urgent for all Australians over 50 to be screened.

9 Jun 2009

Obesity and junk food the culprits in increased bowel cancer rates in young adults

New research by scientists in the United States has found despite the overall declining rates of colorectal cancer among adults younger than age 50 years the rates are increasing.

9 Jun 2009

Discovery of novel mechanism controlling tumor growth in the brain

As survival rates among some patients with cancer continue to rise, so does the spread of these cancers to the brain - as much as 40 percent of all diagnosed brain cancers are considered metastatic, having spread from a primary cancer elsewhere in the body.

9 Jun 2009

Doctors and hospitals look for ways to cut costs, improve quality

The "patient-centered" practices movement is growing in popularity, the New York Times reports. Primary care physicians in the practices "spend more time with patients, emphasize prevention and education" to keep patients healthy and "can handle many medical problems without referrals to specialists." Often, "this kind of care can reduce a patient's medical bills."

9 Jun 2009

New lung cancer therapy with vaporized viral vector shows promise

A new lung cancer therapy employing a vaporized viral vector to deliver a cancer-inhibiting molecule directly to lung tissue shows early promise in mouse trials, according to researchers at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in Korea.

9 Jun 2009

Cremophor-based paclitaxel ‘chemo’ drug triggers fatal allergic reactions

A chemotherapy drug that is supposed to help save cancer patients' lives, instead resulted in life-threatening and sometimes fatal allergic reactions.

9 Jun 2009

Prevalence and predictors of antioxidant supplement use during breast cancer treatment

A new study finds that many women with breast cancer take antioxidant supplements while undergoing cancer treatment, even though the consequences of doing so are unknown.

9 Jun 2009

Under-representation of women in cancer research

Women continue to be under-enrolled in cancer clinical trials, according to a new review, published in the July 15, 2009 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study's results suggest that greater efforts are needed to ensure that oncologists know the true effects of treatments and medical procedures in female patients.

9 Jun 2009

Cisplatin doubles lung cancer survival time in mice

A lung cancer treatment that inhibits nicotine receptors was shown to double survival time in mice, according to Italian researchers.

9 Jun 2009

Increase in incidence of colorectal cancer among young men and women in the U.S.

A new study finds that in sharp contrast to the overall declining rates of colorectal cancer in the United States, incidence rates among adults younger than age 50 years are increasing. The authors theorize that these increases may be related to rising rates of obesity and changes in dietary patterns, including increased consumption of fast food.

9 Jun 2009

Gene activity reveals dynamic stroma microenvironment in prostate cancer

As stroma - the supportive framework of the prostate gland - react to prostate cancer, changes in the expression of genes occur that induce the formation of new structures such as blood vessels, nerves and parts of nerves, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in a report that appears in the current issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research.

9 Jun 2009

Research identifies 3D structure of key nuclear pore building block

The genome of complex organisms is stashed away inside each cell's nucleus, a little like a sovereign shielded from the threatening world outside.

8 Jun 2009

New antibiotics could come from a DNA binding compound that kills bacteria in 2 minutes

A synthetic DNA binding compound has proved surprisingly effective at binding to the DNA of bacteria and killing all the bacteria it touched within two minutes.

8 Jun 2009

Discovery 'significant step' in understanding leukaemia drug resistance

Scientists have pinpointed an enzyme responsible for breaking down and inactivating a key childhood leukaemia drug, which could help to explain why around 20 per cent of patients do not respond to therapy. Their findings are published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

8 Jun 2009

Researchers find clues to improve breast cancer survival

Checking lymph nodes during surgery and assessing the hormone status of tumours could help improve breast cancer survival in the UK, according to research published in Annals of Oncology.

8 Jun 2009

Johnson & Johnson's research reflecting new Washington policies

Health care supplier Johnson & Johnson will focus on new treatments and improved tests for cancer and other diseases for which company perceives unmet needs, like diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV, as well as using new, Washington-supported research techniques to gauge their effectiveness, researchers and executives said at a briefing with analysts, BusinessWeek reports.

5 Jun 2009

Panel discusses health care issues in Black America

CNN's Soledad O'Brien hosted a panel discussion on health care issues facing African-Americans in preparation for "Black in America 2, a CNN investigation about the most challenging issues facing African-Americans that will premiere July 22 and 23. The video touches on health care disparities in the African-American community and concurrent social issues that affect care.

5 Jun 2009

Greater oversight needed in sharing of genetic information online

With just $399 and a bit of saliva in a cup, consumers can learn about their genetic risk for diseases from breast cancer to diabetes. Now, thanks to social networking sites set up by personal genomics companies, they can also share that information with family, friends and even strangers on the Internet.

5 Jun 2009