Cancer News and Research

Latest Cancer News and Research

A virus-infecting virus

Using the Genome Sequencer System from 454 Life Sciences, a Roche company, French scientists have identified a small virus that can actually be parasitic to a larger one.

7 Nov 2008

Scientists confirm a molecular clipping mechanism behind stem cell development

Stem cells don't just become a part of the liver or the brain in a flash; it takes a complex molecular choreography and requires that specific genes be switched on and off at specific times.

6 Nov 2008

Racial disparities increasing for cancers unrelated to smoking

A new American Cancer Society study finds that recent progress in closing the gap in overall cancer mortality between African Americans and whites may be due primarily to smoking-related cancers, and that cancer mortality differences related to screening and treatment may still be increasing.

6 Nov 2008

Migraines associated with lower risk of breast cancer

Women who suffer from migraines may take at least some comfort in a recent, first-of-its-kind study that suggests a history of such headaches is associated with a significantly lower risk of breast cancer. Christopher I. Li, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center report these findings in the November issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

6 Nov 2008

Scientists sequence genome of a cancer patient

For the first time, scientists have decoded the complete DNA of a cancer patient and traced her disease - acute myelogenous leukemia - to its genetic roots.

6 Nov 2008

Therapy targeting cyclin D1 protein may block expansion of breast cancer cells

Breast cancer stem cells are known to be involved in therapy resistance and the recurrence of cancerous tumors.

6 Nov 2008

SWHR asks young women to be aware of smoking dangers in face of new marketing tactics

Society for Women’s Health Research President and CEO Phyllis Greenberger, M.S.W., issued the following statement in response to the decision of Philip Morris USA to introduce pink “Purse Packs” for some Virginia Slims cigarette brands by early 2009.

6 Nov 2008

New research sheds light on key trigger of embryonic stem cell differentiation

Clusters of mouse embryonic stem cells called embryoid bodies more closely approximate true embryos in organization and structure than previously thought, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

6 Nov 2008

Gail model no better than coin flip in predicting risk of breast cancer

A statistical model commonly used to predict the risk of breast cancer in women was not accurate when used to evaluate women with atypical hyperplasia, according to a new Mayo Clinic study published in the Oct. 14, 2008, issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

6 Nov 2008

A new review of breast cancer prevention strategies in the U.S.

A new review outlines potential pharmaceutical, dietary, surgical, and other approaches to reducing the risk of breast cancer among women in the United States, and examines the evidence for specific recommendations.

6 Nov 2008

More hospitals discharging patients to nursing homes for rehabilitation

The rate of patients discharged from hospitals but who still needed home health care increased 53 percent (from 2 million to 4 million) between 1997 and 2006, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

6 Nov 2008

Variations in gene pathway alter risk of esophageal cancer

Variations in a common gene pathway may affect esophageal cancer risk, a dangerous and rapidly increasing type of cancer, according to research by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

6 Nov 2008

Anti-brain tumor agent derived from herpes virus passes next hurdle

An anti-brain tumor agent developed from a genetically engineered herpes simplex virus has been shown to be safe when given in two doses and injected directly into the brain of patients with malignant glioma.

6 Nov 2008

10 symptoms that should never be ignored

Not every ache and pain merits a quick trip to the doctor -- but some do.

6 Nov 2008

Scientists map molecular regulation of fat-cell genetics

A research team led by Mitchell Lazar, MD, PhD, Director of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has used state-of-the-art genetic technology to map thousands of positions where a molecular "master regulator" of fat-cell biology is nestled in DNA to control genes in these cells.

5 Nov 2008

Scientists map molecular "master regulator" of fat-cell biology

5 Nov 2008

Most adults not up to date on their vaccinations

Most adults are not up to date on their vaccinations, says a new report from Harvard Medical School.

5 Nov 2008

Lung airway cells activate vitamin D and increase immune response

Vitamin D is essential to good health but needs to be activated to function properly in the human body.

5 Nov 2008

Scientists show how "junk" DNA may be a major driver for evolution

In a paper published in Genome Research on Nov. 4, scientists at the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) report that what was previously believed to be "junk" DNA is one of the important ingredients distinguishing humans from other species.

5 Nov 2008

$Healthy bones program reduces hip fractures by 37 percent$

Healthy bones program reduces hip fractures by 37 percent

Proactive measures can reduce hip fracture rates by an average of 37.2 percent -- and as much as 50 percent -- among those at risk, according to a study conducted by Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

5 Nov 2008