Cancer News and Research

Latest Cancer News and Research

Ancient DNA helps unearth potential hemophilia therapy

A cut can be life-threatening for people with hemophilia, whose bodies don't produce enough of a protein that prevents prolonged bleeding.

1 Mar 2006

Scientists reprogramme malignant melanoma cells to become normal pigment cells

Scientists at Northwestern University and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have reprogrammed malignant melanoma cells to become normal melanocytes, or pigment cells, a development that may hold promise in treating of one of the deadliest forms of cancer.

1 Mar 2006

Upsurge in diabetes-related deaths in New York City

Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have documented a dramatic upsurge in diabetes-related deaths and illnesses in New York City - including a sharp increase in diabetic patients hospitalized with heart attacks.

1 Mar 2006

Research shows promise for the advancement of cancer and stem-cell research

The paper explains how proteins, known as epigenetic activators (such as Ash1 from the fruit fly Drosophila), bind to their target DNA and activate genes that determine what function a cell will have in the body.

1 Mar 2006

Hepatic arterial infusion versus systemic therapy for hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer

A new study shows that patients whose colorectal cancer has spread to the liver who received an approach called hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) - the administration of chemotherapy directly to the liver through a pump in the abdomen - fare better than those who received traditional, intravenous chemotherapy.

1 Mar 2006

$Hormone therapy for advanced prostate cancer can lead to bone loss and fractures$

Hormone therapy for advanced prostate cancer can lead to bone loss and fractures

A common type of treatment used to protect bone density in menopausal women is also an effective therapy for advanced prostate cancer patients during the first year of hormone therapy, according to a new Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute study.

1 Mar 2006

New findings on epoetin alfa for anemia

Mayo Clinic researchers working in concert with other North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) investigators have found that administering epoetin alfa for anemia once every three weeks to patients with anemia and cancer, instead of the traditional weekly epoetin treatments, maintains similar levels of red blood cells.

1 Mar 2006

Papillary lesions of the breast should be surgically excised to avoid missing a cancer

Certain breast lesions diagnosed as benign on core needle biopsy have cancer at surgical excision and thus should be removed, according to a study appearing in the March issue of Radiology.

28 Feb 2006

Link between rheumatoid arthritis and cancer examined

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the immune system and is thought to be linked to an increased risk of cancers of the lymphatic system.

28 Feb 2006

Stress affects male rats more than female rats

A new study reinforces the growing body of evidence on health disparities between men and women and may possibly shed light on why socially isolated men are more vulnerable to disease and death than isolated women.

28 Feb 2006

Eating and drinking Cocoa helps you live longer

According to Dutch researchers, men by eating or drinking cocoa lowered their risk of dying from heart disease by 50 percent compared to those who did not eat cocoa, and also lowered their blood pressure.

28 Feb 2006

Is persistent bacterial infection good for your health?

Bacteria are bad. Mothers and doctors, not to mention the cleaning product industry, repeatedly warn of their dangers. But a Stanford University School of Medicine microbiologist is raising the intriguing idea that persistent bacterial and viral infections have benefits.

27 Feb 2006

Cervical cancer vaccines in development

Two preventative vaccines, Gardasil (Merck) and Cervarix (GlaxoSmithKline) that work against the Human Papilloma virus (HPV) - a sexually transmitted infection and the primary cause of cervical cancer - are gaining favorable attention.

27 Feb 2006

Clinical trial of new Bionovo menopause drug moves forward

Today, millions of women suffer from often-harsh symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes and night sweats -- and relief is nowhere to be found.

27 Feb 2006

New FDA approved mobile electron-beam system increases survival rates of women with advanced rectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is widely considered a man's disease, but actually affects an equal number of women and men. Detected early, it is highly curable in both genders, with survival rates approaching 90 percent. But if the cancer is detected at a more advanced stage, the outlook is often dismal.

27 Feb 2006

Ginkgo biloba reduces aggressive cancer risk in animal experiments

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center say they now have a clearer picture of how an extract from the leaves of the Ginkgo biloba tree reduces the risk of aggressive cancer in animal experiments.

27 Feb 2006

Anabolic steroids flip the adolescent brain's switch for aggression

Anabolic steroids not only make teens more aggressive, but may keep them that way into young adulthood. The effect ultimately wears off but there may be other, lasting consequences for the developing brain.

27 Feb 2006

Study shows survival advantage for men treated with radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy compared to observation

A new study shows older men with early stage prostate cancer survive longer if they are treated versus not being treated in favor of the "watchful waiting" approach advocated by many physicians for older men with other health problems.

27 Feb 2006

Oral agent alendronate may help men with prostate cancer suffering from bone loss

Men with prostate cancer who experience bone loss from cancer treatment could benefit from a weekly oral therapy commonly given to women with osteoporosis, according to a study presented by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Prostate Cancer Symposium, Feb. 24 to 26 at the San Francisco Marriott.

27 Feb 2006

Androgen deprivation therapy does not prevent prostate cancer from spreading

Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researchers wanted to know if depriving men of testosterone actually keeps cancer from spreading beyond the prostate.

27 Feb 2006