Cancer News and Research

Latest Cancer News and Research

Treatment of breast cancer in pregnancy

"The treatment of breast cancer when the patient is pregnant does not increase the risk of congenital anomalies", assures Dr. Guillermo Lopez, director of the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the University Hospital of the University of Navarra.

30 Nov 2005

Bacterial DNA and IVF contamination risk on New Scientist

Some children conceived by a common method of IVF could be carrying chunks of bacterial DNA in their chromosomes, according to a study in mice. The researchers who conducted the work say that such accidental genetic modification would be very rare, but they argue that fertility doctors should take more precautions to exclude it.

30 Nov 2005

University of Nottingham academic awarded prestigious professorship for research into lung disease

An academic at The University of Nottingham has been awarded a unique professorship by a leading national charity in recognition of his research, which aims to improve the medical care of patients with lung disease and respiratory infections.

30 Nov 2005

French woman has worlds' first face transplant

The operation apparently lasted several hours where tissues, muscles, arteries and veins were taken from a brain-dead donor and attached to the patient's lower face.

30 Nov 2005

Difficult decisions ahead over Herceptin breast cancer drug

According to Belgian researchers a drug prescribed for women with advanced breast cancer would be cost-effective for treating some, but not all patients, in the early stages of the disease.

30 Nov 2005

Warning that breast cancer drug can harm fetus

Health Canada along with drug company Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada, have issued a warning concerning the drug Femara (letrozole), which is used to treat breast cancer in women who are postmenopausal.

30 Nov 2005

Hard to quit smoking even after cancer is diagnosed

According to a new study many people with cancer continue to smoke after their diagnosis, even though they are told that smoking can significantly compromise the outcome of any treatment.

29 Nov 2005

Pancreatic cancer and ecoendoscopy

Cancer of the pancreas is the number five in the list of deaths due to cancers in Spain and the third causing deaths due to digestive tumour.

28 Nov 2005

One-half of cancer patients continue to smoke after diagnosis

A pair of articles from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center makes the case that patients would receive better care if physicians and researchers would address the issue of tobacco use after a cancer diagnosis and monitor tobacco use during clinical trials that test new agents.

28 Nov 2005

Chemical found in plants helps prevent lung cancer

According to the results of an animal study, it is suggested that treatment with a chemical found in various plants, may help prevent lung cancer caused by cigarette smoking.

28 Nov 2005

Smoking cessation in cancer patients

A new report says despite a growing body of evidence that continued smoking after a cancer diagnosis has substantial adverse effects on treatment effectiveness, overall survival, risk of other cancers, and quality of life, up to one-half of cancer patients who smoke continue to do so or relapse after trying to quit.

28 Nov 2005

MRI to detect magnetic probes of tiny iron oxide particles successfully tracks implanted cells in cancer patients

By using MRI to detect magnetic probes of tiny iron oxide particles, an international research team for the first time has successfully tracked immune-stimulating cells implanted into cancer patients for treatment purposes.

28 Nov 2005

Enhancement of vaccine-mediated antitumor immunity in cancer patients after depletion of regulatory T cells

Duke University researchers have now shown that selectively killing the population of regulatory T cells in cancer patients - cells that normally function to restrain the activity of the immune response - improves the ability of a cancer vaccine to stimulate tumor-specific T cells.

28 Nov 2005

Spear Therapeutics raise $8.5 Million to fund cancer drug development

Cancer Research Technology (CRT), Bloomsbury Bioseed Fund (BBSF), De Montfort University (DMU) and the Gray Cancer Institute announce today that U.S. venture capital firm Advent International has invested $8.5 million in Spear Therapeutics Ltd.

28 Nov 2005

Fullerenes can help fend off damage to normal tissue from radiation

Using transparent zebrafish embryos, researchers at Jefferson Medical College have shown that a microscopic nanoparticle can help fend off damage to normal tissue from radiation.

28 Nov 2005

Megestrol acetate may combat weight loss during radiation treatments

A new study by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues shows that a drug originally used to treat breast cancer may help combat the severe weight loss that can plague patients undergoing radiation treatment for lung and head and neck cancer.

28 Nov 2005