Cancer News and Research

Latest Cancer News and Research

Finasteride will cause little or no sexual dysfunction for most men who decide to take it

Men and their physicians need not hesitate to use a drug proven effective in preventing prostate cancer out of concern that it is likely to cause sexual dysfunction, say authors of a study conducted by the Southwest Oncology Group.

20 Jul 2007

Reducing insulin signaling in the brain can prolong lifespan

One route to a long and healthy life may be establishing the right balance in insulin signaling between the brain and the rest of the body, according to new research from Children's Hospital Boston.

20 Jul 2007

Protein IKKa protects checkpoint gene from chemical shutdown

A protein that is largely absent in one type of skin cancer protects an important gene in a cell's defense against harmful mutations from being silenced, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report in the July 20 edition of Molecular Cell.

20 Jul 2007

Obesity a risk factor for multiple myeloma

An obese person is more likely than a lean person to develop multiple myeloma, according to researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard School of Public Health.

20 Jul 2007

New combo treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia increases survival

The combination treatment of fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) greatly increases progression-free survival and response rates, compared with single treatment with either fludarabine or chlorambucil alone.

20 Jul 2007

Novel radiotherapy approach for lung cancer

A novel radiotherapy approach has shown promise as a treatment option, and may possibly increase the cure rate, for people with early stage lung cancer who are unable to tolerate surgery, according to findings from a five-year study led by SUNY Upstate Medical University.

20 Jul 2007

Aptamers may refine cancer treatment

University of Florida researchers have successfully used molecular probes to detect subtle differences in leukemia cells from patient samples, an achievement that could lead to more effective ways to diagnose and treat cancer.

20 Jul 2007

Critical link found between two proteins found in brain tumors

MIT researchers have identified a critical link between two proteins found in brain tumors, a discovery that could eventually help treat a form of brain cancer that kills 99 percent of patients.

20 Jul 2007

Clearer picture of host responses to HIV virus

The first genome-wide association study of an infectious disease, conducted by an international group of researchers through the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI), has yielded a new understanding of why some people can suppress virus levels following HIV infection.

20 Jul 2007

Giving patients question checklists helps patients ask right questions

Asking more questions during a visit to the doctor might help patients get care that is more satisfactory, but many patients are not sure where to start.

20 Jul 2007

Higher child leukaemia rates near nuclear facilities

Leukaemia rates in children and young people are elevated near nuclear facilities, but no clear explanation exists to explain the rise, according to a research review published in the July issue of European Journal of Cancer Care.

20 Jul 2007

Anti-cancer gene p53 doubles up as anti-ageing agent

The latest research suggests that one of the genes that protects us from cancer may also help delay the ageing process.

19 Jul 2007

Obesity a risk factor for multiple myeloma

An obese person is more likely than a lean person to develop multiple myeloma, according to researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard School of Public Health.

19 Jul 2007

Web site puts physicians and hospitals under microscope

As health consumers across the country demand better and more detailed information about their physicians and hospitals, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) is stepping up to detail its own performance efforts ranging from the percentage of clinicians who clean their hands to the number of times physicians take the proper steps in treating heart attack patients.

19 Jul 2007

Scientists invent novel low-viscosity gel for regenerating human tissue

University of Delaware scientists have invented a novel biomaterial with surprising antibacterial properties that can be injected as a low-viscosity gel into a wound where it rigidifies nearly on contact--opening the door to the possibility of delivering a targeted payload of cells and antibiotics to repair the damaged tissue.

19 Jul 2007

PET scans show if radiation is shrinking lung tumors

Lung cancer patients may not need to wait till their radiation treatment is over to know if it worked.

19 Jul 2007

Jefferson scientist shares patent for DNA analysis

A basic scientist in the Department of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College and the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson has shared a patent on what may someday be a ubiquitous tool in DNA analysis.

19 Jul 2007

GSK's Cervarix receives positive opinion in Europe

GlaxoSmithKline has announced that its cervical cancer candidate vaccine received a positive opinion from the European Committee for Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) for the prevention of precancerous lesions (high grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia - CIN grades 2 and 3) and cervical cancer causally related to human papillomavirus types 16 and 18.

19 Jul 2007

Discovery of gene variant that increases risk for Crohn's disease

Pediatrics researchers have identified a gene variant that raises a child's risk of Crohn's disease, a chronic and painful condition attributed to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

19 Jul 2007

Protein kinase G holds promise for cancer treatment

An enzyme that cancer cells eliminate, apparently so they can keep proliferating, may hold clues to more targeted, effective cancer treatment, scientists say.

19 Jul 2007