Chemotherapy News and Research

Latest Chemotherapy News and Research

Immune system hurts as well as fights cancer - discovery could lead to new cancer treatments with fewer side effects

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that some proteins of the immune system can promote tumor growth.

29 Sep 2008

No blood needed thanks to non-invasive blood monitoring device

A non-invasive blood monitoring device that removes the need to draw blood to monitor patients has won the 2008 Kerrin Rennie Award for Excellence in Medical Technology. The award was presented to Masimo Corporation on 24 September at the Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA) dinner in Sydney.

28 Sep 2008

Nanotubes detect tumors and deliver high-potency punch

Researchers at the Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence Focused on Therapy Response (CCNE-TR), based at Stanford University, have found a new way to target cancer cells while leaving healthy cells untouched.

28 Sep 2008

Nanobubbles deliver targeted cancer drugs using ultrasound

Using a combination of polymers that respond to temperature, a research team at the University of Utah has developed a multifunctional nanoparticle that can image tumors using ultrasound and simultaneously deliver cell-damaging energy and anticancer drugs to those tumors. In addition, these nanoparticles appear to act specifically on tumors and not on healthy tissue.

28 Sep 2008

Research evaluates acupressure for chemo induced nausea

New research commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme is evaluating acupressure wristbands for the management of chemotherapy-induced acute and delayed nausea.

23 Sep 2008

Advisers to Presidential candidates discuss positions on reimportation, generics, biotechnology medications

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) have begun "reviewing their support" for prescription drug reimportation in response to recent cases of contaminated medications and other products from other nations, advisers to the candidates said on Thursday during the annual conference of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association in Washington, D.C., Reuters/Boston Globe reports.

22 Sep 2008

Breast MRI scan could determine need for radiation therapy

For women whose breast cancer has spread to their lymph nodes, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan could replace exploratory surgery as the method for determining whether those women need radiation therapy to treat their disease, according to a study to be presented during the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) which opens today in Boston.

21 Sep 2008

Discovery of promising new chemotherapy target for a deadly form of leukemia

Cancer researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered a promising new chemotherapy target for a deadly form of leukemia. Their discovery hinges on a novel "double agent" role for a molecular signal that regulates cell growth.

17 Sep 2008

New drug might make tumor cells more sensitive to therapy

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have shown that it might be possible to make tumor cells more sensitive to irradiation and some types of chemotherapy by treating them with a drug that cripples their ability to repair DNA damage caused by these therapies.

16 Sep 2008

New results help predict treatment response in colorectal cancer

Genetic testing can identify a group of patients with advanced colorectal cancer who are likely to survive on average twice as long if treated with the drug cetuximab, late breaking results show.

16 Sep 2008

Benefits of combined treatments against cancer

In cancer therapy, the best results are often achieved by combining treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. This multidisciplinary approach is the focus of special symposia at the meetings of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology (ESTRO) taking place in Sweden this month.

16 Sep 2008

New drug substantially extends survival in pancreatic cancer

A new form of chemotherapy that destroys new blood vessels that grow around tumors has produced excellent results in a phase II trial of patients with inoperable pancreatic cancer, researchers report at the 33rd Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Stockholm.New drug substantially extends survival in pancreatic cancer

16 Sep 2008

Trabectedin shows promise for ovarian cancer

Women with recurrent ovarian cancer can be helped by an experimental therapy using a drug already touted for its ability to fight other cancers, a finding that provides hope for improved treatment of this deadly disease.

15 Sep 2008

Variations in cyclin D1 gene increase susceptibility to malignant melanoma

People who carry a particular genetic variant are at significantly increased risk of developing malignant melanoma, new research shows.

15 Sep 2008

Promising new treatment option for women with recurrent ovarian cancer

Combining the new drug trabectedin with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin provides clinical benefit to women with relapsed ovarian cancer, according to new results presented at the 33rd Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Stockholm.

15 Sep 2008

Scientists identify ependymoma genes

Scientists at The University of Nottingham have isolated three important genes involved in the development of a type of childhood brain cancer. The breakthrough is revealed in a study published in the British Journal of Cancer.

15 Sep 2008

Investigational drug shows promise in ovarian cancer

An investigational drug that combats ovarian cancer by inhibiting the formation of new blood vessels has shown promise in a phase II trial, according to a presentation at the 33rd Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Stockholm.

15 Sep 2008

Adding Taxotere to chemotherapy regimen improves survival in early breast cancer

For patients with early stage breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes, adding four cycles of docetaxel (Taxotere) into a sequential regimen of epirubicin followed by cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and fluorouracil (CMF) reduces the risk of recurrence and death, updated long-term results show.

15 Sep 2008

Significant benefits in non-small-cell lung cancer from customizing erlotinib treatment

Lung cancer patients whose tumors carry specific genetic mutations can achieve significantly longer survival when treated with targeted therapies such as erlotinib, Spanish researchers report.

15 Sep 2008

Scientists discover how to isolate cancer stem cells in tumors

After years of working toward this goal, scientists at the OU Cancer Institute have found a way to isolate cancer stem cells in tumors so they can target the cells and kill them, keeping cancer from returning.

11 Sep 2008