Chemotherapy News and Research

Latest Chemotherapy News and Research

Novel method of drug delivery to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death for men in the U.S. Present treatments for metastatic prostate cancer (cancer cells that spread to other parts of the body) include hormonal therapy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which frequently have serious side effects.

23 Jun 2007

Inherited genes linked to toxicity of leukemia therapy

St. Jude investigators have discovered inherited variations in certain genes that make children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) susceptible to the toxic side effects caused by chemotherapy medications.

23 Jun 2007

DNA repair proteins monitored at double-strand break

St. Jude investigators recently had a molecule's eye view of the human cell's DNA repair kit as it assembled on a double-strand break to link together the broken ends.

23 Jun 2007

Novel cellular mechanism that may guide cell movement and possibly cancer cell invasion

Scientists have long thought that microtubules, part of the microscopic scaffolding that the cell uses to move things around in order to hold its shape and divide, originated from a tiny structure near the nucleus, called the centrosome.

23 Jun 2007

Adenovirus used to destroy cancer cells

With nearly $1 million in government funding, University of Rochester scientists are testing a new innovation in biotherapy by altering a common childhood respiratory virus, the adenovirus, to destroy cancer cells.

23 Jun 2007

New way to increase stem cells in blood

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston report finding a new way to increase stem cells in blood, suggesting a possible treatment to help patients who undergo chemotherapy or bone marrow transplant for leukemia and other cancers recover their immune function more quickly.

23 Jun 2007

Bristol-Myers Squibb granted NDA for ixabepilone

Bristol-Myers Squibb has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted, for filing and review, the New Drug Application (NDA) for the investigational compound ixabepilone, an epothilone B analog.

20 Jun 2007

Cancer stem cells similar to normal stem cells thwart anti-cancer agents

Current cancer therapies often succeed at initially eliminating the bulk of the disease, including all rapidly proliferating cells, but are eventually thwarted because they cannot eliminate a small reservoir of multiple-drug-resistant tumor cells, called cancer stem cells, which ultimately become the source of disease recurrence and eventual metastasis.

19 Jun 2007

BSD Medical files patent for 'smart bomb' delivery of chemotherapy in breast tumors

BSD Medical Corp. has filed a patent for a new non-invasive phased array breast treatment applicator developed to selectively heat breast cancer tumors.

19 Jun 2007

Microinjection of live single cells

Specialized pulsed lasers have been used to inject individual cells with a variety of materials, but little is known about how this type of injection might affect living cells.

17 Jun 2007

Hormone therapy can extend life in ovarian cancer patients

The study, published in Clinical Cancer Research, has proved for the first time that the targeted use of an anti-oestrogen drug could prolong the life of some patients by up to three years, and delay the use of chemotherapy in others.

17 Jun 2007

Diagnosing cancer at early stages imperative for survival

Early detection of cancer through regular screenings can greatly increase survival rates because it identifies cancer when it's most treatable, according to the National Cancer Institute.

17 Jun 2007

Women well-informed about breast cancer although lack knowledge about current treatments

According to a new GfK Roper Public Affairs survey sponsored by CancerCare, a national nonprofit cancer support organization, while the majority (76 percent) of women surveyed said they know at least a fair amount about breast cancer, many remain unaware of the important recent progress made in treatment.

16 Jun 2007

Gene implicated in the development of cancer cells can be switched on using drugs

A gene implicated in the development of cancer cells can be switched on using drugs, report researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

16 Jun 2007

Newer breast cancer drug may protect heart

By uncovering how one breast cancer drug protects the heart and another does not, Duke University Medical Center researchers believe they may have opened up a new way to screen drugs for possible heart-related side effects and to develop new drugs.

16 Jun 2007

Sensitivity to diverse range of chemotherapeutic drugs linked to common pathway

Using a functional genomic screen, scientists have defined elements that impact the responsiveness of cancer cells to drugs commonly used as anticancer therapeutics.

15 Jun 2007

Double-duty nanoparticles overcome drug resistance in tumors

Cancer cells, like bacteria, can develop resistance to drug therapy. In fact, research suggests strongly that multidrug resistant cancer cells that remain alive after chemotherapy are responsible for the reappearance of tumors and the poor prognosis for patients whose cancer recurs.

14 Jun 2007

Priority review granted for oral formulation of HYCAMTIN (topotecan)

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has announced that its new drug application (NDA) for ORAL HYCAMTIN (topotecan) capsules, a treatment for relapsed small cell lung cancer (SCLC), has been granted Priority Review by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

14 Jun 2007

Gamma-secretase acts as a tumor suppressor

Researchers at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) have provided the first evidence that gamma-secretase, an enzyme key to the progression of Alzheimer's, acts as a tumor suppressor by altering the pathway of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a potential treatment target for cancer.

14 Jun 2007

New Rochester program to coordinate patient care, research for patients suffering with brain and spinal tumors

The University of Rochester Medical Center and its Department of Neurosurgery are establishing a new multidisciplinary program to coordinate patient care, research and community outreach efforts for patients suffering with brain and spinal tumors.

8 Jun 2007