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Oncology
AspIrin's role in reducing cancer risks
Aspirin may slow the spread of some types of colon and pancreatic cancer cells, found a US study, while a Chinese study and meta-analysis...
Blood thinners safe with brain metastases
Cancer patients with brain metastases who develop blood clots may safely receive blood thinners without increased risk of dangerous bleeding.
Prolaris test in prostate cancer care
Clinical data for the Prolaris test show a 'significant ability' to help physicians improve care for men diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Less invasive lung cancer diagnostic tool
As an alternative to more invasive techniques, researchers at Boston University have discovered that the thin epithelial cells that line the airway show changes that indicate whether a lung growth is malignant.
Improving OCSCC cancer survival
Neck dissection to remove lymph nodes and treatment at academic institutions was associated with improved survival in patients with stages I and II oral cavity squamous cell cancer (OCSCC), according to a Yale study.
Clarity on kidney cancer treatments
A head-to-head comparison of two biologic therapies used to treat some advanced kidney cancers provides much-needed clarity on the preferred treatment.
Clinicians must understand information needs
Clinicians need to understand the differing needs of cancer survivors in order to better address concerns about cancer recurrence, late effects, and family members' risks.
No association between PTSD and cancer
In the largest study to date that examines Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a risk factor for cancer, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine have shown no evidence of an association.
Cancer drug gets a second life
TAS-102, a drug developed 50 years ago and abandoned because it was considered to be too toxic, has gained a second life in an international clinical trial. It has been found to extend the lives of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.
Marriage benefits cancer recovery
A growing body of research shows being married greatly increases patients' chances of being cured of cancer. The benefit is likely to extend to anyone in a close personal relationship and appears to come from their partner's ability to detect the early signs of cancer.
Statins slow progression of prostate cancer
The use of cholesterol-lowering statins when men initiated androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer was associated with longer time to progression of the disease.
New screening 40% better at finding breast cancer
Tomosynthesis detects 40% more breast cancers than traditional mammography does, according to a major screening study from Lund University, Sweden.
Pricey cancer drugs gets rushed approvals despite poor trials
Highly priced cancer drugs get rushed approvals from benign regulatory authorities, despite poor trial methodology and little effect on the longevity of patients, cautions a British-American study. Unlike most other diseases, cancer instils a special fear and 'is treated as an evil, invincible predator, not just a disease', the authors note.
Researchers compared 8942 oncology clinical trials conducted between 2007 and 2010 with trials for other diseases. Trials for cancer drugs were 2.8 times more likely not to be randomised, 2.6 times more likely not to use a comparator (single arm), and 1.8 times more likely not to be blinded.
Later obesity linked to cancer tx in youth
Individuals who had cancer as a child may be at increased risk of being obese due to the therapies they received during their youth.
New HPV vaccine shows promise
The new 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine, can potentially prevent 80% of cervical cancers in the US, if given to all 11- or 12-year-old children before they are exposed to the virus.
Addition of radiotherapy in prostate cancer
Men with prostate cancer that has spread to nearby lymph nodes, who have a significant risk of dying, can benefit from the addition of radiation therapy to treatments that block the effects of testosterone.
Rociletinib improves lung cancer outcomes
Rociletinib, a new drug against EGFR-mutation driven lung tumours resistant to current therapies, is significantly improving outcomes for patients, the phase I/II clinical trial shows.
GIST and other malignancies
One in 5.8 patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) will develop additional malignancies before and after their diagnosis.
Statins reduce risk of death in lung cancer
Lung cancer patients who used statins in the year prior to a lung cancer diagnosis or after a lung cancer diagnosis had a reduction in the risk of death from the disease, according to a Queen's University Belfast study.
Aspirin linked to 47% lower cervical cancer risk
Long-term and frequent use of aspirin is associated with 47% decreased risk of cervical cancer, according to a study led by researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
Cloudy skies link to pancreatic cancer risk
Pancreatic cancer rates are highest in countries with the least amount of sunlight.
ACP best practice for cervical cancer testing
The American College of Physicians (ACP) has released clinical advice aimed at reducing overuse of cervical cancer screening in average risk women without symptoms.
Good results from ovarian cancer blood test
A new screening test that tracks changing levels of a protein in the blood can detect twice as many ovarian cancers as conventional methods, a 14-year British trial has found.
Telomeres help with cancer diagnostics
A distinct pattern in the changing length of blood telomeres, the protective end caps on our DNA strands, can predict cancer many years before actual diagnosis, according to a new study from Northwestern Medicine in collaboration with Harvard University.
Breastfeeding cuts breast cancer recurrence
Women with breast cancer who previously breastfed their babies had a 30% decreased risk of the disease recurring, according to a Kaiser Permanente study.
Coffee halves risk of some breast cancer recurrence
A Lund University, Sweden, study claims women diagnosed with breast cancer who are taking the drug tamoxifen could halve their risk of recurrence by drinking coffee.
HCV increases cancer risk 'significantly'
Cancer rates in patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) were significantly increased compared to the non-HCV cohort.
'Chemo brain' is real – study
Chemotherapy can lead to excessive mind wandering and an inability to concentrate. Dubbed 'chemo-brain,' the negative cognitive effects of the cancer treatment have long been suspected.
Radioactive 'seeds' successful with prostate cancer
A prostate cancer treatment using permanently implanted radioactive 'seeds' doubles rates of five-year tumour-free survival compared with conventional high-dose radiotherapy.
Study addresses ‘chemo brain’
Researchers have developed a cognitive rehabilitation programme to address post-cancer treatment cognitive changes, sometimes known as 'chemo brain', which can affect up to 35% of post-treatment breast cancer patients.
Melanoma combo-drug advance
University of California researchers found a new triple combination therapy shows promising signs of more effectively controlling advanced melanoma than previous treatments and with fewer side effects.
CRISPR targets and kills blood cancer cells
Australian researchers have developed a genome editing technology, called CRISPR, that targets and kills blood cancer cells with high accuracy, providing proof of concept of a direct treatment for human diseases arising from genetic 'errors'.
Remove less in liver cancer surgery – study
An approach in which a surgeon removes less than a lobe of the liver in a patient undergoing an operation for liver cancer, is associated with lower mortality and complication rates, according to a Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre study.
Molecule makes cancer cells self-destruct
US researchers have developed and characterised a molecule that interferes with the internal regulation of cancer cells, causing them to self-destruct.
Suicide risk with bladder cancer
Older, single white males with advanced bladder cancer have the highest suicide risk among those with other cancers of the male genitals and urinary system, US researchers report.
BTK inhibitor effective in leukaemia
For patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia the Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor is effective and prognosis is poor after discontinuation, a study has found.
Graphene neutralises cancer stem cells
University of Manchester scientists have used graphene to target and neutralise cancer stem cells while not harming other cells.
The 'golden hour' in paediatric cancer tx
Paediatric cancer patients who receive antibiotics within 60 minutes of reporting fever and showing neutropenia, have decreased intensive care needs and lower mortality.
Chemo after bladder cancer surgery
Patients that received chemotherapy after bladder cancer surgery demonstrated an approximately 30% lower risk of death than those that underwent surgery alone, according to an analysis to be at the 2015 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.
Kidney cancer drugs found not effective
Two widely used targeted therapy drugs – approved for use in metastatic kidney cancer – are no more effective than a placebo in achieving disease-free survival, according to an ECOG-ACRIN study.