Cancer
Researchers Break Chain of Events That Brain Cancer Cells Use to Evade Therapy
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In their quest to find and exploit vulnerabilities in the natural armor that protects malignant brain tumors from destruction, researchers have found a way to decrease the cells’ resistance to therapies that are designed to trigger cell death. The findings resulted from laboratory experiments conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and are based on the manipulation of a series of intricate biochemical events taking place within brain tumor cells.
“We have described and are exploiting a biochemical pathway to make brain cancers much more sensitive to common therapeutic agents that cause a natural process of cell death called apoptosis,” said John S. Yu, M.D., co-director of the Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program at the Institute, adding that the researchers are applying for Food and Drug Administration approval to translate their findings into patient clinical trials as soon as possible.
Milder types of skin cancer may raise melanoma risk
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Women who’ve had common, highly curable forms of skin cancer may face a heightened risk of the deadlier skin tumor melanoma, researchers have found.
Their study of more than 67,000 white postmenopausal women found that those with a history of non-melanoma skin cancer were 70 percent more likely than other women to develop melanoma during the study period.
Scientists may have found meat link to colon cancer
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Scientists said on Tuesday they may have found a reason why eating too much red meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer.
By studying cells from volunteers eating different diets, they discovered that red meat raises levels of compounds in the large bowel, which can alter DNA and increase the likelihood of cancer.
Alcohol underestimated as cancer cause: scientists
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Along with smoking and chronic infections, alcohol consumption is an important cause of several types of cancer, researchers said on Monday.
Excessive drinking raises the risk of cancer of the mouth, larynx, oesophagus, liver, colon and breast. It may also be linked with cancer of the pancreas and lung.
Surgery Best for Controlling Breast Cancer in Elderly Women
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Although women over age 70 are rarely offered surgery to treat their breast cancer, a new review of recent studies suggests surgery works better than hormone therapy to stop the progression of breast cancer in older women with operable tumors.
Although there was no significant difference in how long the women lived after having either surgery or first-line hormone therapy such as tamoxifen only, two of the studies found that women can go longer without their breast cancer becoming worse if they have surgery.
CT scan risks in cystic fibrosis likely to rise
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The increased cancer risk from annual CT scanning of patients with cystic fibrosis is currently modest, but will become more substantial as patients with the disease live longer, an international team of researchers reports.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the glands that produce sweat and mucus, with the most significant damage occurring in the lungs and digestive system. Mucus in cystic fibrosis patients becomes thick and accumulates in the lungs and intestines, resulting in breathing problems, frequent respiratory infections and poor nutrition. Because most patients die of lung disease, the primary goal of cystic fibrosis therapy is to help keep the airways clear and avoid respiratory infections.
Cancer plan progresses but problems remain -MPs
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A 10-year plan to cut deaths from cancer in England has made significant progress but a clear gap between rich and poor areas of the country remains, a report by an influential committee of MPs said on Thursday.
The government’s NHS Cancer Plan, set up in 2000, aimed to provide a comprehensive strategy for tackling the disease with the creation of 34 networks to improve prevention and diagnosis, and ensure patients received the best treatment.
Researchers use new approach to ‘break the code’ for liver cancer test
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Scientists at Birmingham University are using cutting edge technologies to move closer to a blood test that will improve early diagnosis of liver cancer in high risk groups, according to research published in the British Journal of Cancer.
Cancer which first arises in the liver, or hepatocellular carcinoma, is the sixth most common cancer in the world, being especially widespread in East Asia. Treatment works better the earlier it is administered, so finding a way to pick up small tumours in the liver is crucial. High-risk groups, such as people with cirrhosis of the liver, can be monitored currently, but tests are not sensitive enough to detect the disease early.
Consumption of Omega-3 Fatty Acids Unlikely to Reduce Cancer Risk
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A review of numerous studies finds no strong evidence indicating a significantly reduced risk of cancer associated with the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, according to an article in the January 25 issue of JAMA.
Epidemiological studies have suggested that groups of people who consume diets high in omega-3 fatty acids, found in certain fish and vegetables, may experience a lower prevalence of some types of cancer, according to background information in the article. Many small trials have attempted to assess the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on cancer treatment by adding omega-3 fatty acid to the diet either as omega-3 fatty acid–rich foods or as dietary supplements. Because of the results of some studies, a number of omega-3 fatty acid–containing dietary supplements have appeared on the market claiming to protect against the development of a variety of conditions including cancer, even though studies have reported mixed results.
Painkillers may cut risk of ovarian cancer
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Regular use of common painkillers is associated with a reduced risk of ovarian cancer, according to the results of a recent population-based study. Still, researchers say they are a long way from recommending these drugs solely for possibly preventing ovarian cancer.
In the study, women who used any NSAID—i.e., non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen—in the preceding 5 years were 28 percent less likely to develop ovarian cancer than were nonusers. The risk reduction was strongest with aspirin—37 percent.
Genomic Health says Medicare to cover cancer test
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Genomic Health Inc. said on Friday that Medicare has agreed to cover the company’s test for determining whether a woman with early breast cancer is likely to be helped by chemotherapy, sending the company’s shares up as much as 35 percent.
Genomic rose $2.46, or 25 percent, to $12.41 on Nasdaq at mid-afternoon.
Dogs may be able to sniff out cancer
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Dogs’ keen sense of smell might help in the early diagnosis of cancer, researchers report in the current issue of Integrative Cancer Therapies. The findings show that trained ordinary household dogs can detect early-stage lung and breast cancers by merely sniffing the breath samples of patients.
“We’ve seen anecdotal evidence before suggesting that dogs can smell the presence of certain types of cancer,” Michael McCulloch, from the Pine Street Foundation in San Anselmo, California, told Reuters Health, “but until now, nobody had conducted a thorough study such as this.” Researchers have observed that cancer cells release molecules different from those of their healthy counterparts, and that might be perceived by smell by the highly sensitive dog’s nose.
UK cancer patients “wait too long” for treatment
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Many British patients suffering from cancer are waiting too long before being seen by a specialist, although referral times have improved over the last five years, a House of Commons committee said on Thursday.
Around 40 percent of people ultimately diagnosed with cancer were not referred urgently and were not seen by a specialist within two weeks of referral in 2004, the Public Accounts Committee said in a report.
“Gamma knife” treatment can extend cancer survival
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Many patients can survive for years after undergoing effective gamma knife radiosurgery for cancers that have spread to the brain, according to a new report.
As many as 40 percent of patients with systemic malignancies have cancers that spread (metastasize) to the brain, the authors explain, and radiosurgery of these metastases can extend survival to 13 months or longer, depending on the tumor type.
St. Jude projects 90 percent cure rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia
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The cure rate for the once almost universally fatal childhood cancer acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) could reach 90 percent in the near future, thanks to improvements in diagnosis and treatment over the past four decades, according to investigators at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Almost 4,000 cases of ALL are diagnosed in the United States each year, about two-thirds of which are in children and adolescents, making this disease the most common cancer in this age group.
