Cancer is not just one disease, but a large group of almost one hundred diseases. Its two main characteristics are uncontrolled growth of the cells in the human body and the ability of these cells to migrate from the original site and spread to distant sites. If the spread is not controlled, cancer can result in death.
New method takes aim at aggressive cancer cells — Researchers use novel stem-cell method to discover chemical with potency against breast tumors in mice. – A multi-institutional team of Boston-area researchers has discovered a chemical salinomycin that works in mice to kill the rare but aggressive cells within breast cancers that have the ability to seed new tumors.
MRI may be unnecessary prior to treatment in most newly diagnosed breast cancer patients — New Study in Journal of the American College of Surgeons Finds Those Who Undergo MRI More Likely to Have Premature Mastectomy. – New research findings published in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons challenge the routine use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a means to improve surgical outcomes in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients.
Cost-effectiveness of cetuximab in metastatic colorectal cancer – From a health-care system perspective, it may be more efficient to use the drug cetuximab only in colorectal cancer patients whose tumors have a wild-type KRAS gene, according to a study published online August 7 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Women often opt to surgically remove their breasts, ovaries to reduce cancer risk – Many women at high risk for breast or ovarian cancer are choosing to undergo surgery as a precautionary measure to decrease their cancer risk, revealed by US researchers.
Moving to the US increases cancer risk for Hispanics – Different Hispanic population groups have higher incidence rates of certain cancers and worse cancer outcomes if they live in the United States, than they do if they live in their homelands, revealed by researchers.
FDA: Cancer Warnings Required for TNF Blockers – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requiring stronger warnings in the prescribing information for a class of drugs known as TNF blockers or TNF inhibitors.
Pancreatic cancer risk decreased by one anti-diabetic therapy, increased by others – The antidiabetic medication metformin is associated with a reduced risk of pancreatic cancer in diabetics, revealed by researchers. However, other commonly used therapies, such as insulin or insulin secretagogues, may be associated with increased risk.
Stem cell ‘daughters’ lead to breast cancer — Breast cells are likely to be responsible for breast cancers. – Breast cells called luminal progenitor cells are likely to be responsible for breast cancers that develop in women carrying mutations in the gene BRCA1, revealed by researchers.
In the modern post-PSA era, prostate cancer surgery may not be necessary for some patients — Study finds few patients die from prostate cancer within 15 years of radical prostatectomy. – Prostate surgery prostatectomy is found very effective in preventing death in men with aggressive prostate cancers, revealed by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), Cleveland Clinic and the University of Michigan.
Mathematical modeling predicts response to Herceptin in breast cancer patients. – Cancer researchers are turning to mathematical models to help answer important clinical questions, and a new paper in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, illustrates how the technique may answer questions about Herceptin resistance.
Ovarian cancer tests flawed, in need of new design, says Stanford study — Tiny early stage ovarian tumors define early detection challenge. – Current diagnostic tests for ovarian cancer are woefully ineffective for early detection of the disease, say researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Surgery remans an option for advanced lung cancer after standard chemotherapy and radiation. – Surgery after standard chemotherapy and radiation can be an option for lung cancer patients, revealed by researchers in new study published in the Lancet.
