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 alternative to biopsy detects subtle changes in cancer cells, Stanford study shows. – A drop of blood or a chunk of tissue smaller than the period at the end of this sentence may one day be all that is necessary to diagnose cancers and assess their response to treatment, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
University of Leicester team examine potential of new nano technology to pave way for development of a combined diagnosis/therapeutic strategy for cancer. – A multi-disciplinary team of scientists from the University of Leicester could be potentially paving the way for the development of a powerful new strategy for both the early diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.
PROVENGE Significantly Prolongs Survival in Men with Advanced Prostate Cancer in Pivotal Phase 3 IMPACT Study. – Dendreon Corporation (Nasdaq: DNDN) announced that the pivotal Phase 3 IMPACT study of PROVENGE (sipuleucel-T) in men with advanced prostate cancer met its primary endpoint of improving overall survival compared to a placebo control.
Scientists unravel crucial skin cancer switch – melanoma skin cancers could be triggered by a particular genetic mutation. – Up to 70 per cent of melanoma skin cancers could be triggered by a particular genetic mutation, according to a study by The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) published in Cancer.
For a woman in the screening subset of mammography-detectable cancers, there is a less than 5% chance that a mammogram will save her life. – Women are often told that mammography saves lives. But rarely is the question asked, ‘how often?’
New research shows lower educational outcomes for survivors of childhood cancer – New research funded by the Canadian Cancer Society has discovered poor educational achievement and learning difficulties for some childhood cancer survivors, especially those diagnosed with brain tumours.
Getting down to cancer basics — Cancer mutations in the heart of gene regulation. – Researchers have identified a new cancer gene – one that is common to many cancers and affects the most basic regulation of our genes.
Omega-3 fatty acids reduce risk of advanced prostate cancer – Omega-3 fatty acids appear protective against advanced prostate cancer, and this effect may be modified by a genetic variant in the COX-2 gene, according to a report in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Risk of aggressive breast cancer subtype 3 times higher for black women – Lifestyle, age and weight have all been considered as risk factors for breast cancer. Now a study published in the open access journal Breast Cancer Research has found that even taking these factors into consideration, black women face three times the risk of developing an aggressive ‘triple negative tumour’ compared to women of other racial backgrounds.
Boston University School of Medicine receives $10.5 million pledge to create a Breast Cancer Research Center. – Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) has received a pledge of $10.5 million to create a Breast Cancer Research Center, including an assistant professorship and an international scholars training program, from a Boston University School of Medicine graduate who wishes to remain anonymous. This pledge represents the largest individual gift received by the School of Medicine.
New international research has linked heavier drinking and prostate cancer. – An international research team from Australia, Canada and the United States found that men who drank two or more standard drinks of alcohol a day are more likely to develop prostate cancer.
Ovarian cancer screening would be feasible in primary care, according to the early results of a major Department of Health, UK funded analysis. – Blood test combined with ultrasound scan can diagnose ovarian cancer (gynecological cancer) early in postmenopausal women, almost 2 years earlier than normal, reported by the British researchers in the Lancet.
