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.
Eating one or more portions of broccoli every week can reduce the risk of prostate cancer, and the risk of localised cancer becoming more aggressive. – For the first time, a UK research group at the Institute of Food Research led by Professor Richard Mithen has provided an explanation of how eating broccoli might reduce cancer risk based upon studies in men, as opposed to trying to extrapolate from animal models.
The combination of two different biotherapies may be beneficial for patients with inoperable melanoma, according to a University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) study presented at the 44th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago. – The combination of two different biotherapies (interferon alfa-2b and tremelimumab) may be beneficial for patients with inoperable melanoma, revealed by researchers in US.
Results published today from a study led by researchers from The Translational Genomic Research Institute (TGen) in Phoenix, Arizona and The Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), Queensland, Australia, however, may yet change these statistics. The team is close to discovering a new gene that could help explain variation in melanoma risk. – The researchers are close to discovering a new gene that could help explain variation in melanoma risk. They have identified a region on chromosome 20 (20q11.22) that influences a person’s risk of developing melanoma.
Maintaining bone density could be a key to decreasing the spread of cancer in women with locally advanced breast cancer. Bones are common sites for the spread, or metastasis, of breast cancer. – Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that women treated for stage II/III breast cancer who also received a bone strengthening drug zoledronic acid were less likely to have breast tumor cells growing in their bones after three months.
Researchers from four continents announced the launch of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), a major collaboration designed to identify the key genetic mutations involved in up to 50 types of cancer. – The International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), which includes the Wellcome Trust and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the UK, will generate a valuable resource enabling the development of new and better ways of diagnosing, treating and preventing cancer.
Two studies find mammograms benefit women up to the age of 75, and that three-yearly screening intervals are best. – Breast cancer screening is effective, appropriate and reduces deaths from the disease in women aged up to 75 years old according to new research in over 860,000 women aged 70-75 presented at the 6th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-6) in Berlin.
There may be a way to directly create cancer stem cells in the lab so you don?t always have to purify these rare cells from patients in order to study them directly. – With a bit of genetic trickery, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have turned normal skin cells into cancer stem cells, a step that will make these naturally rare cells easier to study.
Within weeks, women suffering from a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer will have access to a new drug on the PBS that will improve quality of life and prolong some lives. – Women suffering from a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer will have access to a new drug lapatinib (Tykerb) on the PBS that will improve quality of life and prolong some lives, reported by Australian Department of Health and Ageing.
Fasting for two days protects healthy cells against chemotherapy, according to a study appearing online the week of March 31 in PNAS Early Edition. – Fasting for two days protects healthy cells against chemotherapy, according to a study appearing online the week of March 31 in PNAS Early Edition. Test tube experiments with human cells confirmed the differential resistance of normal and cancer cells to chemotherapy after a short period of starvation.
Six new genes identified which play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes, and among the group is the second gene known to also play a role in prostate cancer. – Scientists have identified six new genes which play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes, and among the group is the second gene known to also play a role in prostate cancer.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for peri- and postmenopausal symptoms increases disease recurrence in breast cancer survivors. – A new study HABITS revealed that breast cancer survivors who took hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for peri- and postmenopausal symptoms increases disease recurrence than those who did not take HRT.
Shorter radiotherapy treatments have been used in the UK for many years with promising results but this is the first systematic and reliable evaluation to compare the longer international treatment and the shorter revised UK treatment. – A lower total dose of radiotherapy, delivered in fewer, larger treatments has been shown to be as effective as the international standard of a higher total dose delivered over a longer time to treat women with early breast cancer ? according to new research published in the Lancet and Lancet Oncology today.
