Chemotherapy Archives

Breast cancer charity Komen overstated screening benefits

Breast cancer charity under fire for overstating the benefits of screening — Experts challenge ‘pink ribbon’ creator for misusing statistics to generate false hope – Professors Lisa Schwartz and Steven Woloshin of the Center for Medicine and the Media at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice argue that last year’s breast cancer awareness month campaign by Susan G Komen for the Cure “overstates the benefit of mammography and ignores harms altogether.”

Prostate cancer treatment with gold nanoparticles found effective

Gold nanoparticles could treat prostate cancer with fewer side effects than chemotherapy — In new study published in PNAS, scientists found that nanoparticles, produced from chemicals in tea, reduced tumors by 80 percent – Currently, large doses of chemotherapy are required when treating certain forms of cancer, resulting in toxic side effects. The chemicals enter the body and work to destroy or shrink the tumor, but also harm vital organs and drastically affect bodily functions. Now, University of Missouri scientists have found a more efficient way of targeting prostate tumors by using gold nanoparticles and a compound found in tea leaves.

Quality of life at end of life for patients with cancer

Study examines quality of life factors at end of life for patients with cancer – Better quality of life at the end of life for patients with advanced cancer was associated with avoiding hospitalizations and the intensive care unit, worrying less, praying or meditating, being visited by a pastor in a hospital or clinic, and having a therapeutic alliance with their physician.

GI cancers risk higher among childhood cancer survivors

Study finds high risk of GI cancers among childhood cancer survivors – Survivors of childhood cancers are at an increased risk of another battle with cancer later in life, according to new research published by the Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers found that childhood cancer survivors develop these malignancies at a rate nearly five times that of the general population.

Bevacizumab with chemotherapy provides no survival benefit for lung cancer patients

Adding drug to standard chemotherapy provides no survival benefit for older lung cancer patients – Adding the drug bevacizumab (Avastin) to the standard chemotherapy regimen for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) ? an approach approved by the FDA in 2006 ? did not lead to significantly increase survival rates for patients over the age of 65 enrolled in Medicare.

Whole genome breast cancer study launched by Mayo Clinic USA

Mayo Clinic launches whole genome breast cancer study – The Breast Cancer Genome Guided Therapy Study (BEAUTY Project) will help physicians tailor chemotherapy to breast cancer patients based on their individual genomes and the genomes of their tumors.

Cancer treatment with personalised approach to cancer patients

The path to personalized cancer treatment — Researchers identify genetic markers of drug sensitivity in cancer cells – Recently researchers have profiled genetic changes in cancer with drug sensitivity in order to develop a personalised approach to cancer treatments. They uncovered hundreds of associations between mutations in cancer genes and sensitivity to anticancer drugs.

New melanoma drug doubles survival of skin cancer patients

Skin cancer drug hopes raised by study — Advanced melanoma drug nearly doubles survival time – Investigators from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) and 12 other centers in the United States and Australia have found that a new drug for patients with metastatic melanoma nearly doubled median overall survival.

New lung cancer test could accurately guide treatment for people with lung cancer

New lung cancer test predicts survival — Clinical studies in US and China show molecular test could more accurately guide treatment for people with lung cancer – In the two largest clinical studies ever conducted on the molecular genetics of lung cancer, an international team led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has demonstrated that an available molecular test can predict the likelihood of death from early-stage lung cancer more accurately than conventional methods.

Regorafenib improves survival of colorectal cancer patients

Drug improves survival of colorectal cancer patients, trial results show – Regorafenib – an investigational drug – slowed the progression of tumors and lengthened the lives of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. This is the first novel agent in eight years to show improvement in overall survival of colon cancer patients who have run out of treatment options.

Breast cancer vaccine reduces tumours in mice

Scientists develop vaccine that attacks breast cancer in mice — Implications for the treatment of ovarian, colorectal and pancreatic cancer, as well – Researchers have developed a vaccine that dramatically reduces tumors in a mouse model that mimics 90 percent of human breast and pancreatic cancer cases-including those that are resistant to common treatments.

Breast cancer survivors may experience mental abilities problems

Breast cancer survivors struggle with cognitive problems several years after treatment – Breast cancer survivors may experience problems with certain mental abilities several years after breast cancer treatment, regardless of whether they were treated with breast cancer chemotherapy plus radiation or radiation for breast cancer only.