Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is a disease in which the cells of the lung tissues grow uncontrollably and form tumors. There are two kinds of lung cancers, primary and secondary. Primary lung cancer (also called adenocarcinoma) starts in the lung itself. Primary lung cancer is divided into small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, depending on how the cells look under the microscope. Secondary lung cancer is cancer that starts somewhere else in the body (for example, the breast or colon) and spreads to the lungs.

Cancer mortality declined in Europe

New figures on cancer in Europe show a steady decline in mortality but big variations — Large variations in mortality exist between countries and between men and women – New figures on deaths from cancer in Europe show a steady decline in mortality between the periods 1990-1994 and 2000-2004. Deaths from all cancers in the European Union (EU) between these two periods fell by nine percent in men and eight percent in women, with a large drop among the middle-aged population.

Few questions can determine risk for lung cancer

Study spotlights efficacy of questionnaire to identify patients at high risk for lung cancer — Asking a few questions can help determine risk for lung cancer – Aa simple questionnaire designed to identify patients at high risk of lung cancer is found helpful. The new study is featured in the November issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.

Public smoking bans reduce heart attacks

Banning smoking in public places and workplaces is good for the heart — Inhaling secondhand smoke greatly increases risk of heart attack, even among young and nonsmokers. – Public smoking bans appear to significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks, particularly among younger individuals and nonsmokers, revealed by researchers in a new study.

Surgery remans an option for lung cancer patients

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.

Thalidomide does not improve survival in lung cancer

JNCI news brief: Thalidomide does not improve survival in small cell lung cancer – Treating patients with thalidomide in combination with chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) did not improve their survival but did increase their risk of blood clots, revealed by researchers.

Lilly’s lung cancer drug Alimta is approved in US

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves first maintenance drug therapy for advanced lung cancer — Alimta, pemetrexed. – Eli Lilly’s lung cancer drug Alimta (pemetrexed) — the first drug available for maintenance therapy of advanced or metastatic lung cancer, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, USA.

Cancer – a concern in schizophrenia patients

Study finds cancer is the second most frequent cause of death in individuals with schizophrenia – Schizophrenia patients are four times as likely to die from all causes and are 50 percent more likely to die from cancer compared to people in the general population, revealed by researchers.

Stem cell protein LIN28 offers a new cancer target

LIN28, which maintains cell ‘stemness,’ is abundant in advanced cancers and transforms cells to cancerous state – A protein abundant in embryonic stem cells is now shown to be important in cancer, and offers a possible new target for drug development, report researchers from the Stem Cell Program at Children’s Hospital Boston.

Vandetanib with docetaxel improve lung cancer survival

Vandetanib Shows Clinical Benefit When Combined With Docetaxel for Lung Cancer. Combination of targeted agent, chemotherapy improves progression-free survival; therapy inhibits both VEGFR and EGFR. – When combined with standard chemotherapy, an international Phase III trial has shown that the oral targeted therapy vandetanib improves progression-free survival for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, according to research from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Stem cell clue to lung cancer development

Scientists discover stem cell clue to lung cancer development – Cancer Research UK scientists have revealed that stem cells become ‘activated’ in severely damaged lungs and help to repair them, according to a study published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences.