NEWS

Chemoradiation May Help Some Patients with Bladder Cancer Avoid Radical Surgery

Researchers in the United Kingdom have found that adding chemotherapy to radiation therapy as a treatment for bladder cancer may reduce the risk of a recurrence more than radiation alone, without causing a substantial increase in side effects.

The combined treatment approach—known as chemoradiation—was tested in 360 patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, a potentially deadly form of the disease. Results from the randomized phase III study appeared in the April 19 New England Journal of Medicine. Read more > >

• Type of Surgery Affects Long-Term Survival in Early-Stage Kidney Cancer

  Removal of entire kidney still common, despite data supporting removal of tumor only

• Survival Differences Persist Between Black and White Children with Cancer

  Findings suggest equal access to team-oriented care can narrow survival differences

• Hispanics Have Lower Death Rates for Common Lung Cancer

  Lung cancer subtypes associated with better survival are more common in Hispanics

• Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer May Benefit from Starting Mammography at Age 40

  Studies use modeling to compare benefits and harms across age and risk groups

• Combination Targeted Therapy for Liver Cancer Shows Promise in Mice

  Based on findings, researchers have initiated an early-phase clinical trial

• Also in the Journals: New Diet and Exercise Guidelines for Cancer Survivors

• Also in the Journals: Prostate Cancer Screening Rates in Elderly Men Unchanged Despite 2008 Recommendations

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How Does NCI Fund Grant Applications?

In the 2011 fiscal year, NCI received 4,477 applications for R01 research grants, of which 652 (or approximately 15 percent) received funding. R01 grants are the most common type of NIH research grant. View charts and a table summarizing the overall funding patterns for R01 and R21 grants in various categories of investigators online.