In Sloan-Kettering study, new drug shows promise for patients with advanced kidney cancer
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 05/22/2012) - People with advanced kidney cancer may have a new alternative in their limited arsenal of treatment options that are both well tolerated and effective against the disease. New research led by Memorial Sloan-Kettering has shown that the investigational drug tivozanib is more effective than an approved targeted therapy called sorafenib (Nexavar®) in delaying the growth of their cancer.

Duke study finds cholesterol-lowering drugs may slow benign prostate growth
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 05/22/2012) - Statin drugs prescribed to treat high cholesterol may also work to slow benign prostate growth in men who have elevated PSA levels, according to an analysis led by researchers at Duke University Medical Center. The finding, presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, provides additional insight into the effects statins have on the prostate. Previous studies at Duke and elsewhere had found a link between the cholesterol drugs and lower levels of PSA, a protein produced by the prostate that is often elevated by cancer or by non-lethal prostatic diseases.

Fred Hutchinson study finds that moderate weight loss reduces levels of sex hormones linked with increased risk of breast cancer
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 05/22/2012) - Even a moderate amount of weight loss can significantly reduce levels of circulating estrogens that are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center – the first randomized, controlled clinical trial to test the effects of weight loss on sex hormones in overweight and obese postmenopausal women, a group at elevated risk for breast cancer.

Mayo Clinic study finds pancreatic cancer may be detected with simple intestinal probe
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 05/22/2012) - By simply shining a tiny light within the small intestine, close to that organ's junction with the pancreas, physicians at Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida have been able to detect pancreatic cancer 100 percent of the time in a small study. The light, attached to a probe, measures changes in cells and blood vessels in the small intestine produced by a growing cancer in the adjoining pancreas.

Multi-institute study finds folic acid may reduce some childhood cancers
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 05/21/2012) - Folic acid fortification of foods may reduce the incidence of the most common type of kidney cancer and a type of brain tumors in children, finds a new study from the University of Minnesota and Washington University in St. Louis. Incidence reductions were found for Wilms' tumor, a type of kidney cancer, and primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET), a type of brain cancer.

Beth Israel/Harvard study finds relief of urinary symptoms is an underappreciated benefit of early stage prostate cancer treatment
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 05/21/2012) - Treatment of early stage prostate cancer can also result in improved quality of life for a subgroup of men who suffer from lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), according to an abstract of a Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center-led study presented to the American Urological Association. LUTS, which includes problems of frequent or urgent urination, particularly at night, is a common problem that affects approximately 40 percent of men, a percentage that rises with age. It is not a reason to suspect prostate cancer.

University of Wisconsin study finds sleep apnea associated with higher mortality from cancer
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 05/21/2012) - Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), commonly known as sleep apnea, is associated with an increased risk of cancer mortality, according to a new study. While previous studies have associated SDB with increased risks of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, depression, and early death, this is the first human study to link apnea with higher rate of cancer mortality, showing a nearly five times higher incidence of cancer deaths in patients with severe SDB compared to those without the disorder, a result that echoes previous findings in animal studies.

University of Chicago study finds web-based video enhances patient compliance with cancer screening
NCI Cancer Center News
(Posted: 05/21/2012) - Patients who watch an online instructional video are more likely to keep their appointments and arrive prepared for a scheduled colonoscopy than those who do not, according to a study by gastroenterologists at the University of Chicago Medicine. The study, presented at the 2012 annual Digestive Diseases Week meeting in San Diego, CA, found that among patients age 50 to 65 – the primary target for colon cancer screening – those who watched the video were 40 percent less likely to cancel an appointment.