New on NCI’s Websites for July 2021

July 13, 2021, by NCI Staff

Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer

The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer provides recent trends in rates of new cancer cases (incidence) and death rates (mortality) in the United States. The most recent Annual Report to the Nation was released on July 8 and appears in JNCI: The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

NCI Equity and Inclusion Program

NCI is committed to ending structural racism in biomedical research. This page discusses the NCI Equity and Inclusion Program (EIP), including why NCI launched the EIP, the program’s goals, how it plans to accomplish the goals, and how progress will be tracked.

Stories to Commemorate 50 Years of the National Cancer Act

The stories of the National Cancer Act are as unique as cancer itself. Learn about the pioneers who have helped move cancer research and care forward. The collection includes stories on cancer health disparities, the power of cancer research data, clinical trials, cancer survivorship, cervical cancer, and more.

Cancer Trends Progress Report

The Cancer Trends Progress Report is an online report that tracks the nation's progress against cancer across the cancer continuum—from prevention through end of life—and compares that progress to Healthy People 2030 goals set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services. The report was updated July 1 with new data on key measures of progress along the cancer control continuum and uses national trend data to illustrate where improvements have been made. 

Frederick National Laboratory Launches New Website 

NCI’s Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR) is one of 18 national laboratories and the only one dedicated to biomedical research. FNLCR has launched a new website to tell the story of this unique research and development center and share its wealth of knowledge and resources.

Video—An Introduction to SEER

NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program provides information on cancer statistics to help reduce the burden of cancer for the US population. Since 1973, SEER has collected data on cancer cases from various locations and sources throughout the United States.

A Conversation with Center for Cancer Research Immunotherapy Experts

Immunotherapy has become a cornerstone of cancer treatment over the past few years, but NCI scientists have been working for decades to develop and refine many of the immunotherapies that are now making their way into doctor’s offices and cancer clinics. Meet three scientists in NCI’s Surgery Branch, part of the Center for Cancer Research (CCR), who are working to improve these life-extending treatments.

New CCR Research Findings

A clinical trial led by NCI physician–scientists found that children, teens, and young adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) who received a stem cell transplant after CD19-targeting CAR T-cell therapy lived longer than those treated with CAR T-cell therapy alone.

An international phase 3 clinical trial compared sunitinib (Sutent) with the combination of nivolumab (Opdivo) and cabozantinib (Cabometyx) in people with advanced, untreated renal cell carcinoma. Researchers found that the combination therapy was significantly more effective at prolonging life without the cancer progressing.

News Release – International Study of Rare Childhood Cancer Finds Genetic Clues

NCI scientists and their international collaborators have identified mutations in several genes, including TP53, MYOD1, and CDKN2A, that appear to be associated with a more aggressive form of the rare childhood cancer rhabdomyosarcoma. These findings could lead to more targeted treatments for the disease.

News Release – International Research Teams Explore Genetic Effects of Chernobyl Radiation

In two landmark studies, researchers used advanced genomic tools to investigate the potential health effects of exposure to ionizing radiation from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in northern Ukraine. The studies, published April 22 in Science to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the disaster, are from international teams of investigators led by NCI researchers.  

Why I Joined a Clinical Trial

Everyone who takes part in a clinical trial has their own reasons for doing so. NCI's Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP) shares the stories of people who have participated in clinical trials.

New on the Cancer Prevention Science Blog 

Most people with pancreatic cancer are diagnosed when the disease is at an advanced stage and most lethal. This post from DCP’s Cancer Prevention Science blog explains how the hunt for new biomarkers may provide hope for the early detection of pancreatic cancer. Another post discusses how researchers are evaluating screening strategies for noncancerous pancreatic cysts to determine which is best at detecting early signs of cancer.

Preventing cancer today and in the future lies at the heart of NCI’s Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program. NCI is accepting applications for the 2022 class of fellows until August 16, 2021. This post discusses the postdoctoral fellowship program and shares some online testimonials from former fellows.

National Cancer Act at 50: Cancer Prevention Champions and Changemakers

As part of NCI’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the National Cancer Act of 1971, DCP is recognizing and honoring the champions and changemakers of cancer prevention, early detection, and symptom science.

DCTD June 2021 Newsletter Available

NCI’s Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD) has published the June edition of its quarterly newsletter. This edition features Meg Mooney, M.D., associate director of the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), discussing NCI’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on cancer clinical trials and people with cancer. Other articles spotlight DCTD’s Developmental Therapeutics Clinic and NCI’s Patient-Derived Models Repository, as well as news and updates from DCTD’s programs and research activities. 

What Is Cancer?

This updated page explains what cancer is, how cancer cells differ from normal cells, and genetic changes that cause cancer to grow and spread.

NCI Fact Sheets Updated 

Several of NCI’s question-and-answer style fact sheets have been updated in recent months to incorporate new information and improve readability, including: 

• Tumor Markers explains what tumor markers are and how they are used in cancer care. 

• Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer describes hormone therapy and its role in treating breast cancer, including the types of hormone therapy, how they are used, and possible side effects.

• Head and Neck Cancers tells what head and neck cancers are and explains risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and rehabilitation from these cancers.

• Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines explains what HPV vaccines are, who should get them, and why vaccination is important. 

• Cell Phones and Cancer Risk summarizes the latest research on mobile phones and the risk of cancer.