Cancer Currents: An NCI Cancer Research Blog
A blog featuring news and research updates from the National Cancer Institute. Learn more about Cancer Currents.
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Are Cancer Patients Getting the Opioids They Need to Control Pain?Efforts to contain the opioid epidemic may be preventing people with cancer from receiving appropriate prescriptions for opioids to manage their cancer pain, according to a new study of oncologists’ opioid prescribing patterns.
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Pazopanib Shows Promise for Children, Adults with Soft Tissue SarcomasFor children and adults with advanced soft tissue sarcoma, adding pazopanib (Votrient) to chemotherapy and radiation before surgery may be a promising treatment option, early results from a clinical trial suggest.
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New on NCI’s Websites for September 2020See selected content that has been added to NCI’s websites as of September 2020, in this Cancer Currents post.
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Many Older Adults Screened Unnecessarily for Common CancersMany older adults are being screened for cancer who no longer need to be, a new study shows. Based on a nationwide survey, the study found that at least half of older US adults had received at least one unnecessary cancer screening test in the previous few years.
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CAR T-Cell Therapy Approved by FDA for Mantle Cell LymphomaA CAR T-cell therapy called brexucabtagene autoleucel (Tecartus) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for some patients with mantle cell lymphoma. This is the third CAR T-cell therapy approved by FDA for patients with cancer.
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Regular Aspirin Use May Increase Older People’s Risk of Dying from CancerRegular use of low-dose aspirin may increase an older person’s risk of being diagnosed with advanced cancer and of dying from cancer, results from the ASPREE clinical trial suggest. Learn more about what this 19,000-participant study found.
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Having a Heart Attack May Make Breast Cancer Grow FasterA heart-related event, like a heart attack, may make breast cancer grow faster, a new study suggests. In mice, heart attacks accelerated breast tumor growth and human studies linked cardiac events with breast cancer recurrence, researchers reported.
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Trastuzumab May Improve Survival in Women with Rare Endometrial CancerFor some women with HER2-positive uterine serous carcinoma, a rare type of endometrial cancer, treating them with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and chemotherapy may help them live longer, according to updated results from a small clinical trial.
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Study Offers Insights on Health Problems among AYA Cancer SurvivorsA study found that the risk of developing any of 26 chronic health problems was about 50% higher among cancer survivors who were diagnosed as adolescents and young adults, compared with their peers who did not have cancer.
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Scientists Focus on Fusion Proteins in Childhood CancersFusion proteins drive the development of many cancers in children, yet little is known about their biology. NCI’s Fusion Oncoproteins in Childhood Cancers Consortium brings together experts from varied disciplines to investigate these cancers.
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How Does Ovarian Cancer Form? A New Study Points to MicroRNAA microRNA—a molecule made by cells to turn genes on and off—called miR-181a may help high-grade serous ovarian cancer form, a study has found. The scientists think the microRNA could potentially help doctors detect ovarian cancer earlier.
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How CRISPR Is Changing Cancer Research and TreatmentThe gene-editing tool CRISPR is changing the way scientists study cancer, and may change how cancer is treated. This in-depth blog post describes how this revolutionary technology is being used to better understand cancer and create new treatments.
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Liquid Biopsy Detects Brain Cancer and Early-Stage Kidney CancerResults from two studies show that a liquid biopsy that analyzes DNA in blood accurately detected kidney cancer at early and more advanced stages and identified and classified different types of brain tumors.
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Rediscovered Drugs Hit Leukemia from Two Different AnglesTwo rediscovered drugs, bisantrene and brequinar, slowed the growth of acute myeloid leukemia in studies of mice. The drugs blocked the activity of a protein called FTO, killing cancer stem cells and helping the immune system attack the cancer.
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Ovarian Cancer Studies Aim to Reduce Racial Disparities, Improve OutcomesThree recently launched NCI-supported studies could help researchers better understand the causes of racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer. The ultimate goal is to eliminate disparities and improve survival for all women with the disease.
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CCDI Activities Enhance NCI’s Childhood and AYA Cancer ResearchSince launching the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative, NCI has undertaken a range of research activities to support this important effort. In this Cancer Currents post, NCI Director Dr. Norman Sharpless provides an update on these efforts.
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Study Links Mental Health Treatment to Improved Cancer SurvivalIn a study of more than 50,000 veterans with lung cancer, those with mental illness who received mental health treatment—including for substance use—lived substantially longer than those who didn’t participate in such programs.
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A New FDA Approval Furthers the Role of Genomics in Cancer CareFDA’s approval of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to treat people whose cancer is tumor mutational burden-high highlights the importance of genomic testing to guide treatment, including for children with cancer, according to NCI Director Dr. Ned Sharpless.
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New Drug Regimen Cures More Children with Aggressive B-Cell LymphomaFor children with aggressive Burkitt lymphoma and other B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas, adding rituximab (Rituxan, Truxima) to chemotherapy substantially increases the likelihood of the child being cured, results from a large clinical trial show.
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Responding to Coronavirus, Cancer Researchers Reimagine Clinical TrialsIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, cancer researchers are making changes to clinical trials to ensure patient safety and protect the integrity of their work. Some changes, such as greater use of telemedicine, will likely continue into the future.