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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New on NCI’s Websites for June 2020NCI periodically provides updates on new websites and other online content of interest to the cancer community. See selected content that has been added as of June 2020.
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Study Clarifies Timing of Immunotherapy for Advanced Bladder CancerResults from a large study show that, for most people with advanced bladder cancer, starting immunotherapy with avelumab (Bavencio) shortly after initial treatment with chemotherapy is better than delaying treatment.
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Selpercatinib Approved for Thyroid and Lung Cancers with RET Gene AlterationsFDA has granted accelerated approval for selpercatinib (Retevmo) to treat certain patients with thyroid cancer or non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors have RET gene alterations. The drug, which works by blocking the activity of RET proteins, was approved based on the results of the LIBRETTO-001 trial.
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Olanzapine Reduces Nausea and Vomiting Caused by Advanced CancerMany advanced cancer patients suffer from chronic nausea and vomiting and there aren’t many good treatments available. But a small study suggests that the drug olanzapine (Zyprexa) may fill that gap.
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With Two FDA Approvals, Prostate Cancer Treatment Enters the PARP EraFDA has approved olaparib (Lynparza) and rucaparib (Rubraca) to treat some men with metastatic prostate cancer. The PARP inhibitors are approved for men whose cancers have stopped responding to hormone treatment and have specific genetic alterations.
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Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab Approved to Treat Liver CancerFDA has approved atezolizumab (Tecentriq) plus bevacizumab (Avastin) as an initial treatment for some people with advanced liver cancer. This is the first approval in 13 years for a treatment that is more effective than the current standard, sorafenib.
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Study Examines Whether Blood Test Can Identify Early CancersA blood test combined with imaging tests detected tumors—some at an early stage—in women with no history of cancer or symptoms, a recent study showed. The test also mistakenly indicated some women had cancer when further testing showed they didn't.
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More Evidence that Ruxolitinib Benefits Some Patients with Graft-Versus-Host DiseasePatients with acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) that does not respond to steroid therapy are more likely to respond to the drug ruxolitinib (Jakafi) than other available treatments, results from a large clinical trial show.
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Sacituzumab Govitecan Approved for Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast CancerFDA has approved sacituzumab govitecan (Trodelvy) for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Under the approval, patients must have already undergone at least two prior treatment regimens.
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How Does COVID-19 Affect People with Cancer? NCCAPS Will Help Find OutNCI has launched the COVID-19 in Cancer Patients Study (NCCAPS), which will help answer questions about COVID-19’s impact on cancer patients. The study is now open to adults and will later be expanded to include children.
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Updated Nutrition Facts Label Reflects Science on Diet and Health, including CancerOn January 1, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began requiring food manufacturers to display updated nutrition facts labels on their product packaging. Experts from FDA and NCI discuss the update and the research that underpins the changes.
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For Women with Breast Cancer, Regular Exercise May Improve SurvivalWomen with high-risk breast cancer who engaged in regular exercise before their cancer diagnosis and after treatment were less likely to have their cancer return or to die compared with women who were inactive, a recent study found.
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PSMA PET-CT Accurately Detects Prostate Cancer Spread, Trial ShowsFor some men with prostate cancer at high risk of spreading, a large clinical trial shows an imaging method called PSMA PET-CT is more likely to detect metastatic tumors than the standard imaging approach used in many countries.
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Encorafenib, Cetuximab Combination Approved for Metastatic Colorectal CancerThe Food and Drug Administration has approved encorafenib (Braftovi) in combination with cetuximab (Erbitux) to treat adults with metastatic colorectal cancer whose tumors have a specific mutation in the BRAF gene, called V600E.
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NCI Part of Federal Effort to Evaluate Antibody Tests for Novel CoronavirusNCI scientists, along with experts from other government agencies and academic medical centers, have launched a joint effort to help FDA evaluate commercially available antibody tests for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
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Helping Cancer Survivors Cope with Cancer-Related Anxiety and DistressResearchers are exploring ways to support the psychological and emotional needs of cancer survivors and how to tailor existing approaches to meet the needs of specific individuals or groups.
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Boosting Dendritic Cells Helps the Immune System Find Pancreatic CancerThe number of dendritic cells in a tumor may explain why immunotherapies work for some cancers but not others, a new study suggests. In mice, boosting dendritic cells triggered an immune response that slowed pancreatic tumor growth.
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NCI Initiative Aims to Boost CAR T-Cell Therapy Clinical TrialsNCI is developing the capability to produce cellular therapies, like CAR T cells, to be tested in cancer clinical trials at multiple hospital sites. Few laboratories and centers have the capability to make CAR T cells, which has limited the ability to test them more broadly.
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Deaths from Metastatic Melanoma Drop Substantially in the United StatesAfter rising steadily for decades, the number of people in the United States who die each year from the skin cancer melanoma has dramatically dropped in recent years, results from a new study show. Learn what has contributed to the dramatic decline.
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At NCI, A Robust and Rapid Response to the COVID-19 PandemicNCI is lending its tremendous expertise and unique research capabilities to the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. NCI Director Dr. Norman Sharpless describes some of the COVID-19 specific research activities NCI has initiated.