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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PARP Inhibitors Show Promise as Initial Treatment for Ovarian CancerIn three large clinical trials of women with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer, treatment with a PARP inhibitor as first-line therapy, maintenance therapy, or both, extended the length of time before participants’ cancers came back or got worse.
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Failed Alzheimer’s Drug Might Boost CAR T-Cell Therapy for Multiple MyelomaResults from a new study suggest a potential way to improve the effectiveness of CAR T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma. The approach relies on a class of drugs called gamma-secretase inhibitors (GSIs), several of which have been studied to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
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Analysis Shows Women with High Breast Cancer Recurrence Scores Benefit from ChemoA TAILORx analysis shows women with early-stage breast cancer and high recurrence scores on the Oncotype DX who received chemotherapy with hormone therapy had better long-term outcomes than what would be expected from hormone therapy alone.
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Dual-Function Virus Engineered to Kill Tumor Cells and Support Immune CellsResearchers have engineered an oncolytic virus to kill cancer cells and boost the immune response against tumors. In a new study, the virus provided T cells around tumors with a hormone they need for their own cell-killing functions.
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HPV Vaccine May Provide Men with “Herd Immunity” against Oral HPV InfectionsOral HPV infections cause over 70% of all oropharyngeal cancers in the United States. In a new study of adults aged 18‒59, the rate of HPV vaccination rose from 0% to 6% for men, while oral HPV infections fell by 37% among unvaccinated men.
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New on NCI's Websites for October 2019NCI 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 October 2019.
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After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Men May Be More Likely to Die than WomenMen with breast cancer may be more likely to die of the disease than women, particularly during the first 5 years after diagnosis, a new study suggests. The higher likelihood of death was linked in part to undertreatment and later diagnosis.
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Selpercatinib Shows Promise against Lung Cancers with Alterations in RET GeneThe investigational drug selpercatinib may benefit patients with lung cancer whose tumors have alterations in the RET gene, including fusions with other genes, according to results from a small clinical trial.
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For Children with Neuroblastoma, Trial Results Highlight Continued Evolution of TreatmentFor many children with high-risk neuroblastoma, receiving two separate stem cell transplants is more beneficial than receiving one, according to the results of an NCI-supported clinical trial conducted by the Children’s Oncology Group.
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FDA Approves Entrectinib Based on Tumor Genetics Rather Than Cancer TypeFDA has approved entrectinib (Rozlytrek) for the treatment of children and adults with tumors bearing an NTRK gene fusion. The approval also covers adults with non-small cell lung cancer harboring a ROS1 gene fusion.
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Pediatricians’ Offices Can Help Parents Quit Smoking, Study ShowsResearchers tested a program that trains pediatricians’ offices to provide smoking cessation treatment to parents during visits with their child’s doctor. The approach is intended to reach adults who are motivated to quit to protect their child’s health.
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To Treat Pancreatic Cancer, Mouse Study Suggests Altering Tumor MicrobiomeIn people with pancreatic cancer, the makeup of bacteria that populate their tumors could predict how long they live, results from a new study suggest. Experiments in mice suggested that altering the tumor microbiome could play a role in treatment.
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For Some Women with Breast Cancer, Cost Influences Decisions about SurgeryIn a survey of nearly 600 breast cancer survivors, researchers found that the cost of care factored into the decisions the women made about what type of surgery to get. Many women also reported never discussing costs with their physicians.
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Building on Success, Maximizing Opportunities: NCI’s Annual Plan & Budget ProposalNCI Acting Director Douglas Lowy, M.D., discusses the institute’s Annual Plan & Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2021, which includes the institute’s professional judgement on the funding required to make the most rapid progress against cancer.
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Altering Diet Enhances Response to Cancer Treatments in MiceA new NCI-supported study showed that altering cancer cell metabolism by feeding mice a diet very low in the nutrient methionine improved the ability of chemotherapy and radiation therapy to shrink tumors.
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Pembrolizumab Approved for Some Patients with Advanced Esophageal CancerFDA has approved the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to treat some patients with advanced esophageal cancer. Patients must have certain levels of the protein PD-L1 on their tumors, as determined by an FDA-approved test.
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Study Tests Immunotherapy in People with Cancer and Autoimmune DiseasesAn NCI-funded clinical trial is testing the immunotherapy drug nivolumab (Opdivo) in people who have advanced cancer and an autoimmune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or multiple sclerosis, who are often excluded from such trials.
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Newly Discovered ‘Don’t Eat Me’ Signal May be a Target for Cancer ImmunotherapyResearchers have identified a protein called CD24 that may be a new target for cancer immunotherapy. The protein is a ‘don’t eat me’ signal that prevents immune cells called macrophages from engulfing and eating cells.
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The Childhood Cancer Data Initiative: Transforming the Pediatric Cancer Landscape through Sharing DataTo prepare for the proposed Childhood Cancer Data Initiative, NCI sponsored a 3-day symposium that brought together pediatric cancer researchers, advocates, and other stakeholders.
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MGUS to Myeloma: Study Suggests Risk of Progression Can ChangeA person’s risk of progressing from a benign condition called monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) to the blood cancer multiple myeloma can change over time, according to a new study.