Cancer Currents: An NCI Cancer Research Blog
A blog featuring news and research updates from the National Cancer Institute. Learn more about Cancer Currents.
-
Prognosis Discussions Improve Understanding of Illness for Patients with Terminal CancerMany patients with advanced, incurable cancer have a poor understanding of their prognosis or life expectancy, a new study shows. Patients who discussed their prognosis with their doctors were more likely to understand the serious nature of their illness.
-
The Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel: Moving Toward a Final ReportAn update on the activities of the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative’s Blue Ribbon Panel and its work to develop a final report for research ideas to be pursued under this initiative.
-
Extended Adjuvant Therapy Beneficial for Some Women with Breast CancerResults from a recent clinical trial showed that extending adjuvant therapy with an aromatase inhibitor to 10 years after initial treatment can have important benefits for postmenopausal women with early-stage hormone receptor–positive breast cancer.
-
Early-Stage Cancer Trials Support Promise of Precision Medicine, ImmunotherapyEncouraging findings from several early-stage clinical trials featured at the 2016 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting support the promise of precision medicine and immunotherapy.
-
New on NCI’s Websites for June 2016An NCI Cancer Currents blog post that provides updates on new NCI websites and other online content of interest to the cancer community.
-
Blood Test for Genetic Changes in Tumors Shows Promise as Alternative to Tumor BiopsyThe largest study of its kind to date has shown that a test that assesses DNA mutations and other changes in genetic material shed from tumors into the blood—a liquid biopsy—produced results highly similar to those of traditional tumor biopsies.
-
Trials Produce Practice-Changing Results for Brain CancerResults from two clinical trials show that treating patients with the chemotherapy drug temozolomide in addition to radiation therapy increased overall and progression-free survival.
-
FDA Approves New Immunotherapy Drug for Bladder CancerThe FDA has approved atezolizumab (Tecentriq®) for the treatment of some patients with urothelial carcinoma, the most common type of bladder cancer.
-
Patient-Derived Antibody Appears to Selectively Target Tumor Cells, Spur Immune AttackThe CFH antibodies killed tumor cells in cell lines of several cancer types and slowed tumor growth in mouse models of brain and lung cancer, without evidence of side effects.
-
Two New Therapies Approved by FDA for Advanced Kidney CancerThe FDA has approved two drugs, cabozantinib and lenvatinib, for patients whose advanced kidney cancers have progressed after prior treatment with antiangiogenic therapies.
-
Enhanced Risk-Based Lung Cancer Screening May Prevent More Deaths than Current ApproachesA blog post on a modeling study from NCI researchers suggesting that individualized, risk-based selection of ever-smokers for lung cancer screening may prevent more lung cancer deaths compared with current screening recommendations.
-
FDA Approves First Immunotherapy for LymphomaA blog post on the FDA approval of the immunotherapy drug nivolumab for the treatment of some patients with Hodgkin lymphoma.
-
Colorectal Cancer Survival Linked to Primary Tumor LocationA blog post on a study showing that in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, the location in the colon where the tumor originated appears to strongly influence how long patients live.
-
Charting a Course toward Precision Cancer PreventionCancer researchers are increasingly exploring how cancer risk is influenced by genetic predisposition to cancer and the effects of environmental exposures, and what this means for cancer prevention.
-
Survival Disparities Identified in Young African Americans with Colorectal CancerAfrican Americans younger than age 50 had significantly worse 5-year survival rates at every stage of disease compared with young white and Hispanic patients, a new study shows.
-
Online Tool Helps Users Distinguish Moles from Melanoma“Moles to Melanoma: Recognizing the ABCDE Features” presents photos that show changes in individual pigmented lesions over time, and describes the different appearances of moles, dysplastic nevi, and melanomas.
-
Improving Cancer Control in Rural Communities: An Interview with Dr. Robert CroyleNCI’s Dr. Robert Croyle discusses some of the issues related to cancer control faced by rural communities and how NCI is approaching this important problem.
-
Crosstalk between Cancer Cells and Neighboring Cells May Contribute to Tumor GrowthPancreatic cancer cells and neighboring normal cells engage in a two-way molecular conversation that helps drive malignant behavior in the cancer cells, according to new study results.
-
New Treatment Target Identified for Diffuse Large B-Cell LymphomaNCI researchers have identified new therapeutic targets for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Drugs that hit these targets are under clinical development and the researchers hope to begin testing them in clinical trials of patients with DLBCL.
-
Improving Public Health through Increased Tobacco RegulationNCI’s Dr. Robert Croyle discusses the Food and Drug Administration’s release of a rule that extends its regulatory authority over tobacco products to include cigars, e-cigarettes, hookah (waterpipe) tobacco.