Caring4Cancer

A new, non-invasive colorectal cancer screening test from Exact Science is now available and supported by the American Cancer Society and other major medical groups. Study results showing the test’s efficacy have been reported in the April 2008 supplement of Gastroenterology.

New research indicates that screening mammography may provide estimates of breast cancer tumor growth rates. These findings from the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program were recently published in Breast Cancer Research.

According to results presented at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, the chemotherapy agent Fludara® (fludarabine) does not appear superior to chlorambucil in elderly patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Stem cell transplant practices vary substantially among physicians treating adults and children with hematologic malignancies (cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukemias and lymphomas).  These findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Individuals with a common genetic variation (change in DNA) on the chromosome band 6p22 have a significantly increased risk of developing neuroblastoma, as well as an increased risk for disease relapse and advanced disease. These results were recently published in an early online article in the New England Journal of Medicine.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Prostate cancer deaths fell substantially in the decade after one Austrian state began free PSA screening tests for all men ages 45 to 75, according to a new study.

Variations within the gene responsible for epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) may be predictive of differing outcomes between male and female patients diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer. Details of the study have recently been published in the Journal of Cancer Research.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adult women who were breast-fed as infants may have a lower risk of developing breast cancer than those who were not breast-fed, unless they were first-born, study findings suggest.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Evening exercise classes at the Nirvana fitness centre in Beijing are in high demand these days as young professionals whose mothers once counted ration cards seek to stay svelte despite lavish lunches.

A recently published study finds that results from positron emission tomography (PET) scans often influence a physician’s intended management plan among elderly patients diagnosed with cancer. Full details of the study were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pharmaceutical companies need to be more responsible in touting their products to consumers or else face tighter controls from Congress, a top U.S. Democratic lawmaker said on Thursday.

Researchers from the United States have recently reported that, among patients with advanced melanoma, the addition to chemotherapy of the drug Nexavar® (sorafenib) improved progression-free survival. Full details of the study were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Young patients with diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with cancerous masses that are 10.0 centimeters or greater in diameter are considered to have “bulky” disease and have a worse prognosis than those with smaller masses. These findings were published in Lancet Oncology.

BOSTON (Reuters) - An international team of researchers said they have pinpointed three variants of the genetic code that appear to set the stage for aggressive neuroblastoma, the deadliest solid tumor in early childhood.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study suggests that firefighters face higher-than-average risks of several types of cancer, adding to evidence that the job carries hazards beyond the fires themselves.

LONDON (Reuters) - Five percent of breast cancer tumors appear to double in size in just over a month, Norwegian researchers said on Thursday in a study underscoring the potential benefits of more frequent screening.

A report from the 2008 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium

A recent trial conducted at 15 different medical centers in Korea indicates that a physician must perform at least 150 colonoscopies to be considered competent at the procedure. Details of the study were recently published in the journal Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

A recent study conducted by the American Cancer Society reports that although few cancer survivors follow recommendations for lifestyle changes aimed to improve health and well-being, adhering to these guidelines may improve quality of life among colon cancer survivors. Full details of the study were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Approving Cephalon Inc's pain drug Fentora for patients without cancer could have "devastating effects," a U.S. Food and Drug Administration official said in documents released on Friday.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Telephone counseling may give cervical cancer survivors a boost to their well-being, and possibly their immune function as well, a small study suggests.

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - "I am not a monster. I'm also not a God. In the best case I'm an angel," muses a doctor in a Dutch play about euthanasia, before delivering a lethal injection to an old friend, a cancer patient.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Intrauterine devices are not only among the most effective contraceptives, but they also can help protect women from a cancer of the uterus called endometrial cancer, researchers reported on Tuesday.

The five-year net cost to Medicare for patients diagnosed with cancer in 2004 is over 21 billion dollars. These results were recently reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

A recent study indicates that the combination of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatiography (ERCP) may improve survival for patients with bile duct cancer. These findings were published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Mutations within the CYP2D6 gene may affect the way in which a patient with hormone-positive breast cancer responds to tamoxifen (Nolvadex®). These results were recently published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Deaths from vascular disease due to smoking are substantially reduced in women within 5 years after they quit smoking, according to findings from the Nurses' Health Study.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Taking drugs that block the secretion of gastric acid does not appear to increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer, according to a new report.

Expression of the PTOV1 gene helps predict the likelihood of the development of prostate cancer among men with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HG-PIN). These results were recently published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.

The chemotherapy agent Treanda® (bendamustine) has been added to the treatment guidelines of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) as an accepted treatment option for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL).

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc expanded its low-priced drug program, saying on Monday that it is now offering more than 1,000 over-the-counter items for $4 or less and selling some 90-day generic prescriptions for $10.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An experimental sedative from Japan's Eisai Co Ltd appears effective based on a preliminary evaluation of data, U.S. drug reviewers said in an analysis released on Monday.

A recent study conducted by the American Cancer Society reports that although few cancer survivors follow recommendations for lifestyle changes aimed to improve health and well-being, adhering to these guidelines may improve quality of life among prostate cancer survivors. Full details of the study were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

A recent study conducted by the American Cancer Society reports that although few cancer survivors are following recommendations for lifestyle changes aimed to improve health and well-being, adhering to these guidelines may improve quality of life among breast cancer survivors. Full details of the study were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Approving Cephalon Inc's pain drug Fentora for patients without cancer could have "devastating effects," a U.S. Food and Drug Administration official said in documents released on Friday.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women whose jobs regularly expose them to weed killers may have a higher-than-normal risk of a particular form of brain cancer, results of a U.S. study suggest.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Widening approval for Cephalon Inc's Fentora pain drug to patients without cancer could have "devastating effects," a U.S. Food and Drug Administration official said in documents released on Friday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An unprecedented number of U.S. youngsters are fainting after getting shots, especially teenage girls, and doctors need to keep an eye on them, federal health experts cautioned on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A landmark bill to forbid discrimination against people whose genetic information shows a predisposition to certain illnesses won final U.S. congressional approval on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A landmark bill to forbid discrimination against people whose genetic information shows a predisposition to certain illnesses won final U.S. congressional approval on Thursday.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Whether variant forms of a gene called EGFR increase or decrease survival with colon cancer depends on whether the patient is male or female, new study findings indicate.

It appears that different genetic mutations (alterations) affect outcomes among patients with acute myeloid leukemia. These results were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Doctors don't universally discuss the option of breast reconstruction with all women undergoing mastectomy, results of a new study confirm.

TORONTO (Reuters) - Smokers in the Canadian province of Ontario will be fined C$250 ($247) for lighting up in their cars in the presence of children, if a new law introduced on Wednesday is passed.

Addition of the drug Platinol® (cisplatin) to 5-FU (5-flourouracil), mitomycin, and radiation may not improve outcomes for patients with anal cancer. These findings were recently published by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A recent study conducted by the American Cancer Society reports that few cancer survivors are following recommendations for lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise, increased fruit and vegetable consumption, and smoking cessation. Full details of the study were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Regular use of aspirin may modestly reduce the risk of developing hormone-positive breast cancer. These results were recently published online by Breast Cancer Research.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A daily aspirin may give women modest protection against the most common type of breast cancer, U.S. government researchers said on Wednesday.

The combination of Avastin® (bevacizumab), Gemzar® (gemcitabine), and Platinol® (cisplatin) prolonged progression-free survival when compared with chemotherapy alone among patients with non-small cell lung cancer. These results were recently reported by the pharmaceutical company Genentech.