Latest Cancer News

• September 3, 2010
  Alcohol Linked with Lobular Breast Cancer
  Although alcohol is a well-established risk factor for breast cancer, it may be more strongly linked with lobular breast cancer than with ductal breast cancer. These results were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
  
  
• September 2, 2010
  Rectal Cancer Increasing in People Under 40
  Although still relatively uncommon in young people, the incidence of rectal cancer appears to be increasing in this population. These results were published in the journal Cancer.
  
  
• September 1, 2010
  Early Palliative Care Linked with Longer Lung Cancer Survival
  Palliative care is care that is focused on symptom management, psychosocial issues, decision-making, and quality of life. Among patients with newly diagnosed, metastatic, non-small cell lung cancer, the addition of early palliative care to standard cancer treatment resulted in better quality of life and mood and longer survival than standard treatment alone. These results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
  
  
• August 31, 2010
  Istodax Active against Refractory Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma
  Final results from a Phase II clinical trial provide additional evidence that Istodax® (romidepsin) is active against refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. These results were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
  
  
• August 30, 2010
  Estrogen Alone Does Not Increase Lung Cancer Incidence or Mortality in Postmenopausal Women
  Among postmenopausal women, hormone therapy with estrogen alone does not appear to increase the risk of getting or dying from lung cancer. These results were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
  
  
• August 27, 2010
  Reduced-intensity Treatment May be Effective for Early Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
  Among patients with early-stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma and a favorable prognosis, it may be possible to reduce the number of chemotherapy cycles and the dose of radiation therapy without adversely affecting outcome. The results of this study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
  
  
• August 26, 2010
  Death from Other Causes Among Men with Early-stage Prostate Cancer
  Among men with early-stage prostate cancer, assessment of other health problems may help guide prostate cancer treatment decisions; men who are likely to die of causes other than prostate cancer may not benefit from aggressive prostate cancer treatment. These findings were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
  
  
• August 26, 2010
  Vectibix Does Not Improve Head and Neck Cancer Survival
  Among patients with recurrent and/or metastatic, squamous cell head and neck cancer, the addition of the targeted therapy Vectibix® (panitumumab) to chemotherapy does not result in significantly better survival than chemotherapy alone. The results of this Phase III clinical trial were made available in a press release from Amgen and will also be presented at an upcoming medical meeting.
  
  
• August 25, 2010
  Pathological Complete Response Predicts Better Outcomes in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Patients
  Among patients with locally advanced rectal cancer, a complete disappearance of detectable cancer (pathological complete response) after preoperative chemoradiation therapy is linked with better long-term outcomes. These findings were recently published in the journal The Lancet Oncology.
  
  
• August 24, 2010
  Additional Research on Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer
  A recent study of menopausal hormone therapy and risk of breast cancer reported that risk may vary by body weight and the type of hormone therapy. These results were published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention.
  
  
• August 23, 2010
  Reassuring Findings Regarding Oral Bisphosphonates and Esophageal Cancer
  Oral bisphosphonates—drugs commonly used to prevent or treat osteoporosis—do not appear to increase the risk of esophageal cancer. These results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
  
  
• August 20, 2010
  Randomized Study Does Not Support Use of Methylphenidate for Cancer-related Fatigue
  The results of a Phase III study indicate that overall, long-acting methylphenidate is ineffective in the management of cancer-related fatigue. Methylphenidate may provide some benefit, however, to certain subgroups of patients, such as those with advanced cancer or severe fatigue. These findings were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
  
  
• August 19, 2010
  Obesity on the Rise in United States
  Rates of obesity are rising among the U.S. population, according to statistics recently released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
  
  
• August 18, 2010
  Study Evaluates Physician Use of Finasteride for Prostate Cancer Prevention
  Recent research indicates that 64% of urologists and 80% of primary care physicians surveyed do not prescribe finasteride for prevention of prostate cancer in high-risk men. These findings were recently published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
  
  
• August 17, 2010
  Hepatitis B Virus Linked with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
  Individuals with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may have an increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), according to findings recently published in The Lancet Oncology.
  
  
• August 16, 2010
  Mediterranean Diet May Lower Breast Cancer Risk
  Postmenopausal women who consume a traditional Mediterranean diet may have a lower risk for breast cancer, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
  
  
• August 13, 2010
  Study Evaluates Impact of Lymph Node Removal in Early-stage Breast Cancer
  Early-stage breast cancer patients without evidence of cancer in their sentinel lymph node who did not have additional lymph nodes removed report fewer side effects to the arm and breast than patients who undergo additional lymph node removal.
  
  
• August 12, 2010
  Time Spent Sitting Linked with Risk of Death
  Physical activity alone may not be enough to improve health and longevity—according to a recent study conducted by the American Cancer Society (ACS), the amount of time an individual spends sitting may increase risk of death, even among active people. These results were reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
  
  
• August 12, 2010
  Antibiotic Sponge Ineffective at Preventing Surgical Infection
  Patients undergoing colorectal surgery are reported to experience an increased incidence of surgical-site infection with the addition of a gentamicin-collagen sponge enclosed at the surgery site. These findings were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
  
  
• August 11, 2010
  Provenge® for Hormone-refractory Prostate Cancer
  Among men with metastatic, hormone-refractory prostate cancer, the immunotherapy agent Provenge® (sipuleucel-T) improves survival by roughly four months. The findings from this Phase III study were recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
  
  
• August 10, 2010
  Study Evaluates Impact of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) on Cancer Risk in HIV-infected Men
  Researchers reported that men infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are still at an increased risk of lymphoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), and anal cancer despite the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).
  
  
• August 10, 2010
  Components of Processed Meat May Increase Risk of Bladder Cancer
  People who consume a large amount of nitrite and nitrate from processed meat may be at an increased risk for developing bladder cancer, according to a study published in Cancer.
  
  
• August 9, 2010
  Study Evaluates Incidence of Lymphedema Resulting from Cancer Treatment
  A systematic review of 47 studies evaluating treatment for melanoma, head and neck cancer, genitourinary cancers, gynecologic cancers, and sarcoma indicates that lymphedema is a common side effect of treatment for these diseases.
  
  
• August 9, 2010
  Continued Chemotherapy in Advanced Ovarian Cancer
  Continuing chemotherapy following initial treatment of advanced ovarian cancer may improve survival, according to a study published in Cancer.
  
  
• August 6, 2010
  Stronger Social Ties Linked to Longevity
  Social relationships play an important role in health and longevity, according to findings published in PloS Medicine.
  
  
• August 5, 2010
  Long-term Cardiac Risks Among Childhood Cancer Survivors
  Twenty-seven percent of survivors of childhood cancers may have long-term heart complications, according to findings reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
  
  
• August 4, 2010
  Breast Density and Hormone Therapy Add to Breast Cancer Risk
  Postmenopausal women with high breast density are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer, according to the results of a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. This risk increases with the use of hormone therapy.
  
  
• August 3, 2010
  Study Evaluates Safety of Avastin and Chemotherapy in Non–Squamous Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
  A large Phase IV study confirms that the safety and efficacy reported in Phase III trials of Avastin® (bevacizumab) plus standard chemotherapy for patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer translate into the clinical practice setting. These findings were recently published in the journal The Lancet Oncology.
  
  
• August 3, 2010
  Laparoscopic Hysterectomy for Endometrial Cancer Associated with Better Quality of Life
  Laparoscopic hysterectomy for endometrial cancer that is confined to the uterus is associated with less pain, shorter hospital stays, faster recovery, and better quality of life when compared with total abdominal hysterectomy, according to the results of two studies published in The Lancet Oncology.
  
  
• August 2, 2010
  Study Evaluates Long-term Side Effects of Pelvic Radiation to Treat Childhood Cancer
  The offspring of women who underwent pelvic radiation before puberty for the treatment of childhood cancer are at increased risk of stillbirth and neonatal death. These findings were recently published in the journal The Lancet.
  
  
• July 30, 2010
  HPV Vaccine Protects Against Genital Warts and Precancerous Growths
  Results from a recent international study indicate that the vaccine Gardasil® (quadrivalent human papillomavirus [types 6, 11, 16, 18] recombinant vaccine) protects against genital warts and low-grade precancerous changes to the cervix, vulva, and vagina. These findings were published in the journal BMJ.
  
  
• July 30, 2010
  Study Explores Prostate Cancer Among Men with Low PSA Levels
  In a large U.S. cancer database, 14% of prostate cancer diagnoses occurred among men with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of 4.0 ng/mL or lower. More than half of these men had cancer that was considered “low-risk,” but roughly three-quarters were treated aggressively with radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy. These results were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
  
  
• July 29, 2010
  Painters May Have Higher Risk of Bladder Cancer
  Occupational exposures appear to increase bladder cancer risk in painters, according to a study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
  
  
• July 29, 2010
  FDA Advisory Committee Recommends that Avastin No Longer Be Approved for Breast Cancer
  The Oncology Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has voted 12 to one that Avastin® (bevacizumab) in combination with paclitaxel should no longer be approved for initial therapy for metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer.
  
  
• July 28, 2010
  Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Regimen Promising for Metastatic Penile Cancer
  
  
• July 28, 2010
  Newly Diagnosed Ph+ Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patients May Benefit from Sprycel/Chemotherapy Combination
  The initial report of a Phase II study evaluating Sprycel® (dasatinib) combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) indicates that 94% of patients achieve a complete remission. These findings were recently published in the journal Blood.
  
  
• July 27, 2010
  Childhood Cancer Survivors Experience Elevated Risk of Premature Death Years after Diagnosis
  Childhood cancer survivors may experience a persistently higher risk of premature death due to disease compared with the general population. These findings were recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
  
  
• July 27, 2010
  Study Evaluates Melanoma Trends in High-risk Region of United States
  Melanoma incidence in Hispanic men and African-American women residing in Florida may be higher than in other regions of the United States. These findings were recently published in the journal Archives of Dermatology.
  
  
• July 26, 2010
  Mixed Findings on Combination Therapy for Nasopharyngeal Cancer
  Results of a Phase III trial indicate that treating nasopharyngeal cancer with a combination of radiation and chemotherapy can significantly reduce disease progression but that the combination may also increase the rate of death from other causes. These findings were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
  
  
• July 26, 2010
  Twenty Possible Causes of Cancer
  The American Cancer Society along with three federal agencies have identified 20 potential causes of cancer that warrant further investigation, according to the results of a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives.
  
  
• July 23, 2010
  Higher Cancer Rates Among Children Conceived with IVF
  Children conceived using in vitro fertilization (IVF) may have a higher risk of cancer compared with children born without IVF, according to a study published in Pediatrics.
  
  
• July 23, 2010
  Afinitor Promising in Treatment of Advanced Gastric Cancer
  Afinitor® (everolimus) may be a promising treatment option for patients with metastatic gastric cancer who have undergone previous treatment, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
  
  
• July 22, 2010
  Telecare Management May Improve Pain and Depression for Cancer Patients
  A centralized, telephone-based system for symptom management appears to significantly reduce pain and depression among cancer patients who receive care in rural or geographically dispersed urban settings, according to the results of a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
  
  
• July 22, 2010
  New Vitamin D Recommendations for Older Men and Women
  In light of growing evidence of widespread vitamin D deficiency, the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) has released a new position statement with increased vitamin D recommendations for older men and women.
  
  
• July 21, 2010
  Updated Guidelines Address Hormonal Therapy for Breast Cancer
  Among postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, use of an aromatase inhibitor at some point in the course of adjuvant (post-surgery) treatment results in a lower risk of cancer recurrence than use of tamoxifen only.
  
  
• July 20, 2010
  Exercise May Help Preserve Mental Health in Women
  Active women have a lower risk of cognitive impairment later in life, according to the results of a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
  
  
• July 20, 2010
  Olaparib Active Against Advanced Ovarian Cancer and Breast Cancer with BRCA Mutations
  Previously treated advanced breast and ovarian cancer patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation may benefit from treatment with the oral investigational drug olaparib.
  
  
• July 19, 2010
  Chemoradiotherapy plus Surgery Improves Esophageal Cancer Survival
  
  
• July 19, 2010
  Complementary Therapy for Children Undergoing Stem Cell Transplant
  Complementary therapies such as massage and humor therapy may not help children cope with the potential emotional distress associated with stem cell transplantation, according to findings recently reported in Cancer.
  
  
• July 16, 2010
  Vandetanib Delays Progression of Advanced Medullary Thyroid Cancer
  Results of a Phase III clinical trial indicate that the investigational drug vandetanib delays the progression of locally advanced or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer. These results were presented at the 2010 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.