Oncology News and Research

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Oncology, meaning bulk, mass, or tumor, and the suffix ''-logy'', meaning "study of") is a branch of medicine that deals with tumors (cancer). A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''.

Discovery of new cancer gene

Researchers have identified a new cancer gene - one that is common to many cancers and affects the most basic regulation of our genes.

29 Mar 2009

DNA repair mechanisms relocate in response to stress

Like doctors making house calls, some DNA repair enzymes can relocate to the part of the cell that needs their help, a collaborative team of scientists at Emory University School of Medicine has found.

29 Mar 2009

Oxycodone effective against shingles pain

The painkiller oxycodone is effective at treating the acute pain of shingles, an illness that often causes severe pain which can become long-lasting and sometimes even permanent.

26 Mar 2009

Discovery of new biomarker for prostate cancer

Researchers at Wayne State University have identified a new marker for prostate cancer progression that may one day lead to new treatments.

26 Mar 2009

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals starts phase II pancreatic cancer trial

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that it has received FDA approval to begin Phase II trials for Archexin, the Company's leading cancer compound, for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

24 Mar 2009

Ovarian cancers detected early may be less aggressive, questioning effectiveness of screening

The biology of ovarian cancers discovered at an early stage may render them slower growing and less likely to spread than more aggressive cancers, which typically are discovered in an advanced stage, according to a study led by investigators in the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.

24 Mar 2009

Merck Serono launches strategic venture capital fund

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today the formation of 'Merck Serono Ventures', a strategic, corporate venture capital fund to invest in emerging biotechnology companies.

23 Mar 2009

Focus on treating malnutrition in cancer patients, researchers say

Cancer patients who are malnourished experience significantly greater levels of psychological distress than those who are more adequately nourished, according to new results reported at the European Society for Medical Oncology's Symposium on Cancer and Nutrition (Zurich, 20-21 March 2009).

22 Mar 2009

Biopsy of recurrent breast cancer can alter treatment

For women with recurrent breast cancer, the treatment the doctor chooses is usually based on the properties of their original breast cancer.

20 Mar 2009

Prostate cancer expert say keep screening in face of contradicting data

New data evaluating the impact of screening on mortality provides mixed messages on the value of prostate cancer screening.

20 Mar 2009

Gleevec reduces risk of cancer returning in patients with life-threatening gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Data published online and in an upcoming print issue of The Lancet show that Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) tablets, when taken after surgery, substantially reduces the rate of recurrence of Kit-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) compared with placebo.

20 Mar 2009

New tumor markers determine therapy intensity

Characteristic changes in the DNA of medulloblastoma, the most frequent malignant brain tumor in childhood, indicate precisely how aggressively the tumor will continue to spread and what the chances of disease relapse are.

17 Mar 2009

Lung cancer: Molecular scissors determine therapy effectiveness

In the past few years, a number of anti-cancer drugs have been developed which are directed selectively against specific key molecules of tumor cells.

17 Mar 2009

Early detection of second breast cancers halves women’s risk of death

A group of international researchers has found the first reliable evidence that early detection of subsequent breast tumours in women who have already had the disease can halve the women's chances of death from breast cancer.

17 Mar 2009

Alba Therapeutics announces next clinical trial of lead compound, Larazotide Acetate

Alba Therapeutics Corporation announced today it will initiate further clinical studies for patients diagnosed with celiac disease with their lead compound, larazotide acetate.

17 Mar 2009

Trial of new combination treatment targeting hormone receptor-positive locally advanced breast cancer

Researchers at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) have opened a clinical trial, which aims to evaluate a new treatment for breast cancer in combination with one that is already approved for other types of cancers.

16 Mar 2009

Promising results for 5-day stereotactic body radiation therapy in early stage prostate cancer

Preliminary results show that a shortened course of radiation therapy for prostate cancer called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) provides good PSA response for early-stage prostate cancer and has the same side effects as other treatments, according to a March 15 study in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics , the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

16 Mar 2009