Cancer Diagnosis News and Research

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Study methods influence estimates of lead time and overdiagnosis in prostate cancer

In prostate cancer, estimates of lead time (how long screening advances diagnosis of cancer) and overdiagnosis (the fraction of cancers detected by screening that would not have been diagnosed during the patient's lifetime without screening) vary widely, depending on the definition of lead time used, the population, and the estimation methodology, according to a report in the March 10 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

11 Mar 2009

New guide helps physicians understand oncofertility

The powerful chemotherapy and radiation used to save cancer patients' lives can also destroy their fertility.

26 Feb 2009

New technique to determine tumor methylation status

Current research suggests that a new technique to determine tumor methylation status can be used in archived tissue samples.

23 Feb 2009

Discovery of new biomarker for fatal prostate cancer

New research findings out of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the University of Wisconsin may help provide some direction for men diagnosed with prostate cancer about whether their cancer is likely to be life-threatening.

16 Feb 2009

Nanoscopic changes to pancreatic cells reveal cancer

A team of researchers in Chicago has developed a way to examine cell biopsies and detect never-before-seen signs of early-stage pancreatic cancer, according to a new paper in the Optical Society (OSA) journal Optics Letters.

16 Feb 2009

Pregnancy has no impact on breast cancer, but can delay diagnosis and treatment

A new study finds women who develop breast cancer while pregnant or soon afterwards do not experience any differences in disease severity or likelihood of survival compared to other women with breast cancer.

9 Feb 2009

Many women who survived childhood cancer do not undergo recommended breast cancer screening

Despite recommendations and being at an increased risk of breast cancer, most young women who were treated with chest radiation for a childhood cancer do not undergo appropriate mammography screening, according to a study in the January 28 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

29 Jan 2009

Study may help breast cancer patients make more informed treatment choices

A new study identifies certain patient and tumor characteristics that may help indicate which breast cancer patients would be the most likely to benefit from preventive surgery to remove the unaffected breast.

27 Jan 2009

Pap test procedure facts

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center shares important information about the cervical cancer screening exam, the Pap test.

7 Jan 2009

Vitamins C and E and beta carotene again fail to reduce cancer risk in randomized controlled trial

Women who took beta carotene or vitamin C or E or a combination of the supplements had a similar risk of cancer as women who did not take the supplements, according to data from a randomized controlled trial in the December 30 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

1 Jan 2009

New online tool for calculating colorectal cancer risk

A new online tool for calculating colorectal cancer risk in men and women age 50 or older was launched today, based on a new risk-assessment model developed by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

1 Jan 2009

Magnetic nanotags allow sensitive detection of cancer biomarkers

The detection of cancer-associated proteins, or biomarkers, in blood samples is a potentially powerful tool for early diagnosis of cancer and monitoring of cancer treatment.

29 Dec 2008

Pre-existing diabetes for persons diagnosed with cancer associated with increased risk of death

Patients with diabetes at the time of a cancer diagnosis have an increased risk of death compared to patients without diabetes, according to a meta-analysis of studies reported in the December 17 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

16 Dec 2008

Colonoscopy significantly reduces death from left-sided colon cancer but not from right-sided

A new study finds that colonoscopy is strongly associated with fewer deaths from colorectal cancer.

15 Dec 2008

Computer-aided detection (CAD) mammography for breast cancer screening

Computer programs designed to help radiologists could identify more cases of breast cancer, but they might also increase the number of false-positive results, which can lead to biopsies in healthy women, according to a recent systematic review.

15 Dec 2008

Relationship woes hinder breast cancer recovery

Breast cancer patients who have a poor relationship with their spouse may face a more difficult road to recovery than would other women, according to a new study.

8 Dec 2008

Confusing risk information may lead breast cancer patients to make poor treatment choices

A new study from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center found that a tool commonly used by doctors to estimate the risk of a woman's breast cancer returning after surgery is not very effective at explaining risk to patients.

8 Dec 2008

New method could help reduce breast-lesion biopsies

A new method of characterizing breast lesions found during an MRI exam could result in fewer biopsies of benign tumors with the benefits of reduced pain and expense for patients and providers, according to a paper that will be presented today (Sunday, Nov. 30) at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

30 Nov 2008

Survival of head and neck cancer patients is greatly affected by coexisting ailments

Current estimates for head and neck cancer survival are largely inaccurate because they widely disregard many of the most common diseases such patients have in addition to their primary cancer, says Jay Piccirillo, M.D., a head and neck specialist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the Siteman Cancer Center and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

19 Nov 2008

Doctors hesitant to discuss options to preserve fertility with cancer patients

Although some teenagers and young adults become infertile following cancer treatment, physicians are hesitant to discuss options to preserve fertility with patients, according to a new Florida study.

18 Nov 2008