Leukemia News and Research

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Leukemia (Leukaemia) is a cancer of the blood cells. It is the most common type of blood cancer and affects 10 times as many adults as children. Most people diagnosed with leukemia are over 50 years old. No one knows why some people develop leukemia and others do not. However, scientists have identified some risk factors for the disease. Most people who have known risk factors do not get leukemia, while many who do get the disease have none of these risk factors. During the early stages of leukemia, there may be no symptoms. Many of the symptoms of leukemia don't become apparent until a large number of normal blood cells are crowded out by leukemia cells.

Phase 2 results of AbbVie’s venetoclax in patients with R/R CLL with 17p deletion published in The Lancet Oncology

AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced The Lancet Oncology published results from the Phase 2, single arm, open label trial studying venetoclax in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) with 17p deletion.

17 May 2016

Arkin Holdings and Primera Capital lead investment of $13M in BioSight

BioSight, Ltd, an Israeli pharmaceutical development company focused on the development of innovative chemotherapy pro-drugs with reduced toxicity, announced today the closing of an investment of $13M led by the Mori Arkin's pharmaceutical investment firm, Arkin Holdings, and the US based venture firm Primera Capital. Proceeds of the financing will be used to fund a multi-center phase IIb clinical trial with the company's lead product, Astarabine™, for the treatment of AML.

16 May 2016

CTD helps scientists explore impact of environmental exposures on human health

Two new studies from a group at North Carolina State University give researchers new strategies for connecting environmental exposures to human health effects.

13 May 2016

Mitoxantrone drug users more likely to develop colorectal cancer

The multiple sclerosis (MS) drug mitoxantrone may be associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study published in the May 11, 2016, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Mitoxantrone suppresses the immune system.

12 May 2016

Researchers discover new function of genes in Fanconi anemia pathway

Researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified an important new function of genes in the Fanconi anemia pathway - a finding that could have implications for development of new therapies to treat this disorder and some cancers.

3 May 2016

NCCN publishes series of patient education materials for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

It is estimated that more than 72,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas (NHL) in 2016. The sixth leading cancer diagnosis in U.S. men and women, NHL has more than 30 sub-types, each featuring unique treatment choices and challenges.

30 Apr 2016

Residential radon exposure may lead to hematologic cancer risk in women

A new report finds a statistically-significant, positive association between high levels of residential radon and the risk of hematologic cancer (lymphoma, myeloma, and leukemia) in women. The study is the first prospective, population-based study of residential radon exposure and hematologic cancer risk, leading the authors to caution that it requires replication to better understand the association and whether it truly differs by sex. It appears early online in Environmental Research.

29 Apr 2016

Experimental therapy has over 90% remission rate for advanced leukemia patients

Twenty-seven of 29 patients with an advanced type of leukemia that had proved resistant to multiple other forms of therapy went into remission after their T cells (disease-fighting immune cells) were genetically engineered to fight their cancers.

28 Apr 2016

Musashi-2 protein regulates function, development of blood stem cells

Researchers at McMaster University's Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute have made significant steps forward in understanding the stem cells of the human blood system after discovering how a key protein allows for better control and regeneration of these cells.

28 Apr 2016

Study identifies risk factors for asparaginase-induced pancreatitis in ALL patients

Researchers have identified a rare genetic variation associated with a dramatically increased risk of severe acute pancreatitis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients treated with the chemotherapy agent asparaginase. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital led the study, which appears today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

26 Apr 2016

High doses of commonly-used chemotherapy drug may increase survival rate of ALL patients

With a cure rate approaching 90 percent, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) - the most common type of childhood cancer - is often hailed as one of the "success stories" of modern cancer treatment. But up to 20 percent of patients with a high risk of relapse are not cured. That could change with the results from a clinical trial co-led by investigators from NYU Langone Medical Center, which shows giving high doses of a commonly-used chemotherapy drug increases the survival rate for these patients.

26 Apr 2016

BCR-ABL halving time indicates CML prognosis during front-line TKI

Calculating halving time of the BCR-ABL transcript after 3 months may help determine prognosis in chronic myeloid leukaemia patients undergoing first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy, say researchers.

21 Apr 2016

Bosutinib shows 'low' vascular, cardiac event risk profile

Third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor study findings suggest that bosutinib is associated with a low risk of vascular and cardiac events in patients undergoing first-line or subsequent treatment for chronic myeloid leukaemia.

21 Apr 2016

Imatinib-related symptom burden linked to adherence in Indian CML patients

Research shows low adherence to imatinib in Indian patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia, with an association between nonadherence and worse symptom burden related to treatment.

21 Apr 2016

Frontline nilotinib supported for newly diagnosed CP-CML

Long-term results from the ENESTnd trial indicate a favourable risk-benefit profile for frontline use of nilotinib in patients within 6 months of chronic phase-chronic myeloid leukaemia diagnosis.

21 Apr 2016

Pre-TKI cytokine profiling predicts CP-CML outcome

Measuring levels of transforming growth factor-α and interleukin-6 may help identify patients with newly diagnosed chronic phase-chronic myeloid leukaemia at risk of a poor outcome from tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy, research suggests.

20 Apr 2016

Newly discovered player in epigenetic regulation closely linked to known cancer promoters

If genes form the body's blueprint, then the layer of epigenetics decides which parts of the plan get built. Unfortunately, many cancers hijack epigenetics to modulate the expression of genes, thus promoting cancer growth and survival.

19 Apr 2016

NanoString launches new nCounter Vantage assays that power 3D Biology experiments in cancer research

NanoString Technologies, Inc., a provider of life science tools for translational research and molecular diagnostic products, today announced the introduction of nCounter Vantage, a portfolio of assays that power 3D Biology™ experiments in cancer research, including immuno-oncology.

From NanoString Technologies 19 Apr 2016

Intestinal bacteria can be used to reduce cancer risk, reveals UCLA study

Researchers have shown that various types of intestinal bacteria might be factors in both causing and preventing obesity, and in other conditions and diseases. Now, a UCLA study suggests that it could also potentially be used to reduce the risk for some types of cancer.

16 Apr 2016

Researchers reach milestone in developing non-hormonal approach to male contraception

Researchers studying strategies to develop a non-hormonal approach to male contraception have reached an important milestone in their work, discovering a way to produce a key enzyme found only in sperm in sufficient quantities that they can begin designing drugs to stop the sperm from swimming to the egg.

13 Apr 2016