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''.

Ludwig scientists develop and test individualized ovarian cancer vaccine

A Ludwig Cancer Research study has shown that an entirely new type of personalized cancer vaccine induces novel, potent and clinically effective immune responses in patients receiving a combination of standard therapies for recurrent, stage III and IV ovarian cancer.

11 Apr 2018

Study offers new hope for patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Kandice Fogle, 43, had just moved to Houston when she began experiencing pain in her back and groin. After undergoing a CT scan, doctors found a large mass in her liver. A biopsy confirmed that she had intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, more commonly known as bile duct cancer.

11 Apr 2018

Researchers discover key enzyme driving breast cancer

Looking to identify new strategies to prevent breast cancer recurrence, a research team led by Subhamoy Dasgupta, PhD, Assistant Professor of Oncology in the Department of Cell Stress Biology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, has identified two key proteins involved in glucose metabolism that could be targeted to prevent breast cancer metastasis and recurrence. The team's findings were published today in the journal Nature.

11 Apr 2018

Research identifies link between rare gene variants and survival after blood and marrow transplant

Blood and marrow transplant, or BMT, is a lifesaving and effective treatment for many patients, but the procedure can cause serious and life-threatening complications.

10 Apr 2018

UT Southwestern's Dr. Nijhawan selected for ASCI's 2018 Seldin-Smith Award

UT Southwestern's Dr. Deepak Nijhawan became a co-recipient of the 2018 Donald Seldin-Holly Smith Award for Pioneering Research. The award recognizes Dr. Nijhawan's work identifying targets for cancer treatment.

10 Apr 2018

Study finds link between industry payments and prescription practices for two cancer types

Physicians who received payment from pharmaceutical companies for meals, talks and travel were more likely to prescribe those companies' drugs for two cancer types, a University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center-led study has found.

9 Apr 2018

Heart disease risk in breast cancer patients after treatment not higher than average population

Many breast cancer therapies cause damage to the heart. However, in the largest study of its kind so far, scientists from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg have now shown that the risk of death from heart disease in breast cancer patients following radiotherapy or chemotherapy is no higher than it is among the average population.

9 Apr 2018

Using Cord Blood to Alleviate the Symptoms of Autism

Cord blood has been studied extensively for the treatment of hematological diseases such as cancer and sickle cell anemia, but is now in phase II trials for the alleviation of autism. Dr. Ann Smith, director of Smart Cells who provided the cord blood for the trial, discusses the research and it's potential.

9 Apr 2018

Breast cancer survival linked to muscle mass finds study

Researchers have found that women with breast cancer who have a low muscle mass are less likely to survive stage 2 and 3 cancers. The study titled, “Association of Muscle and Adiposity Measured by Computed Tomography with Survival in Patients with Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer,” appears in the latest issue of the journal JAMA Oncology.

9 Apr 2018

Largest genomic analysis supports additional classification of tumors

University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers are reporting the concluding findings from a major analysis of nearly 10,000 different tumor samples that focused on identifying similarities between cancers based on changes in their genes, and the way their genes are expressed.

6 Apr 2018

Johns Hopkins scientist calls for more integration of epigenetics and genetics research

In a review article published April 5 in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientist Andrew Feinberg, M.D., calls for more integration between two fields of DNA-based research: genetics and epigenetics.

6 Apr 2018

New comprehensive analysis of breast and gynecological cancers

A large amount of information has been gathered by researchers from University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center who were studying the molecular features of tumors and their subtypes. They were working on breast and four types of gynaecological cancers.

6 Apr 2018

Positive lifestyle changes could reduce risk of developing cancer

There are many factors that determine your likelihood of developing cancer, including age, genetic predisposition and lifestyle.

5 Apr 2018

Web-based resource helps women with breast reconstruction decisions after mastectomy

A new Psycho-Oncology study indicates that a free web-based decision aid that helps women with breast cancer make decisions regarding reconstruction surgery after mastectomy is likely cost-effective.

5 Apr 2018

Early life epilepsies should be treated with urgency as childhood cancers

Like childhood cancers, early life epilepsies represent many rare disorders with diverse underlying causes. Unlike childhood cancers, little has changed in the outcomes of early life epilepsies in the past few decades, despite advances in diagnostic technologies and availability of new treatments.

5 Apr 2018

Exercise and diet can help fight side effects of hormone therapy in prostate cancer patients

Men on hormone therapy for prostate cancer may benefit significantly from hitting the gym with fellow patients and choosing more veggies and fewer cheeseburgers, a new study suggests.

3 Apr 2018

MIT researchers develop new portable device to monitor white blood cell levels

One of the major side effects of chemotherapy is a sharp drop in white blood cells, which leaves patients vulnerable to dangerous infections. MIT researchers have now developed a portable device that could be used to monitor patients' white blood cell levels at home, without taking blood samples.

3 Apr 2018

Gut bacteria may hold clues to predict effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies

The composition of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract may hold clues to help predict which cancer patients are most apt to benefit from the personalized cellular therapies that have shown unprecedented promise in the fight against hard-to-treat cancers, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

3 Apr 2018

Study uncovers mechanism causing chronic GVHD after bone marrow transplant

Allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT) is an essential treatment to cure patients with blood cancers such as leukemia. In patients who have undergone chemotherapy and radiation, a small number of cancer cells can remain in the bloodstream and allow the malignancy to recur.

3 Apr 2018

FDA grants accelerated approval to leukemia drug for patients with MRD-positive ALL

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to Blincyto (blinatumomab) to treat adults and children with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who are in remission but still have minimal residual disease (MRD).

30 Mar 2018