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''.

Targets to improve palliative patients’ wellbeing identified

Pain, depression, drowsiness, fatigue, and appetite loss are the symptoms that most affect the wellbeing of cancer patients being treated palliatively, report Canadian researchers.

16 Aug 2012

Pregnant women who undergo chemotherapy do not appear to increase their baby’s risk of complications

The babies of breast cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy while pregnant do not appear to be at higher risk of complications, according to an Article published Online First in The Lancet Oncology.

16 Aug 2012

Radiosensitivity molecular signature can lead to better radiation therapy decisions for breast cancer

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center, working with colleagues in Sweden, the Netherlands and Puerto Rico, have validated a radiosensitivity molecular signature that can lead to better radiation therapy decisions for treating patients with breast cancer.

16 Aug 2012

Tofacitinib drug shows promise against moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis

An investigational drug currently under FDA review for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has now shown positive results in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego, School of Medicine.

16 Aug 2012

Combination of Zelboraf and immunotherapy increases tumor responses and survival in MM

Combining the recently approved BRAF inhibitor, Zelboraf with an engineered T cell immunotherapy to treat metastatic melanoma significantly increased tumor responses and survival in an animal model, researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have shown.

16 Aug 2012

Cedars-Sinai's ICT-107 doubles median survival of patients with malignant brain tumor

An experimental immune-based therapy more than doubled median survival of patients diagnosed with the most aggressive malignant brain tumor, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center researchers reported in Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy, published online Aug. 3.

16 Aug 2012

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals receives new U.S. patents for trans sodium crocetinate

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC, a biotechnology company focused on innovative cancer treatments, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted it patent numbers 7919527 and 8030350, entitled "Bipolar Trans Carotenoids Salts and Their Uses" and "Trans Carotenoids, Their Synthesis and Uses," respectively.

16 Aug 2012

Cancer patients with xerostomia can benefit from regenerative research

Biologists, surgical oncologists and regenerative medicine specialists from Rice University, the University of Delaware and the Christiana Care Health System in Wilmington, Del., have begun a four-year program aimed at using cells to grow whole salivary glands that can replace those destroyed by cancer radiation therapy.

16 Aug 2012

Pediatric imatinib for Philadelphia-chromosome ALL fights relapse

Trial findings confirm the benefits of imatinib therapy in children with Philadelphia-chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

15 Aug 2012

Therapeutic breaks for prostate cancer patients

Men with advanced prostate cancer receiving androgen-deprivation therapy may be better off being treated intermittently rather than on a continuous basis, show study findings.

15 Aug 2012

Early stage breast cancer in older women: an interview with Dr. Benjamin Smith

Early stage breast cancer in older women is a common problem. In the United States nearly half of women diagnosed with breast cancer are aged 65 or older. A sizeable proportion of those patients have early stage breast cancer.

15 Aug 2012

Combination of obatoclax and flavopiridol triggers multiple myeloma cell death

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center are reporting promising results from laboratory and animal experiments involving a new combination therapy for multiple myeloma, the second most common form of blood cancer.

15 Aug 2012

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals initiates enrollment in Phase 2b ozarelix study for prostate cancer

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company with fully integrated commercial and drug development operations with a primary focus in hematology and oncology, today announced initiation of patient enrollment in the second part of the Company's randomized Phase 2 clinical program of ozarelix, a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) antagonist, in men with prostate cancer for whom hormonal treatment is indicated.

15 Aug 2012

Common antibiotics may risk liver injury in elderly

Regulatory warnings should be considered for the antibiotics moxifloxacin and levofloxacin because of a potential risk for liver injuries in the elderly, Canadian researchers suggest.

14 Aug 2012

Physiotherapy beneficial for Parkinson’s patients

Results from a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the BMJ suggest that physiotherapy interventions benefit Parkinson’s disease patients, at least in the short term.

14 Aug 2012

AstraZeneca enters agreement with Pfizer for OTC NEXIUM

Pfizer Inc. today announced that it has entered into an agreement with AstraZeneca for the over-the-counter (OTC) rights for NEXIUM (esomeprazole magnesium), a leading prescription drug currently approved to treat the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

14 Aug 2012