Cancer Therapy News and Research

RSS

Cigarettes damage women’s lungs more than men’s lungs

Noting that lung cancer is women’s number one cancer killer, Loyola medical oncologist Dr. Kathy S. Albain will speak on the molecular differences in lung cancer between men and women, June 4, at the annual meeting of Women Against Lung Cancer.

3 Jun 2004

Avastin study shows significant improvement in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

Genentech, Inc. and Roche have announced that the New England Journal of Medicine published the first Phase III study of an anti-angiogenesis cancer therapy, showing that the addition of Avastin™ (bevacizumab) to the IFL chemotherapy regimen (5-FU/Leucovorin/ CPT-11) significantly extended survival in patients with first-line (previously untreated) metastatic colorectal cancer.

2 Jun 2004

Engineered virus could be ideal for targeting cancers with lethal gene therapy

Scientists from Cancer Research UK have taken advantage of the selfish behaviour of cancer cells to target them with a genetically engineered virus.

1 Jun 2004

Physicians need to understand comorbidities to better help cancer patients

Findings from a new cancer study may seem obvious — a patient’s overall health is a critical factor in assessing prognosis. But the study’s authors say data about patients’ non-cancer ailments, called comorbidities, are not currently incorporated into cancer statistics.

27 May 2004

3 or 4 glasses of wine a week can kill cancer cells

It’s well known that drinking red wine in moderation can have some health benefits, mainly attributed to a compound called resveratrol. Now, scientists at the University of Virginia Health System have discovered how.

25 May 2004

Baby born from 21 year old cryopreserved sperm

"We believe this is the longest period of sperm cryopreservation resulting in a live birth so far reported in the scientific literature," according to one of the authors, Dr Elizabeth Pease, Consultant in Reproductive Medicine at the Department of Reproductive Medicine at St Mary's Hospital, Manchester.

25 May 2004

Prostate Robotic System that will improve the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer

The Singapore General Hospital and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have jointly developed a Prostate Robotic System that will improve the diagnosis and treatment of prostrate cancer, the fifth most common cancer in Singaporean men.

21 May 2004

High levels of troponin I (TNI) protein in the blood helps identify possible heart damage after cancer treatment

TNI is a protein present exclusively in heart cells. The TNI blood concentration is a well-established marker of heart muscle injury that’s widely used to diagnose and treat heart attacks and other acute coronary syndromes.

18 May 2004

British cancer charities call for improved lung cancer care

Today, MPs are being urged to support cancer charities' call for the provision of modern equipment vital to the treatment of people living with lung cancer, six months after the Government first promised to produce a national framework.

17 May 2004

Glucose metabolism could be used to selectively destroy cancer cells

Scientists have known for decades that cancer cells consume more glucose than normal cells. A longstanding assumption that the excess glucose metabolism was needed to make energy has not been borne out by research studies.

15 May 2004

Study of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for severe, treatment-resistant lupus

The study will include a basic research component to examine the roles of B and T cells, white blood cells in the immune system, in triggering lupus symptoms.

14 May 2004

Better understanding of radiation therapy in the treatment of breast cancer

To help patients understand the importance of radiation therapy in the treatment of breast cancer, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology has published the new patient information brochure Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer: A Patient’s Guide to Understanding Treatment.

13 May 2004

Key hole colon surgery effective

When performed by experienced surgeons, minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery is a safe and effective alternative to standard open surgery for most patients with cancer that is confined to the colon.

13 May 2004

Nanobodies herald a new era in cancer therapy

Cancer, along with heart and vascular disease, is the major cause of death in the Western world. The first generation of anti-cancer drugs has already saved many lives, but because these medicines are non-specific they also often have severe side effects.

12 May 2004

Quality of life for men after prostate cancer treatment

Four to eight years after men undergo treatment for prostate cancer, they continue to see changes – both positive and negative – in their quality of life because of that treatment, researchers at the University of Michigan Health System and Harvard Medical School report.

11 May 2004

Soybeans may reduce the risk of colon cancer

A substance found in soybeans may reduce the risk of colon cancer, the third most common form of cancer in the world according to the World Health Organization.

10 May 2004

A second-generation targetted antibody for potential cancer therapy

The overproduction, or 'overexpression', of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is one of the most common aberrations in cancer, and subsequently agents that inhibit EGFR are among the most hotly-pursued potential products in the pharmaceutical industry.

6 May 2004

World's first gene therapy trial aimed at preventing cancer

The concept seems straightforward. If, at its heart, cancer is a disease of genes, then giving patients new genes should disarm cancer. Such treatment would replace missing or faulty genes that keep cell growth in check, or would flush the body with "super genes" that could attack and destroy cancer.

5 May 2004

Immtech signs agreement with CombinatoRx to test Immtech compounds as potential cancer treatment

Immtech International, Inc. announced today that it signed an agreement with CombinatoRx of Boston, Massachusetts to screen its lead aromatic cationic compounds, DB289 and DB75, for activity against various cancers.

5 May 2004

Minimal information available on the likelihood of side effects from prostate cancer treatment

When a man is diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer, he must decide among four different treatment methods, each of which carries its own set of benefits and risks.

3 May 2004