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.

Researchers advance stem cell gene therapy

Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center researchers have recently made great strides in stem cell gene therapy research by transferring a new gene to cancer patients, via their own stem cells, with the ultimate goal of being able to use stronger chemotherapy treatment with less severe side effects.

13 Dec 2007

Cancer stem cells may be cause of brain tumors

Expert available for comment on "Cancer Stem Cells" symposium at American Society of Hemotology (ASH) meeting, led by Dr. Andrew Schafer, chairman of medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, and president, ASH.

13 Dec 2007

Bosutinib safe, effective for chronic myelogenous leukemia

A new drug for chronic myelogenous leukemia works for patients who have developed resistance to frontline therapy and causes fewer side effects than other medications in its class, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports at the 49th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

12 Dec 2007

Data confirm Dasatinib's effectiveness in resistant chronic myelogenous leukemia

Updated clinical trial results show that the drug dasatinib (Sprycel) continues to be highly effective in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia who were unable to tolerate Gleevec or who developed resistance to it, reports a team led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

12 Dec 2007

Need for education for primary care physicians on rarely seen cancers

Many primary care physicians may lack the necessary knowledge when it comes to recognizing the signs, symptoms and making proper diagnoses in cases of blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma, a recent survey indicates.

10 Dec 2007

SuperGen's CLIMB technology identifies lead Pim kinase inhibitors

SuperGen Inc. has announced the presentation of data that describe how its proprietary CLIMB technology was used in lead development and design of small molecule Pim kinase inhibitors (Poster 845, Abstract 2655).

10 Dec 2007

Patients without advance care plans more likely to die

Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle found only half of patients undergoing stem cell transplantation had advance care plans - documents such as living wills, power of attorney for health care, or life-support instructions - and those without plans were three times more likely to die during or after surgery.

10 Dec 2007

New test for targeted therapy in acute myeloid leukemia

Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researcher Jeff Tyner, Ph.D., has created a way to identify proteins that are candidates for targeted therapy in acute myeloid leukemia using an assay that yields results in just four days.

10 Dec 2007

New drug candidate knocks out resistant form of chronic myeloid leukemia

Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researchers have found a new, experimental drug candidate it to be effective against a highly resistant mutation in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

10 Dec 2007

Anemia drugs linked with leukemic transformation in patients with primary myelofibrosis

Mayo Clinic researchers have reported the discovery of a link between erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and leukemic transformation (conversion to leukemia) of the blood disorder myelofibrosis.

10 Dec 2007

Umbilical cord blood transplant may confer advantages over bone marrow transplant for kids with life-threatening metabolic disorders

Children born with inherited metabolic disorders that cause organ failure and early death can be treated successfully with umbilical cord blood transplants from unrelated donors and, in some cases go on to live for many years, according to a study led by Duke University Medical Center researchers.

10 Dec 2007

Vaccine improves event-free survival for leukemia patients

Patients whose immune system responded to a peptide vaccine for leukemia enjoyed a median remission that was more than three times longer than non-responders, a team led by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports at the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

10 Dec 2007

New role for miRNA in leukemia discovered

Scientists here have found that mini-molecules called micro-RNA may play a critical role in the progression of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) from its more treatable chronic phase to a life-threatening phase, called blast crisis.

10 Dec 2007

New understanding of chronic myeloid leukemia

Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researchers have opened a new window into the roots of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

10 Dec 2007

More good Gleevec news

Gleevec, the targeted cancer pill that has saved more than 100,000 lives, now is saving more children with a dire leukemia, as well as preventing disease progression with long term use in adults with chronic myeloid leukemia.

10 Dec 2007

Nilotinib and Dasatinib show promise as therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia

Two drugs approved for use as second line therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia are showing promising results as frontline therapy for newly diagnosed patients in two clinical trials, research teams led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report at the 49th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

10 Dec 2007

Complete response with oblimersen combination improves survival of CLL patients

Relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients who had a complete response to combination therapy that included the drug oblimersen survived significantly longer than patients treated with chemotherapy alone, a team led by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports at the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

10 Dec 2007

Scientists say children living near nuclear power plants have a higher risk of cancer

Scientists in Germany say young children living near nuclear power plants have a significantly higher risk of developing leukemia and other forms of cancer.

10 Dec 2007

Re-engineered Gleevec reduces heart risks

Using a new bottom-up approach for rational drug design, researchers at Rice University and the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have reengineered the powerful anticancer drug imatinib - best known by its brand name Gleevec - to more specifically target one type of cancer while potentially curbing a rare life-threatening cardiotoxic side effect.

4 Dec 2007

Mini transplant patients' outcomes similar using related and unrelated donor cells

People who undergo nonmyeloablative stem-cell transplants, or "mini transplants," for leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers have comparable outcomes regardless of whether they receive tissue-matched stem cells from a related or unrelated donor, according to new findings by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

4 Dec 2007