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.

New hope for common form of childhood cancer

Dr. Richard Lock, Head of the Leukaemia Biology Program at the Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Sydney, along with collaborators from the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and University of Southern California, USA, recently published their findings in the prestigious scientific journal Blood.

23 Jul 2007

Chemo instead of radiotherapy cuts long-term side effects for children with brain tumours

Using chemotherapy to delay or avoid radiotherapy in children under three with a type of brain tumour called ependymoma reduces the risk of potentially damaging long term side effects, reveal trial results published online in the Lancet Oncology.

23 Jul 2007

Better treatment for children with brain cancer

Young children diagnosed with a malignant type of brain tumour will benefit from research that has taken twelve years to complete.

23 Jul 2007

Arius begins toxicology program for lead anti-cancer antibody

ARIUS Research Inc has announced that the Company has initiated the first study in the formal pre-clinical toxicology program for its lead anti-CD44 drug candidate, which is under development for the treatment of breast, prostate and liver cancers.

23 Jul 2007

Obesity a risk factor for multiple myeloma

An obese person is more likely than a lean person to develop multiple myeloma, according to researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard School of Public Health.

20 Jul 2007

New combo treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia increases survival

The combination treatment of fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) greatly increases progression-free survival and response rates, compared with single treatment with either fludarabine or chlorambucil alone.

20 Jul 2007

Novel radiotherapy approach for lung cancer

A novel radiotherapy approach has shown promise as a treatment option, and may possibly increase the cure rate, for people with early stage lung cancer who are unable to tolerate surgery, according to findings from a five-year study led by SUNY Upstate Medical University.

20 Jul 2007

Aptamers may refine cancer treatment

University of Florida researchers have successfully used molecular probes to detect subtle differences in leukemia cells from patient samples, an achievement that could lead to more effective ways to diagnose and treat cancer.

20 Jul 2007

Higher child leukaemia rates near nuclear facilities

Leukaemia rates in children and young people are elevated near nuclear facilities, but no clear explanation exists to explain the rise, according to a research review published in the July issue of European Journal of Cancer Care.

20 Jul 2007

Obesity a risk factor for multiple myeloma

An obese person is more likely than a lean person to develop multiple myeloma, according to researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard School of Public Health.

19 Jul 2007

Higher leukaemia rates in children living near nuclear facilities

19 Jul 2007

New hope for childhood cancer sufferers

Scientists investigating drug therapies for children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) have presented new data demonstrating for the very first time that a small molecule called ABT-737 can increase the effectiveness of standard therapies.

17 Jul 2007

New advance in search for effective treatment for human liver cancer

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine report a significant new advance in the search for an effective treatment for human liver cancer in the July issue of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.

12 Jul 2007

New insights into acute promyelocytic leukemia

Results from two new studies provide key mechanistic insights into the complex molecular events that cause a deadly type of leukemia.

10 Jul 2007

ERG gene's activity points to more lethal subtype of acute myeloid leukemia

A new study shows that the activity of a particular gene can identify people who have a more lethal form of acute myeloid leukemia, singling out those patients who should receive more intense therapy.

10 Jul 2007

Delays in cancer diagnosis for children remain poorly understood

Though delays in the diagnosis of cancer in children are short and attributable to clinical presentation and healthcare system complexity, the impact of such delays on prognosis remains unclear, according to a new study.

10 Jul 2007

Delays in cancer diagnosis for children remain poorly understood

10 Jul 2007

Genetic mutation that may alter response to cancer therapeutics found

Researchers from Eli Lilly & Company and the Phoenix-based Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) today announced finding a novel recurring mutation of the gene AKT1 in breast, colorectal and ovarian cancers.

4 Jul 2007

Discovery of method to identify how cancer evades the immune system

One of the fundamental traits of a tumor - how it avoids the immune system - might become its greatest vulnerability, according to researchers from the University of Southern California. Their findings, demonstrated in human breast and colorectal cancers, indicate that a technique for determining a tumor's "immune signature," could be useful for diagnosing and treating specific cancers.

3 Jul 2007

New type of drug shows promise for chronic lymphocytic leukemia

A new type of engineered drug candidate has shown promise in treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia in both test tube and early animal tests, a new study shows.

29 Jun 2007