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.

Naturally occurring compound found in many fruits and vegetables as well as red wine, selectively kills leukemia cells

These findings, which were published online March 20 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry and will be in press on May 4, offer hope for a more selective, less toxic therapy for leukemia.

24 Apr 2007

Translocation kidney cancer after chemotherapy in childhood

This article out of Johns Hopkins reviewed the risk of renal cell carcinoma occurring as a secondary malignancy after chemotherapy in childhood.

21 Apr 2007

M. D. Anderson wins $8.3-million to research environmental causes of major diseases

An $8.3-million federal grant to The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Science Park - Research Division addresses the complex interplay between such varied factors as genetics, diet, and environmental exposure to toxins that cause cancer, asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular and other diseases.

21 Apr 2007

Knocking out Mcl1 protein could aid leukemia treatment

An effective way to fight leukemia might be to knock out a specific protein that protects cancer cells from dying, a new study shows.

21 Apr 2007

Aspirin use linked to moderate drop in cancer risk

A new American Cancer Society study finds men and women who used adult-strength aspirin (325 mg or more) daily for five or more years had an approximately 15 percent lower rate of developing any cancer than those who did not use aspirin.

20 Apr 2007

Novel targeted therapy effectively treats acute leukemia

Researchers from the Children's Cancer Hospital at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have found that a novel targeted therapy effectively treats acute leukemia in animal models by preventing cancer cells from being purged of damaged proteins.

20 Apr 2007

New method predicts hip joint decay from chemotherapy

Investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital say they have found the best way for predicting when patients will need future surgery to repair hip joints that have deteriorated because of pediatric leukemia or lymphoma treatment.

20 Apr 2007

New discoveries about stem cells in leukemia, breast and colon cancer

Recent discoveries about the role of stem cells in cancer have altered the landscape of cancer research. With each new study, scientists are learning more about cancer-initiating properties of stem cells at organ sites and throughout the body.

19 Apr 2007

Factors that dictate risk of developing primary or secondary cancer

Every day, people make assumptions, educated and not, about their risk for developing cancer.

18 Apr 2007

Aspirin may modestly reduce cancer risk

A daily dose of adult-strength aspirin may modestly reduce cancer risk in populations with high rates of colorectal, prostate, and breast cancer if taken for at least five years.

18 Apr 2007

Polymorphisms in the glutathione S-transferase genes and treatment outcomes in acute myeloid leukemia

Levels of an enzyme involved metabolizing chemotherapy may help patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to be able to better tolerate chemotherapy, according to the results of research which will be presented by Kirsten Moysich, PhD, Department of Epidemiology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) at the 2007 centennial meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), April 14-18, in Los Angeles, CA.

18 Apr 2007

Cell Therapeutics settles law suit with Government

Cell Therapeutics has announced that it has settled all government claims arising out of a Department of Justice investigation into allegations regarding alleged overpayments by Medicare to doctors who prescribed the anti-cancer drug, TRISENOX.

18 Apr 2007

Cell Genesys reports data from clinical trials of GVAX immunotherapy for prostate cancer

Evaluation of antibody responses in patients with advanced prostate cancer from these studies shows that the GVAX cell-based immunotherapy induces antibody responses to a broad array of prostate cancer- associated antigens, including some not previously known to be associated with prostate cancer.

18 Apr 2007

Vitamin D: sunshine, diet and supplements - cancer prevention and therapy

Vitamin D deficiency is common and cancer risk is higher among those individuals with low vitamin D levels, according to an analysis of research which will be presented at a symposium by Donald L.

17 Apr 2007

Anti-anemia drug darbepoetin alfa no better than placebo for cancer patients

Results from a phase III drug trial indicate that an anti-anemia drug did not significantly decrease the need for blood transfusions in patients not on chemotherapy, and decreased overall patient survival when compared to placebo, according to researchers from the UCLA Medical Center at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

17 Apr 2007

Predicting cancer risk in the long term

Every day, people make assumptions, educated and not, about their risk for developing cancer.

17 Apr 2007

Researchers induce cell death in leukemia

Researchers from the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center presented preclinical research at the American Association of Cancer Research's annual meeting suggesting the potential of a new combination treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

17 Apr 2007

Chromosomes tell tale of patient's risk for new, future cancer

Hodgkin's disease survivors who have greater genetic instability in their white blood cells are two-and-a-half times more likely to develop another type of cancer, researchers from The University of Texas M. D.Anderson Cancer Center report at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting in Los Angeles April 14-18.

17 Apr 2007

New player in the development T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Leuven, Belgium -- Leukemia, or cancer of the bone marrow, strikes some 700 Belgians each year.

16 Apr 2007

Investigational cancer 17-AAG drug targets critical proteins

A drug under study to treat various cancers selectively kills cancer cells because of its affinity for a modified version of a critical heat shock protein they contain, researchers have found.

16 Apr 2007