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''.

Simple MRI test involving breathing oxygen helps determine cancer therapy success

A simple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test involving breathing oxygen might help oncologists determine the best treatment for some cancer patients, report researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

3 Jun 2009

New insights into locally advanced breast cancer

Scientists are reporting two findings that could influence the way researchers screen for, treat and assess prognosis for women with locally advanced breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease. One finding offers a critical message regarding treatment strategy, they say.

2 Jun 2009

External beam partial breast irradiation most cost-effective treatment for women with early-stage breast cancer

External beam partial breast irradiation (EB-PBI) is the most cost-effective method for treating postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer based on utilities, recurrence risks and costs when compared to whole breast radiotherapy (WBRT) and brachytherapy partial breast irradiation (brachy-PBI), according to a study in the June 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

2 Jun 2009

Trial results show better survival for gallbladder and bile duct cancer

Combining two chemotherapy drugs for advanced gallbladder and bile duct cancer improves survival by a third, according to results from a Cancer Research UK funded trial presented today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference.

2 Jun 2009

Gene that stops or suppress cancer plays a role in cancer stem cells

A gene well known to stop or suppress cancer plays a role in cancer stem cells, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. The researchers found that several pathways linked to the gene, called PTEN, also affected the growth of breast cancer stem cells.

1 Jun 2009

One in ten advanced colon cancer patients worry about prescription drug costs

The vast majority of advanced colon cancer patients in a clinical trial were not concerned about the cost of prescription drugs for managing chemotherapy side effects, such as infection, pain and nausea and few adopted strategies to reduce drug cost burdens after joining the clinical trial, according to a study led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

1 Jun 2009

Vandetanib shows clinical benefit when combined with docetaxel for lung cancer

When combined with standard chemotherapy, an international Phase III trial has shown that the oral targeted therapy vandetanib improves progression-free survival for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, according to research from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

1 Jun 2009

Discovery of gene that regulates tumors in neuroblastoma

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have identified a gene that may play a key role in regulating tumor progression in neuroblastoma, a form of cancer usually found in young children. Scientists hope the finding could lead to an effective therapy to inhibit the expression of this gene.

1 Jun 2009

Eye cancer patients want genetic testing to predict metastasis risk

If you had cancer and a genetic test could predict the risk of the tumor spreading aggressively, would you want to know - even if no treatments existed to help you?

1 Jun 2009

Exploiting cancer cell 'addiction' may lead to new therapies

A new study uncovers a gene expression signature that reliably identifies cancer cells whose survival is dependent on a common signaling pathway, even when the cells contain multiple other genetic abnormalities.

1 Jun 2009

Glioblastoma may originate in neural stem cells

University of Michigan scientists have found that a deficiency in a key tumor suppressor gene in the brain leads to the most common type of adult brain cancer. The study, conducted in mice that mimic human cancer, points the way to more effective future treatments and a way to screen for the disease early.

1 Jun 2009

Lower levels of PHD2 protein influence tumor growth in mice

Tumors need a healthy supply of blood to grow and spread. Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a molecule that regulates blood vessel growth that is often found at less-than-normal levels in human tumors. Blocking the expression of the molecule, called PHD2, allows human cancer cells to grow more quickly when implanted into mice and increases the number of blood vessels feeding the tumor.

1 Jun 2009

Protein abundant in embryonic stem cells offers a new cancer target

A protein abundant in embryonic stem cells is now shown to be important in cancer, and offers a possible new target for drug development, report researchers from the Stem Cell Program at Children's Hospital Boston.

1 Jun 2009

Interleukin-2 shows promise against advanced melanoma

A vaccine for one of the most lethal cancers, advanced melanoma, has shown improved response rates and progression-free survival for patients when combined with the immunotherapy drug, Interleukin-2, according to researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

1 Jun 2009

Drug combo improves outcome for advanced non-small cell lung cancer

A new, international study found that the combination of two drugs delays disease progression for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

1 Jun 2009

Study shows that induction chemotherapy prior to chemoradiotherapy significantly increases time-to-treatment failure in comparison to standard chemoradiotherapy alone

The Spanish Head and Neck Cancer Cooperative Group (TTCC) announced today that Induction Chemotherapy (IC) delivered prior to standard ChemoRadiotherapy (CRT), a treatment paradigm defined as sequential therapy, compared to upfront CRT alone, significantly prolonged Time-to-Treatment Failure (TTF) for patients with unresectable Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer (LAHNC).

1 Jun 2009

Chemotherapy combination outcomes differ for aged, younger colon cancer patients

The combination of chemotherapies 5FU and oxaliplatin compared to 5FU alone after surgery for colon cancer decreases colon cancer recurrence and promotes longer survival for patients under 70 -- but not for those who are older, according to Mayo Clinic and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists who will present their findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO) annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

1 Jun 2009

Bayer announces new data on novel anti-cancer compound

Bayer today announced results from Phase I and II trials of BAY 73-4506, a potent oral multi-kinase inhibitor currently being studied in multiple tumor types. These data were presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

1 Jun 2009

Popular antidepressants taken with tamoxifen can increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence

A new study found that taking tamoxifen with certain antidepressants more than doubled the risk of breast cancer recurrence in women taking both medications. The antidepressants inhibit an enzyme, CYP2D6, which helps tamoxifen work effectively.

1 Jun 2009

Research links intestinal inflammation with systemic chromosome damage

UCLA scientists have linked for the first time intestinal inflammation with systemic chromosome damage in mice, a finding that may lead to the early identification and treatment of human inflammatory disorders, some of which increase risk for several types of cancer.

1 Jun 2009