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''.

Trastuzumab results promising for HER-2 positive breast cancer patients

Researchers have shown that patients who receive trastuzumab at the same time as post-chemotherapy radiation treatments for HER-2 positive breast cancer have no more risk for major side effects or complications than those who do not receive the drug.

7 Jun 2006

Prophylactic surgery reduces the incidence of ovarian and related cancers

A new multicenter study is the first to suggest that the prophylactic removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes may provide a different benefit for women who carry a genetic mutation in the BRCA2 gene than for those who have a BRCA1 genetic mutation.

7 Jun 2006

Exercise is emerging as a new therapeutic weapon to tackle cancer

When individuals with breast or prostate cancer followed a moderate, home-based exercise program using resistance bands and walking, the patients had less fatigue during radiation treatments, greater strength and could walk farther and faster in only four weeks, researchers discovered in a pilot study.

7 Jun 2006

Long-term benefits of imatinib for patients newly diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia

The overall survival of most people with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) treated with imatinib (Gleevec, STI-571) is extremely high and the relapse rate is quite low, according to new data from a study out of the Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute.

6 Jun 2006

Hormonal treatments reduce risk of cancer returning

Women diagnosed with breast cancer who carry a certain genetic mutation can have breast-sparing surgery but should consider hormonal treatments to reduce their risk of cancer returning.

6 Jun 2006

Drug adverts aimed at cancer patients difficult to read

Oncology drug advertisements that ran in patient-focused cancer magazines presented the drugs' benefits differently -- earlier in the advertisement text and in larger type size -- than their side effects or risks, according to an analysis by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

6 Jun 2006

PSA test alone not an ideal predictor of prostate cancer

Recent studies suggest that testing blood for prostate specific antigen (PSA) alone does not produce an ideal predictor of prostate cancer, and emerging data suggest this is especially true for obese men.

6 Jun 2006

New cervical cancer vaccine offers women 100% protection

Although there have been significant advancements in the screening and treatment of cancer, thousands of women every year contract cervical cancer.

6 Jun 2006

Study shows skin rash in patients treated for liver cancer determines survival

In a study of a new chemotherapy drug for liver cancer, researchers found that the development of a skin rash correlated directly with the patient's response to treatment.

6 Jun 2006

Addition of gemcitabine to standard postoperative treatment increased pancreatic cancer patients' survival by 50 percent

Adding the cancer-fighting drug gemcitabine to standard therapy after surgery significantly improves survival for patients with the most common form of pancreatic cancer, according to a new multicenter study led by a University of Maryland radiation oncologist.

6 Jun 2006

Advanced prostate cancer can be treated successfully with intermittent chemotherapy

Advanced prostate cancer can be treated successfully with intermittent chemotherapy, according to a study conducted by Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute scientists.

6 Jun 2006

Study confirms Gleevec's long-term benefits in treating advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors

People with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) who take Gleevec (imatinib) for prolonged periods continue to benefit from the drug, according to a five-year study by Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researchers.

6 Jun 2006

Sunitinib therapy shows promise in children with metastatic gastrointenstinal stromal tumor

Children with a rare digestive-tract cancer that is resistant to front-line therapy have benefited from a newer targeted therapy that has been shown effective in adults, according to data from a small pilot study.

5 Jun 2006

Sunitinib malate shows promise against advanced form of lung cancer

Results of a multi-center clinical study of a drug currently approved for treatment of kidney cancer indicate that it may also be effective for people with recurrent and advanced lung cancer.

5 Jun 2006

Sunitinib malate drug shows significant benefits over standard treatment for advanced kidney cancer

According to a new study, the drug sunitinib malate (Sutent.) is more effective than the current standard cytokine treatment given as an initial therapy for patients with advanced kidney cancer, also known as metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

5 Jun 2006

Taxotere combined with standard chemotherapy improves survival in advanced head and neck cancers

The addition of docetaxel (Taxotere) to an initial chemotherapy regimen for inoperable head and neck cancers reduced mortality by nearly 30 percent over three years following treatment compared to the standard two-drug combination.

5 Jun 2006

HERA trial continues to demonstrate significant patient benefits from Herceptin

New 23-month follow-up data from HERA, one of the largest breast cancer trials ever carried out, show that Herceptin (trastuzumab) following standard chemotherapy significantly reduced the risk of death by 34% for women with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer.

5 Jun 2006