Cancer News and Research

Latest Cancer News and Research

First common height gene identified by researchers behind 'obesity gene' finding

Whilst we all know that tall parents are more likely to have tall children, scientists have been unable to identify any common genes that make people taller than others. Now, however, scientists have identified the first gene, known as HMGA2, a common variant of which directly influences height.

3 Sep 2007

Genetic variant linked to human height discovered

It became clear nearly a century ago that many genes likely influence how tall a person grows, though little progress, if any, has followed in defining the myriad genes. Now an international research team brings light to this age-old question by pinpointing a genetic variant associated with human height - the first consistent genetic link to be reported.

3 Sep 2007

Cancer patients describe what they seek from support groups

A new study finds that many cancer patients would prefer to receive information over emotional aid from support groups, although – over time – their needs could change. Although clinicians and others frequently advise cancer patients to join support groups to deal with the psychological consequences of their diagnosis, a minority of cancer patients actually joins.

3 Sep 2007

Discovery suggests location of genes for breast density, a strong risk factor for breast cancer

Studying the DNA of 889 people, gene hunters at the Mayo Clinic and H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Centers have identified a region on chromosome 5p that is significantly associated with dense breast tissue, a known risk factor for breast cancer.

2 Sep 2007

Pancreatic cancer fights off immune attack

Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum) and the Heidelberg University Hospitals have discovered that pancreatic cancer attracts regulatory T cells, which suppress the activity of immune cells.

30 Aug 2007

Discovery of novel cause of iron overload in patients with thalassemia

According to the study, thalassemia patients overproduce a protein called GDF15, which suppresses the production of a liver protein, hepcidin, which in turn leads to an increase in the uptake of dietary iron in the gut.

30 Aug 2007

HPV vaccines may decrease chances of oral cancer

The Centers for Disease Control report that nearly 25 million women are infected with some form of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

30 Aug 2007

Protein on the surface of platelets plays a key role in cancer-induced platelet aggregation

Scientists have provided new details about how cancer cells spread by surrounding themselves with platelets – the blood cells needed for blood clotting.

30 Aug 2007

Researchers chart the level of gene expression in melanoma cell lines

Other than visually inspecting the disease, doctors have no genetic blueprint to classify melanomas, a lethal form of skin cancer.

30 Aug 2007

Improving diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

In the August issue of Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, scientists provide the first large-scale identification of proteins that are overexpressed in chronic pancreatitis, an inflammatory condition of the pancreas that shares many features with pancreatic cancer.

30 Aug 2007

FDA approves Somatuline Depot to treat acromegaly

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Somatuline Depot (lanreotide acetate injection) for the treatment of acromegaly, a rare and potentially life threatening disease in adults caused by abnormal secretion of growth hormone (GH), commonly from a benign tumor located in the pituitary gland located in the brain.

30 Aug 2007

New anti-cancer drug made from corn lillies kills brain tumor stem cells

A drug that shuts down a critical cell-signaling pathway in the most common and aggressive type of adult brain cancer successfully kills cancer stem cells thought to fuel tumor growth and help cancers evade drug and radiation therapy, a Johns Hopkins study shows.

30 Aug 2007

COPD can no longer be judged as only a disease of the lungs

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) can no longer be judged as only a disease of the lungs, say authors of a Viewpoint in this week's COPD special edition of The Lancet.

30 Aug 2007

Contact disorder makes cancer cells mobile

The loss of the protein VMP1 in cancer cells increases their tendency to detach from the initial tumor - the first step towards metastasis.

30 Aug 2007

Dermatologists more interested in Botox than suspect moles

A new study has found that when it comes to cosmetic versus urgent dermatology appointments, cosmetic procedures win hands down.

30 Aug 2007

Cigarette packets in Britain to carry horror pics

Cigarettes smokers in Britain will in future be pressurised even further to kick the bad habit by graphic health warnings on cigarette packets.

30 Aug 2007

Research looks at hepatitis C recovery

More than 3% of world population is infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The outcome of HCV infections is either self recovery or chronic hepatitis, and many of the chronic infections will develop into liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.

30 Aug 2007

Researchers dispute immortal strand hypothesis

How do adult stem cells protect themselves from accumulating genetic mutations that can lead to cancer?

30 Aug 2007

Report on access to cancer drugs across Europe flawed

A leading epidemiologist has attacked Swedish research that looked at inequalities in patients' access to cancer drugs across Europe and the world.

30 Aug 2007

Ovary removal before menopause leads to memory and movement problems

Women who have their ovaries removed before menopause are at an increased risk of developing memory problems or dementia and movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, according to two studies published August 29, 2007, in the online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

30 Aug 2007