Cancer News and Research

Latest Cancer News and Research

A new brain imaging study identifies 'brain signature' for cigarette cravings

A new brain imaging study by researchers in the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania shows that cigarette cravings in smokers who are deprived of nicotine are linked with increased activation in specific regions of the brain.

20 Dec 2007

Hardening of the arteries - mutant gene identified as culprit

A genetic mutation expands lesions in the aorta and promotes coronary atherosclerosis, more commonly known as hardening of the arteries, according to a study by Yale School of Medicine in Cell Metabolism.

20 Dec 2007

New treatment option offers hope to multiple myeloma patients

Patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an often deadly bone marrow cancer, rarely live more than three years after diagnosis if treated with conventional chemotherapy or even some of the newer drug therapies.

20 Dec 2007

Depletion of antioxidant glutathione linked to Parkinson's in mice

Scientists at the Buck Institute have shown that mice suffering from a depletion of the antioxidant glutathione in dopamine-producing neurons developed nerve damage and symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) in humans.

20 Dec 2007

FDA Critical Path Initiative addresses differences between women's and men's health outcomes

Advanced medical technology and analysis methods now being promoted through the Food and Drug Administration's Critical Path Initiative to facilitate the development of drugs, biologics and devices can help address differences between women and men in the detection and treatment of disease, according to a paper published in the Winter 2007 issue of Drug Discovery Today: Technologies.

20 Dec 2007

Colon cancer screenings may bring little benefit and may actually pose harm

Even though current guidelines advocate colorectal cancer screenings for those with severe illnesses, they may bring little benefit and may actually pose harm, according to a recent study by Yale School of Medicine researchers published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

20 Dec 2007

Brains respond differently to thirst depending upon age

Twelve healthy subjects in their 60s and 70s showed a different pattern of brain activations during thirst and satiation than did 10 healthy subjects in their 20s who drank the same amounts and underwent imaging with positron-emission tomography (PET).

20 Dec 2007

Boy in a bubble gets leukaemia after gene therapy

A child who was born with a rare immunodeficient condition has developed leukaemia as a result of gene therapy he received at Great Ormond Street children's hospital in London.

19 Dec 2007

Breasts damaged by cancer surgery reshaped using stem cell injections

Japanese researchers have used stem cells to help reshape the breasts of women who have undergone surgery for a breast tumour.

19 Dec 2007

Contaminated syringes make 40 people sick

An investigation is being carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) into blood infections linked to medical syringes which were contaminated with bacteria.

19 Dec 2007

Thyroid cancer drug given expanded approval by FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given expanded approval for a drug used to treat thyroid cancer.

19 Dec 2007

Combo therapy reduces size of brain tumours

According to a major drug manufacturer, a combination drug treatment appears to be effective in fighting breast cancer that has spread to the brain.

19 Dec 2007

20,000 deaths each day from cancer

According to the results of a new report by the American Cancer Society, worldwide in 2007 there were more than 12 million new cancer cases diagnosed.

19 Dec 2007

Researchers initiate gene therapy trial in patients with advanced skin cancer

Researchers at the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center are the first in the region to have joined a nationwide clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a gene therapy in patients with advanced melanoma which is aimed to help a patient ' s own immune system fight their cancer.

18 Dec 2007

Factors associated with survival in advanced laryngeal cancer

Type of treatment, sex, race and insurance status are associated with survival rates among patients with advanced laryngeal cancer, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

18 Dec 2007

Short legs linked to an increased risk of liver disease

Short legs are linked to an increased risk of liver disease, suggests a study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health .

18 Dec 2007

New robotic surgery technique appears promising for the removal of cancer in tonsils

Typically, surgeons trying to remove tonsils of patients with cancer through the mouth have limited access to the area, according to background information in the article. If the cancer has spread to any of the surrounding tissues, an open approach involving cutting through the skin is needed. These procedures take a long time, can cause long-term difficulty swallowing and usually require the placement of a tracheotomy tube.

18 Dec 2007

Reasons for low colorectal cancer screening rates

Two recently released studies confirm an alarming reality, that a majority of Americans who should be getting screened for colorectal cancer are not.

18 Dec 2007

Plant constituent with selective effect on cancer cells

The substance wogonin triggers the death program apoptosis in tumor cells, while it has virtually no effect on healthy cells.

18 Dec 2007

Effectiveness and risks of six bisphosphonates for osteoporosis

Many medications reduce the risk of bone fractures in people with osteoporosis, but the most commonly used drugs - bisphosphonates - have not been proven more effective than alternatives, according to a new report funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

18 Dec 2007