Chemotherapy News and Research

Latest Chemotherapy News and Research

Massive gene screening points way to more effective chemotherapy

Using a technology that can quickly screen all 20,000-plus human genes for biological activity, scientists have isolated 87 genes that seem to affect how sensitive human cancer cells are to certain chemotherapy drugs.

12 Apr 2007

Oncolytics Biotech to proceed with phase II Sarcoma trial

Oncolytics Biotech has announced that subsequent to the regulatory review period for this submission, it is proceeding with a Phase II trial to evaluate the intravenous administration of REOLYSIN in patients with various sarcomas that have metastasized to the lung.

11 Apr 2007

Parents well poised to help children overcome bulimia nervosa

Common practice in the treatment of adolescent eating disorder patients has been to exclude the parents. Many experts consider parents part of the problem and thus keep them away during therapy.

10 Apr 2007

Thoracoscopic lobectomy can improve chemotherapy for lung cancer outcomes

Patients who undergo a minimally invasive lung cancer surgery called thoracoscopic lobectomy may derive more benefit from the chemotherapy that follows, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers.

10 Apr 2007

FDA warns consumers on health risks of keeping pet turtles

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is urgently reminding the public that contact with baby turtles can pose a serious health risk to infants, small children, and adults with impaired immune systems as they can be natural hosts to Salmonella, a group of bacteria that can cause severe illness and death.

8 Apr 2007

Scientists link treatment-induced growth factor to cancer spread

In advanced cancer, anti-tumor therapies often work only partially or not at all, and tumors progress following treatment.

7 Apr 2007

TGF-beta inhibitors stop tumors spreading to new sites

For several types of cancer, persistently high levels of the soluble factor TGF-beta in the blood after surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy correlate with increased risk of early metastasis and a poor prognosis.

7 Apr 2007

Newmarket, Ontario to establish world-class cancer centre

Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) will share its latest knowledge, research in cancer care, and expertise to assist Southlake Regional Health Centre (Southlake) in establishing a world-class cancer centre through a formal affiliation between a world leader in cancer care and the newly established cancer program in the Newmarket-based hospital.

5 Apr 2007

New blood test to rapidly detect levels of radiation exposure

In the event of a nuclear or radiological catastrophe -- such as a nuclear accident or a "dirty bomb" -- thousands of people would be exposed to radiation, with no way of quickly determining how much of the deadly substance has seeped inside their bodies.

4 Apr 2007

Boston IVF announces participant in fully enrolled egg freezing study has become pregnant

This is the first pregnancy in Massachusetts to result from egg freezing. The study was performed by Boston IVF and sponsored by an independent medical grant from EMD Serono, a biotech company with an area of focus on infertility.

4 Apr 2007

Targeted therapies improve colon cancer survival rates

People diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer that has spread to distant organs, such as White House spokesman Tony Snow, are much more likely to survive today than even just a few years ago, due to the recent and continued emergence of improved therapies, say cancer experts.

3 Apr 2007

Recognition for cancer researchers

World-class cancer researchers whose science has significantly contributed to progress in the fight against cancer will be recognized April 14-18, 2007, by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) at its 2007 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, Calif.

3 Apr 2007

Chemotherapy and tamoxifen combination improves survival for early-stage breast cancer patients

Patients with early-stage breast cancer who are treated with both chemotherapy and tamoxifen have a higher survival rate than patients who receive only tamoxifen.

3 Apr 2007

New computerized system for chemotherapy patients at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

A new computerized system for chemotherapy patients promises to advance Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's patient safety effort by establishing automatic standards for all treatment plans.

3 Apr 2007

Philadelphia Inquirer examines efficacy of genetic testing to determine risk of breast cancer relapse

The Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday examined the efficacy of Genomic Health's Oncotype DX test and Amsterdam, Netherlands-based Agendia's MammaPrint, both of which measure a woman's odds of breast cancer relapse by testing her removed tumor for genes that can predict the likelihood of her cancer returning.

3 Apr 2007

ESMO explores collaboration to fight cancer on all fronts

Leading figures in the global fight against lung cancer are meeting in the city of Geneva, Switzerland this week to discuss the latest tools for preventing and treating chest malignancies, which kill more than 1.3 million people each year.

2 Apr 2007

Natural mechanism for immune suppression may lead to new cancer drugs

A natural mechanism pirated by tumors and HIV to evade the immune response is opening the door to better treatment for these conditions, researchers say.

31 Mar 2007

Women with a recent diagnosis of cancer in one breast should have MRI screening of the opposite breast

The international research team found that MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, detected cancer in the opposite breast in 30 of 969 women (3.1 percent) who had recently been diagnosed with cancer in one breast only. The cancers in the opposite breast were missed by previous mammography and clinical exam.

31 Mar 2007

MRI evaluation of the contralateral breast in women recently diagnosed with breast cancer

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans of women who were diagnosed with cancer in one breast detected over 90 percent of cancers in the other breast that were missed by mammography and clinical breast exam at initial diagnosis, according to a new study.

28 Mar 2007

Flushing out cancerous tumours

A researcher from the University of Bradford has been awarded a grant to investigate a way of flushing out cancerous tumours in the body with no potentially harmful side-effects.

28 Mar 2007