Lung Cancer News and Research

Latest Lung Cancer News and Research

Noninvasive ventilation eases final hours, days for lung cancer patients

For patients with end-stage lung cancer, noninvasive ventilation (NIV) may be more effective at reducing breathing difficulty than standard oxygen therapy, and has the added advantage of reducing patients' reliance on morphine, thus improving lucidity in their final days, according to research presented at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, May 20.

20 May 2008

Targeted therapy can improve outcomes for lung tumors

The first U.S. clinical trial using genetic screening to identify lung tumors likely to respond to targeted therapies supports the use of those drugs as first-line treatment rather than after standard chemotherapy has failed.

20 May 2008

Reliable genetic tests could predict lung cancer recurrence

The goal of developing reliable genetic tests to guide lung cancer treatment has taken a step forward. Researchers at Columbia University recently evaluated the ability of five high-risk genetic profiles, or signatures, to predict the likelihood that cancer would recur in patients whose non-small cell lung cancer was caught early and surgically removed.

19 May 2008

Blood test for lung cancer

A simple blood test may be able to detect lung cancer in its earliest stages with unprecedented accuracy, according to new research to be presented at American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, May 20.

19 May 2008

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals to present data on Ortataxel in breast cancer at major oncology meeting

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., will present Phase 2 data on ortataxel at the 44th American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting being held May 30 to June 3, 2008 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois.

19 May 2008

Asbestos-induced lung cancer patients do not appear to benefit from chemotherapy

Adding chemotherapy to established methods of symptom management does not appear to enhance the quality of life or survival of patients suffering from an asbestos-induced form of lung cancer called malignant plural mesothelioma (MPM). These are the results of MS01, a large UK and Australian study published in the Lancet, which set out to assess the potential benefits of combining active symptom control (ASC) with chemotherapy.

18 May 2008

Scientists unravel how smoking causes cancer

Scientists have for the first time pinpointed a protein that explains how smoking can directly lead to genetic changes that cause cancer - research published in the British Journal of Cancer reveals.

15 May 2008

Researchers launch lung cancer screening trial

Scientists are testing a new way of detecting lung cancer at an early stage in people at greatest risk of developing the disease.

9 May 2008

New guidelines for treatment of tobacco dependence released

The U.S. Public Health Service today released an updated version of the clinical guidelines for treating tobacco dependence. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update contains strategies and recommendations designed to guide doctors and other medical professionals to help smokers quit.

9 May 2008

Role of genetic components of dendritic cells could lead to more effective drugs

For the first time, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have identified genetic components of dendritic cells that are key to asthma and allergy-related immune response malfunction. Targeting these elements could result in more effective drugs to treat allergic disorders and asthma, according to a study reported in the May edition of the journal Nature Medicine.

7 May 2008

Quit smoking and the benefits soon appear

New research says that people who give up smoking begin to improve their health almost immediately, and the risk of death from all causes falls by 13% within 5 years and to no extra risk of death by 20 years.

7 May 2008

New imaging technology lights up lungs to diagnose disease

Researchers at the University of Sheffield have developed innovative technology which illuminates a person's lungs and helps clinicians identify if they are functioning correctly. The new technology could result in earlier diagnosis of emphysema and smoking related damage, as well as other lung conditions and diseases.

28 Apr 2008

Combining sorafenib with carboplatin/paclitaxel adds no benefit in lung cancer

A clinical trial evaluating the benefit of adding the drug sorafenib to the combination of carboplatin/paclitaxel chemotherapy for lung cancer patients has been stopped based on results from an interim analysis, after an independent data monitoring committee concluded that the study would not meet its primary endpoint of improved overall survival.

26 Apr 2008

Cancer immunotherapy shows long-term promise in lung cancer

New, long-term results from a clinical trial presented at the 1st European Lung Cancer Conference jointly organized by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the International Association of the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) show that MAGE-A3 ASCI (Antigen-Specific Cancer Immunotherapeutic), an immune-boosting treatment for lung cancer patients, reduces the risk of relapse after surgery -- to the same extent as chemotherapy but without the side-effects of chemotherapy.

26 Apr 2008

Viruses may play a role in lung cancer development

Papers presented at the 1st European Lung Cancer Conference, jointly organized by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) in Geneva, Switzerland highlight emerging evidence that common viruses may contribute to the development of lung cancer.

26 Apr 2008

Mutation database helps personalized treatment of lung cancer

A groundbreaking free tool to help oncologists choose the best therapies for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer has been launched this week by scientists at the 1st European Lung Cancer Conference jointly organized by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) in Geneva, Switzerland.

26 Apr 2008

AMPK signaling helps explain how cell growth is inhibited when nutrients are low

A team of scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies think they know how many-if not most-living organisms answer this question. They recently showed that when food supplies dwindle, mammals, fruitflies, or frogs probably activate the same ancient cell signaling pathway in order to conserve energy.

24 Apr 2008

Blacks on Medicaid carry heavier cancer burden than whites do

African-American patients receiving Medicaid benefits have markedly higher rates of breast, prostate, colorectal and lung cancer than whites on Medicaid according to a recent study.

24 Apr 2008

NIH study reveals incidence, precursors and psychiatric sequelae of major psychiatric disorders

A new study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) presents results on the first onset of substance use disorders (i.e., alcohol and drug abuse and dependence) and major mood and anxiety disorders, based on Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC).

22 Apr 2008

Genentech updates on phase III study of Avastin plus chemo in first-line, advanced, non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer

Genentech, Inc. has announced an update for the previously reported Roche-sponsored international Phase III clinical study (AVAiL) of Avastin (bevacizumab) in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy, in patients with advanced, non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

21 Apr 2008