According to a new report from the American Cancer Society, the death rate from cancer has fallen 22 percent since its peak in 1991. That means more than 1.5 million cancer deaths were avoided. The figures are part of “Cancer Statistics, 2015.” The number was published in the Society’s journal CA: A Cancer Journal for… Continue reading Cancer Deaths Are On The Decline
Category: Cancer Center
Cancer is a term used to describe the uncontrollable growth of abnormal cells. From prostate cancer to breast cancer, read these articles to learn more.
Cancer-Causing Mutation Found in 1982 Now Target of Clinical Trials
In 1982, the gene TRK was shown to cause a small percentage of colon cancers. In 2013 and 2014, next-generation sequencing of tumor samples found fusions of the TRK family of genes in at least 11 tumor types, including lung, breast, melanoma and more. Now an article published in December 2014 in the journal Cancer… Continue reading Cancer-Causing Mutation Found in 1982 Now Target of Clinical Trials
How to Get The Best Mammogram Possible
Editor’s Note: Mammograms are one of the most commonly performed procedures for women, and there is little argument about their value in detecting breast cancer. But not all mammograms are equal, and you owe it to yourself to get the best one available. Here, from the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is an explanation… Continue reading How to Get The Best Mammogram Possible
On the Road to Personalized Cancer Treatments
Researchers from the University of Michigan have developed a way to grow some cancer cells outside the body – and that could lead to better treatment of the disease. The new technique is more than three times as effective as previous methods, the university said in a news release, and could ultimately lead to more… Continue reading On the Road to Personalized Cancer Treatments
Get Smoke-Free for The Holidays – And Beyond
Quitting smoking is tough no matter what time of year it is, but it may be especially hard during the New Year’s party season. If you’ve associated smoking with drinking and/or being social, you may be tempted to postpone quitting or even go back to puffing. Here are some tips to help you out, from… Continue reading Get Smoke-Free for The Holidays – And Beyond
The Most Recommended Screenings for Women 50 and Above
What kind of screening or diagnostic tests should you take after 50? The SeniorHealth division of the National Institutes on Aging, using material developed by the respected Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, has some suggestions: Breast Cancer BRCA 1 and 2 Genes The agency experts recommend that you consider a genetic test for these… Continue reading The Most Recommended Screenings for Women 50 and Above
Cancer Patients: Eating Well During The Holidays
You’re heading into the usual round of holiday feasts with a feeling of anxiety, maybe even dread, not because you’re afraid of putting on a few pounds, but because you’re undergoing treatment for cancer and have no interest in food. Or maybe you’re hosting the party this year, and you’ll have a friend or family… Continue reading Cancer Patients: Eating Well During The Holidays
A Vaccine to Fight Cancer
A personalized “cancer vaccine” is coming closer to reality, researchers say. Scientists from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis tested investigational vaccines in computer simulations of cancer as well as cell cultures and animal models. The results showed that the vaccines could enable the immune system to destroy or drive into remission… Continue reading A Vaccine to Fight Cancer
Elderly Breast Ca Patients Get Radiation Despite Findings
An analysis done at Duke University has found that while clinical trial data support omitting radiation treatments for elderly women with early stage breast cancer, nearly two-thirds of these women continue to receive it. The findings were published online in December 2014 in “Cancer”, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. A release from… Continue reading Elderly Breast Ca Patients Get Radiation Despite Findings
New Device May Ease Mammography Discomfort
Researchers have developed a new device that may result in more comfortable mammography. According to a study presented in December 2014 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), standardizing the pressure applied in mammography would reduce pain associated with breast compression without sacrificing image quality. A release from the society… Continue reading New Device May Ease Mammography Discomfort
Getting Potentially Life-Saving Drugs to High-Risk Breast Cancer Patients Faster
By Tatiana Prowell, M.D. and Richard Pazdur, M.D. Researchers at an international oncology conference held in October in Spain reported that pertuzumab, which was FDA-approved for treatment of HER2+ metastatic breast cancer in June 2012, improved survival by an average of nearly 16 months when added to standard treatment. This was yet another piece of… Continue reading Getting Potentially Life-Saving Drugs to High-Risk Breast Cancer Patients Faster
Hope for Tackling Signs of Aging and Treating Cancer
A new advance in biomedical research led by the University of Leicester in the UK could have potential in the future to assist with tackling diseases and conditions associated with aging as well as in treating cancer. The research, which has shown promise in clinical samples, was published in December 2014 in “Cell Death and… Continue reading Hope for Tackling Signs of Aging and Treating Cancer
Improved Quality of LIfe for Lung-Cancer Patients
African-American and older patients with advanced lung cancer can be effectively treated with a new, federally approved therapy, according to researchers from the University of Cincinnati. Such patients are not good candidates for chemotherapy. The findings were published in the journal Libertas Academica. The treatment the researchers focused on is gefitinib, a drug that’s already… Continue reading Improved Quality of LIfe for Lung-Cancer Patients
Cancer Patients in Hospice Avoid Aggressive Care and High Costs
More patients with cancer use hospice today than ever before, but there are indications that care intensity outside of hospice is increasing, and length of hospice stay decreasing. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) examined how hospice affects health care utilization and costs and found that in a sample of elderly Medicare patients with… Continue reading Cancer Patients in Hospice Avoid Aggressive Care and High Costs
Skin Safety Tips for Winter
Just because it’s getting close to winter, don’t pack away your sunblock with your swimsuit. In fact, winter’s sun is just as dangerous as summer rays, according to Adam J. Scheiner, MD. “The snow reflects the glare of the sun – and the damaging UV rays,” says Scheiner. “People who like skiing and snowboarding in… Continue reading Skin Safety Tips for Winter
Meditation Improves Cells in Breast-Cancer Survivors
Practicing meditation can have a positive physical impact on breast-cancer survivors at the cellular level, research has found for the first time. The investigators, who worked out of Alberta Health Services’ Tom Baker Cancer Centre and the University of Calgary Department of Oncology, showed that telomeres (protein complexes at the end of chromosomes) maintain their… Continue reading Meditation Improves Cells in Breast-Cancer Survivors
Breast Cancer Patients and Hot Flashes
Physicians aren’t adequately treating hot flashes in breast-cancer patients, and that could have a serious effect on the patients’ health-care decisions, according to new research. More than 70 percent of breast-cancer survivors have menopause-related problems, especially hot flashes. These can persist for more than five years after cancer treatment has ended. Experts say they affect… Continue reading Breast Cancer Patients and Hot Flashes
Update: Testing for the Breast Cancer Gene
Should you be tested to see if you have the breast-cancer gene? Here, experts from the federal Centers for Disease Control tell you what you need to know: Each year, over 200,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 20,000 are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. About 3% of breast… Continue reading Update: Testing for the Breast Cancer Gene