Researchers at the University of Connecticut have found a new way to identify protein mutations in cancer cells. The novel method is being used to develop personalized vaccines to treat patients with ovarian cancer. A release from the university quotes Dr. Pramod Srivastava, director of the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center at UConn… Continue reading Personalized Ovarian Cancer Vaccines
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.
Battling “Chemo Brain”
Scientists have identified a culprit in the condition known as “chemo brain,” a decrease in mental sharpness attributed to chemotherapy. The researchers, from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, made the discovery in a study of an animal memory model. It has been estimated that up to half of patients taking cancer… Continue reading Battling “Chemo Brain”
New Melanoma Combo Therapy Improves Survival Rate
A researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has helped develop a combination drug therapy that shows promise in extending the lives of people with metastatic melanoma. The new therapy also accomplishes this result without the side effect of a secondary skin cancer seen in some patients prescribed only one… Continue reading New Melanoma Combo Therapy Improves Survival Rate
Blood Test to Predict Cancer Risk
A new research report published in the October 2014 issue of The FASEB Journal may make the early detection of cancer as easy as a simple blood test. This test, called the “lymphocyte genome sensitivity” (LGS) test, could not only detect some cancers earlier than ever before, but it may eliminate the need for some… Continue reading Blood Test to Predict Cancer Risk
Looking Toward Changes in Breast-Cancer Detection
Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration are studying the next generation of screening and diagnostic devices, some of which borrow from the world of entertainment. Soon, three-dimensional (3D) images in actual 3D might help your doctor find hidden tumors and better diagnose cancers, thanks to the regulatory work being done by a team at… Continue reading Looking Toward Changes in Breast-Cancer Detection
Americans Have Colonoscopies Too Often
Colonoscopies are a very valuable procedure to screen for the presence of colorectal cancer. However, healthy Americans who do undergo this sometimes uncomfortable examination often have repeat screenings long before they actually should, according to Gina Kruse, M.D. of Massachusetts General Hospital in the US and colleagues. The team advises that endoscopists stick to the… Continue reading Americans Have Colonoscopies Too Often
A Cellular “Switch” That Could Battle Aging and Cancer
Scientists have found a new “switch” in cells that may be key to healthy aging. Cells are constantly dividing, replacing tissue in organs such as the lungs, skin and liver. But that process eventually stops when a “timekeeper,” called a telomere, becomes too short and thus prevents any further division. (Telomeres are found at the… Continue reading A Cellular “Switch” That Could Battle Aging and Cancer
Many Men Aren’t Following Guidelines for PSA Screening
Although medical experts have issued guidelines recommending against the routine screening of elderly men for prostate cancer, the effect of the recommendations has been “minimal at best,” according to a new study. Many men still appear to be undergoing the screening. The study, by researchers from Henry Ford Hospital, was published as a research letter… Continue reading Many Men Aren’t Following Guidelines for PSA Screening
A Link Between Bra Wearing and Breast Cancer? Forget about It
Despite what some people believe, there’s absolutely no evidence of a link between wearing a bra and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women and wearing a bra, according to research published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. “There have been some concerns that one of the… Continue reading A Link Between Bra Wearing and Breast Cancer? Forget about It
Breast Screening Over Age 70 May Lead to Overdiagnosis
Mammograms for women over the age of 70 s doesn’t prompt a sharp fall in advanced disease and may instead lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment, according to research led by a team based at Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. Their paper was published in BMJ,, coinciding with the opening of the Preventing Overdiagnosis… Continue reading Breast Screening Over Age 70 May Lead to Overdiagnosis
Chokeberry Extract May Boost Pancreatic Cancer Drug
The chokeberry, a wild berry native to North America, may strengthen the effectiveness of a chemotherapy drug commonly used to treat pancreatic cancer, according to research done at King’s College Hospital and the University of Southampton in the UK and published online September 17th 2015 in the Journal of Clinical Pathology. A release from the… Continue reading Chokeberry Extract May Boost Pancreatic Cancer Drug
AHA E-Cigarette Recommendations
The American Heart Association issued new policy recommendations August 25th 2014 on the use of e-cigarettes and their impact on tobacco-control efforts. The guidance was published in the association’s journal, Circulation.
Based on the current evidence, the association’s position is that e-cigarettes that contain nicotine are tobacco products and should be subject to all laws that apply to these products. The association also calls for strong new regulations to prevent access, sales and marketing of e-cigarettes to youth, and for more research into the product’s health impact.
Perspectives on Breast Reconstruction
Less than 42 percent of women underwent breast reconstruction following a mastectomy for cancer, and the factors associated with foregoing reconstruction included being black, having a lower education level and being older. That is the finding of Monica Morrow, M.D., of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, and colleagues who published their results online August 20th 2014 JAMA Surgery.
Active Lifestyle Decreases Breast Ca Risk After Menopause
Postmenopausal women who in the past four years had undertaken regular physical activity equivalent to at least four hours of walking per week had a lower risk for invasive breast cancer compared with women who exercised less during those four years, according to data published in August 2014 inCancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Scientists Zeroing In on Third Breast-Cancer Gene
Researchers have discovered more about a breast-cancer gene that could be as important as the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in determining a woman’s likelihood of getting breast cancer.
An international team of 17 researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, said that the gene, PALB 2, could be a candidate to be “BRCA 3.” They said that women with the gene have an average one in three chance of developing breast cancer by the age of 70.
The findings were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Although it’s been known for a while that PALB2 was l
Mammography Benefits Women Over 75
Mammography-detected breast cancer is associated with a shift to earlier stage diagnosis in older women, subsequently reducing the rate of more advanced, difficult-to-treat cases, according to a study published online in the journal Radiology in August 2014. The researchers said the findings lend support to regular mammography screening in women ages 75 and older.
Lung Cancer Diagnosis Tool Safe for Older Patients
A 2014 study done at the University Hospital of South Manchester in the UK has found that a procedure to take tissue samples from lung cancer patients can be used safely in the elderly, allowing doctors to make a more accurate diagnosis and to choose appropriate treatment. The results were published their results in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.
Prostate Cancer Risk Calculator Online
A free updated calculator to help men and their doctors assess their risk of prostate cancer is available online. Developed at the University of Texas Health Science Center, the tool has had a major upgrade in order to enhance how men and their physicians better understand a man’s risk of prostate cancer. A description of the update’s needs and benefits is described by the Health Science Center authors in a viewpoint published online August 4th in the Journal of the American Medical Association.