EurekAlert! - Cancer

Saving the single cysteine: New antioxidant system found

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(University of Michigan) We've all read studies about the health benefits of having a life partner. The same thing is true at the molecular level, where amino acids known as cysteines are much more vulnerable to damage when single than when paired up with other cysteines.

Researchers identify role of gene in tumor development, growth and progression

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Virginia Commonwealth University) Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine researchers have identified a gene that may play a pivotal role in two processes that are essential for tumor development, growth and progression to metastasis.

Rare pancreatic cancer patients may live longer when treated with radiation therapy

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(American Society for Radiation Oncology) Radiation therapy is effective in achieving local control and palliation in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, despite such tumors being commonly considered resistant to radiation therapy, according to a largest of its kind study in the Nov. 15 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

Funeral industry workers exposed to formaldehyde face higher risk of leukemia

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Journal of the National Cancer Institute) Long durations of exposure to formaldehyde used for embalming in the funeral industry were associated with an increased risk of death from myeloid leukemia, according to a new study published online Nov. 20 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Reasonable alternative to invasive biopsy of palpable breast lesions with benign imaging features identified

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(American College of Radiology / American Roentgen Ray Society) Short-term follow-up is a reasonable alternative to invasive biopsy of palpable (capable of being touched or felt) breast lesions with benign imaging features, particularly in younger women with probable fibroadenoma (non-cancerous tumors that often occur in women during their reproductive years), according to a study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Simple blood test could reduce repeat breast MRI scans in premenopausal women with irregular periods

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(American College of Radiology / American Roentgen Ray Society) A simple blood test corresponding to the follicular phase (days 3-14) of a normal menstrual cycle can aid in optimal scheduling of breast MRI exams in premenopausal women with irregular cycles -- possibly reducing the number of repeat scans and non-diagnostic tests patients experience and providing clearer images on which doctors make their recommendations, according to a study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Radiology procedure may help increase long-term survival in patients with severe liver cancer

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(American College of Radiology / American Roentgen Ray Society) In patients with unresectable (unable to be removed by surgery) liver cancer, an interventional radiology procedure called triple-drug transcatheter arterial chemoemobolization followed by a liver transplant may significantly increase a patient's chance of long-term survival, according to a study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Promoting healthy skepticism in the news: Helping journalists get it right

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Journal of the National Cancer Institute) An editorial published online November 20 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute discusses the exaggerated fears and hopes that often appear in news coverage of cancer research. The editorial provides guidance for both the media and journals to help alleviate the problem.

Highlighting racial disparities increases coverage and effectiveness of health news

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(University of Missouri-Columbia) As media researchers search for better methods to reach audiences, a new University of Missouri study published in Public Relations Review has found that highlighting racial disparities in news releases increases coverage of health stories in black newspapers, which can improve health outcomes in populations at risk for disparities.

Women can quit smoking and control weight gain

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Northwestern University) Many women don't quit smoking because they are afraid of gaining weight. That's because nicotine suppresses appetite and boosts a smoker's metabolism. But a new meta-analysis shows that women who quit smoking while receiving treatment for weight control are better able to control their weight gain and are more successful at quitting cigarettes. The finding disproves clinical guidelines that say trying to diet and quit smoking at the same time will sabotage efforts to ditch cigarettes.

Reflux esophagitis due to immune reaction, not acute acid burn

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(UT Southwestern Medical Center) Contrary to current thinking, a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease might not develop as a direct result of acidic digestive juices burning the esophagus, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found in an animal study.

Multidisciplinary meeting on urological cancers aims to benefit cancer patients

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(European Association of Urology) Urological cancer patients will benefit greatly if the delivered treatment is the result of a combined effort. Collaboration of experts from various fields is necessary to take cancer-related research and medical practice to the next level. The 2nd European Multidisciplinary Meeting on Urological Cancers -- Embracing Excellence in Prostate, Bladder and Kidney Cancer -- which is to take place on Nov. 27-29, 2009, in Barcelona, brings together urologists, radiologists and medical oncologists by enabling them to share their knowledge and experience.

Laser therapy can aggravate skin cancer

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(BioMed Central) High irradiances of low-level laser therapy should not be used over melanomas. Researchers writing in the open-access journal BMC Cancer studied the pain relieving, anti-inflammatory "cold laser," finding that it caused increased tumor growth in a mouse model of skin cancer.

TGen Drug Development establishes European footprint

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(The Translational Genomics Research Institute) TGen Drug Development and the Institut Paoli-Calmettes have forged a strategic alliance that will enable both to maximize their worldwide contributions in the treatment of cancer patients.

UCLA researchers create 'fly paper' to capture circulating cancer cells

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(University of California - Los Angeles) Just as fly paper captures insects, an innovative new device with nano-sized features developed by researchers at UCLA is able to grab cancer cells in the blood that have broken off from a tumor. These cells, known as circulating tumor cells, or CTCs, can provide critical information for examining and diagnosing cancer metastasis, determining patient prognosis, and monitoring the effectiveness of therapies.

Cancers' sweet tooth may be weakness

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Emory University) Cancer cells tend to take up more glucose than healthy cells and metabolize it in a process called glycolysis. An enzyme called PKM2 that governs cancer cells' preference for glucose may be a valuable anti-cancer drug target.

Kill the cancer, not the patient: New toxicity testing approach could make chemo drugs safer

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Jackson Laboratory) With a new two-year, $1 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, Jackson Laboratory Professor Gary Churchill is launching a radical new approach to testing three chemotherapeutic drugs for potential toxic effects, using an outbred mouse population that approximates the genetic diversity observed in human populations.

Common pain relief medication may encourage cancer growth

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(University of Chicago Medical Center) Although morphine has been the gold-standard treatment for postoperative and chronic cancer pain for two centuries, a growing body of evidence is showing that opiate-based painkillers can stimulate the growth and spread of cancer cells. Two new studies advance that argument and demonstrate how shielding lung cancer cells from opiates reduces cell proliferation, invasion and migration in both cell-culture and mouse models.

Study shows family caregivers, simple touch techniques reduce symptoms in cancer patients

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Collinge & Associates) Family caregivers can significantly reduce suffering in cancer patients at home through use of simple touch and massage techniques. These findings were reported at the 6th International Conference of the Society for Integrative Oncology. The study, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, evaluated outcomes of a 78 minute DVD program and illustrated manual in a sample of 97 patients and their caregivers. The multi-ethnic sample represented 21 types of cancer, nearly half with breast cancer.

Tulane Cancer Center to begin novel clinical trial for late-stage prostate cancer drug

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Tulane University) International prostate cancer expert Dr. Oliver Sartor of Tulane Cancer Center is the first oncologist in the United States to offer patients Alpharadin, an experimental new treatment for late-stage prostate cancer.

World's first delivery of intra-arterial Avastin directly into brain tumor

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(New York- Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College) Neurosurgeons from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center performed the world's first intra-arterial cerebral infusion of Avastin (bevacizumab) directly into a patient's malignant brain tumor. This novel technique may expose the cancer to higher doses of the drug therapy, while possibly sparing the patient common side effects of receiving the drug intravenously or throughout their body.

Solving the 50-year-old puzzle of thalidomide

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Wiley-Blackwell) Resurgence of thalidomide use in Africa and South America raises the urgent need to isolate the negative side effects by identifying the drug's "common mechanism."

Cancer patients and doctors report drug side effects differently

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center) In clinical trials for cancer, it is standard for clinicians rather than patients to report adverse symptom side effects from treatments, such as nausea and fatigue. At present, patient self-reporting, although important, is not a well studied source of this information. A new longitudinal study from researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center finds that while clinicians' and patients' reporting of treatment side effects are very different from each other, together they provide a more complete, clinically meaningful picture of the treatment experience.

Lung cancer experts hold roundtable on new staging guide

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer) The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer will hold an expert roundtable and webcast announcing the recent publication and impact of the IASLC's Staging Manual in Thoracic Oncology containing the recently released 7th Edition of TNM in Lung and Pleural Tumors.

News brief: Adverse symptom reporting by patients vs. clinicians

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

(Journal of the National Cancer Institute) Clinician's and patient's adverse symptom reports may be discrepant from each other, but provide complementary, clinically meaningful information, according to a new study published online Nov. 17 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.