Cancer News and Research

Latest Cancer News and Research

Erlotinib increases survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

An international clinical study led by Canadian researchers has demonstrated that a drug called erlotinib increases survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who typically have no other treatment options.

13 Jul 2005

New search method could aid in the discovery of biomarkers for breast cancer

Using a super-efficient method they invented to search for a type of cancer-related change in all genes of a cell, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers have discovered new evidence about how the "microenvironment" of breast cancers helps drive the cancers' growth and migration.

13 Jul 2005

New method may accelerate the way cancer-causing genes are found

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have discovered a new method that could accelerate the way cancer-causing genes are found and could lead to a more accurate identification of the genes, according to two studies in the July 14, 2005, issue of Nature.

13 Jul 2005

Stressgen granted U.S. patent providing coverage for the manufacture of HspE7

Stressgen Biotechnologies announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted US Patent Number 6,900,035, covering methods of manufacturing HspE7, the Company's lead product candidate for human papillomavirus (HPV)- related diseases and cancer.

13 Jul 2005

Hospice referral rates increase with intervention

A simple information and communication intervention between a patient and physician can increase hospice referral rates among nursing home residents, increase their families' ratings of end-of-life care, and may decrease use of acute care resources, according to an article in the July 13 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

13 Jul 2005

Mesothelioma may be caused by exposure to ultramafic rock

Everyday exposure to naturally occurring asbestos increases the risk of developing malignant mesothelioma, according to a study by UC Davis researchers.

13 Jul 2005

Women beware of black cohosh, red clover and ginseng!

Women who take soy or herbal supplements, such as black cohosh, red clover and ginseng, should do so with care, says a Cornell University expert affiliated with the Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors (BCERF) at Cornell, the land-grant institution of New York state.

13 Jul 2005

Female lung cancer in Europe rising

The first comprehensive picture of female lung cancer mortality trends in Europe shows rates are still rising in most countries. But, the research does indicate that there is some room for cautious optimism in the longer term due to decreases or smaller rates of increase in some countries and a more favourable trend among younger women in many countries.

13 Jul 2005

Approval sought for Femara in early post-surgery use

Approval is being sought in the U.S. and Europe, by Swiss drug makerNovartis, for its breast-cancer drug Femara to be used immediately after surgery to help older women fight tumours.

12 Jul 2005

Menopause symptoms return with a vengence when women stop HRT

In somewhat depressing news for women battling that often miserable phase in their lives, the menopause, it appears that more than half of women who start taking hormone replacement therapy to relieve the discomfort, can expect to see a dramatic resurgence of those symptoms, when they discontinue the therapy.

12 Jul 2005

Curcumin has potent anticancer powers

Curcumin, a spice commonly used in curries and other south Asian cooking, blocks a key biological pathway needed for development of melanoma and other cancers, say researchers from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

12 Jul 2005

Researchers have pinpointed specific gene and protein over-production in metastatic melanoma

Gene amplification is a process that often happens in cancer cells when the normal DNA replication process is altered, causing many copies of the gene to be produced instead of a single copy of a region of a chromosome.

12 Jul 2005

Sirna Therapeutics granted new UK patents

Sirna Therapeutics has announced that the United Kingdom (UK) Patent Office has granted the Company two additional short interfering RNA (siRNA) target patents. The first patent covers any siRNA with one or more chemical modifications targeting Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF).

12 Jul 2005

Outer lining of the umbilical cord is a rich source of stem cells

CellResearch Corporation in Singapore and its team of scientists, headed by Chief Scientist, Dr Phan Toan Thang, have recently made a revolutionary discovery: that the outer lining of the umbilical cord is a rich source of stem cells.

12 Jul 2005

Sunscreen plays a much more important role than just protecting against sunburn

The number of nevi, or moles, a person has is known to be a strong predictor of the future risk of developing skin cancer, particularly melanoma, the most deadly form of the disease. This number also is believed to be affected by the amount of sun exposure an individual receives.

12 Jul 2005

X-ray crystallography images show how a protein called alpha-actinin performs molecular ballet

As a cell moves forward, physical stress on its skeleton triggers molecular fingers and arms to grasp each other in reinforcing links that stabilize the skeleton, according to images produced by investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

12 Jul 2005

Many local health directors unsure of authority to curtail smoking

Local health department directors across North Carolina are confused about state laws covering whether their facilities can be made smoke-free, but still strongly support such policies, according to a new University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study.

11 Jul 2005