Oncology & Cancer

Nearly half of all new cancer drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the past quarter-century have received that approval based on their ability to target genetic changes driving tumor growth.

Cancer researchers at the University of Leicester have developed a technique that could predict how well some breast cancer patients will respond to chemotherapy and antibody-directed cancer treatments.

New research from the University of St Andrews School of Medicine has found that biomarker testing in individuals at risk of lung cancer led to a major reduction in deaths.

Oral cancer is an increasingly prevalent disease worldwide, with over 300,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Among oral cancers, tongue cancer (TC) is the most common type and often carries a poor prognosis.

In blood cancers such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, B cells of the immune system multiply uncontrollably. One form of therapy involves labeling the CD20 protein on the surface of the B cells with customized antibodies. This triggers a chain of immunological reactions and ultimately leads to the destruction of the cancer cells.

Even though lung and related cancer deaths decreased in the world’s 10 most populous countries from 1990 to 2019, these positive statistics do not address trends in mortality linked to tobacco use, air pollution and asbestos exposure. Those areas need ongoing policy measures and research to further reduce deaths, according to a new study from researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and collaborating organizations.

Metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC), an aggressive type of kidney cancer, has historically presented limited treatment options. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, a form of immunotherapy, can lead to exceptional, durable responses (when the tumor substantially shrinks for a very long period of time) for some patients with mccRRC, allowing them to live longer with a better quality of life. However, the molecular reasons behind these exceptional responses have not been well defined.

Nonadherence to cancer screening varies by screening type and sex, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

Researchers from the Cancer Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford, along with collaborators from international institutions, found significant associations between diet and colorectal cancer risk. Examining data from 542,778 women in the United Kingdom, the study identified a positive correlation between alcohol consumption and colorectal cancer and a protective role for calcium and dairy-related foods.

Patients undergoing a donor stem-cell transplant for leukemia or other blood-related cancer require months of specialized follow-up care, traditionally delivered at the center where they received their transplant—often a serious challenge for those who live far away. A large clinical trial by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators shows that patients can fare just as well when they receive some of this care at a local hematology/oncology clinic.