Oncology & Cancer

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.

Researchers at Mount Sinai have made a breakthrough in treating a type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This research, led by Josep M. Llovet, MD, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine (Liver Diseases) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, tested a combination of treatments that could help patients live longer without their cancer getting worse.

A recent study uncovers how drug-resistant cancer cells induce changes in the tumor microenvironment. This phenomenon promotes cancer recurrence and explains why initially effective targeted therapies can lose their efficacy over time. The research is published in the journal Nature Communications.

Cancer metastasis—the spread of cancer to other organs—is the leading cause of death among cancer patients. Researchers have now uncovered a “genetic signature” of 177 genes shared across multiple cancer types that drives this deadly process.

“I just wish someone had told me this was a possibility.” Kara Maxwell distinctly remembers the moment she heard those words eight years ago from the mother of a child with Fanconi anemia (FA). Maxwell met her at a conference focused on the rare, recessive genetic bone marrow disorder that causes myriad medical challenges, including childhood cancer. While survival is improving, the average lifespan for FA is currently only 20 to 30 years.

Russell W. Jenkins, MD, Ph.D., a physician investigator in the Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research at the Mass General Cancer Center and an assistant professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, is senior author of a new study in Cancer Immunology Research, “TBK1 is Identified as a Therapeutic Strategy to Enhance CAR T-Cell Efficacy Using Patient-Derived Organotypic Tumor Spheroids”.