Cancer Currents: An NCI Cancer Research Blog
A blog featuring news and research updates from the National Cancer Institute. Learn more about Cancer Currents.
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A “Living Medicine:” Engineered E. coli Shrink Tumors in MiceTwo researcher teams have engineered a probiotic strain of E. coli called Nissle 1917 so it can help the immune system attack tumors. Although the E. coli were altered in different ways, resulting in two different immune-based treatment strategies, both were effective in mice.
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Treatment Strategy for ecDNA-Driven Tumors Shows PotentialResearchers have found that cancer cells containing extrachromosomal DNAs (ecDNAs) have a weakness that can be exploited by a drug that targets the CHK1 protein. In mice, combining the drug with another targeted therapy kept cancer at bay for long periods.
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Trial Results Support SBRT as a Standard Option for Some Prostate CancersIn a trial, men who received stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) didn’t have a higher risk of cancer recurrence than men treated with other common radiation therapy regimens that are given over longer periods.
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How Do Black People with Cancer View Clinical Research?Black people with cancer are much less likely to join clinical trials than White patients. Results from a new study may help explain why and help research staff talk with and recruit more Black participants.
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Nivolumab Appears to Boost Cure Rate in Advanced Hodgkin LymphomaIn a nearly 1,000-patient trial, treatment with nivolumab (Opdivo) and the chemotherapy regimen AVD was better at eliminating cancer and keeping it at bay than the current standard initial treatment for the disease, AVD and brentuximab (Adcetris). The nivolumab combination also had fewer side effects.
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Bladder Cancer Trial Finds Extended Lymph Node Surgery Doesn’t Improve SurvivalA randomized clinical trial comparing two types of surgery in people with localized muscle-invasive bladder cancer found that more extensive surgery removing a larger group of lymph nodes did not improve survival, compared with standard lymph node surgery.
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New on NCI’s Websites for November 2024NCI periodically provides updates on new websites and other online content of interest to the cancer community. See selected content that has been added as of November 1, 2024.
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Delivering Palliative Care by Telehealth Meets the Needs of People with CancerIn a study of people with advanced lung cancer, palliative care delivered via telehealth was just as effective at improving patients’ quality of life and other measures of well-being as care delivered in person.
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Program Connects Adolescents and Young Adults to Quality Cancer CareA 10-year-old program at an NCI-Designated Cancer Center has had substantial success at increasing the number of adolescents and young adults with cancer who get recommended treatment and services, including greater clinical trial participation and use of fertility services.
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Will Ponsegromab Be a Game Changer for Cancer Cachexia?In a clinical trial, people with advanced cancer and cachexia treated with the experimental drug ponsegromab gained an average of 2 to 6 pounds over 12 weeks, depending on the dose they received. Participants treated with the placebo lost an average of 1 pound over the same time period.
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As More People with Cancer Use Medical Cannabis, Oncologists Face Questions They Struggle to AnswerUp to 40% of people being treated for cancer use cannabis to help with side effects like pain and anxiety. But with evidence from studies on cannabis lacking, clinicians feel ill-equipped to answer patient questions about its safety and effectiveness.
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Colorectal Cancer Screening: Where Does the Shield Liquid Biopsy Fit In?FDA recently approved the Shield test, the first blood test for the primary screening of people at average risk of colorectal cancer. Where does it fit in with other screening options for the disease, including colonoscopy and stool tests?
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Some Women Avoid Breast Cancer Screening After False-Positive Mammogram ResultsSome women who receive a false-positive result on a mammogram may not come back for routine breast cancer screening in the future, a new study finds. Better doctor–patient communication about the screening process is needed, several researchers said.
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Combination Chemo Helps People with Leiomyosarcoma Live LongerResults from a French clinical trial have identified what experts say should now be the recommended initial treatment of advanced leiomyosarcoma. In the trial, the combination of trabectedin (Yondelis) and doxorubicin improved survival by a median of 9 months.
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Jaw Problems Linked to Bone-Modifying Drugs Not as Rare as Once ThoughtOsteonecrosis of the jaw was thought to be a rare side effect of drugs like denosumab (Xgeva) that lessen bone problems when cancer has spread to the bone. But a new study has found that the painful side effect is more common than once thought.
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Breast Cancer May Spread by Recruiting Nearby Sensory NervesA new study may provide important new insights into breast cancer metastasis. Blood vessels within tumors release a molecule that draws sensory nerves closer to the tumors, the study shows. This close proximity turns on genes in the cancer cells that drive metastasis.
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Clinical Trial Results Support Uninterrupted Use of Imatinib for Some Gastrointestinal Stromal TumorsTrial participants who stopped imatinib had a more rapid worsening of disease, a shorter time until resistance, and did not live as long as participants who continued the therapy uninterrupted.
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Study Identifies Hundreds of Potential Targets for Cancer DrugsResearchers have identified hundreds of promising targets for existing drugs or potential new cancer drugs. The findings relied heavily on proteogenomic data from more than 1,000 tumors representing 10 types of cancer released last year by NCI's CPTAC program.
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DNA from Ancient Viruses Helps Many Cancers GrowDNA fragments from retroviruses that are millions of years old appear to be active in a variety of cancers, a new study found. One virus-derived DNA fragment in particular, known as LTR10, turns on cancer-related genes in multiple types of cancer.
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Growing the Cancer Research Pipeline by Expanding OpportunitiesNCI Director Dr. Kimryn Rathmell and Division of Cancer Biology Director Dr. Dan Gallahan explain how the R15 grant program supports researchers at smaller institutions and encourages students to pursue careers in cancer research.