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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New on NCI’s Websites for September 2023NCI 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 September 2023.
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Researchers Develop a Potential “Universal” CAR T-Cell Therapy for Blood CancersResearchers have used a form of CRISPR, called base editing, to engineer T cells and hematopoietic stem cells as part of a potential “universal” CAR T-cell therapy for blood cancers. In experiments in mice, the treatment rapidly eliminated tumors, including in mice with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
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Could Bacteria Help Find Cancer?Engineered bacteria can detect tumor DNA that has been shed into the gut by colorectal tumors, a new study in mice shows. The bacteria are programmed to seek and capture DNA containing a specific genetic change found in cancer.
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Drinking Alcohol, Often Heavily, Common among People with Cancer and Long-Term SurvivorsMany people being treated for cancer and longer-term cancer survivors reported regularly drinking alcohol—some heavily and often, a new study shows. The study’s leaders said the findings should be “wake-up call” for cancer care providers.
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Study Adds to Debate about Mammography in Older WomenFor women in their 70s and older, the risk of overdiagnosis with routine screening mammography is substantial, a new study suggests. The findings highlight the need for conversations between older women and their health care providers about the potential benefits and harms of continuing screening mammography.
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Cholesterol Drug May Help Protect the Heart during Chemotherapy for LymphomaThe cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin (Lipitor) may help reduce the risk of heart failure in people with lymphoma who receive chemotherapy drugs called anthracyclines, results from a clinical trial suggest. Anthracyclines, such as doxorubicin, are used to treat many types of cancer.
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Catch-Up HPV Testing May Help Prevent Cervical Cancer in Some Over Age 65It may be worthwhile for some individuals between ages 65 and 69 to get tested for HPV, findings from a Danish study suggest. Specifically, the testing may help prevent cervical cancer among those who haven’t had cervical cancer screening for at least 5 years.
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New Class of Compounds Rewires Cancer Cells to Self-DestructResearchers have created a molecule that, in cancer cells, hooks onto the protein BCL6 at one end and another protein that turns genes on at the other end. The result: self-destruct genes are turned up, causing the cancer cells to die.
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Engaging People with Low-Grade Glioma in Cancer ResearchAn NCI-supported study called OPTIMUM, part of the Cancer Moonshot, was launched to improve the care of people with brain tumors called low-grade glioma in part by bringing them into glioma-related research.
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Quizartinib Approval Adds New Treatment Option for AML, Including in Older PatientsTreatment options for people with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have expanded yet again. On July 20, FDA approved quizartinib (Vanflyta) combined with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for AML with a specific change in the FLT3 gene.
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Targeted Drug Combo May Change Care for Rare Brain Tumor CraniopharyngiomaTreating craniopharyngioma often requires surgery, radiation therapy, or both. But results of a study suggest that, for many, combining the targeted therapies vemurafenib (Zelboraf) and cobimetinib (Cotellic) may substantially delay, or even eliminate, the need for these treatments.
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FDA Approves New Initial Treatment Option for Some Metastatic Prostate CancersFDA approved enzalutamide (Xtandi) combined with talazoparib (Talzenna) for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with alterations in any of 12 DNA repair genes. The drug combination, which blocks both DNA repair activities and hormones that fuel cancer growth, was more effective than the standard treatment in a large clinical trial.
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Few People with Cancer Undergo Testing for Inherited Gene MutationsDespite recommendations, a new analysis shows few people with cancer undergo germline testing to learn if their cancer may have been caused by gene changes inherited from a parent. Germline testing can help doctors determine the best treatments for a patient and help identify people whose family members may be at higher risk of cancer.
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Loss of Y Chromosome in Men Makes Bladder Cancer More AggressiveIn men, loss of the Y chromosome in bladder cancer cells helped tumors evade the immune system and grow unchecked, a new study shows. However, losing the chromosome also appears to make bladder cancer more susceptible to immunotherapy, researchers reported.
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New on NCI’s Website for July 2023 – Researcher/Trainee Special EditionAn update on new and updated content on NCI’s websites of interest to the cancer community. This edition features resources of interest to cancer researchers and trainees.
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Some People with Rectal Cancer Can Skip Radiation before SurgeryRadiation may not be needed for people undergoing surgery for rectal cancer, a large clinical trial has shown. A combination of two chemotherapy drugs before surgery appears to be as effective as chemo and radiation and may spare patients from long-term side effects.
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Three-Drug Regimen Improves Protection against GVHD after Stem Cell TransplantA large clinical trial has shown that in people with blood cancers, a cyclophosphamide-based regimen better protects against GVHD after an allogeneic stem cell transplant than the standard two-drug regimen.
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Trial Confirms CAR T-Cell Therapy Benefits People with Aggressive LymphomasNew findings show that the CAR T-cell therapy axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta) improved survival for people with large B-cell lymphoma that was not responding to initial treatment or had quickly relapsed. The new results from the ZUMA-7 trial offer real hope for this group of patients.
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How Fatty Liver Disease Helps Cancer Thrive in the LiverWhen colorectal cancer spreads to the liver, it can be very difficult to treat. Cancer is more likely to invade the liver when patients have fatty liver disease. A recent study places the blame on “message bubbles” called extracellular vesicles that are released by the liver.
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Lung Cancer Trial of Osimertinib Draws Praise—and Some CriticismIn the ADAURA clinical trial, people with early-stage lung cancer treated with osimertinib (Tagrisso) after surgery lived longer than people treated with a placebo after surgery. Despite some criticisms about its design, the trial is expected to change patient care.