New on NCI’s Websites for December 2022
, by Daryl McGrath
NCI’s collection of cancer information products is constantly growing, so we provide periodic updates on new and updated content of interest to the cancer community.
Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer
Overall cancer death rates continued to decline among men, women, children, and adolescents and young adults in every major racial and ethnic group in the United States from 2015 to 2019, according to the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. This year’s report also examines trends in pancreatic cancer, as well as racial and ethnic disparities in incidence and death rates for many individual cancer sites.
NCI Director Announces Breast Cancer Diagnosis
On December 14, Dr. Monica Bertagnolli announced that she had recently been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Her cancer is treatable, she said, and her prognosis is excellent.
“I am excited to continue in my role as NCI Director,” Dr. Bertagnolli wrote. “I want everyone with cancer to know that they are not alone. NCI is doing everything we can to work together—with all of society—to help more people with cancer live the full and active lives they deserve,” she concluded.
“What is Cancer?” Video Series
NCI has produced a series of short videos explaining some basic concepts in cancer, including cancer causes, oncogenes, and tumor suppressor genes. View the full series of videos on NCI’s YouTube page.
Video: Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research: A Decade as a National Laboratory
It has been 10 years since the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, got its new name. To mark the anniversary, NCI has produced a video explaining the importance of the facility’s contributions to cancer and infectious disease research.
Video: Did You Know? Cancer Survivorship
By 2040, it is estimated, there will be more than 26 million cancer survivors in the United States. The Did You Know? Cancer Survivorship video provides cancer survivorship statistics for the United States and shares resources for the growing population of survivors.
New Research Networks and SPORE Grantees Announced
NCI’s Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD) recently announced two new research networks: the Radiation Oncology-Biology Integration Network (ROBIN), to learn more about biological responses to radiation therapy, and a new comparative oncology research network called PRECINCT 2022, to extend research in canine immunotherapy trials. DCTD's Translational Research Program also announced the FY 2022 Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grantees.
New Cancer Prevention Science Blog Posts
NCI’s Division of Cancer Prevention has published several new Cancer Prevention Science blog posts. The stories cover a range of topics, including
• Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Improve Accuracy of Lung Cancer Screening
• Learning More about Breast Cancer Prevention in Primary Care Settings
• Common Chemotherapy Drugs Seem to Increase Hearing Loss in Some Adults
• Launching CASCADE: A Clinical Trials Network to Optimize Cervical Cancer Screening and Precancer Treatment for the Vulnerable Population of Women Living with HIV
• Learning More about How Breast Cancer Progresses
Updates from the Center for Cancer Research
NCI’s Center for Cancer Research (CCR) has developed a new web page for its Head and Neck Cancer Team, a multidisciplinary network of researchers and clinicians dedicated to improving early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of head and neck cancers. CCR also produced a set of Patient Resources for Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer and shares the story of a young woman with a genetic predisposition for stomach cancer as she undergoes risk-reducing surgery and takes steps to ensure her daughter does not carry the mutation.
2022 Overview and Highlights: New Reflections on Cancer Control
NCI’s Division of Cancer Control and Prevention Science (DCCPS) has published its 2022 annual report. This year’s report—2022 Overview and Highlights: New Reflections on Cancer Control—focuses on six future directions for cancer control and population sciences, in addition to other areas of science DCCPS supports.
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics News Updates
NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG) has published several news updates, including stories about how Black women experience the highest mortality rate from cervical adenocarcinoma, a virtual pooled registry approach for cancer epidemiology research, and geographic disparities in cardiovascular mortality among breast cancer survivors. DCEG also announced its plan to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
What is Cervical Cancer?
This new page defines cervical cancer and links to more information about cervical cancer symptoms, causes and risk factors, and how it is diagnosed and treated. The page consolidates much of NCI’s information about cervical cancer in one location.
Fact Sheet Updates
NCI has updated several fact sheets in the past months, including those on Stress and Cancer, Common Moles, Dysplastic Nevi, and Risk of Melanoma, and Hair Dyes, Other Hair Products, and Cancer Risk.
Dense Breasts: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
Breast density describes the amount of glandular and fibrous tissue in the breast compared with fatty tissue. This updated page explains how dense breast tissue affects a mammogram, whether it is a risk factor for breast cancer, and other common questions.
Understanding Breast Changes and Conditions: A Health Guide
Most abnormal mammogram findings are not cancer. This revised publication discusses the possible reasons for abnormal mammogram results, common breast changes, various screening tests for breast cancer and follow-up tests for abnormal findings, and benign and precancerous breast conditions.
Pain Management for People with Cancer
Pain often accompanies cancer but having cancer doesn’t necessarily mean one has to suffer in pain. This updated page offers facts about pain associated with cancer and information about developing a pain control plan.
PDQ® Cancer Information for Health Professionals
The PDQ health professional cancer information summaries are part of the comprehensive, evidence-based cancer content that NCI offers as a public service. These summaries are intended to improve cancer care by informing and educating health professionals about the current published evidence on a wide range of cancer-related topics and by supporting informed decision making between clinicians and patients. A new set of pages describes the PDQ editorial process, lists members of the various editorial boards, and discusses how medical evidence is assessed to create the summaries.