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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Coming Full Circle on Cancer and Extrachromosomal DNA
A new study shows for the first time that a circular form of DNA, called ecDNA, is present in precancerous tissue and not just cancer cells. The study also suggested that when ecDNA is present in Barrett’s esophagus, that tissue is almost certain to become cancer.
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Rare Melanoma Very Likely to Respond to Treatment with Pembrolizumab
People with desmoplastic melanoma, a rare form of skin cancer, are likely to benefit from treatment with a single immunotherapy drug, pembrolizumab (Keytruda), according to new results from a small clinical trial.
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Nirogacestat May Offer Hope to People with Desmoid Tumors
In a clinical trial, the drug nirogacestat shrank tumors in 40% of people with desmoid tumors. Treatment with nirogacestat also substantially improved progression-free survival, pain, and physical functioning, compared with patients treated with a placebo.
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Multiple mRNA Vaccines Show Promise for Treating HPV-Related Cancers
A new study has compared three formulations of an mRNA vaccine designed to treat cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. All three vaccines showed promise in mice.
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Financial Navigation Can Reduce the Financial Toxicity of Cancer Care
The high cost of cancer care can cause added distress and life disruptions for patients as well as their loved ones. Researchers at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center found that a financial navigation program saved patients and their loved ones an average of about $2,500 each.
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Revumenib Shows Promise in Treating Advanced Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Treatment with revumenib caused complete remission in about one-third of participants in an early-phase clinical trial involving patients who’d had many prior treatments. Revumenib is part of a new class of targeted drugs known as menin inhibitors.
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Transforming Cancer Clinical Trials for Better, Faster Results
In this Q&A, NCI Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli and Deputy Director for Clinical and Translational Research Dr. James Doroshow explain the challenges of cancer clinical trials and important steps NCI is taking to improve their effectiveness.
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Immunotherapy’s Role in Treating Endometrial Cancer Expected to Grow
In two clinical trials, combining immune checkpoint inhibitors with standard chemotherapy substantially increased how long people with advanced endometrial cancer lived without their cancer worsening, particularly those with dMMR or MSI-high tumors.
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Liquid Biopsies on the Horizon for Children with Solid Cancers
Results from a new study highlight the progress being made toward developing liquid biopsies specifically for use in children with solid cancers like Ewing sarcoma and Wilms tumor. The tests can help detect and diagnose cancer and monitor for response to treatment and recurrence.
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Cancer and Climate Change: The Health Threats of Unnatural Disasters
The consequences of climate change have already affected cancer care in the United States, particularly in areas hit by hurricanes and wildfires. Researchers are studying how to mitigate that impact and better understand the effect of climate change on the risk of developing cancer.
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Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research: A Unique Resource for the Biomedical Research Community
To mark the 10 years since it was named a national lab, NCI Principal Deputy Director Douglas R. Lowy, M.D., discusses some of the Frederick National Lab’s initiatives to support cancer research and looks ahead at the next 10 years.
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New on NCI’s Websites for March 2023
NCI 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 March 2023.
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Immunotherapy after Surgery Shows Long-Term Benefits for High-Risk Bladder Cancer
Updated results from a large clinical trial confirm that, for some people with bladder cancer, receiving immunotherapy after surgery is an effective treatment. In 2021, initial results from the same trial led to FDA approval of nivolumab (Opdivo) for this use.
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Strategy May Prevent Tumor Resistance to Targeted Cancer Therapies
Researchers have identified a mechanism by which cancer cells develop specific genetic changes needed to become resistant to targeted therapies. They also showed that this process, called non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), can potentially be disrupted.
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Dexrazoxane Protects the Heart Long Term for Kids Being Treated for Cancer
Doxorubicin is used to treat many types of childhood cancer, but it can damage the heart. Giving dexrazoxane (Zinecard) before each dose substantially decreases a child’s risk of treatment-related heart problems in adulthood, new study results show.
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Lung-Sparing Surgery Is Effective for Some with Early-Stage Lung Cancer
For certain people with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, sublobar surgery to remove only a piece of the affected lung lobe is as effective as surgery to remove the whole lobe, new research shows.
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ETV6 Protein Could Be an Important Target for Ewing Sarcoma Treatment
The protein ETV6 appears to promote tumor growth by affecting the behavior of the EWS-FLI1 fusion protein that drives most Ewing sarcomas. The research groups that made the discovery hope it leads to a targeted therapy for the aggressive childhood cancer.
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Immunotherapy and… Nothing Else? Studies Test Potential Paradigm Shift in Cancer Treatment
For some people with cancer, is 6 months of immunotherapy the only treatment they might ever need? Or 4 weeks of immunotherapy followed by minor surgery? Results from several small clinical trials suggest these scenarios may be bona fide possibilities.
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Telehealth Can Save People with Cancer Time, Travel, and Money
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people with cancer have had telehealth visits with their doctors. According to an analysis of nearly 25,500 telemedicine visits to the Moffitt Cancer Center by more than 11,600 adults with cancer, the use of telehealth saved people with cancer time, travel, and money.
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Study Finds Disparities in Access to Opioids for Cancer Pain at End of Life
Black and Hispanic patients nearing the end of life are less likely than White patients to get opioids needed to control their cancer pain, a new study shows. Black patients were also more likely than White patients to undergo urine tests that screen for drugs.