Cancer Currents: An NCI Cancer Research Blog

Seated female health care provider with clipboard meets with seated male patient.

Study Suggests Reviewing Lung Cancer Screening Criteria for African Americans

By NCI Staff
July 31, 2019

Clinical recommendations on who should be screened for lung cancer may need to be reviewed when it comes to African Americans who smoke, findings from a new study suggest.

Microscope images showing a live cell and cells undergoing apoptosis, necroptosis, and necrosis.

Could A Form of Cell Death Enhance Cancer Immunotherapy?

By NCI Staff
July 29, 2019

Injecting cells undergoing necroptosis, a form of cell death, into tumors in mice kickstarted an immune response against the tumors, researchers have found. When combined with immunotherapy, the treatment was effective at eliminating tumors in mice.

A photo of the setup for the Cytophone device.

Laser-Based Device Detects and Kills Melanoma Cells in the Blood, Study Finds

By NCI Staff
July 25, 2019

Researchers have developed a device that uses lasers and sound waves to scan circulating blood for melanoma cells. In a small study, the device accurately detected and reduced the amount of cancer cells in participants’ blood.

A two panel illustration. On the left, a human body with detailed illustrations of the brain and intestines. The brain has a circle labeled Metastatic Tumor, and an arrow points from the tumor to a circle in the intestine, labeled Original Tumor. On the right, a close up of a blood vessel, labeling the blood vessel, cancer cell, blood cell, and cancer cell inside the bloodstream.

Metastatic Colorectal Cancer May Spread Early in the Disease, Study Finds

By NCI Staff
July 22, 2019

Many colorectal cancers likely have spread long before the original tumor is detected, researchers have found. The findings suggest the need for very early detection and could help identify patients who need more aggressive systemic treatments.

Image of an exhausted T cell with blue staining showing TOX in the cell nucleus.

Improving Cancer Immunotherapy: Overcoming the Problem of ‘Exhausted’ T Cells

By NCI Staff
July 18, 2019

Researchers have identified proteins that may play a central role in transforming T cells from powerful destroyers to depleted bystanders that can no longer harm cancer cells. The findings could lead to strategies for boosting cancer immunotherapies.

Illustration of the female reproductive system showing cancer cells in the endometrium.

Can Some Women Treated for Endometrial Cancer Forgo Radiation after Surgery?

By NCI Staff
July 15, 2019

Some women with endometrial cancer may be able to receive less intensive treatment, chemotherapy and no radiation, without increasing their risk of the disease recurring within 5 years, according to the results of a randomized clinical trial.

Helping Dogs—and Humans—with Cancer: NCI’s Comparative Oncology Studies

By NCI Staff
July 10, 2019

Did you know that NCI supports clinical trials of new treatments for pet dogs with cancer? Learn more about NCI’s comparative oncology studies and how they may also help people with cancer.

The United States map with a triangle gradient pattern of blue and teal shades and text overlay: "Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer."

New on NCI Websites for July 2019

By NCI Staff
July 2, 2019

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 July 2019.

Trial Highlights Complexities of Targeted Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer

By NCI Staff
June 26, 2019

Olaparib (Lynparza) may be beneficial for some people with advanced pancreatic cancer who have inherited mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, according to results from the POLO trial.

Diagram illustrating the androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway. At the top, the cell membrane is shown, with androgen molecules (A) entering the cytoplasm. In the cytoplasm, androgen binds to AR, which dissociates from heat shock proteins (HSP). The AR-androgen complex translocates into the nucleus, where it binds to androgen response elements (ARE) on DNA, alongside co-regulators (Co-R). This binding initiates transcription, depicted by arrows from DNA. The process leads to the expression of genes like

More Treatment Options Emerging for Some Men with Metastatic Prostate Cancer

By NCI Staff
June 19, 2019

In two large clinical trials, the drugs enzalutamide (Xtandi) and apalutamide (Erleada), respectively, combined with the androgen deprivation therapy, improved the survival of men with metastatic prostate cancer that still responds to hormone-suppressing therapies.