Cancer Currents: An NCI Cancer Research Blog

U.S. map illustrates colorectal cancer incidence rates among white individuals aged 20-49 from 2011 to 2015. States are color-coded based on age-adjusted incidence per 100,000: light yellow for 9.03-10.98, light blue for 10.99-11.71, light orange for 11.72-12.55, dark blue for 12.56-13.48, and red for 13.49-15.73. Stripes indicate unavailable data.

New on NCI's Websites for March 2019

By NCI Staff
March 29, 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 March 2019.

Triple-negative breast cancer cells stained to show profound molecular heterogeneity.

Atezolizumab Approved for Some Patients with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

By NCI Staff
March 28, 2019

FDA has approved atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of some women with advanced triple-negative breast cancer. This is the first FDA-approved regimen for breast cancer to include immunotherapy.

Anatomy of cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes.

Trial Examines Value of Lymph Node Surgery in Advanced Ovarian Cancer

By NCI Staff
March 27, 2019

Surgery to remove all the lymph nodes in the area around an advanced ovarian tumor did not improve survival in a recent randomized clinical trial. The study also found systematic lymphadenectomy was associated with more frequent serious complications.

Nature’s Bounty: Revitalizing the Discovery of New Cancer Drugs from Natural Products

By NCI Staff
March 22, 2019

NCI has launched an ambitious initiative, called the NCI Program for Natural Products Discovery (NPNPD) and funded by the Cancer Moonshot℠, to make it easier for researchers to mine nature for leads on new cancer drugs.

Medical PET scan showing a tumor in the right kidney, highlighted with yellow arrows pointing to the bright yellow-white areas indicating areas of increased metabolic activity typical of cancerous tissue.

Targeted Therapy–Immunotherapy Combinations Effective for Advanced Kidney Cancer

By NCI Staff
March 19, 2019

In two clinical trials, combination treatments that included an immune checkpoint inhibitor and axitinib (Inlyta) led to better outcomes for patients with advanced kidney cancer than treatment with sunitinib (Sutent), the standard initial therapy.

A diagram showing an androgen receptor in the cell. Outside the cell, a brain and two organ diagrams, linked by arrows, point to the outside of the cell, with “T” and “DHEA” labeled. Inside the cytoplasm, a small circle labeled T/DHT points to the AR circle, which has an arrow pointing from it to the nucleus labeled “Nuclear localization.” Inside the nucleus are circles, labeled Co-activators/co-repressors above a DNA strand with an arrow coming from the strand that says Transcription.

Darolutamide Delays the Spread of Some Prostate Cancers

By NCI Staff
March 15, 2019

The investigational drug darolutamide can help delay the spread of prostate cancer in some men with the disease, a recent clinical trial shows. In addition, the drug caused fewer side effects than similar prostate cancer drugs.

Six histological slides stained with Masson's trichrome to highlight collagen in tissues. Each slide represents a different condition: normal pancreas tissue, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer. The slides show varying patterns of red (indicating muscle and keratin), blue (indicating collagen), and white spaces (indicating cellular and glandular structures), offering visual insights into the structural differences between healthy and cancerous tissues.

Bone Marrow Transplant Drug May Improve Immunotherapy for Metastatic Breast Cancer

By NCI Staff
March 11, 2019

The build-up of connective tissue around some types of cancer can act as a barrier to immunotherapy. A new study uses a bone marrow transplant drug, plerixafor, to break down this barrier and improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in animal models of breast cancer.

Various smoking cessation products including an e-cigarette device, nicotine patches, pills in blister packs, and white capsules arranged on a white surface.

UK Clinical Trial Compares E-cigarettes, Nicotine-Replacement Products for Smoking Cessation

By NCI Staff
March 8, 2019

Researchers in the United Kingdom have found that e-cigarettes combined with counseling may be more helpful to smokers trying to quit tobacco than counseling and nicotine-replacement products, such as patches, gums, and lozenges.

An illustration of different sized hands in various shades of brown, red, yellow and white on a brown background.

Making Cancer Clinical Trials Available to More Patients

By P. Ivy, A. Denicoff, G. Mishkin & F. Arnaldez
March 7, 2019

NCI is expanding eligibility criteria for its cancer clinical trials in the hope that more patients will join, leading to more rapid advances. The goal is to maximize the number of patients who are eligible to enroll while maintaining their safety.

Female doctor showing tablet to senior African-American patient

Multipronged Approach Eliminates Racial Disparities in Early-Stage Lung Cancer Treatment

By Elia Ben-Ari
March 5, 2019

Use of a multipronged approach within hospitals, including community centers, not only eliminated treatment disparities among black and white patients with early-stage lung cancer, it also improved treatment rates for all patients, results from a new study show.