2015 - Cancer Currents Blog

CT scan showing a cross-section of the chest with a large white mass in the left lung, indicating a tumor.

New Research: Using Lung Cancer Screening As An Opportunity to Help Smokers Quit

By Stephanie R. Land, Ph.D.
July 29, 2015

NCI has released a new funding announcement to stimulate research on optimal smoking cessation approaches delivered in conjunction with lung cancer screening.

A lit up tanning bed with feet visible at the bottom. The majority of the image is blue and green.

U.S. Indoor Tanning Rates Are Dropping, But Still High

By NCI Staff
July 24, 2015

Study estimates about 1.6 million fewer women and 400,000 fewer men tan indoors, but it’s still a common practice.

Microscope image showing two dividing melanoma cancer cells in vibrant colors - blue centers surrounded by green and red patterns - being targeted by T-VEC oncolytic virus therapy.

Oncolytic Virus Therapy Shows Benefit in Patients with Melanoma

By NCI Staff
July 21, 2015

In a large clinical trial, the oncolytic virus therapy T-VEC improved the durable response rate and median survival in patients with advanced melanoma.

Setting the Course: Genomics Workshop on Childhood Cancers Identifies Research Opportunities

By Malcolm Smith, M.D., Ph.D.
July 17, 2015

NCI recently convened a workshop to discuss the status of genomic characterization for childhood cancers and to identify opportunities for future research.

Three illustrations of the pancreas, ranging from benign diseases to precancerous lesion to pancreatic cancer. The cancer is shown as brown discoloration for the benign disease, growing to actual tumor cells on the right. Below each illustration, extracellular vesicles in the blood vessel gains more GPC1 as the pancreas gets more cancerous.

Pancreatic Cancer Study Finds Possible Diagnostic Marker in Blood

By NCI Staff
July 15, 2015

A protein attached to vesicles circulating in the blood could be a biological marker for detecting early signs of pancreatic cancer.

Illustration comparing Stage IA and Stage IB lung cancer. The left side shows Stage IA: A tumor 3 cm or less in the right lung, near the right main bronchus. Lymph nodes and anatomical features like the trachea, bronchioles, and diaphragm are labeled. The right side shows Stage IB: A tumor larger than 3 cm but not more than 5 cm in the left lung. Labels include the left main bronchus, carina, and more lymph nodes. An inset shows the lung lining, rib, and lung tissue, highlighting the tumor’s location.

Test May Identify Poor Prognosis for Some Patients with Lung Cancer

By NCI Staff
July 13, 2015

A panel of three genetic markers may help to identify patients with early-stage lung cancer who have a very strong likelihood of their disease returning after surgery.

The Provocative Questions Initiative has identified questions in cancer research that have been understudied, neglected, paradoxical, or difficult to address in the past. The initiative has funded 188 grants with more than $70 million. www.cancer.gov, Source: NCI Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives.

Next Round of Grant Solicitations for Provocative Questions Announced

By NCI Staff
July 10, 2015

The next round of grant solicitations for Provocative Questions has been announced.

Two scientists wearing lab coats are collaborating at a computer in a laboratory setting

Cancer Currents Now Available in Spanish

By Nelvis Castro
July 8, 2015

As part of our effort to more effectively reach patients, health care providers, and researchers with timely, authoritative, and scientifically accurate cancer information, we are now offering selected Cancer Currents blog posts in Spanish.

A collage image titled “Up for a challenge? (U4C)”. The title is displayed in a banner. Below that, an icon of a DNA strand. Below that, text that reads “Stimulating innovation in breast cancer genetic epidemiology”. Four images, side-by-side, show different data visualizations.

NCI Launches Competition to Spur Research on Breast Cancer Genomics, Disease Risk

By NCI Staff
July 2, 2015

Last month, NCI launched a competition to spur research in an area of great public health interest: the genomic basis of breast cancer and breast cancer risk.