Cancer Currents: An NCI Cancer Research Blog

Two shapes labeled “EGF, TGF-alpha, etc” next to two crab-claw shapes clutching spheres. A line leads from each shape under a layer titled EGFR. Under the EGFR layer, the end of the lines say phosphorylation. There are three pathways: one with three labeled circles, another with one circled labeled STAT, and another with six labeled circles. The pathways all have arrows pointing to a circle labeled gene transcription and cell cycle progression.

Approval of Osimertinib and Necitumumab Increases Lung Cancer Treatment Options

December 28, 2015, by NCI Staff

The FDA has approved two targeted therapies, osimertinib (Tagrisso™) and necitumumab (Portrazza™), for the treatment of some patients with advanced lung cancer.

A doctor points at a computer screen while speaking to a patient. The doctor is an elderly man with white hair, glasses, and a dark suit with a lanyard around his neck. He is looking at the computer screen, not the patient. The patient is an adult woman with curly brown hair and a long light blue shirt.

Cancer Can Lead to Financial Hardship, Study Confirms

December 23, 2015, by NCI Staff

A substantial number of working-age cancer survivors report material or psychological financial hardship associated with their cancer.

A doctor and a patient, both sitting, speak to each other. The doctor is middle aged with short dark hair, glasses, a grey suit and tan shirt with patterned tie. He’s sitting in a chair. The patient is an elderly man in a green button up shirt and khakis with white hair; he sits on an exam chair. A sink, cabinets, and gloves are in the background.

Checking In on Cancer Checkpoint Inhibitors

December 18, 2015, by NCI Staff

NCI’s Dr. James Gulley discusses cancer checkpoint inhibitors, their impact on patient care, and future directions for these therapies.

Small green shapes with blue centers fade into a black background. The green shapes are fairly dense and are sized similarly.

New Drug for Pediatric Neuroblastoma Shows Promise in Preclinical Studies

December 17, 2015, by NCI Staff

An international research team has identified a possible new treatment target for pediatric neuroblastoma and is planning an early-stage clinical trial of a drug that inhibits this target.

A diagram of the effects of using cobimetinib in combination with vemurafenib. At the top, an arch of small spheres that are tightly aligned in two rows. Below that, arrows point to labeled circles. The circles read: Ras, Raf, MEK1/2, and ERK1/2. The last three circles have a smaller circle attached, labeled with a P. The ERK1/2 circle points to a box with the words Proliferation, Differentiation, Migration, Survival/Apoptosis.

FDA Approves Cobimetinib as Part of Drug Combination for Advanced Melanoma

December 15, 2015, by NCI Staff

The FDA has approved the targeted drug cobimetinib, in combination with another targeted therapy, to treat patients with advanced melanoma whose tumors have specific genetic mutations.

The structure of the KRAS protein is visible in this artistic rendering.

Two Small RNAs, Often Missing from Cancer Cells, May Suppress Tumors

December 14, 2015, by NCI Staff

Two small RNAs that are frequently deleted from cancer cells may help suppress tumors by interacting with RAS proteins, a new study suggests.

Silhouettes of people in dark blue sit above blocks of the letters ACGT. The letters go from larger to smaller from the top and outside of the image to the bottom center. The letters are gradients of yellow, orange, red, and green. Part of a silhouette of a stethoscope in dark blue is in the top left.

Precision Medicine Trials for Cancer: A New Era

December 10, 2015, by Jeff Abrams, M.D., and Nita Seibel, M.D.

NCI is designing smaller, quicker, and smarter clinical trials that incorporate the principal tenets of precision medicine.

A closeup of a latex gloved hand holding a newborn’s foot over a piece of paper with the newborn’s inked footprint. To the left of the footprint, the letters ACGT repeat in different patterns.

Study Sheds Light on Role of Inherited Mutations in Childhood Cancer

December 8, 2015, by NCI Staff

In the most comprehensive study of its kind conducted to date, more than 8 percent of children with cancer were found to have inherited genetic mutations associated with a predisposition to the disease.

An illustration of the human body titled “Soft Tissue Sarcoma.” The body is in silhouette and has labels for various parts of the human body which are illustrated to mimic the look of each part. The labels read “Nerves”, “Muscle, Tendons, Ligaments and Cartilage”, “Fat”, “Blood Vessels”, and “Lymph Vessels.”

FDA Approves Trabectedin to Treat Two Types of Soft Tissue Sarcoma

December 4, 2015, by NCI Staff

The FDA has approved trabectedin for patients with advanced liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma whose cancer has progressed after prior treatment.

An illustrated cross-section labeled “Brain Anatomy.” An adult’s head from the side labels the pineal gland, choroid plexus, cerebrum, ventricles (fluid-filled spaces), hypothalamus, optic nerve, pituitary gland, brain stem (pons and medulla), spinal cord, and cerebellum. Bold text reads “Supratentorium” (next to the cerebrum) and “Infratentorium” (next to the cerebellum).

Patient with Brain Tumor Responds Dramatically to Targeted Therapy

December 3, 2015, by NCI Staff

A patient with a papillary craniopharyngioma saw his tumor shrink more than 80 percent after treatment with a targeted drug that inhibits a mutant form of the BRAF protein.

A cytotoxic T cell, colored with a neon green outline and red, blue and black on the interior, moves towards a cancer cell. The cancer cell is in the center and has a medium green viscous covering inside of a blue core. Two other cells, with similar coloring to the T cell, float to the top left and right of the cancer cell.

Lung Cancer Precision Medicine Trials: Adapting to Progress

November 30, 2015, by Shakun Malik, M.D.

Patients with lung cancer are benefiting from the boom in targeted and immune-based therapies. With a series of precision medicine trials, NCI is keeping pace with the rapidly changing treatment landscape for lung cancer.

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.

FDA Approves Talimogene Laherparepvec to Treat Metastatic Melanoma

November 25, 2015, by NCI Staff

The FDA has approved the first oncolytic virus therapy, talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC). The drug was approved for the treatment of metastatic melanoma that cannot be removed surgically.

An illustrated cross-section of a liposome. The outside is composed of small spheres that are tightly packed; the inside has small strands coming from the outer spheres touching spheres seen at the core of the liposome. The core spheres also have small strands emitting from them.

FDA Approves Irinotecan Liposome to Treat Pancreatic Cancer

November 24, 2015, by NCI Staff

Patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer that has progressed after receiving gemcitabine-based chemotherapy now have a new treatment option: irinotecan liposome in combination with fluorouracil and leucovorin.

Medical scan showing lymphoma tumors (indicated by arrows) near the kidneys in a patient before treatment with ibrutinib.

How Genomics Is Shaping Precision Medicine in Oncology

November 19, 2015, by Lou Staudt, M.D., Ph.D.

In laboratories at NCI and around the world, researchers are using advanced genomic technologies to study the differences between cancer cells and normal cells, leading to new and more effective treatments for patients with cancer.

Two-panel illustration showing the interaction between T cells and tumor cells. The left panel is titled "PD-L1 binds to PD-1 and inhibits T cell killing of tumor cell" and shows an antigen and T cell receptor, illustrating the inhibition of T cell activity. The right panel is titled "Blocking PD-L1 or PD-1 allows T cell killing of tumor cell" and shows tumor cell death, indicating successful T cell activity.

FDA Approves Pembrolizumab for Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

November 18, 2015, by NCI Staff

The FDA has approved the drug pembrolizumab to treat patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors express a protein called PD-L1.

A female doctor looks at her patient as the patient enters a CT machine. The doctor has shoulder length brown hair and a white coat. The back of the headrest going into the CT machine is mostly in shadow.

Bringing Precision to Screening for Cancer

November 17, 2015, by NCI Staff

A recent NCI-sponsored conference brought together leading screening and cancer control researchers to discuss the state of the science of precision screening for five cancers.

A close-up of a hand holding a pen to a clipboard holding a piece of paper. The words “Informed Consent” are printed in large letters at the top of the paper, with smaller text in two columns below. A stethoscope and part of a keyboard are in the background.

Low Income Is a Barrier to Clinical Trial Enrollment, Study Suggests

November 16, 2015, by NCI Staff

A new study has found that patients with annual household incomes below $50,000 were less likely to participate in a cancer clinical trial than those with higher incomes.

Golden-brown gel capsules sit on a metal surface. Part of a brown, glass pill bottle sits near the capsules.

Antioxidants Accelerate the Growth and Invasiveness of Tumors in Mice

November 12, 2015, by NCI Staff

Metastatic tumor cells are particularly sensitive to oxidative stress, and antioxidant supplementation increases their ability to grow and metastasize.

FDA Approves Nivolumab for Some Melanomas and Lung Cancers

November 10, 2015, by NCI Staff

The FDA has approved nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab for advanced melanoma and nivolumab alone for advanced nonsquamous lung cancer.

Two laboratory researchers examining a DNA gel or test results together under fluorescent lighting, both wearing protective eyewear and lab coats.

A Holistic Approach to Cancer Health Disparities

November 5, 2015, by L.M. Bennett, W. McCaskill-Stevens, S. Springfield

Recognizing that complex factors underlie health disparities, NCI is taking a holistic approach in our efforts to address this serious public health issue.

Cancer Currents: An NCI Cancer Research Blog

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