Cancer Currents: An NCI Cancer Research Blog

Male doctor talking with male patient in an exam room

Colorectal Cancer Incidence Rising in Young Adults: An Interview with Drs. Philip Rosenberg and William Anderson

By Edward Winstead
March 23, 2017

Drs. Philip Rosenberg and William Anderson of NCI discuss a recent study on which they were coauthors that reported an increase in colorectal cancer incidence among adults under age 50 in the United States.

Microscopic image of stem cell-derived heart muscle cell.

Stem-Cell Based Tool May Help Measure Heart Toxicity of Cancer Drugs

By NCI Staff
March 21, 2017

Researchers have used adult stem cells to create a tool for ranking how toxic a group of cancer drugs, called tyrosine kinase inhibitors, are to human heart cells. Such a test could potentially identify toxic side effects earlier in the drug development process.

Image of CAR T cells attacking a cancer cell.

Researchers Use CRISPR Gene-Editing Tool to Help Turn Immune Cells against Tumors

By NCI Staff
March 20, 2017

Using a new tool for editing genomes, known as CRISPR, researchers have genetically engineered immune cells and improved the ability of these cells to kill cancer cells in mice.

Fluorescent microscope image showing green myeloma tumor cells and red bone cells growing on a purple laboratory-made scaffold, used for research purposes.

FDA Approves New Use for Lenalidomide in Multiple Myeloma

By NCI Staff
March 16, 2017

The FDA has approved lenalidomide for use as a maintenance therapy in patients with multiple myeloma who have undergone an autologous stem cell transplant, to help keep the cancer from coming back.

Photo of three women reviewing medical scans in an office.

Putting the Cancer Patient Front and Center: An Interview with NCI’s Dr. Paul Jacobsen

By NCI Staff
March 14, 2017

NCI’s Dr. Paul Jacobsen discusses NCI’s Healthcare Delivery Research Program and its role in advancing innovative research to improve the delivery of cancer care.

A diagram of a platelet being activated within a tumor cell and relationship to a t-cell.

Study Shows Platelets Can Deliver Immunotherapy, Reduce Tumor Regrowth

By NCI Staff
March 3, 2017

In experiments in mice, researchers show platelets linked to an immunotherapy drug can help eliminate residual cancer cells that remain after surgery. The engineered platelets may also prevent leftover cancer cells from spreading.

Illustration labeled “Stage III Bladder Cancer.” The main illustration labels the bladder, ureter, fat around the bladder, urethra, and prostate. A small cancer cluster inside of the muscle and fat layers of the bladder is linked to an inset illustration which labels the muscle layers, connective tissue, and inner lining of the bladder along with the actual cancer.

FDA Approves Nivolumab for Bladder Cancer

By NCI Staff
March 1, 2017

The FDA has approved nivolumab for the treatment of unresectable locally advanced or metastatic bladder cancer that worsened after treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy.

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

Lung Cancer Screening Pilot Reveals Challenges, Growing Pains

By NCI Staff
February 27, 2017

A demonstration project by the Veterans Health Administration is highlighting some of the complexities and challenges associated with the expansion of lung cancer screening in the United States.

Microscopic image showing chromosomes extracted from glioblastoma cells.

Conditional Reprogramming: An Interview with Dr. Richard Schlegel on Growing Cancer Cells

By NCI Staff
February 22, 2017

Dr. Richard Schlegel describes an innovative cell culture technique he helped to develop. Called conditional reprogramming, the technique can be used to rapidly establish cell cultures of normal and tumor cells from patient samples.

U.S. Cancer Mortality Rates Falling, But Some Regions Left Behind, Study Finds

By NCI Staff
February 21, 2017

A study of nationwide mortality data found that, while cancer deaths in the U.S. dropped between 1980 and 2014, disparities persisted, and in 160 counties cancer mortality rose substantially.