Cancer Currents: An NCI Cancer Research Blog

A purple circle with the words HPV vaccination inside of it. To the left, three main text sections: Announce child is due for 3 vaccines; Ease Main Concern about HPV vaccine; and Recommend HPV vaccine strongly. Arrows from the Announce and Recommend sections point at the circle. Below the Recommend section, text reads “Ask them to return in two months”.

The ‘Crisis’ of Low HPV Vaccination Rates: A Conversation with Dr. Noel Brewer

By NCI Staff
February 2, 2016

Following the release of a consensus statement from the NCI-Designated Cancer Centers urging HPV vaccination in the United States, Dr. Noel Brewer discusses the country’s low vaccination rates and how clinicians can help to improve them.

A snippet of an infographic related to tumor biopsies. It starts with talking about 6,00 cancer patients will be screen with a tumor biopsy, then the biopsied tumor undergoing gene sequencing, the gene sequencing looking for changes in 143 genes, and the patient being matched to a NCI-MATCH treatment if their genetic abnormality is target by a drug in that trial.

NCI-MATCH: A Status Report and Future Directions

By Barbara Conley, M.D.
February 1, 2016

Leaders of the NCI-MATCH trial provide an update to the cancer community on the trial’s status and plans for it moving forward.

Two types of gold nanoparticles spiked with spherical nucleic acids. The left is labeled core-filled SNAs, the right core-less SNAs. They look the same except the core-filled SNA has a golden-brown center whereas the core-less has a white center with a golden-brown outside.

Opportunities in Cancer Nanotechnology: A Conversation with NCI’s Dr. Piotr Grodzinski

By NCI Staff
January 29, 2016

The director of NCI's Office of Cancer Nanotechnology Research discusses the Cancer Nanotechnology Plan 2015, as well as new developments and clinical opportunities in the field.

A Black female adult doctor, wearing a white lab coat, red shirt, and stethoscope around her neck, looks at the camera with a serious expression. She is seated next to an examination table. In the background, medical tools hang on the wall.

Video Intervention Helps Prepare Patients to Participate in Cancer Clinical Trials

By NCI Staff
January 28, 2016

Patients who took part in a tailored, video-based educational program had a better understanding of and fewer concerns about participating in clinical trials than patients who received text-based educational.

A two-panel illustration. The left has the header “- ReACp53” and the right “+ ReACp53”. On the left side, it shows one comma shape, labeled p53, become larger and then more copies appear. On the right side, multiple comma shapes also become a larger shape, and then only two shapes are below that. It shows the + ReACp53 side stopping aggregation.

Novel Treatment Approach Shrinks Ovarian Tumors in Mice

By NCI Staff
January 25, 2016

Researchers have developed a new approach for treating tumors that express mutant versions of the p53 protein, which are present in more than half of all cancers, including an aggressive and common subtype of ovarian cancer.

Speaker Ryan and President Obama look at VP Biden during the State of the Union address

Supporting Vice President Biden's Cancer Initiative

By Douglas R. Lowy, M.D.
January 21, 2016

During his 2016 State of the Union address to Congress, President Obama tasked Vice President Biden with leading a new initiative to accelerate cancer research. This message from NCI Acting Director Doug Lowy states that the Institute stands ready to work with partners across the cancer research community on the initiative.

A chest CT scan of a lung tumor (panel A) and a FISH test from a sample of the tumor (panel B) showing an ALK gene rearrangement (red and green spots).

FDA Approves Alectinib for ALK-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

By NCI Staff
January 19, 2016

The FDA has approved alectinib to treat patients with metastatic ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer who have stopped responding to or who are unable to tolerate crizotinib.