Cancer Currents: An NCI Cancer Research Blog

A blog featuring news and research updates from the National Cancer Institute.

An illustrated banner to represent NCI's Cancer Currents research news blog. The design features interconnected scenes: a patient receiving care, a researcher in a lab, a tumor model, a laptop and mobile device displaying research articles, fitness activity, a clinical setting, and a researcher giving a scientific presentation. The background showcases rolling hills and abstract buildings.

The RAS Problem: Turning Off a Broken Switch
- By NCI Staff
- April 9, 2015
The RAS gene is commonly mutated in cancer and researchers are working to better understand how to develop drugs that can target the RAS protein, which for many years has been considered to be “undruggable.”
The Cancer Genome Atlas: Generating a "Parts List" for Cancer
- By Jean-Claude Zenklusen, Ph.D.
- April 2, 2015
Jean-Claude Zenklusen, Ph.D., discusses the accomplishments and future of The Cancer Genome Atlas, inspired by topics covered in the documentary film, Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies.
A Message to the Cancer Research Community
- By Douglas Lowy, M.D.
- April 1, 2015
Doug Lowy, M.D., a long-time researcher and leader at NCI, greets the cancer research community as the institute's new acting director.
The Importance of Cancer Prevention Research and its Challenges
- By Barry Kramer, M.D., M.P.H.
- April 1, 2015
Barry Kramer, M.D., M.P.H., talks about NCI's efforts for improving cancer prevention and early detection, two topics discussed in the documentary film, Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies.
Looking to the Future of Childhood Cancer Research
- By Malcolm A. Smith, M.D., Ph.D.
- March 31, 2015
NCI’s Dr. Malcolm Smith discusses future directions of childhood cancer research, including treatment directions and clinical trials.
Making Sense of Key Cancer Reports
- By NCI Staff
- March 30, 2015
Several regularly released reports, including the Annual Report to the Nation—which is jointly released by NCI and several other organizations—provide information on important cancer trends in the United States.
A Week of Excitement and Hope: Communicating the Story of Cancer
- By Peter Garrett
- March 30, 2015
Peter Garrett, acting director of NCI's communications office, discusses the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer and activities surrounding the broadcast of the documentary film, Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies.
FDA Approves First Therapy for High-Risk Neuroblastoma
- By NCI Staff
- March 27, 2015
The FDA has approved dinutuximab as part of first-line therapy for children with high-risk neuroblastoma.
FDA Approves First Immunotherapy Treatment for Lung Cancer
- By NCI Staff
- March 24, 2015
The FDA has approved nivolumab to treat patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer that has progressed during or after treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy.
The Exceptional Responders Initiative: Welcoming More Cases
- By NCI Staff
- March 24, 2015
The initiative is studying tissue, clinical, and genomic data from patients with cancer who have had dramatic and long-lasting responses to standard and experimental treatments that were not seen in similar patients who received the same treatment.