Leadership & Expert Views - Cancer Currents Blog
Commentaries from scientific leaders at NCI and other institutions about cancer research topics, programs, and initiatives.
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One Year in Cancer Research and Much to CelebrateNCI Director Dr. Kimryn Rathmell reviews some of the most noteworthy cancer research findings from 2024, including advances in immunotherapy for children with cancer, a potential therapy for cachexia, and studies that provided valuable insights into cancer biology.
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Growing the Cancer Research Pipeline by Expanding OpportunitiesNCI Director Dr. Kimryn Rathmell and Division of Cancer Biology Director Dr. Dan Gallahan explain how the R15 grant program supports researchers at smaller institutions and encourages students to pursue careers in cancer research.
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Understanding the Risk of Second Cancers After CAR T-Cell TherapyIn late 2023, FDA announced it was investigating instances of second cancers following treatment with CAR T-cell therapies. In this Q&A, NCI’s Dr. Stephanie Goff explains what’s known about the issue, stressing that second cancers “of any kind are rare.”
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How Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tools WorkDrs. Ruth Pfeiffer and Peter Kraft of NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics discuss how breast cancer risk assessment tools are created and how people can use them to understand and manage their risk.
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Leading Change in Cancer Clinical Research, Because Our Patients Can’t WaitReshaping the cancer clinical trials infrastructure to overcome key bottlenecks will involve embracing technology and collaboration, and inviting innovation, explain NCI Director Dr. W. Kimryn Rathmell and NCI Special Advisor Dr. Shaalan Beg.
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What Comes after NCI-MATCH? NCI’s New Precision Medicine Cancer TrialsNCI’s James H. Doroshow, M.D., reflects on the accomplishments of NCI-MATCH, a first-of-its-kind precision medicine cancer trial, and gives an overview of three new successor trials: ComboMATCH, MyeloMATCH, and iMATCH.
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When Prenatal DNA Tests Point to CancerAn NIH-led study called IDENTIFY is analyzing what happens when prenatal blood tests in a pregnant person suggests the person may have cancer. Dr. Diana Bianchi and Amy Turriff talk about their experience with the study thus far.
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Transforming Cancer Clinical Trials for Better, Faster ResultsIn this Q&A, NCI Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli and Deputy Director for Clinical and Translational Research Dr. James Doroshow explain the challenges of cancer clinical trials and important steps NCI is taking to improve their effectiveness.
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Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research: A Unique Resource for the Biomedical Research CommunityTo mark the 10 years since it was named a national lab, NCI Principal Deputy Director Douglas R. Lowy, M.D., discusses some of the Frederick National Lab’s initiatives to support cancer research and looks ahead at the next 10 years.
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Doing More—Together—to End Cancer as We Know ItNCI Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli reflects on the tremendous progress made in cancer research over the past 3 decades, important opportunities that lie ahead, and the need for coordinated, all-of-society collaboration to end cancer as we know it for everyone.
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Reducing the Cancer Burden: Future Directions for NCI's Cancer Control ResearchTo mark her first year at NCI, Dr. Katrina Goddard lays out her research priorities for the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences and outlines key opportunities for reducing the burden of cancer. These future directions and priorities are outlined in the division’s 2022 Overview and Highlights report.
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Changing the Perception of Early-Phase Cancer Clinical Trials: A Conversation with Dr. Naoko TakebeThe number of participants in modern phase 1 cancer clinical trials whose cancer responded to the treatment or remained stable has increased substantially, while treatment-related deaths remained very low, a new NCI study shows. Dr. Naoko Takebe discusses the findings and the importance of phase 1 trials.
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Making Transformative Advances against Childhood Cancer: A Conversation with Dr. Doug HawkinsDr. Doug Hawkins, chair of the NCI-funded Children’s Oncology Group, discusses advances in treating children with cancer, COG’s role in conducting clinical trials, and efforts like the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative and Molecular Characterization Initiative.
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Meeting Cancer Survivors' Psychosocial Health Needs: A Conversation with Dr. Patricia GanzAbout 25% of cancer survivors have persistent anxiety, depression, or other psychological and social (psychosocial) distress. In this interview, Dr. Patricia Ganz discusses psychosocial distress and the challenges and opportunities in this area.
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Screening for Many Cancers with One Test: Uncertainty AboundsProgress has been made on developing noninvasive tests that may be able to find many cancers early. But, as NCI’s Dr. Phil Castle explains, there’s still much to learn about these multi-cancer early detection tests before they become widely used.
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Air Is Life: The Navajo Nation’s Historic Commercial Tobacco BanWith the passage of the Air is Life Act of 2021, the Navajo Nation enacted the most comprehensive ban on commercial tobacco products of any American Indian tribe to date.
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President’s Cancer Panel Report: Closing Gaps in Cancer Screening for All AmericansDr. John P. Williams, chair of the President’s Cancer Panel, summarizes the panel’s new report, Closing Gaps in Cancer Screening: Connecting People, Communities, and Systems to Improve Equity and Access.
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FDA Oversight of E-Cigarettes Gathers Speed: A Conversation with Mitch ZellerCompanies that want to market e-cigarettes in the United States must now submit applications to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In this interview, Mitch Zeller, director of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, provides insights into FDA actions on e-cigarettes.
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Seeing a Promising Future for Progress against Childhood CancerNCI Director Dr. Ned Sharpless discusses progress against childhood cancers, like CAR T-cell therapy and collecting more comprehensive data on children and adolescents with cancer, and the need to better address disparities in childhood cancer.
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COVID-19, Vaccines, and the Immune System: Emerging Research from NCI’s SeroNetIn this Q&A, leaders of NCI’s SeroNet program discuss new research findings on the immune response to the virus that causes COVID-19, new variants of the virus, and the COVID-19 vaccines. They also discuss the effects of the vaccines on people with cancer.