Prevention - Cancer Currents Blog

Photo of a girl being injected with a vaccine in her upper arm.

Large Study Confirms that HPV Vaccine Prevents Cervical Cancer

October 14, 2020, by NCI Staff

Widespread HPV vaccine use dramatically reduces the number of women who will develop cervical cancer, according to a study of nearly 1.7 million women. Among girls vaccinated before age 17, the vaccine reduced cervical cancer incidence by 90%.

A close up of a hand holding up a small, round, white pill. The hand and pill are in focus. In the background, out of focus, is another hand holding a cup and button-up shirt. Part of the man’s neck can be seen as well.

Regular Aspirin Use May Increase Older People’s Risk of Dying from Cancer

August 18, 2020, by Carmen Phillips

Regular use of low-dose aspirin may increase an older person’s risk of being diagnosed with advanced cancer and of dying from cancer, results from the ASPREE clinical trial suggest. Learn more about what this 19,000-participant study found.

The updated Nutrition Facts label, with specific features singled out.

Updated Nutrition Facts Label Reflects Science on Diet and Health, including Cancer

May 19, 2020, by NCI Staff

On January 1, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began requiring food manufacturers to display updated nutrition facts labels on their product packaging. Experts from FDA and NCI discuss the update and the research that underpins the changes.

A nurse administering an HPV vaccine to a young woman.

Single Dose of HPV Vaccine Yields Long-Term Protection from Many Cancer-Causing Types

April 10, 2020, by Elia Ben-Ari

More than a decade after vaccination, women who had received a single dose of the HPV vaccine continued to be protected against infection with the two cancer-causing HPV types targeted by the vaccine, an NCI-funded clinical trial shows.

Between 2009 and 2016, oral HPV infections among unvaccinated men dropped by 37%.

HPV Vaccine May Provide Men with “Herd Immunity” against Oral HPV Infections

October 8, 2019, by NCI Staff

Oral HPV infections cause over 70% of all oropharyngeal cancers in the United States. In a new study of adults aged 18‒59, the rate of HPV vaccination rose from 0% to 6% for men, while oral HPV infections fell by 37% among unvaccinated men.

A father speaking with his toddler's pediatrician.

Pediatricians’ Offices Can Help Parents Quit Smoking, Study Shows

September 12, 2019, by NCI Staff

Researchers tested a program that trains pediatricians’ offices to provide smoking cessation treatment to parents during visits with their child’s doctor. The approach is intended to reach adults who are motivated to quit to protect their child’s health.

A close-up of the arms and body of a doctor and patient. The patient is sitting on a couch and wearing casual clothing and his hands are together, indicating he is waiting for a response. The doctor holds a pen in one hand and a checklist in the other. They are wearing a white lab coat.

Prostate Cancer Prevention and Finasteride: A Conversation with NCI’s Dr. Howard Parnes

May 13, 2019, by NCI Staff

The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial showed that finasteride can reduce the risk of prostate cancer, but might increase the risk of aggressive disease. NCI’s Howard Parnes talks about subsequent findings and what they mean for men aged 55 and older.

Immune cell (pink and red) killing a tumor cell (blue) expressing neoantigens.

Could a Vaccine Prevent Colorectal Cancer in People with Lynch Syndrome?

April 19, 2019, by NCI Staff

Findings from an NCI-funded study suggest a new vaccine approach may have the potential to prevent colorectal cancer in people with Lynch syndrome, an inherited condition that increases an individual's risk for developing certain types of cancer.

Artistic illustration of a magnifying glass revealing a DNA double helix structure over a background of colorful genetic data.

Fewer Women with Ovarian, Breast Cancer Undergo Genetic Testing than Expected

April 9, 2019, by NCI Staff

Many women diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer are not undergoing tests for inherited genetic mutations that can provide important information to help guide decisions about treatment and longer-term cancer screening, a new study has found.

Various smoking cessation products including an e-cigarette device, nicotine patches, pills in blister packs, and white capsules arranged on a white surface.

UK Clinical Trial Compares E-cigarettes, Nicotine-Replacement Products for Smoking Cessation

March 8, 2019, by NCI Staff

Researchers in the United Kingdom have found that e-cigarettes combined with counseling may be more helpful to smokers trying to quit tobacco than counseling and nicotine-replacement products, such as patches, gums, and lozenges.

A teenage girl receiving a vaccine in her upper arm from a nurse.

The HPV Vaccine: Increasing the Use of an Important Cancer Prevention Tool

December 20, 2018, by Barbara K. Rimer, Dr.P.H.

Dr. Barbara Rimer, chair of the President’s Cancer Panel, summarizes the panel’s recent report on the HPV vaccine, which includes priorities and strategies to ensure that more people receive this critical cancer vaccine.

Close-up of hands holding a yellow pill against a white background.

Vitamin D Supplements Don’t Reduce Cancer Incidence, Trial Shows

December 13, 2018, by NCI Staff

In the largest-ever randomized trial testing vitamin D for cancer prevention, the supplement did not lower the risk of developing cancer. The Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL) includes a nationally representative sample of nearly 26,000 participants.

Can Topical Drugs Help Prevent Breast Cancer?

December 4, 2018, by NCI Staff

Researchers are testing a topical-gel form of the drug tamoxifen to see if it can help prevent breast cancer as effectively as the oral form of the drug but with fewer side effects.

Cancer Prevention Message Is Key for HPV Vaccination Discussions with Parents

July 10, 2018, by NCI Staff

Health care providers should emphasize cancer prevention when discussing HPV vaccination with the parents of preteens who are due to receive the vaccine, results from a new study show.

Close-up illustration of a section of the colon with two polyps, which are labeled. A small inset photograph in the top left shows a photo of a colon polyp.

Drug Combination Reduces Number of Colorectal Polyps in Patients with Hereditary Cancer Syndrome

March 14, 2018, by NCI Staff

People with FAP, an inherited condition that greatly increases their risk of gastrointestinal cancer, who took the drugs erlotinib (Tarceva) and sulindac (Aflodac) saw a substantial decrease in the number of precancerous lesions in the colon and rectum.

A photo of a newspaper page with text that includes a court ordered statement from major tobacco companies along statistics abou the negative health impacts of smoking.

An Important Moment in Tobacco Control

November 28, 2017, by Robert Croyle, Ph.D., Michele Bloch, M.D., Ph.D.

November 26, 2017, marked a unique moment in US public health history, with the major US tobacco companies issuing the first in a series of court-ordered "corrective statements" about their products.

A close-up of a syringe and medical bottle containing clear liquid. These two items are sitting on a piece of paper that shows the definition of ovarian cancer. The words “ovarian cancer” are bold; the rest of the text is mostly cropped off the image, though what is shown indicates it is a definition of ovarian cancer.

Experimental Ovarian Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise in Mice

November 17, 2017, by NCI Staff

The experimental vaccine targets a protein found at elevated levels in about 90% of the most common type of ovarian cancer. If validated in human studies, researchers believe the vaccine may be particularly useful for women who carry BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations.

Microscopic view of Ewing sarcoma cells with arrows indicating gene fusions involving the EWS gene.

Many Ovarian Cancers May Start in Fallopian Tubes, Study Finds

November 15, 2017, by NCI Staff

A new study provides more evidence that the most common form of ovarian cancer may originate in the fallopian tubes, and that there is a window of nearly 7 years between development of fallopian tube lesions and the start of ovarian cancer.

HPV Vaccination Linked to Decreased Oral HPV Infections

June 5, 2017, by NCI Staff

A study of more than 2,600 young adults found that the prevalence of oral infection with four HPV types, including two cancer-causing types, was 88% lower in those who reported receiving at least one dose of an HPV vaccine than in those not vaccinated.