Tag Archives: king

Researchers detail possible resistance mechanisms of colorectal cancer to bevacizumab (avastin)

"Think of it like damming a river. Bevacizumab can block the main flow, but then once a tumor’s need builds up behind this dam, water starts to flow around the blockage in the form of streams and tributaries. That’s like these other growth factors — eventually a tumor becomes able to use these tributaries of VEGF-C, VEGF-D and placental growth factor to supply itself with the ‘water’ it needs," says Christopher Lieu, MD, investigator at the CU Cancer Center and assistant professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine…

Heart disease risk appears associated with breast cancer radiation

Several reports have suggested links between breast cancer radiation and long-term cardiovascular-related deaths, according to the study background. Researchers examined the radiation treatment plans of 48 patients with stage 0 through IIA breast cancer who were treated after 2005 at the New York University Department of Radiation Oncology. They calculated the association between radiation treatment factors, such as mean cardiac dose, cardiac risk, treatment side, body positioning and coronary events. …

Measuring segments of genetic material may help predict, monitor recurrence of thyroid cancer

MicroRNAs are copies of very short segments of genetic material that modulate gene expression. Researchers have found that dysregulation of microRNAs may play a role in the development of cancer, and microRNA profiles or "signatures" may be used to classify different types of thyroid tumors. By studying tumor tissue from patients with papillary thyroid cancer, the most common endocrine malignancy, PhD candidate James Lee, MBBS, FRACS, of the Kolling Institute of Medical Research and University of Sydney in Australia, under supervision from Professor Stan Sidhu, and his colleagues found that high levels of two specific microRNAs (microRNA-222 and -146b) within tumors indicated that cancer was more likely to recur after patients’ tumors were surgically removed. …

Study finds new genetic error in some lung cancers

The finding suggests that the fusion of NTRK1 to other genes fuels the growth of some lung adenocarcinomas (a form of non-small cell lung cancer), and that drugs that target NTRK1’s protein product could be effective in patients whose lung tumors harbor such fusions. "Treatment with targeted therapies is now superior to standard chemotherapy for many patients with lung cancers that harbor genetic changes including those with fusions involving the gene ALK," says Pasi A. Jänne, MD, PhD, of Dana-Farber, the senior co-author of the paper with Robert C. …

Walking program shows promise in reducing joint stiffness in older breast cancer survivors on aromatase inhibitor therapy

Postmenopausal women with breast cancer whose treatment generally includes an aromatase inhibitor, or AI, often experience joint pain or stiffness known as AI-associated arthralgia. An estimated 20 to 32 percent of these women stop taking their AI due to this side effect. Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill conducted a pilot study to assess the potential positive effects of physical activity on joint pain and stiffness in these patients, as a potential alternative or adjunctive approach to arthralgia management that would enable them to continue their cancer therapy while living as pain- free as possible. "We were interested in seeing if a physical activity program that is evidence-based for reducing joint pain, stiffness and fatigue in adults with arthritis might have similar benefits for women experiencing AI- associated arthralgia," says Kirsten A…

New kit predicts most common lung cancer survival

It is a genomic-clinical method able to determinate the prognosis of a patient with lung adenocarcinoma by studying the expression levels of 30 genes and combining the results with other indicators such as age, gender or the stage of the tumor. From this study, patients are classified into phases and from this classification depends their prognosis and treatment…

Debunking myths about how cancer spreads

Can getting a biopsy spread cancer? Internet rumors have been circulating for years linking needle biopsies to spreading cancer. There is no evidence that a needle biopsy, a procedure used to diagnose many types of cancer, causes the cells to spread. "Needle biopsies of early-onset lesions in the breast, thyroid or lung allow us to diagnose cancer often before it has spread," said Dr. …

Study finds drug helps against pancreatic cancer

The drug Zybrestat selectively targets and collapses tumor blood vessels, depriving the tumor of oxygen and making its cells die. In experiments involving a mouse model of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, Einstein scientists found that infusing mice with Zybrestat three times per week for four weeks resulted in significant antitumor activity compared with control mice given a placebo. The findings were presented in Boston at the American Association for Cancer Research-National Cancer Institute-European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics…

Researchers apply brainpower to understanding neural stem cell differentiation

The researchers donned their thinking caps to explain how neural stem and progenitor cells differentiate into neurons and related cells called glia. Neurons transmit information through electrical and chemical signals; glia surround, support and protect neurons in the brain and throughout the nervous system. Glia do everything from holding neurons in place to supplying them with nutrients and oxygen to protecting them from pathogens. …