Recent NCCN Guidelines updates—along with the supporting evidence—will be presented during the NCCN 2024 Annual Conference held in Orlando, Florida April 5-7, and simultaneously online. Visit NCCN.org/conference to learn more and register.
Tag: Cancer Treatment
LJI welcomes new faculty member Miguel Reina-Campos, Ph.D.
Cancer researcher Miguel Reina-Campos, Ph.D., has joined the faculty of La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) as an Assistant Professor to lead the Laboratory of Tissue Immune Networks. His laboratory at LJI aims to investigate the basis of CD8+ T cell tissue immunity to improve life-saving cancer immunotherapies.
New tumor spatial mapping tool will help clinicians assess aggressiveness of cancer and personalize treatment
Scientists have developed a new AI tool that maps the function of proteins in a cancerous tumour, enabling clinicians to decide how to target treatment in a more precise way.
Researchers Discover Why One Type of Chemotherapy Works Best in Bladder Cancer
Tisch Cancer Institute researchers discovered that a certain type of chemotherapy improves the immune system’s ability to fight off bladder cancer, particularly when combined with immunotherapy, according to a study published in Cell Reports Medicine in January.
New Research Shows Patients Receiving Cancer Treatment Understand Health Insurance Basics; Important Knowledge Gaps Remain
A new study by researchers at the American Cancer Society showed among patients receiving outpatient cancer treatment in two sites, most people could understand basic health insurance terms, such as premiums and deductibles.
Thailand Hub of Talent for Cancer Immunotherapy International Conference
The Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, cordially invites all to attend the “Thailand Hub of Talent for Cancer Immunotherapy International Conference: Portal to Global Collaboration for Next Generation Cell and Gene Therapy Development” on November 16-17, 2023 at Bhumisiri Mangklanusorn Building, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Mount Sinai Awarded $3.4 Million to Study Prostate Cancer in People With HIV
The National Cancer Institute has awarded the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai a $3.4 million grant to create a model that identifies the best prostate cancer treatment for people with HIV.
Tip Sheet: Personalizing cancer treatment, cancer and the LGBTQ+ community – and expanded Medicaid coverage linked to increased participation in cancer clinical trials
SEATTLE — Sept. 6, 2023 — Below are summaries of recent Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center research findings and other news.Reporting on wildfire smoke? Fred Hutch clinicians and researchers are available to their expertise.
Transforming Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment with Cerium/Lanthanum-134
Actinium-targeted alpha radiotherapy is a promising approach for treating metastatic cancers, including prostate cancer. However, therapeutic substances labeled with actinium-225 have limits on how they can be imaged, a step that allows doctors to plan treatments. This study examined the performance of cerium/lanthanum-134 as a surrogate imaging material for Ac-225.
Canadian researchers find radiation not necessary for patients with low-risk breast cancer
Researchers from McMaster University, BC Cancer, Hamilton Heath Sciences, and the University of British Columbia have found some women with early-stage, low-risk breast cancer may not need radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery.
Study finds improved survival for incurable brain tumor, providing ‘a crack in the armor’
For the first time, researchers have found a potential drug candidate that improved outcomes for patients with a type of childhood brain tumor for which there are no effective treatments. The compound, called ONC201, nearly doubled survival for patients with diffuse midline glioma (DMG) or diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), compared to previous patients.
Understanding Epigenetic Changes in Glial Cells May be Key to Combatting Brain Tumors
Gliomas are incurable brain tumors. Researchers are trying to unlock the mysteries of how they originate from normal cells, which may lead to better treatments.
Killing Cancer in a Flash
FLASH is a targeted radiation therapy that kills tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue and delivers a short, intense burst of radiation in a single appointment. Corie Ralston from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will present her team’s research using X-ray footprinting mass spectrometry to investigate the mechanisms that make FLASH a powerful cancer killer at ACA’s 73rd annual meeting, July 7-11.
Faster, safer target prep
Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have developed a method to simplify one step of radioisotope production — and it’s faster and safer.
Pharmacologist: Cancer drug shortage is delaying lifesaving treatments
This year, an estimated 2 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer. Now, a New York Institute of Technology pharmacology expert contends that these patients’ realities could grow increasingly harsher, as a monthslong shortage of chemotherapy drugs continues. Low supplies of…
Pharmacists give perspective on chemotherapy drug shortages
As U.S. cancer centers continue to navigate shortages of certain chemotherapy drugs, many patients likely fear whether they will be able to secure regular access to their treatment medications. Julie Kennerly Shah, PharmD, associate director of pharmacy, at The Ohio…
NCCN Releases Statement Addressing Ongoing Chemotherapy Shortages; Shares Survey Results Finding More than 90% of Cancer Centers are Impacted
National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Department of Policy and Advocacy calls on Federal Government, pharmaceutical industry, providers, and payers to work together on solutions, as 93% of cancer centers surveyed report a shortage of carboplatin and 70% report shortages for cisplatin; two medications that are used in combination to cure many types of cancer.
Tunable Bonds: A Step Towards Targeted At-211 Cancer Therapy
The astatine isotope astatine-211 (At-211) shows promise as a cancer therapy, but scientists know little about how it interacts with chemicals. Researchers have now discovered a new tunable bonding interaction between At-211 and a class of chemicals known as ketones. This discovery has the potential to improve cancer therapy drugs by linking At-211 to cancer targeting molecules.
Virginia Tech researchers join together on cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment
May is a month to recognize the importance of cancer research, with both Brain Tumor Awareness Month and National Cancer Research Month taking center stage. Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC is dedicated to advancing our understanding of cancer and developing new ways to treat and prevent it. Teams of investigators are working to uncover the molecular mechanisms that drive cancer growth, migration, and metastasis.
A combination of TLR9 and STING agonists induces potent neopeptide-specific T cell immunity and improves ICB efficacy in tumor models
Immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies have been developed in the last years as a promising strategy for the treatment of cancer, however there remains a need to improve their efficacy. The most critical factor that affects the…
Promising Medical Isotope Made and Processed at Brookhaven Lab
Thanks to a recent upgrade to the medical isotope facilities at Brookhaven National Laboratory, actinium-225 (Ac-225), an isotope that shows great promise for treating cancer, can now be produced, purified, and shipped ready for use directly from the Lab. The first shipment left Brookhaven in mid-March.
Prior treatments influence immunotherapy response in advanced melanoma
Research led by scientists at UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found that responses to a type of immunotherapy called PD-1 checkpoint blockade in patients with advanced melanoma depended on whether or not they had previously received another immunotherapy – CTLA-4 blockade – as well as other factors.
Researchers Leverage Cell Self-Destruction to Treat Brain Tumors
Dominique Higgins, MD, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Neurosurgery, and a team of researchers at Columbia University have found that glioblastoma tumor cells are particularly sensitive to ferroptosis – a type of cell death that can be triggered by removing certain amino acids from the diet.
Anticancer drugs with fewer side-effects: scientists decode the crystal structure of a key cell cycle protein
Anticancer drugs are pivotal to cancer treatment, but their toxicity may not always be limited to cancer cells, resulting in harmful side-effects.
New drug delivery method harnesses clotting to target anti-cancer drugs at tumors
University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers have developed a new method for targeting tumors with cancer drugs by exploiting the clotting propensity of blood platelets.The new approach, first described March 29 in the journal Science Advances, adds to a growing set of innovative drug delivery techniques under development in the lab of Quanyin Hu, a professor in the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy.
How a Lowly Immune Cell Helps the Immune System Fight Cancer
New research reveals that long-underestimated neutrophils play key role in determining success of cancer immunotherapy
Study: Spice May Improve Ovarian Cancer Treatment
New research makes the case for why curcumin could help enhance treatment for ovarian cancer.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network Updates Annual Conference with New In-Person Venue, Hybrid Format, Expert-Led Sessions, Highlighted Research Perspectives, and Small-Group Conversations
NCCN 2023 Annual Conference featuring more than a thousand worldwide oncology professionals will present new research findings, latest NCCN Guidelines updates, and best practices for achieving quality cancer care delivery, in Orlando and online March 31—April 2, 2023. Visit NCCN.org/conference for more.
Study finds large gap in breast cancer treatment recommendations for patients aged 70 vs 69
Age-based heuristics can lead to large differences in breast cancer treatment based on small differences in chronologic age, according to a new analysis of more than 500,000 patient records. Patients aged 70 were nearly twice as likely to be passed over for standard-of-care radiation as those aged 69. There were no similar gaps between other age pairs. The study is among the first to demonstrate an age cutoff heuristic in oncology.
Triple-drug therapy for post-transplant management of multiple myeloma
Promising results from an ongoing clinical trial a three-drug treatment may improve survival in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who have undergone preliminary treatment followed by a stem cell transplant.
Researchers ID Protein That May Protect the Heart During Certain Cancer Treatment Regimens
Researchers identified a protein linked with the onset of anthracycline-associated cardiac toxicity. In two studies conducted in women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, levels of a protein known as hemopexin circulating in the blood were associated with increased cardiac toxicity.
Imaging technique may measure absorbed dose from radiation therapy
Abhinav Jha, at the McKelvey School of Engineering, wants to use novel imaging to better understand how people absorb radiation therapy. His team won a four-year $2.2 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant for the study, which aims to guide treatment decisions.
More frequent CT scans not associated with improved outcomes after lung cancer surgery
A new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that undergoing more frequent computed tomography (CT) scans was not associated with improved outcomes following lung cancer surgery. Less frequent CT scans may reduce health-care costs, patient anxiety.
Simultaneous radiation and immunotherapy are beneficial for a subset of lung cancer patients
In a recently published Nature Cancer paper, UChicago Medicine researchers have identified the first biomarker – aneuploidy – that predicts response to the radiation therapy and immune checkpoint blockade treatment combination.
Fighting Cancer on Earth and in Space Using High-Energy Protons
Scientists use high-energy protons to create isotopes for cancer treatment. In space, such protons pose a risk to astronauts and spacecraft. To learn more about both the risks from these protons and about methods of using these protons to produce medical isotopes, scientists measured the cross sections (probabilities) for high-energy proton reactions used to produce radiopharmaceuticals. The research helps to optimize the quantity and purity of medical isotopes and improve the design of spacecraft shielding.
Three of the world’s top research institutions join forces to drive progress against pediatric cancer
Large-scale collaboration will leverage each institution’s expertise and infrastructure to advance understanding of the biological basis of pediatric cancers, identify new vulnerabilities of these diseases and accelerate cures globally.
$100 million gift from Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation to expand Mayo Clinic’s proton beam therapy services in Minnesota
The Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation of Bayport, Minnesota, has made a $100 million multiyear commitment to support the expansion of Mayo Clinic’s proton beam facility in Rochester that will nearly double appointment access for patients in need. In recognition of this gift, Mayo Clinic will name this new facility the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Building.
Groundbreaking research hopes to personalise treatment for cancer patients
Cancer Council SA-funded researcher Associate Professor Stephanie Reuter Lange from UniSA hopes that a simple computer program can help personalise treatment for cancer patients.
Sylvester Leads Study on New Treatment Option for Brain Tumor that Relapses or Fails to Respond to Standard of Care
Taken twice daily, oral olutasidenib helped to stabilize relapsed or refractory gliomas in heavily pretreated patients with less toxicity than standard of care treatment, according to a study led by Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami School…
Defining Plasma Dose for Potential Future Cancer Treatments
Chinese researchers may have found a new approach to treat cancer by using a plasma treatment to induce apoptosis, without any obvious side effect to normal cells. A plasma-activated medium (PAM) can be treated as a drug, with a dose-effect relationship. In Physics of Plasmas, the scientists’ definition of a plasma dose, the equivalent total oxidation potential (ETOP), can be used for PAM to reveal the plasma dose-response relationship for different cell types.
Penn Medicine Developed CAR T Cell Therapy Wins Third FDA Approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded its approval for a personalized cellular therapy developed at the University of Pennsylvania’s Abramson Cancer Center, this time for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy. The accelerated approval was granted today to Novartis for the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy Kymriah® (tisagenlecleucel), making it the third indication for the nation’s first personalized cellular therapy for cancer. It remains the only CAR-T cell therapy approved for both adult and pediatric patients.
Chula Excellence Cancer Center collabs with medical specialists from various fields to enhance treatment capabilities.
Chula now has an Excellence Chulalongkorn Comprehensive Cancer Center bringing together medical specialists from various areas of expertise to attend to cancer patients using the latest academic and technological know-how to enhance the quality of life and the possibilities of being cured for patients of all types of cancer.
A nanoparticle and inhibitor trigger the immune system, outsmarting brain cancer
Scientists at the University of Michigan fabricated a nanoparticle to deliver an inhibitor to brain tumor in mouse models, where the drug successfully turned on the immune system to eliminate the cancer. The process also triggered immune memory so that a reintroduced tumor was eliminated—a sign that this potential new approach could not only treat brain tumors but prevent or delay recurrences.
Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Announce Partnership with Costa Rica for CAR T Cell Therapy
Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), who together pioneered the research and development of the world’s first personalized cellular therapy for cancer — also known as CAR T cell therapy — have announced plans with Costa Rica’s CCSS, or the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (Social Security Program), to facilitate CAR T research in Costa Rica.
How distance from care affects cancer outcomes
In a seemingly counterintuitive finding, young adults diagnosed with central nervous system (CNS) tumors might have better survival rates the farther they live from care finds a study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.
CHOP Researchers Develop a New Class of CAR-T Cells that Target Previously Untargetable Cancer Drivers
In a breakthrough for the treatment of aggressive solid cancers, researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have developed a novel cancer therapy that targets proteins inside cancer cells that are essential for tumor growth and survival but have been historically impossible to reach. Using the power of large data sets and advanced computational approaches, the researchers were able to identify peptides that are presented on the surface of tumor cells and can be targeted with “peptide-centric” chimeric antigen receptors (PC-CARs), a new class of engineered T cells, stimulating an immune response that eradicates tumors.
Researchers ID Protein as Possible Target for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment
Article title: Nrf2 expression in pancreatic stellate cells promotes progression of cancer Authors: Yu Tanaka, Shin Hamada, Ryotaro Matsumoto, Keiko Taguchi, Masayuki Yamamoto, Atsushi Masamune From the authors: “These results demonstrate that Nrf2 actively contributes to the function of [pancreatic…
Three Steps Forward
Mariah Candelaria is a three-time survivor of Hodgkin Lymphoma and received a stem cell transplant at the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center. During and after her recovery she’s leaned on dance to make it through. Now she wants to give back to others who are going through similar challenges fighting cancer.
Metastatic prostate cancer comes in two forms, which could guide treatment
Scientists have identified two subtypes of metastatic prostate cancer that respond differently to treatment, information that could one day guide physicians in treating patients with the therapies best suited to their disease.
UNM Cancer Center Renews NCI Comprehensive Designation
The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center has once again been awarded the highest designation and rating in the United States for cancer treatment and research programs.