NCCN Updates Treatment Recommendations for Breast, Colorectal, Lung, and other Cancer Types Based on Emerging Evidence

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

$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.  

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.

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.