Radiation therapy techniques have been used for more than a century to treat cancers. Physicists in the Radiation Detector and Imaging group and associated with the Biomedical Research & Innovation Center (BRIC) at Jefferson Lab are launching a study into how best to advance safer types of radiation therapy. BRIC scientists plan to evaluate the ability of accelerator-based proton therapy to replace radioactive isotope-derived treatments.
Tag: Cancer Treatment
Gut Microbiome Health Tech Innovator, Ixcela Launches Virtual Clinic to Ease Cancer Symptoms After Landmark Roper St. Francis Healthcare Pilot
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Ixcela, The Internal Fitness™ Company, in collaboration with Roper St. Francis Healthcare, today announced the Ixcela Cancer Support Program.
Existing standard chemoradiation superior to deintensification approaches for HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer
Researchers looking to de-intensify radiation treatments for people with early-stage, HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer to prevent long-term side effects halted a large, randomized phase II/III trial after patients in the control arm reached a record high, two-year progression-free survival rate of 98%.
Histotripsy liver tumor trial successful, early clinical adoption recommended
The #HOPE4LIVER trials, testing the safety efficacy of histotripsy as a treatment for primary and metastatic liver tumors, met its goals for technical success and safety. An expert is quoted explaining the results.
Elle Macpherson says she refused chemotherapy after breast cancer diagnosis. Here’s what oncologists think.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago, Elle Macpherson made a controversial choice: She refused chemotherapy, the model has revealed in her new memoir, Elle: Life, Lessons, and Learning to Trust Yourself. Macpherson did undergo a lumpectomy — surgery to remove…
Moffitt Researchers Reveal Key LAG3 Mechanisms That Could Transform Cancer Immunotherapy
Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a type of cancer treatment that helps the immune system attack cancer cells more effectively. One of the key proteins involved in this process is Lymphocyte Activation Gene-3 (LAG3), which suppresses the antitumor immune response.
Leading Computational Scientist and Oncology Researcher Elana Fertig, PhD, Appointed as New Director of the Institute for Genome Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, announced today the appointment of Elana J. Fertig, PhD, FAIMBE, as the new Director of the School’s Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS).
Small molecules, big impact: advancing immune checkpoint inhibitors for cancer
Recent research highlights an approach in cancer therapy with small molecule drugs targeting immune checkpoints. These innovative drugs overcome the limitations of antibody-based inhibitors, such as poor tissue permeability and high production costs.
Chulalongkorn Organized “Cutting-edge Nanotechnologies for Good Health and Well-being” International Conference for Alternative Cancer Treatment
Chulalongkorn University organized an international academic conference titled “Cutting-edge Nanotechnologies for Good Health and Well-being” to present nanotechnology innovations as new alternatives for cancer treatment.
Targeting cancer with precision: neoantigen vaccines show promise
In an elegant fusion of science and medicine, neoantigen cancer vaccines are emerging as a formidable strategy in the battle against cancer. These vaccines, a testament to the power of personalized medicine, target cancer’s unique protein signatures, rallying the immune system for a precise and potent attack.
Demystifying APE1: New findings on direct activation of ATM signaling by DNA single-strand breaks
Whereas ATM signaling is well known to be activated by DNA doubles-strand breaks, this study provides new evidence that ATM signaling is directly activated by DNA single-strand breaks and activated and regulated by APE1 in eukaryotic systems.
MD Anderson and collaborators to launch project studying T cells on International Space Station
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and collaborators are initiating a research project that will send T cells to the International Space Station (ISS) to study the effects of prolonged microgravity on cell differentiation, activation, memory and exhaustion.
FAU Researcher Receives Grant to Personalize Radiation Therapy for Cancer
While chemotherapy has advanced in personalization, personalized radiation therapy for cancer remains underdeveloped. A new project will use AI, in particular, deep reinforcement learning, to analyze multimodal data, and enhance cancer characterization and treatment to ultimately improve patient outcomes. Using personal health data, genetic information about the tumor, and patient treatment and follow-up data, digital twins will simulate diagnoses and treatment options to help physicians choose the most effective treatments and monitor responses over time.
Anthony Sung, MD, named director of Center for Survivorship and Patient-Oriented Research
Anthony Sung, MD, has been named the A. Drue Jennings Professor in Medical Oncology and the director of the Center for Survivorship and Patient-Oriented Research at The University of Kansas Cancer Center.
New Survey from NCCN Finds Cancer Drug Shortage Management Remains a Moving Target, Impacting Clinical Trials
NCCN shares new data on continued high prevalence for cancer drug shortages in the United States. In the latest survey, carboplatin and cisplatin shortages fell to 11% and 7% respectively, but 89% of centers surveyed continue to report shortages for at least one type of systemic therapy; 75% are experiencing two or more drug shortages.
FDA approves immunotherapy drug combo for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer after UCLA-led research shows improved outcomes for patients
The FDA approval was based on results of the QUILT 3.032 clinical trial, which was led by Dr. Karim Chamie, associate professor urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a researcher at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Borderplex Family Sparks Chain Reaction of Philanthropy After Supporting New Cancer Patient Fund with a Generous Gift
“Support is the most important part of cancer treatment,” says El Paso resident Rosario De Anda, who was diagnosed with breast cancer. “When I started to feel that sense of hope, I began to lose the fear. It made me want to live and push forward.” she adds.
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.
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.