Latest Cancer News
Women More Likely to Survive Melanoma Than Men (05-16-2012)
Women are 30 percent more likely to survive melanoma than men, according to the results of a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.[1] Melanoma is a deadly type of skin cancer that arises from melanocytes, which are cells located in the upper layer of the skin that are responsible for producing pigment (skin [...]
Revlimid Increases Risk of Some New Cancers (05-15-2012)
Patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who receive Revlimid® (lenalidomide) may be at an increased risk of developing new cancers, according to a safety announcement released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Revlimid is an oral medication that can stop or slow the growth of cancerous myeloma cells within the bone marrow. It [...]
Overall Health, Not Just Age, is an Important Factor in Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (05-14-2012)
Younger patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are more likely to receive treatment than older patients, regardless of overall health and prognosis, according to the results of a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) [...]
Vitamin E Supplementation Appears to Increase Risk of Prostate Cancer (05-11-2012)
The final analysis of the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) indicated that vitamin E increased the risk of developing prostate cancer in otherwise healthy men by 17% when compared to placebo. The results of the study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association[1] and presented at the 2012 Genitourinary [...]
Low-Dose Radioiodine Effective in Thyroid Cancer (05-10-2012)
Low-dose radioiodine is as effective as high-dose in the treatment of thyroid cancer, according to the results of two separate studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The results mean that radiation doses could be cut to one-third of the current level. The thyroid is a gland in the throat that produces hormones [...]
FDA Approves New Silicone Gel-Filled Breast Implant (05-9-2012)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a silicone gel-filled breast implant manufactured by Sientra Inc for breast augmentation in women at least 22 years old and breast reconstruction in women of any age. As a condition of approval, the company is required to conduct post-approval studies to assess long-term safety and effectiveness [...]
Chemo Brain Linked to Long-Term Changes in Brain (05-8-2012)
Chemo brain appears to correlate with long-term changes in the brain’s white matter, according to the results of a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Patients undergoing chemotherapy have long complained of a phenomenon referred to as “chemo brain”. Chemo brain refers to changes in cognitive function, such as loss of memory and [...]
Votrient Approved for the Treatment of Sarcoma (05-7-2012)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Votrient® (pazopanib) for the treatment of patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) who have received prior chemotherapy. It is the first new drug in decades to treat this type of cancer. Soft tissue sarcomas are cancers that affect the connective and supportive tissues, which include bones, [...]
Many Cancer Patients Face Inadequate Pain Treatment (05-4-2012)
Inadequate pain treatment is a common and significant problem among cancer patients and the odds for under-treatment are twice as high for minorities, according to the results of a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Pain remains one of the most common and feared symptoms of cancer. Pain may be a side effect [...]
Higher Risk Women Benefit from Earlier Breast Screening (05-3-2012)
Women with dense breasts or a first-degree relative with breast cancer are twice as likely as average-risk women to develop breast cancer in their 40s[1] and these women would benefit from beginning mammography screening at age 40[2], according to the results of two studies published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Different groups of experts [...]
Low Doses of Mylotarg May Improve Survival in Older Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (05-2-2012)
Patients age 50-70 with previously untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are treated with Mylotarg® (gemtuzumab ozogamicin) plus standard chemotherapy appear to live longer than those who are treated with standard chemotherapy alone, according to the results of a study published in The Lancet. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the bone marrow [...]
Fatigue After Breast Cancer Treatment May Fade Over Time (05-1-2012)
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is common after treatment for early stage breast cancer, but new results indicate that the phenomenon fades over time, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer (other than skin cancer) in US women. Each year, roughly 227,000 women [...]
Adding Chemotherapy to Radiation Reduces Bladder Cancer Recurrence (04-30-2012)
Chemotherapy plus radiation reduces the risk of recurrence in muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients by nearly 50% compared to radiation alone, according to the results of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.[1] Bladder cancer is diagnosed in roughly 50,000 men and 17,000 women annually in the United States. Patients with T2-T4a bladder cancer [...]
Partial Nephrectomy is Associated with Improved Survival in Early Stage Kidney Cancer (04-27-2012)
Patients with early stage kidney cancer who had only the tumor removed experienced better survival rates than those who had the entire kidney removed, according to the results of a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.[1] Nearly 65,000 people are diagnosed with kidney cancer in the United States each year. For [...]
Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy May Prove Better than Other Radiation Techniques for Prostate Cancer (04-26-2012)
In an analysis of three different types of radiation therapy used to treat localized prostate cancer, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) was associated with fewer gastrointestinal side effects and fewer hip fractures, but more erectile dysfunction than its counterparts, according to results published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.[1] Furthermore, men who receive IMRT [...]