Altering chemotherapy improves outcomes in early-stage pancreatic cancer

The outlook for people diagnosed with early-stage pancreatic cancer can be expected to improve due to the results from two clinical trials. In the first trial, changing the type of chemotherapy given after surgery from a single drug to a multi-drug regimen greatly improved how long patients lived. Patients in the trial treated with the multi-drug regimen survived for an average of 4.5 years after treatment, substantially longer than expected.

To read more about the clinical trials, click here.

Do follow-up tests benefit colorectal cancer survivors?

The results from two new studies show that undergoing follow-up testing for cancer recurrence more than once a year may not benefit people who have been treated for colorectal cancer. The goal of follow-up testing, or surveillance, of people who have been treated for cancer is to improve patient survival by detecting and treating a recurrence early. But results from both studies, published May 22 in JAMA, showed that more frequent tests did not change the rate of detection of recurrence or death due to cancer.

To read more about this study, click here.

Trial produces practice-changing findings for some children and young adults with leukemia

According to new results from an NCI-sponsored Children’s Oncology Group (COG) clinical trial, adding the drug nelarabine (Arranon) to standard chemotherapy improves survival for children and young adults newly diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). The trial was the largest ever conducted for patients with newly diagnosed T-ALL and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LL).

To read more about the clinical trial, Click here.

American cancer society launches campaign to eliminate cervical cancer

About 14 million people, including teens, become infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV) each year. By increasing HPV vaccination rates and continued screening The American Cancer Society (ACS) believes they can eliminating cervical cancer in the United States in the next 40 year. To this end, ACS is launching Mission: HPV Cancer Free, a public health campaign to eliminate vaccine-preventable HPV cancers, starting with cervical cancer.

To read more click here.

OncoArray links dozens of DNA variants to risk for common cancers

Researchers have recently published studies identifying dozens of new genetic variants associated with the risk for developing cancer. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has begun to identify common inherited genetic differences, or variants, that influence disease risk over the last decade. Now, with the support of NCI's GAME-ON initiative and OncoArray Network, researchers are on their way to completing the latest round of cutting-edge studies of inherited risk factors.

To read more about this study, click Here.

TAILORx trial finds most women with early breast cancer don't benefit from chemotherapy

New findings from TAILORx trial, show no benefit from chemotherapy for 70 percent of women with the most common type of breast cancer. The study found that for women with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative, axillary lymph node­–negative breast cancer, treatment with chemotherapy and hormone therapy after surgery is not more beneficial than treatment with hormone therapy alone. The trial was supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and designed and led by the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group. Findings from the study will be published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

To read more about this study, click Here.

Easing concerns about giving research study participants their genetic test results

A new study shows that participants in genetic studies reported feeling more knowledgeable and less anxious about genetic testing after receiving their results when they had talked about them with a genetic counselor. Currently, people who participate in a research study that includes a genetic test usually don’t get those test results back. In part, that is because of concerns that doing so might create burdens for study participants that outweigh any potential benefits. But these findings suggest that study participants who are interested in receiving their results have positive experiences.


To read more about this study, click here.

New clinical trials report indicates new use of chemptherapy to extend pancreatic cancer survival

2 new clinical trials conducted in France and the Netherlands has uncovered new innovative ways of administering chemotherapy to pancreatic cancer patients in an effort to extend survival rates.


By creating a chemotherapy cocktail comprised of 4 drugs, researchers in France "extended surgical patients' lives by nearly two years over the current single-drug chemo regimen", while the study in the Netherlands determined that "combining chemotherapy and radiation therapy before pancreatic cancer surgery" extended survival rate, especially for patients who successfully had tumours removed.


To read more about these clinical trials, click here.

New treatment approach could help prevent recurrences of some bladder cancers

According to the results of a large clinical trial, flushing the bladder with the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine (Gemzar) after tumors have been removed surgically may reduce the risk of the cancer returning.

Patients with low-grade nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer who received a single dose of gemcitabine in the bladder through a catheter after surgery were much less likely to experience a recurrence of the disease within 4 years than patients who received a placebo.

To read more, click here.

American Cancer Society lowers age to begin colorectal cancer screening

The American Cancer Society has released an updated guideline for colorectal cancer screening, whereby the recommended age to begin screening has been lowered from 50 to 45.  The new age recommendation is intended for people at average risk of developing colorectal cancer and is not intended to replace "individual preference and choice in testing options...when there is an abnormal test."


To read more about the guidelines, click here.