Luxembourg molecular diagnostic programme for better cancer treatment

On October 29, 2018, the Luxembourg Institut National du Cancer (INC) launched MDLUX2, a molecular diagnostics program with a goal of "improving the effectiveness of cancer treatment whilst supporting cancer research." It is believed that this program will allow further analysis of tumours and determine potential clinical trials that a patient may benefit from.


To learn more about MDLUX2, click here

Better outcomes in colorectal cancer can be linked to a healthy diet

According to a new American Cancer Society study, Colorectal cancer patients who followed healthy diets had a lower risk of death from colorectal cancer and all causes, even those who improved their diets after being diagnosed. To read more about this study, click here.

Using artificial intelligence to classify lung cancer types and predict mutations

Researchers are working on training a computer program to read slides of tissue samples to diagnose two of the most common types of lung cancer with 97% accuracy. The program also learned to detect cancer-related genetic mutations in the samples just by analyzing the images of cancer tissue.

To read more about this research, click here.

Bacteria that causes stomach cancer may lead to increased tisk of colon cancer

A new study conducted at the Duke Cancer Institute in the United States has shown a strong cause and effect relationship between the bacteria causing stomach cancer and a subsequent increased risk for colon cancer.  The study, conducted on 4,000 colon or rectal cancer patients, also found a correlation between genetic origin or heritage and the level of antibodies present in H. pylori bacteria proteins.  According to lead study author Meira Epplein, "VacA antibodies increased the odds of colorectal cancer in African Americans and Asian Americans, and not in whites and Latinos."


To read more about this study, click here.

A new report suggests prioritizing tobacco control

A new report, appearing in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, says that the highest priority in a national cancer control plan must be expansion of tobacco control—the intervention with the largest potential health benefits—according to a new American Cancer Society report, the second in a series of articles that together inform priorities for a comprehensive cancer control plan.

To read more about this report, click here.

New trial alert: Move for surgery - a novel preconditoning program for lung cancer patients

A new clinical trial sponsored by St. Joseph's Healthcare in Hamilton, Ontario, is presently recruiting patients for Move for Surgery (MFS), "a preconditioning program that encourages and empowers patients to improve their health prior to surgery."  According to the investigative team, the randomized trial, capped at 186 participants  claims that MFS will lower respiratory complication rates, reduce length of stay in the hospital and increases changes of recovery after surgery.


To read more about this trial, click here.

Investigating the cardiac side effects of cancer treatments

Approximately 100 researchers attended a workshop in June, on the campus of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD, about an important but underappreciated side effect of some treatments for cancer: heart problems. Certain cancer treatments can damage the heart and the cardiovascular system. These side effects, including high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, and heart failure, can be caused or exacerbated by chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as well as by newer forms of cancer treatment, such as targeted therapies and immunotherapies.

To read more of this article, click here.