Cancer Currents: An NCI Cancer Research Blog
A blog featuring news and research updates from the National Cancer Institute. Learn more about Cancer Currents.
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Pembrolizumab May Help Prevent Early-Stage Melanoma from ReturningTrial results show patients who received the immunotherapy pembrolizumab (Keytruda) after surgery to remove high-risk stage II melanomas were less likely to have the cancer come back than those who received no treatment after surgery.
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Combo of Ribociclib, Letrozole Improves Survival in Advanced Breast CancerIn a large clinical trial, women with HR-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer treated with ribociclib (Kisqali) and letrozole (Femara) as their initial treatment lived approximately 1 year longer than women treated with letrozole only.
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Breast Cancer Surgery Choice May Affect Young Survivors’ Quality of LifeWomen with early-stage breast cancer who had one or both breasts surgically removed (a unilateral or bilateral mastectomy) had lower scores on a quality-of-life survey than women who had breast-conserving surgery, a new study has found.
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Why Have Thyroid Cancer Diagnoses Spiked for US Women?Women are far more likely than men to be diagnosed with small thyroid cancers that probably would have never caused problems during their lifetime, a new study finds. The results may help explain why thyroid cancer seems to be more common in women.
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Extra or Missing Chromosomes May Help Cancer Cells Survive TreatmentAneuploidy—when cells have too many or too few chromosomes—is common in cancer cells, but scientists didn’t know why. Two new studies suggest that aneuploidy helps the cells survive treatments like chemotherapy and targeted therapies.
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Belzutifan Approved to Treat Tumors Linked to Inherited Disorder VHLFDA has approved belzutifan (Welireg) to treat adults with von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) who have tumors of the kidney, brain, nervous system, or pancreas. The drug may help these patients avoid or delay surgery by shrinking their tumors.
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Seeing a Promising Future for Progress against Childhood CancerNCI Director Dr. Ned Sharpless discusses progress against childhood cancers, like CAR T-cell therapy and collecting more comprehensive data on children and adolescents with cancer, and the need to better address disparities in childhood cancer.
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Quitting Smoking Improves Survival in People with Lung CancerQuitting smoking after a diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer may help people live longer, a new study finds. The study, which included more than 500 patients, also found that quitting smoking delayed the cancer from returning or getting worse.
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Addressing the Challenges of Cancer Misinformation on Social MediaMisinformation about cancer is abundant on social media, including stories that describe miraculous results from treatments that are unproven and potentially harmful. Researchers are studying misinformation and its impact on people with cancer.
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Gut Microbes May Influence How Well Radiation Therapy Works against CancerNew research suggests that fungi in the gut may affect how tumors respond to cancer treatments. In mice, when bacteria were eliminated with antibiotics, fungi filled the void and impaired the immune response after radiation therapy, the study found.
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New on NCI’s Websites for September 2021NCI periodically provides updates on new websites and other online content of interest to the cancer community. See selected content that has been added as of September 2021.
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COVID-19, Vaccines, and the Immune System: Emerging Research from NCI’s SeroNetIn this Q&A, leaders of NCI’s SeroNet program discuss new research findings on the immune response to the virus that causes COVID-19, new variants of the virus, and the COVID-19 vaccines. They also discuss the effects of the vaccines on people with cancer.
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Physical Activity May Lessen the Effects of Chemo Brain, Study FindsFor women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, meeting the national physical activity guidelines may help alleviate cognitive issues, a new study suggests. The benefits may be even greater for patients who were physically active before treatment.
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Opioid Use Drops among Cancer Patients at End of LifeAccording to a new study, among people with cancer in the last month of their lives, filled prescriptions for opioids to control pain have dropped and emergency room visits for pain have increased dramatically.
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FDA Approves Belumosudil to Treat Chronic Graft-Versus-Host DiseaseFDA has approved belumosudil (Rezurock) for the treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The approval covers the use of belumosudil for people 12 years and older who have already tried at least two other therapies.
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Alcohol Tied to 750,000 Cancer Cases Worldwide in 2020Nearly 750,000 cases of cancer diagnosed worldwide in 2020, or 4%, can be attributed to alcohol consumption, according to a new study. While heavy drinking accounted for most cases, light and moderate drinking accounted for a modest amount.
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New Task Force Focuses on Quality of Life for AYAs with CancerCancer can greatly disrupt life for adolescents and young adults, who are already going through major life changes. Gathering data on how cancer and its treatment affect this age group will improve their quality of life during and beyond treatment.
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FDA Approval of Rylaze Will Address Drug Shortage for Childhood ALLFDA has approved a new form of asparaginase called Rylaze. The drug was developed to help alleviate shortages of Erwinia asparaginase, a key part of treatment for children and adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
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Can an Antibiotic Treat Cancers that Become Resistant to PARP Inhibitors?In lab studies, the antibiotic novobiocin showed promise as a treatment for cancers that have become resistant to PARP inhibitors. The drug, which inhibits a protein called DNA polymerase theta, will be tested in NCI-supported clinical trials.
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Pattern of DNA Damage Links Colorectal Cancer and Diet High in Red MeatResearchers have discovered a consistent pattern of DNA damage in colorectal tumors that may explain how a diet high in red and processed meat can help cause colorectal cancer.