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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Advancing Cancer Prevention: A Conversation with NCI’s Dr. Philip CastleThe director of NCI’s Division of Cancer Prevention, Dr. Philip Castle, discusses the division’s priority areas and his vision for making more rapid progress in cancer prevention, including moving toward precision prevention and immunoprevention.
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For Kids with Medulloblastoma, Trial Suggests Radiation Can Be TailoredStandard radiation for medulloblastoma can cause long-term damage to a child’s developing brain. A new clinical trial suggests that the volume and dose of radiation could be safely tailored based on genetic features in the patient’s tumor.
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New on NCI’s Websites for July 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 July 2021.
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Could a Diabetes Diagnosis Help Detect Pancreatic Cancer Early?Numerous studies have pointed to a link between new-onset diabetes and pancreatic cancer. Now, several large NCI-supported studies are testing ways to pick out those people whose diabetes might be a sign of early pancreatic cancer, when treatments may be more effective.
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For Advanced Prostate Cancer, Radiopharmaceutical Improves SurvivalA drug called Lu177-PSMA-617 may be a new option for treating advanced prostate cancer. In a large clinical trial, adding the drug—a type of radiopharmaceutical—to standard treatments improved how long participants lived.
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FDA Approval of KRAS Inhibitor Sotorasib for Lung Cancer Hailed as MilestoneFDA has approved the first KRAS-blocking drug, sotorasib (Lumakras). The approval, which covers the use of sotorasib to treat some patients with advanced lung cancer, sets the stage for other KRAS inhibitors already in development, researchers said.
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Avasopasem Shields Normal Cells from Radiation, Helps Kill Cancer CellsA drug called avasopasem manganese, which has been found to protect normal tissues from radiation therapy, can also make cancer cells more vulnerable to radiation treatment, a new study in mice suggests.
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Nivolumab and Relatlimab Combination Shows Promise in Advanced MelanomaPeople with advanced melanoma treated with two immunotherapy drugs—nivolumab (Opdivo) and a new drug called relatlimab—lived longer without their cancer getting worse than those treated only with nivolumab, results from a large clinical trial show.
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Nivolumab-Based Combinations Improve Survival in Advanced Esophageal CancerA treatment regimen that combines the immunotherapy drug nivolumab (Opdivo) with either another immunotherapy drug or chemotherapy may be a new initial treatment option for people with advanced esophageal cancer, a large clinical trial finds.
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Should People Over Age 75 Be Screened for Colorectal Cancer?Screening people for colorectal cancer after age 75 may be beneficial, a new study suggests. The findings provide helpful information for physicians to use in discussing screening choices with their older patients.
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For Hairy Cell Leukemia, Drug Combination Leads to Long-Lasting RemissionsIn a small study, vemurafenib (Zelboraf) and rituximab (Rituxan) helped 85% of participants stay in remission for nearly 3 years. The study involved 30 people with hairy cell leukemia that had come back after or had not responded to previous treatment.
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COVID-19 Vaccines May Be Less Effective in Some People with CancerPeople with blood cancers seem to be less protected by COVID-19 vaccines than those with other cancers and people without cancer, three new studies suggest. Experts believe this limited effectiveness is likely due to patients’ weakened immune systems.
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For Early-Stage Cervical Cancer, Minimally Invasive Surgery DecliningFewer women with early-stage cervical cancer are having minimally invasive surgery, including robotic, as part of their treatment, a new study shows. The shift toward more open surgeries follows the release of results from the LACC trial in 2018.
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Treatment for Oropharyngeal Cancer: Investigating Ways to Do Less HarmCan some people with HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer, a type of head and neck cancer, get less intense treatment without risking their cancer coming back? Researchers are trying to find out.
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Discovery of Tumor Suppressor Suggests New Cancer Treatment StrategiesResearchers have shown that the loss of a protein called AMBRA1 can cause tumors to form in mice and is linked with worse outcomes in some human tumors. The new research may lead to strategies for re-sensitizing cancer cells to CDK4/6 inhibitor drugs.
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Sacituzumab Govitecan Earns Full Approval for Triple-Negative Breast CancerSacituzumab govitecan (Trodelvy) now has regular FDA approval for people with locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The update follows last year’s accelerated approval of the drug for people with TNBC.
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Brentuximab May Mean Less Radiation for Children, Teens with Hodgkin LymphomaIn a recent study, a treatment regimen using brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) instead of the chemotherapy drug vincristine allowed some children and teens with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma to avoid radiation therapy—and the long-term health problems that can come with it.
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Topotecan–Berzosertib Combination Shows Promise against Small Cell Lung CancerCombining the chemotherapy drug topotecan and the investigational drug berzosertib shrank tumors in some patients with small cell lung cancer, results from an NCI-supported phase 1 clinical trial show. Two phase 2 trials of the combination are planned.
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Study Details Long-Term Side Effects of Immune Checkpoint InhibitorsWhile doctors are familiar with the short-term side effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors, less is known about potential long-term side effects. A new study details the chronic side effects of these drugs in people who received them as part of treatment for melanoma.
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Immunotherapy Drug Tebentafusp Improves Survival in Advanced Uveal MelanomaIn a large trial, tebentafusp helped patients with uveal melanoma live longer than patients who received other treatments for the disease. Uveal melanoma is an aggressive cancer of the eye, and many patients do not survive for a year once it has spread.